Well we have been in Brisbane, Australia and if there’s two words
I can say from the moment we got off the plane it’s HOT and HUMID!! We
have already been so blessed. Our Squad arrived in Brisbane back on
Sat morning around 7am after a three hour plane right out of Auckland,
New Zealand at 7am We were so blessed by our two hosts Jamie and Fran,
a young married couple who allowed TONS of us to crash on the floors
and couches to rest before our next flights out. On Sat a few of us
went out to see the city of Brisbane, a beautiful city with awesome
flows, strange looking bird, HUGE bats flying over my head at night,
and wonderful people. Sunday Fran and Jamie took a few of us up to
Noosa beach, about an hour north. It’s said to be one of the most
beautiful beaches in the world where it wasn’t sunny but we still
wanted to go. We got to walk on a trail along the coasts, swim in the
really warm ocean, waves were massive and it’s pretty much a common
things to see tons of surfers. It all of a sudden downpoard like a
monsoon on us out of the blue and we got soaked, but it was so fun! on
the way up, we got to see a live Koala bear up in the tree but we
didn’t get the greatest look because his head was down trying to hide
from the rain, poor guy looked soaked!!
I can say from the moment we got off the plane it’s HOT and HUMID!! We
have already been so blessed. Our Squad arrived in Brisbane back on
Sat morning around 7am after a three hour plane right out of Auckland,
New Zealand at 7am We were so blessed by our two hosts Jamie and Fran,
a young married couple who allowed TONS of us to crash on the floors
and couches to rest before our next flights out. On Sat a few of us
went out to see the city of Brisbane, a beautiful city with awesome
flows, strange looking bird, HUGE bats flying over my head at night,
and wonderful people. Sunday Fran and Jamie took a few of us up to
Noosa beach, about an hour north. It’s said to be one of the most
beautiful beaches in the world where it wasn’t sunny but we still
wanted to go. We got to walk on a trail along the coasts, swim in the
really warm ocean, waves were massive and it’s pretty much a common
things to see tons of surfers. It all of a sudden downpoard like a
monsoon on us out of the blue and we got soaked, but it was so fun! on
the way up, we got to see a live Koala bear up in the tree but we
didn’t get the greatest look because his head was down trying to hide
from the rain, poor guy looked soaked!!
(Auckland, NZ) 
(Brisbane, Aus)
BUT, we are back inthe Brisbane airport as 50 or so of
us headed to check in around 9:30 for a noon flight off the Darwin. We
got the suprising news that our flight got cancelled and we have to
stay here in the airpost until 9pm tonight for another flight which
will get us there a little after midnight. Something about cyclones in
Darwin??!! Yeah, I’m good here, ha. So we are here for a while and I
found an internet place where I can write you all an update.
Australia is beautiful and the people are very nice here. For me team,
we will stay the night at Darwin before heading to Jaribu for a couple
of days to do outreach and evangelistic services, and then we head to
our main place of Oenpelli. I have received an email that the
ministry contact Carl really wants to us our team gifts to reach youth
there. It’s going to be very hot and humid even more that Brisbane
when we get there and it’s during wet season so we can’t drive there.
I’ve also been told of many crocodiciles, alligators, and kangaroos up
there with many other things, this will be interesting.
us headed to check in around 9:30 for a noon flight off the Darwin. We
got the suprising news that our flight got cancelled and we have to
stay here in the airpost until 9pm tonight for another flight which
will get us there a little after midnight. Something about cyclones in
Darwin??!! Yeah, I’m good here, ha. So we are here for a while and I
found an internet place where I can write you all an update.
Australia is beautiful and the people are very nice here. For me team,
we will stay the night at Darwin before heading to Jaribu for a couple
of days to do outreach and evangelistic services, and then we head to
our main place of Oenpelli. I have received an email that the
ministry contact Carl really wants to us our team gifts to reach youth
there. It’s going to be very hot and humid even more that Brisbane
when we get there and it’s during wet season so we can’t drive there.
I’ve also been told of many crocodiciles, alligators, and kangaroos up
there with many other things, this will be interesting.
I do have just two quick stories to share with you all.
After sleeping a few hours before leaving El
Rancho, we took an eleven hour bus ride to Auckland and got to stay at
a church that night for free. We didn’t get there until the evening
and had a bus at 3:30am for our early morning flight. A few of us
decided not to sleep that night but wait until the flight, I caught
about fifteen minutes. The pastor of this church welcomed us and told
us history about the church. One of our members had asked about a
grocery store nearby when he told us of one a little ways walk and then
he told us to be careful because there were about six brothels within
that walk and that we could be approached for some things. My friend
Danny and I decided in a couple of hours to go pray on the streets for
these brothels. About midnight we headed out but we never saw one on
the way to the grocery place, on the way back there were a couple of
guys outside, one was a security and the other one was fixing a water
pipe problem. The Lord just told me to start talking to them and so as
Danny and i were talking and praying I just took an immediate stop and
started conversation. We got to meet this guy named T.J. who is
originally from India and moved to New Zealand a few years ago at the
age of 19 and is now 22. He grew up Hindu but since being in New
Zealand he doesn’t really follow it anymore. Danny and I got to share
with him about what we were doing, sharing Christ’s and God’s love, and
about passion/purpose in life. T.J. thought we were out that night
looking for girls, and we told him No, but we were praying. He told us
that he wished he had the same passion and purpose in his life as
ours. He believe in heaven, hell, and God, but not a personal God. he
even told us that he would probably go to hell if he kept living the
way he did. Danny and I shared the gospel with T.J. on the streets and
about God’s love and you could really see his heart just working! He
told us he wanted to really believe but wanted also some time to
process because of 22 years of living one way. We also made it aware
to him the importance of counting the cost! We told him we’d be
praying for him and we prayed with him on the street there. He got our
contact info and wanted to stay in touch and email him a picture so we
could remember him and stay in touch. Danny and I said our goodbyes and
rejoiced! All three of us were amazed how we were from two completely
far apart different countries and how God brought us here. It’s was
awesome and to do that at 1 am when we were tired was worth it. We did
see two brothels on the way back and got to pray over them before
heading back around 2am. We prayed for the girls that they would find
value in God and repentence for the men and those who run them.
Rancho, we took an eleven hour bus ride to Auckland and got to stay at
a church that night for free. We didn’t get there until the evening
and had a bus at 3:30am for our early morning flight. A few of us
decided not to sleep that night but wait until the flight, I caught
about fifteen minutes. The pastor of this church welcomed us and told
us history about the church. One of our members had asked about a
grocery store nearby when he told us of one a little ways walk and then
he told us to be careful because there were about six brothels within
that walk and that we could be approached for some things. My friend
Danny and I decided in a couple of hours to go pray on the streets for
these brothels. About midnight we headed out but we never saw one on
the way to the grocery place, on the way back there were a couple of
guys outside, one was a security and the other one was fixing a water
pipe problem. The Lord just told me to start talking to them and so as
Danny and i were talking and praying I just took an immediate stop and
started conversation. We got to meet this guy named T.J. who is
originally from India and moved to New Zealand a few years ago at the
age of 19 and is now 22. He grew up Hindu but since being in New
Zealand he doesn’t really follow it anymore. Danny and I got to share
with him about what we were doing, sharing Christ’s and God’s love, and
about passion/purpose in life. T.J. thought we were out that night
looking for girls, and we told him No, but we were praying. He told us
that he wished he had the same passion and purpose in his life as
ours. He believe in heaven, hell, and God, but not a personal God. he
even told us that he would probably go to hell if he kept living the
way he did. Danny and I shared the gospel with T.J. on the streets and
about God’s love and you could really see his heart just working! He
told us he wanted to really believe but wanted also some time to
process because of 22 years of living one way. We also made it aware
to him the importance of counting the cost! We told him we’d be
praying for him and we prayed with him on the street there. He got our
contact info and wanted to stay in touch and email him a picture so we
could remember him and stay in touch. Danny and I said our goodbyes and
rejoiced! All three of us were amazed how we were from two completely
far apart different countries and how God brought us here. It’s was
awesome and to do that at 1 am when we were tired was worth it. We did
see two brothels on the way back and got to pray over them before
heading back around 2am. We prayed for the girls that they would find
value in God and repentence for the men and those who run them.
On
getting ready to board the flight to Brisbane from Auckland, I got to
sit beside a lady named Lisabeth from Hungary. She hardly knew English
at all and I of course didn’t know Hungarian. But we were able to
break some of the language barried and find out she was here to visit
her daughter. i got to tell her that Christ loved her, asked he if she
prays and she said “yes’ and I told her I would pray for you. She was
happy to talk and meet.
getting ready to board the flight to Brisbane from Auckland, I got to
sit beside a lady named Lisabeth from Hungary. She hardly knew English
at all and I of course didn’t know Hungarian. But we were able to
break some of the language barried and find out she was here to visit
her daughter. i got to tell her that Christ loved her, asked he if she
prays and she said “yes’ and I told her I would pray for you. She was
happy to talk and meet.
Sometimes we get ministry
confused with events and places, even on mission trips we forget about
the ministry of the people we are around in small places. What if
Danny and I never went out that night at midnight and never met T.J. then he may never have known who the Lord is. I asked you be in prayer for T.J. and that someday soon he will come to know the lord. We
really believe in faith that he will come to know the Lord soon in his
life time, because he was really searching. Whether you’re at a bank,
on a mission site, airports, wherever, God has placed people in your
life and path to share. We were happy to be open and available.
confused with events and places, even on mission trips we forget about
the ministry of the people we are around in small places. What if
Danny and I never went out that night at midnight and never met T.J. then he may never have known who the Lord is. I asked you be in prayer for T.J. and that someday soon he will come to know the lord. We
really believe in faith that he will come to know the Lord soon in his
life time, because he was really searching. Whether you’re at a bank,
on a mission site, airports, wherever, God has placed people in your
life and path to share. We were happy to be open and available.
I hope to put pictures up soon about the
ministry that night and Australia. Please be in prayer for us as we
are heading out. Love you all very much.
ministry that night and Australia. Please be in prayer for us as we
are heading out. Love you all very much.
John
