Hey bys! I've been in the outback for most of October. My contact lives in Wagait Beach, a bit over an hours drive from Darwin. We were here for 2 days and we headed down to Alice Springs..a 15hr road trip to the heart of the country! Again we were sent to one place and ended up travelling to the heart to the country, God has His plans indeed! Our contact went to an indigenous conference and we stayed at a local church. We were there for a week and a half. While we were there we worked with the Salvation Army, Salvos as they're called here, and at the church we stayed at. We sorted clothes, and cleaned both churches, and though we didn't feel like we were doing much it was amazing to see how blessed people were by it. Doing God's work look many ways. We don't get to chose our ministry, we do get to choose our attitude, where our hearts are. That is where we were placed so we can choose to be obediant and faithful, to recognize that we are always in ministry, not just during our official ministry. The house of the couple who pastor the church we stayed at was on the same property, and one of the jobs we did was to prune the garden. Though it seemed insignificant to us God told her to take care of His people and He would take care of her. [As a side note her and her husbands story of how they came to that ministry and their walk with God is amazing!] So after putting her time into the work God gave her, He sent us to bless her. I'm not saying that we came to Australia just for this, but as the body we build each other up, and God knows and looks after us.
Indig groups live in camps and communities. Our first night in Alice we went to Abbotts camp. Drinking is a huge problem in indig communities, and it was difficult to know how to react and what to do as drunk men would sing worship songs and moments later be pissing beside the kids playground or yelling at their wives. But Jesus loves these guys too. Or seeing broken glass all over the ground where the kids play. Picking handfuls of it up, and opening the trash bin to see that it's filled with alcohol bottles. It's hard not to be angry, my heart broke for these kids and the environment they're being brought up in, and the way people are choosing to live. You could sense the darkness and the need for love and the hope that Jesus brings.
I was tried after travelling and focused on me, so when we go to the camp I was like we're only here for so long, and then I can go 'home' and sleep. As soon as I thought it I regretted it. I wasn't just there to fulfil some duty, I was there to love, to share Christ and the hope and fulness of life that He brings. So I stood there awkwardly, not wanting to be uncomfortable, and at the same time wanting to break my comfort so badly, watchin ad my team seem to do it so easily, prayin God would lead me and use me. And in a moment I realized how foolish I was being…out of my comfort zone? How was playing with kids or talking to some of the ladys out of my comfort zone?! So I and played with the kids, who just like any other kids want and soak up love. There was a sort of service going on around us and when it came time for prayer, we moved in closer, and some of the kids came with me. Sitting there in the dust, with kids leaning on, sitting on and beside me I got to pray for them. And then one of the ladys that was involved in organizing the evenin told me to go stand by a lady with a bad leg and pray for her. As soon as I started praying I started crying, I don't know why, if it was overwhelmed by the oppression this woman faced, the lack of support and love in her life, or what, but I got to pray for her, to the one who sees and knows all things, and has the power to move in her life. Then I was approached by another lady who asked me to pray for her partner and son. I had trouble understanding her between her aussie/indig accent, so I wasn't entirely sure what to pray for, for them and it wasn't a big and fancy prayer, but I prayed all the same. After I could hear someone praying for another gentleman loudly and eloquently, and I felt guilty for the timidity of my prayer. And in the quiet way God speaks to me He reminded me that I just need to believe, that He hears me, regardless of how loud I pray or how fancy the words are, so to pray boldly, that through Jesus I have the power to intercede.
2 Timothy 1:7 “for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love an self-control.”
