Yeah, this is my life. I have lived in 3 different countries in the past 3 months and am currently on a plane to Malaysia, thank You sweet Jesus! The thing I like most about doing the Lord’s work is that we get to see a completely different side of a country (that a typical tourist would not experience), in my opinion, the BEST side and the RICHEST experience. We go into places that are dirty, where people don’t have much, where sickness is a way of life, and addictions are not out of the ordinary…we also get to see God’s salt and LIGHT at work as well. I have gone to a new level with my Savior this month. In the Bible it talks about how Jesus is “living water”, well, I have drunk heavily of Him this month, maybe this is why I am still single, I have yet to encounter a man who measures up to this One…and since I never will, I will simply wait on Him to bring that about if that’s His plan :o). Honestly lately my desire for my orphan(s) has been stronger than the one for my husband…I will meet you soon and come for you soon dear one(s)! It’s amazing how God can create such intense LOVE for someone you have never met, although I believe I met at least one of my babies in Cambodia, that country is in my blood and I will go back one day soon. Last night when I was standing and worshipping Jesus, I felt Him standing in front of me and smiling and dancing softly and slowly with me…I’m telling you He’s INCREDIBLE! Praise God!
Ok, so the past two weeks have been beautiful, God allowed our team to experience His beauty, in nature. We went camping with a group of about 30 Aboriginal kids at the Katherine Gorge, we went on a boat ride that normally cost $60 per person for free, they let all of us ride for free totaling about $3,000! Jesus blessed us, and the kids had so much fun :o), it did rain quite a bit though, so much so that we had to leave the campground early as rivers were flooding over roads (not uncommon during wet season). We also stayed at a Christian school called Woolaning for a week in campers (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/a-model-of-hope/story-e6frgcpf-1111112713979 ), we helped clean around there (I pressure washed for two days straight!), Woolaning was started with a woman who had a dream for Aboriginal kids who didn’t have much of a future, it is kind of like a boarding school and these teachers LOVE these kids as hard as it is sometimes (there are many behavioral issues as many of them have had NO discipline growing up), it was a great experience all around however. AND God is such a PROVIDER as the title says, there are many things we desired and needed that He provided us with-one was FOOD, we had a very tight budget for Australia because it is so expensive, and so we mostly lived off peanut butter and jelly, but we also had lots of food donated to us and meals made (just when we needed it!) and it was just so awesome to see our Father care for His children :o) The last few days in Australia have been eventful as well, God allowed me to become a team leader (something that I felt He had been speaking to me throughout the month and I told no one of to be sure it was Him), I am so excited for this opportunity though! My new team has six people-3 are the same as before-Alison, Kim, and Katy, and we now have 2 guys-Charles and Mark, so we are all excited to see how God will work this month. I also turned…30. Enough about that :o) I asked a group of Aboriginal girls how old they thought I was and they all said 21! And then one said “no! (I got worried), she’s 18!”-haha-whew! I never corrected them…..
Malaysia here we come…
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you save Christ, and Him crucified. And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: that your faith should not stand in the wisdom of man, but in the power of God.
The Apostle Paul ~1 Corinthians 1 and 2
Many of the pics are of just me because it was just me and one other person :o)
The team plus Julie at Edith Falls :o)
Chasing sweet children (in a skirt!) at Werenbun Community.
McKayla having a rest break after the chase.
Some of the boys at Werenbun after a water balloon fight! (we filled about 200 of them!)
This is one of the cutest frogs I’ve ever seen, it was sitting in our bathroom on the curtain rod :o)
An attractive “lice treatment” picture of Katy and I-we are now lice free-thanks God!
Feeding some pigs at Woolaning Christian school :o)
These are two of the “house parents” of Woolaning we ate dinner with (and the girls)-Gerald and Bev-great people! We had such good conversation (and food!) with them!
Eunice is a hugger :o)
Some of Gerald and Bev’s girls before basketball tryouts in Darwin :o)
Wangai falls…so beautiful and minutes from Woolaning-these kids are SO blessed!
I could have stayed all day!
Wangai rain forest! My first time in a real rain forest!
Pictures don’t do the trees justice!
Creek running through a log :o)
Treetop at Wangai :o)
These were MASSIVE fruit bats hanging in trees near our camp in Katherine, there were hundreds of them and they made so much noise at night!
Me and Kalee at camp :o)
No, I’m not checking for lice (although I did), I’m french braiding her hair :o)
Some of the camp girls-so cute (but sometimes I wanted to give them a swat!)
One of my favorites-Kasey.
Pretty hair!
God used my lanyard skills to help the girls make key chains later that night :o)
The wallabies at camp ate from our hands-they were kind of like overgrown squirrels.
Roger came later that night to play music to Jesus with the girls, they all know basic guitar from him coming to teach at their school-so blessed!
Hike at Katherine Gorge :o)
:o)
Katy making the climb!
The above two are panoramics of the gorge and this is Pauline and Phil who do a lot of the running of Woolaning school-they are incredible people!
Me and my Katy baby!
A group of Woolaning boys right before their boat ride :o)
This is Ricky, he’s 15 and is such a sweet boy! He is always hugging on all the teachers :o)
Me and Ricky on the way to the boat…so cute! Pray for his older sister though, she was recently sent home from Woolaning for bad behavior :o(
Love him!!!
Right before leaving for the boat ride!
Our team on the boat (minus Courtney-who is now squad leader!!!)
This looks FAKE it’s so pretty!
This part of the gorge was in some movie called Jeda or something!
One of the only crocs we saw :o)
All of us singing with the boys to Jesus!
This was a random baby lamb a guy let me hold at a gas station-it still had afterbirth on it and it’s mother had just died, but I still felt like Jesus!!!
My sis got me a shirt for my birthday!!! On the world race, new clothes are a BIG deal!
Last team/birthday dinner on the waterfront in Darwin!
I prayed for a beautiful sunset and God gave me this! Happy Birthday!
Awwww! There were even dolphins jumping in front of us!!! God is good!
Announcing the new team leaders :o) I had a birthday pin on too…the one in red is Jake-he is one of our new squad leaders, the rest are Ben, Andrew, Muah, Brittani, Justin W. and Justin H.-thanks God!
Our new team-Willow! Charles, Kim, Katy, Me, Alison, and Mark!!!!!!!!!! We are going to do awesome things in His Name!!!
Love you guys!!!
