Hello there!
I have officially been on the race for two weeks and I felt like an update was needed! We arrived in Coffs Harbour, Australia last Thursday night after some training, a 30 hour layover, another layover, and drive! Australia is absolutely STUNNING. The area I’m in was affected by the fires a few months ago but isn’t at risk anymore, so that’s amazing! We are partnering with a local YWAM this month (another missions organization) and we are staying at two local churches that have opened up their space to us.
So far, we have gotten to pray over the city, meet the locals, help out churches and nursery homes, visit a drug and rehab center and help clean it up, and more! We have made it out to the ocean a few times and it is truly gorgeous, we even got to swim next to some wild dolphins. Our time here has been amazing, challenging, and rewarding.
Between missing my family and friends, navigating all the spiders and cockroaches, and the constant heat and stickiness, I’ve definitely been on the verge of a breakdown a few times. God has blessed me with a lot of peace and I have felt it throughout this whole process. I feel like I wake up each morning knowing that he is closer than ever.
God has been teaching me a lot in the short time I’ve been here. He’s been teaching me that he loves me with all my imperfections, I don’t need to earn it. We always hear that, but sometimes it’s hard to believe. He’s been teaching me that sitting in stillness is really beautiful and important. He’s been teaching me that more air conditioning, more money, more stuff, and more comfort is not going to bring me real peace. He’s been teaching me a lot more, but this post would get way too long if I wrote it all out.
Overall, everything has been amazing so far. There have been parts that aren’t pretty, desirable, or glamorous but that is the beauty of God. He turns messy into beautiful. That’s really all I have to update everybody on for now, feel free to reach out and ask questions (Facebook messenger, WhatsApp, and iMessage are great options for communicating). Thank you all for checking in, I will update you again soon!
