I keep thinking this trip can’t get any better �” but I am
enjoying Australia so much already!
My squad debriefed in Siem Reap, Cambodia for the first part
of March. This included mornings
spent listening to inspired teaching from our squad leaders and squad parents,
and evenings spent worshipping and enjoying fellowship with each other. The afternoon was usually ours to enjoy
and I chose to spend mine mostly alone in my hotel room with good food and the
movie channel! Being an only child
in a team of 5 girls 24 hours a day 7 days a week, things had gotten a little
difficult for me in the last few weeks.
I craved that alone time to recharge �” which I did �” and I was ready for
our bus ride into Vietnam and plane ride to Australia.
Vietnam was a nice little stop. We stayed in the bustling Ho Chi Minh city for a night and I
was able to eat their infamous Pho soup.
Which was good I guess…just tasted like regular ‘ole soup to me, but I’m
told it’s an American craze right now.
I walked around town and realized how much I’ve gotten used to men
bombarding me left and right asking if I want a taxi/tuk tuk/moto ride. I don’t even notice all the street
begging and vendors anymore…Asia has made me tolerant of so much chaos and
noise that it’s hard for me to think of going back to my quaint little
apartment and the way my life was there.
Living alone…not picking up my phone if I didn’t feel like
talking…having a weeks worth of food at any one time so I wouldn’t even have to
leave the apartment… The World
Race is a funny animal…so many things have changed. Anyways �” I’m nostalgic and rambling!
The day we got into Australia was the day Japan was ruined
by the earthquake. We had a
terrifying few hours of a Tsunami scare for our coast in Australia…we are only
1 kilometer away from the ocean.
We would’ve been wiped out.
But God is so good and we were spared everything but some minor waves.
Well, our contacts this month are Roger and Vivian
Latham. Please check out their
website www.outbackresources.weebly.com.
They are accepting financial gifts to further their ministry and willing
missionaries to minister to the Indigenous Aboriginal people. They are SO HOLY SPIRIT FILLED!!! There aren’t enough exclamation marks
in the world to write about them!
Roger can be heard screaming PRAISE GOD!! about every 5 minutes and when
he talks about all the miracles he’s been apart of he starts laughing and
crying and is so full of God at any one moment that he is constantly singing
praises and singing beautiful songs in tongues. He’s working with me to expound on this spiritual gift so I
can lead worship in prophetic song.
I’ll keep you all updated on my progress! I think the Holy Spirit is going to slap me in the face this
month and I am excited for it!
Our first week here in the outback (yes, my team once again
is in the bush) we are working on Roger’s home base clearing out debris from
the recent cyclone. We’re also
loving on the Aboriginal community here.
The community is called Belyuen and the people are all quite
lovely. I thought I’d give some
interesting details about the way of life for an Indig person because it really
is quite different here. The
Aussie’s did a similar thing to the Aborigines as we did to the Native
Americans, but because the government completely takes care of their money,
there is no incentive to build a better life. Aborigines are seen as nuisances and low life. They have subsidized housing and food
allowance, so the children have no need to go to school because they have no
need for a job. On top of that,
parents do not take care of their children because in their culture the
children raise each other. There
is a high alcoholism rate, high spirit of depression, jealousy, shame, apathy
and absolutely no incentive to change it.
They still speak their native language, but their native hunting and
gathering skills are lost from years of persecution, then money being handed
over for retribution. It would be
very hard to be a missionary here because even after all the relationships have
been built, the change still doesn’t come because bottom line is �” it doesn’t
have to. Vivian said she can’t
imagine being an Aboriginal and thriving…if there is no belief in God, then
there is no hope in any future.
Playing around with the Balyeun girls.
My girl Rhianna 🙂
Our second week will be spent an hour further out into the
bush with the Long Grass people.
Not sure of the ministry there �” will write more when I know! Same with our third week here �” I know
we’ll be back in the Darwin area working at the Wollaning School, which is a
Christian school for indigenous people, but I’m unsure of the details.
Anyways �” fun Aussie phrases �” “Good on ya, mate!â€� “Let’s
have some bush tucka brekkie!� “This mob, here!� “No worries mate!� Make sure you read those aloud with an
accent, a’ight?
G’day and enjoy some pictures! – – – –
Our dog for the month, Samson. He’s a wiggle worm and I love him!
Rachel and I completely covered in sweat and dirt. Australia. is. HOT.
Roger is a guitar teacher. Rachel and I are taking pretty well to it. Yeah, we’re head banging.
At our beach. I love Australia!
