Recognizing that you are a reader of this blog, thus a follower of my life, invokes a burgeoning sense of appreciation and humility within me during this season of my life that would not exist had I chosen to pursue the straight and narrow in any other way. I want to express my gratitude for your support, and for giving me not only a sense of appreciation, but an experience that can’t be had any other way. By reading and supporting me, I’ve developed a desire to carry out my daily duties in a manner that would make you proud. It’s ironic to think that being obedient to our Lord will extinguish my own pride, but can make you proud of me. But then again, God likes to work in a paradoxical manner; to die to self is to live, to be poor is to be rich, the greatest among us is the least among us, love your enemy and so on. It remains unknown to myself what works, responsibilities, and trials God has queued for my life, but during this 11-month journey He is definitely refining my character, my inclination towards obedience, my aptitude for listening, and my ability to love.
DARWIN, AUSTRALIA:
Darwin, a city of about 80,000, is situated in the Northern Territory. The ‘Top End’ is what they call this part of Australia, and the people here refer to the East Coasters as ‘city folks’. In case your history is a little foggy, Darwin was the unfortunate target of Japanese bombing efforts that were on a greater scale than that which took place in Pearl Harbor. It’s been compared to using a sledge hammer to crack an egg. In spite of the US being an ally during WWII, Australians can be a bit standoffish when greeted by an American. Perhaps this is because the global stereotype of Americans rings truer and truer every year. However, a genuine smile usually overpowers this reaction in an instant.
So what about the religious culture of Darwin? Well, it’s really not all that different from a typical American small city, except perhaps a bit more globally diversified. Now, it’s certainly no Texas town, marked by a Baptist or Methodist church every few blocks, but there are a handful of churches here. I’ve attended both Darwin Baptist and a Unified church, which a resident YWAM staffer, Joel, attends. The Baptist church is predominantly white locals whereas the Unified church has a few Aboriginal peoples and Fijians in regular attendance. There is a main drag in Darwin called Mitchell Street. This is where most of the nightlife happens. Bars and restaurants line the street, as well as a “gentlemen’s club” called the Honey Pot. With that said, there’s no lack of sin in this city. A large number of the aboriginal peoples here are plagued by alcoholism and blatantly consume alcoholic beverages in city parks and streetsides.
Darwin is one of the most expensive places to live in Australia, if not the most expensive. Why? Years and years ago the English came in, along with a variety of other ethnicities, and forced themselves and capitalism upon Aboriginal lands. However, in the Northern Territory, they agreed to let the Aboriginals continue living on the land. Essentially now Darwin is locked into place without the option of outward expansion because the Aboriginals are under no obligation to give up their land. Prices in Darwin are driven up. It costs roughly three to four thousand dollars per month to rent an apartment suitable for a couple or small family to live here. Does that mean only the super wealthy live here? No, because wages have also been driven up. It’s a perfect example of microeconomics. Please note that this information was passed to me through casual conversation.
At any rate, our ministry here has been organized by Youth With A Mission (YWAM). Every MWF my team has been volunteering at Vinnie’s, a charitable organization similar to the Salvation Army. We help out at the local men’s housing complex, doing anything from sorting donated goods to cooking to cleaning vacant rooms to grounds keeping. Our reward is a lunch prepared by a remarkable chef named Daisy. His humorous undertones speak even through his culinary creations, which are made possible by the garden out back. Tuesdays are our worship days. We have a 30-45 minute session of music played by our very own Hannah Coulter (feel free to check her blog) followed by a time of prayer and a teaching on DVD. After that we usually do housekeeping and yard work, or we go out for prayer walks and street evangelism. Thursdays have been dedicated for cleaning up the YWAM facility (sweeping, mopping, washing cars, cleaning bathrooms, organizing the kitchen etc.) Weekends are typically to ourselves, with the occasional chore or duty.
“What exactly does successful ministry look like for you? How is this truly part of a mission trip? Sometimes it seems like you’re just on some sort of volunteer vacation.” Perhaps you’ve wondered something like this. I’d like to respond here. My team and I have discovered the value and importance in supporting already established outreach centers. YWAM has been rooted in Darwin for several years now and plays an active role in the community. At times they are short staffed and could use help around the base. Enter us World Racers. We are bringing relief to those on the front line of Darwin’s spiritual battles. We intercede for them in prayer, and they for us. We are tired at the end of the day.
And what about evangelism? Can I really claim that God is using us to minister to people? The answer is yes. It’s difficult for me to embrace some of the things I’ve been experiencing, but I can surely share them with you…
On a recent street evangelism exercise, we do what we call ATL, which stands for Ask The Lord. I was dropped off downtown with a couple of others to do a couple of hours of street evangelism. Patrice, one of our squad leaders, felt like we should ask for names of people to speak with. After praying, Raven felt like we were supposed to talk to Michael. I had the name Paul stuck in my head, and an image of a bottle of Paul Mitchell shampoo, as well as an electrified image of a man’s hands playing a guitar. ‘Okay Lord, this is weird, but here we go.’ I jumped right in by asking the first couple I saw if we could pray for them as they pushed their baby in a stroller. The man turned his head and they sped up their pace, ignoring me. We later struck up a few conversations, but nothing revealing. Finally, we see two aboriginals panhandling their musical skills on the sidewalk to get money for alcohol. It was on Mitchell Street, under a sign that read “Paul” in large letters followed by photography beneath. After a few minutes of striking up conversation, the older man tells me he’s been playing guitar for a long time and has become quite good. We asked if we could pray for them, and per their request we began praying for their health. A white man stops on the sidewalk and watches us for a few minutes. He looks like a typical Darwin male; buff with a buzz cut and a tattoo across his chest, visible because most of the guys wear tank tops. He engages us in conversation and tells us his name is Michael. After we explain to him that the Lord appointed his meeting us, he sits down in the middle of the sidewalk with us, and we form a circle, me, Partice, Raven, two aboriginals, and Michael, to pray for one another. I urge you to pray for Michael now, as well as his mother, per his request. Also pray that God reveal His glory, grace, mercy, and love to you, and He will do so.
