The Lord will guide you always; he will
satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land. You will be like a well-watered
garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the
ancient ruins and you will rise up the age-old foundations; you will be called
repairer of broken walls. Isaiah 58: 11-12 
Beswick, Australia, are people who long for the hope of Jesus, freedom from guilt
and for broken walls to be rebuilt. Issues of physical abuse between marriages,
drugs, alcohol and drunkenness are deep in this community and a dark presence
battles against the light every day. The teens and kids go to he Disco(dance
party) every Friday and Saturday, which teaches and leads them into the life
the world wants us to obtain- of parting, drinking and clubbing. The school is
filled with teasing, fights and swearing. The kids overdose on sugar every day,
(I know that sounds funny but carbonated drinks are killing them); they crave
it like the addiction of drugs- (kids at Age 2 walk around with an endless
sprite bottle).
In the town on
Beswick it is illegal to drink, so everyone heads to Katherine to get drunk. We
were heading home from Katherine one day (which remember it is 1.5 hours away).
Getting into our sweating old bus, Pastor Anderson asked Michelle (who is our leader)
if she would mind if we drove some people back into Beswick with us. Looking down we see two drunken men, smelly
and intoxicated they do not speak clear or stand up straight. They hopped on
the bus and we sat their kind of through off by the situation. They eventually
passed out as we made it back into Beswick. As our team discussed how we felt
and our thoughts on the night, we started talking about what Jesus would have
done in this situation? It hit me, Loving people and bringing them back home is
an act Jesus calls of us. Pastor Anderson was bringing his family back home not
embracing their act but saying with his actions we still love you, giving them
a glimpse of hope and leading them into the direction of home.
A couple nights
after that we went to fellowship (which I will explain in another blog- it is
its own story to tell) and we saw the spirit of God moving and people
worshipping with all they have. Old woman, young children, dogs (it on the
street corner) desiring God more, and to see an explosion of God in this
community. I saw a hope that night in these
believers they are like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never
fail. These people will rebuild the ancient ruins and they will rise up the
age-old foundations; they will be called repairer of broken walls. I am encouraged by the believer and believe
God is building up new walls. Even
though issue lie here God is doing something deeper, God is calling the people
of Beswick back home, His arms are open, believers are desiring more and God is
present. Everyone needs encouragement, to rise up and let Christ shine
(Ephesians 5:8-21)!
for God to use us in the ways he needs, and for the believers to be encouraged
to step out into their community. To see leaders built up and to see lives
following Jesus as a lifestyle (not just at fellowship) and a desire to get to
know God more.
