Hey folks! It’s been a little while since I’ve posted an update. It’s crazy to think that we’ve been on the race for about two weeks now already, it feels like a lot longer and we haven’t even scratched the surface yet.
Many things have happened already! We’ve been part of various ministries and many emotions have accompanied. Here’s a glimpse into life on the race so far!
Ministry:
We’ve had many different ministry opportunities so far! Each day looks a little different than the last.
- We have gotten to work in our host church’s kids ministry.
- We volunteered with the Red Frogs organization at a local festival/event passing out free water making sure locals were safe and hydrated.
- We partnered with another local church and walked around different zones of Coffs Harbour and passed out church invitations to over 6,000 homes!
- We took a day and drove to a nearby drug and alcohol rehab facility and helped them clean their facilities and landscaped the property for the next incoming round of people.
- Two teams of people went to a local nursing home two different days and led a church service and spent time listening to and loving on the older folks of Coffs.
- We have also had some ATL (Ask the Lord) ministry days. This looks like spending time in prayer and going wherever we feel the Lord is calling us. This has taken the form of street evangelism, paying it forward in local coffee shops, cooking at a park/beach bbq and feeding local families that walk by, etc.
- There is a place here called “the oval” where many refugee families gather. Some nights different teams will go down and play soccer with everyone!
We’ve also taken some time and had a little fun, too! Here are a few things we’ve gotten to enjoy:
- The beach! We’ve spent lots of down time at a nearby beach. One of the churches we are staying at has a ministry called YWAM (Youth With A Mission) that we have been working and spending time with. Our “initiation” on our first day here was jumping off the 40 foot jetty at the beach! That was a lot of fun.
- The YWAM crew organized a huge scavenger hunt for our world race squad! We took a few hours, ran all over town, and got to see some of the sights!
- Sam, our host, took a few of us to a rope swing to get out of the hot sun and cool off for a bit!
- We are about a 20 minute walk from a local mall, so a few of us have ventured out to shop and explored local coffee shops!
Things the Lord is teaching me:
- Patience! So much patience. I am a planner to my core. I love knowing exactly what my day looks like and what to prepare for. I quickly realized I don’t have that luxury here. It’s a lot of “hurry up and wait.” So having patience with my team and leaders as we figure out what ministry will look like each day and also having patience with myself as I learn how to be still and do nothing sometimes has been an adjustment.
- The Lord is also teaching me to slowly let go of things back home and focus on where I am presently. I feel homesick often, and I miss my family and friends; but I’m learning to not dwell on that so much and shift my focus to where I currently am and the people He’s allowed me to meet and share life with.
- Dying to self. I never really knew what that looked like but I’m beginning to understand. Australia is a lot like America in some ways, but it’s still so different. I’m learning what it is to be stripped of the comforts of home. Examples being going from a memory foam mattress to an air mattress or the floor, little to no air conditioning, little control over the events of the day, no personal space, cold showers, new foreign foods, all in insanely hot weather and learning to endure it all with a smile.
Things you can pray for:
- My team! We’re all going through these emotions together. It’s been difficult in different ways for all of us. Please pray for strength and unity and good attitudes to remain for us.
- Our health! We’ve only been away from home for about 2-3 weeks now and so many of us are dealing with broken bones and sickness. Please pray for constant energy and all sickness and pain to be gone!
- Acclamation! You guys it is SO HOT here! I realize it’s full on winter back in Virginia right now, but here it’s like 90 degrees and our next few countries are going to be even hotter than it is here. Please PLEASE pray that our squad can adjust quickly to the temperature changes and stay cool and hydrated. It’s been a little rough so far.
- Funding! I am half way to my next goal! Praise the Lord! I am $8,300 away from being fully funded, and being on the mission field now means I can’t be home to fundraise full time. Please pray for this part of my journey. Pray for the Lord to provide these funds and please prayerfully consider donating to help me reach this goal so I can continue to minister to these other countries with my team! $10 here and there goes a long way! Also please pray for my parents y’all, with me only being able to fundraise part time now, they are taking on extra stress in helping me reach these goals! (Thanks mom and pop, you’re the bomb.)
If you have read this far, thank you so much. This has been a difficult adjustment and hopefully my next blog post won’t be all bullet points, but this go round it was helpful in composing my thoughts. Thank you for your prayers and your donations. It’s been incredible watching Jesus move in the 10 days we have been in Australia. I can’t even imagine what the next 10 and a half months will look like!
