Over the course of this month, we’ve watched several teams of volunteers come and go, all brought to camp for one reason: to declare and display God’s love for the children of Ivankiev, Ukraine. For the last eleven(ish) days, we’ve had the honor of partnering with an energetic, passionate (criminally insane) group of 20-somethings from Holland. Before the “Dutchies” arrived, we were blessed with the fellowship and friendship of a younger group of teenagers from Brisbane/Queensland, Australia.
We enjoyed having the Aussies on campus (an extreme understatement!). Aside from Jesus, our friendships were founded on sarcasm, laugher and fun(ny) foreign sayings such as “Calm your farm” and “Did you just pig truffle?”. This small group of teenagers brought much-needed refreshment and encouragement to my team and I. Through them, the Lord taught me about Godly desire and selflessness. Allow me to explain, as I introduce you to a few of Australia’s finest:
Meet Jasmine (Jaz). She’s one of the most chill and outgoing girls I’ve met on this trip. She’s an incredibly hard worker. At age fifteen, she decided to get a job, save up, and spend her earnings (and her school vacation week) on a trip to one of the poorest areas of Ukraine, simply to love on kids who come from abusive and impoverished homes. Her ability to love genuinely and openly came as a refreshment to me-especially at such a young age. Jaz has this “rawness” about her. She’s a free spirit-one of those “what you see is what you get” kind of people…and she shines because of it. You can count on her for realness, honesty, and sarcasm J Upon learning her story, I was amazed. What fifteen year old saves up thousands of dollars and decides to spend them on abused children in neglected countries? This girl loves the Lord-praise Him!
Meet my fourteen year old little brother, James: when he wasn’t fixing his hair, rubbing sand in ours, or falling out of hammocks, he was usually busy loving on the group of kids tha
t he was in charge of for the week. Andrew (our fearless & crazy camp director) wisely placed James in a position of leadership. God has hand-crafted our little bro to be a creative and thoughtful soul. His many talents (music, writing, kick-boxing, singing, etc) assure me that God has incredible things in store for him in the years to come-wherever He leads him. James isn’t a Christian YET, but (his words, not mine) he’s well on his way. In John, chapter twenty one, Jesus tells us to feed and take care of His sheep. I am confident that James was created for this! As I think about James’ protective instincts and his creativity (a strange, but powerful combo), God reminds me that James can uniquely relate to (and bless) all types of people in many different ways! God has equipped James to take care of His diverse and beloved sheep! Will you pray for him as he steps into this role? Will you pray with us that he begins to understand the love that awaits him? And that God grows our cute little brother into a man of wisdom, holiness, and GREAT faith!
There are five other people on the Aussie team that I could write entire essays on. Jackie’s passion for loving the lonely, Mitchell’s fun and unique fellowship, Isaac’s illuminating laughter and ethusiasm for God’s word, Pia’s compassion and joy, Louise’s steadfastness in the Lord, etc…seriously, I could write about these incredible kids all day. Praise the Lord for family around the globe!
I’m trying to remember what I was like when I was fourteen. Braces. Frizzy red hair (that never really changed…). Obsessed with glitter jeans (they were cool, I swear).c Starting to wonder if boys really aren’t that gross. Ocupied with popularity and staying up-to-date on movies and music. Certainly not passionate about God or His will for my money, my time, and my life. I look at this group of teenagers and I see HOPE. I see a young generation, rising up and chosing to fear the Lord simply because He is GOOD.
Praise. God. 
Aussies-I miss you. All of you! But I praise the Lord for the work He’s doing in you, and through you. I pray that you grow daily in your trust and faith in Him! And when the struggles of high school come-because they will-I pray that you’ll find your comfort and help in the Holy Spirit. When life gets rough, strap on the armor of God (Ephesians 6) and know that your victory is secured in Christ alone. Thanks for everything you’ve taught me while you were here at camp. Thank you for the laughter and the sarcasm. Thank you for your faithfulness to the Lord at such a young age. THANK YOU for helping to make our last month of this trip an incredible one. The God who calls you is faithful! Keep seeking Him! He loves you! And so do I.
P.S. If you’re ever in America… J
