Byron Bay, Australia
Valentine’s Day is not a day I particularly care for. It’s not because I hate love, I actually love love- It may just be because I haven’t necessarily experienced what others have on this day. Don’t get me wrong, I have had some pretty cool V-days in the past- but none that truly encompass the word Valentine.
This Valentine’s Day was different than ever before. Here in Byron Bay, we are living in a community of about 30 people, all sleeping on the floor of a church. It was apparent to all the girls that the boys seemed to be scheming something behind closed doors. Being the curious girls that we are, we tried our hardest to figure out what they were up to. I must say, they did an incredible job of planning this special day, for we had absolutely no idea what was in store.
Waking up on this seemingly ordinary morning, we were surprised to find little gifts by our pillow. The boys of Wrecked 52:7 put a lot of effort into picking out these personal gifts. Along with a rose and a sweet card, you will see each of the gifts our boys gave us:
Liz: 2 Diet cokes Amanda: bag of veggies
Lisa: 2 ginger beers
Victoria: chocolate Courtney: 2 mangos
Later that afternoon, we went downtown and passed out love notes from God to anyone that crossed our paths. We wanted the people of Byron Bay to not only feel loved and appreciated, but beautiful and loved in the eyes of Christ. The cards I wrote were specifically for the women, saying “The Lord is enthralled by your beauty. -Psalm 45:11 Happy Valentine’s Day.” I overheard one girl saying that this was possibly the nicest thing she had ever heard. Other girls would say “awww” as they read it and walked on. It is my prayer that these girls felt beautiful in the eyes of the Lord that day.
That night, we saw the boys scheming again in the kitchen. “What more can they be up to?” we thought. Next thing we know, the lights went off, headlamps came on, and a rave began. This was the fist night since we have been here that all 5 teams let loose for a little fun. That night was full of dancing, singing, and laughter. Thanks to team Ginosko, we learned a New Zealand tribal dance called the Haka. 5 of us girls, also did a little dance for the boys to “Every Heartbeat” by Amy Grant. What a perfect ending to a spectacular day.
That day, I saw the Lord’s love through the boys, the women downtown, and dance party that brought us all together. I hope your Valentine’s Day was as incredible as mine!
