Australia – 1 Down 10 to Go

Oh hey, nice to see you. I can’t can’t believe it is already the end of January and we are wrapping up our time here in Aus- wait… what? It’s almost the end of February? I’m currently in Indonesia? Hehe… whoops. Well, if you don’t mind, I would still like to recap Australia for you all. BUT FIRST!

Thank you so much to everyone who has been able to give. Your generosity and support is the backbone in getting me here. Once again, I need to call upon you for help. At the end of March, just over 30 days from now, is my next fundraising deadline. I am currently $1,944 away from reaching that $13,000 deadline. Would you prayerfully consider donating to help me reach that goal? There is also the option of becoming a monthly/bi-weekly/weekly supporter if you would like to help me get to my final goal. All donations made on this website are tax-deductible and go straight to my fundraiser. Just press the orange “donate” button on the top of this page. Thank you for your time and now back to our scheduled message. 

Time on the World Race is weird. A day can feel like a week and a week feels like a day. Our 2.5 weeks in Australia felt like the longest 2.5 weeks ever – we did so much! Yet I literally can’t comprehend that I’m already about to wrap up our 2nd country on the World Race.
Logistically, we arrived in Australia on January 16th and left on the 5th of February. Australia was what we call an all squad month which means that all of us who are on the same route (Expedition Route) spent the month together. Now that I am in Indonesia, we have split up into our teams around the country. To see who is on my team, the Kooks, look to your left on this page. <—-
In Australia we were on Coffs Harbour which on the east coast in the state of New South Wales. We were hosted by the local YWAM base and I stayed at a church called Lifehouse Church.

In Australia we were a part of so many different types of ministry and so many memories were made. While I can’t share everything that we had a chance to do, here are a few of my highlights.

Growth/Thoughts:
The first thing that has really struck me about the World Race is how natural it feels. I will be the first to point out that we’re still very much in the honeymoon phase of the World Race but it just feels like this is life. While circumstances aren’t ideal – I’m currently sleeping on hard pads on the floor with the threat of rats around the corner and I take bucket showers over the same squatty potty we use to go to the bathroom. Nothing is more confusing than having just washed your hair and body and still smelling pee. I digress, I am so excited by the incredible journey we are on but I feel the reality of life has settled in. From the living circumstances to the people we meet to the awkwardness of doing daily life with people you’e getting to know.

Human nature says to put your identity and worth in the opinions others have of you. However, God has been taking me on a journey of truly putting my self-worth in his opinion of me. In the simplest, it is that he loves me. His love will never change, it will never go away, it doesn’t matter what I do, it doesn’t matter how I treat him – he loves me. In the most pure, deep and pretty much uncomprehending way. 

What is evangelism? When most of us hear that word we usually picture someone standing on a street corner proclaiming, “Turn or Burn”. Or maybe Mormons riding the bikes from house to house. Maybe you picture a white girl playing with orphans in some 3rd world country. Maybe it is a tally of all of the people who have “given their lives to Christ”. All valid thoughts because this is what we have been taught by society as to what evangelism is and to be honest, I wasn’t sure what it was going to look like on the World Race. God and World Race leadership have completely shattered this. Evangelism, at least on the World Race, means to love people. Simple, right? Maybe too simple to comprehend. You mean I don’t have to check off a bunch of boxes? You mean I just need to treat people with respect and honor them and if the conversation leads to Jesus, great? Huh, lets just say my mind was blown and expectations and the weight of those expectations were shattered. I simply get to love people, so cool!

Sherwood Cliffs:
I LOVE SHERWOOD CLIFFS SO MUCH. I just, uhhh I can’t put it into words, but let me try.

In the middle of the bush outside Coffs Harbour, Australia, there lies a place called Sherwood Cliffs. Sherwood is a special place. It is a faith-based drug and alcohol rehab center. It started in the late 70s as John and Honi got called by God to start the center. The original housing was built out of railway cars and buildings were built around doors and windows that were donated.
The volunteers live on the property with their families. They spend everyday – discipling/serving the seekers (those attending the program are called seekers), taking care of the property, running a non-profit and taking care of their families. Oh, and they get every 3rd weekend off, yay!
Now John and Honi’s daughter, Chantel and her husband Colin (former seeker), have taken over the reigns though John and Honi still live on the property and serve.

We had the opportunity to go two weeks in a row to Sherwood and help with what we would consider minimal tasks. Being outside in 87° heat in the midday sun with 90% humidity, picking rocks out of a paddock so Colin can plant crops or washing a trailer so a volunteer can live in it… I have never felt more blessed. I have never understood the phrase, “blessed to be a blessing” more. It doesn’t make sense but I truly felt the joy of the Lord! And here’s why:
John and Honi, now Chantel and Colin, have literally given up EVERYTHING. They live, eat, breathe, sweat, dream, bleed Sherwood Cliffs. They are chained so others can be free… and coming behind such sacrifice and vision, I can’t help but get excited to help in the tiniest way. Being able to do the “small things” that Colin and his small team would never have time to get to. They live life with such humility yet confidence in what they are doing. I think that only comes from truly being in the will of God and walking in your anointing. 

The lessons they have learned on waiting on the Lord, that he will provide if he has called you, pray for specifics and be patient, it’s not our timing but his. 

(I didn’t get a lot of pictures because we didn’t bring our phones with us. When you are working with addicts in withdrawal, you don’t want to accidentally become an enabler by giving them an opportunity to get a hold of your phone.)

Event Ministry:
There is a ministry that started in Australia that has spread across the world. In Australia they started out serving at something called schoolies – a week long celebration after students graduate 12th grade. During these weeks they are very heavily filled with drinking, drugs and sexual abuse.

The group is a Christian ministry that has gained the support of the government, is known and loved by students and adults. They go in and serve in teams getting people water, sitting with them if they’re sick, calling the police and/or walking girls to they rides/homes to make sure they’re not preyed upon.

While we had the opportunity to serve at a music event, I felt famous. People were shouting our names and cheering. We carried around bags of candies because that’s how the doors are opened and connections are made. It was such an eye opening experience, first to the party scene but also that when people were in their worst state, they called for us, they came to us for help. Isn’t it cool that knew and felt safest with a Christian organization? 

I really appreciate this organization, how they operate to keep their volunteers and others safe and how they choose to love and not condemn.

Retirement Home:
Another ministry was visiting a nursing home and we got to go 2 weeks in a row. I LOVE ELDERS. They are sassy, honest and want to see you succeed. They are quick to talk, share and love. Some of our team got to lead some songs during worship and our very own squad mate Lauren got to share a beautiful message.

I got to meet a wonderful man named Ray (also my dad’s name) who was a carpenter (my dad is one too!) and he shared how he and his family came from England.

I loved this opportunity to slow down, listen and love merely by showing up and being intentional. And in turn being loved for simply being there.

Voyage Church:
Voyage Church is a second home. We originally went to Voyage Church to serve them on a Sunday and then to help them pass out 6,000 leaflets to local neighborhoods. Between the leaflets and then the 3 Sundays we got to spend with them, they became family. Pastors Mike and Bec adopted our group and invited us into their home and life. 

It was so much fun serving their church-plant and loving them and being loved back by them and their congregation. If you ever find yourself in the Coffs Harbour/Toormina area and want to go to church, check them out!

Adventures!:

Jetty jumping. Waterfall jumping. Rope swinging into a river. First, if there is water, I’m going in. Second, I’ll try anything once. In the case of jumping into water, I’ll lose track of the amount of times I jump in. 
We had the opportunity to go to several different beaches, see kangaroos, swim with dolphins and simply gaze upon nature.

One of my favorite things we did was hike up to a waterfall. We had to follow a river for 2.5 hours, crossing back and forth over it, climbing over boulders, straight up having a good time. It was hard work but so rewarding once we got there and was able to swim and jump and simply play. 

As someone who worships in nature (I feel close to God in nature and can’t help but sing his praises at the beauty of his creation and love talking to him while enjoying it), this was so good for my soul and my adventurous spirit. I’m just gonna leave some pictures here for you. 

Well, thank you for making it to the end. It was a long one but just remember, this was just a few highlights. It would be impossible to share absolutely everything but hopefully this gave you some sort of idea of what happened in our first month, in our first country of Australia. 

Til next time (hopefully not a month from now), stay awesome.