we serve an amazing God!

so about four weeks into my australia mission trip i finally decide to blog. but better late than never right? it’s been such an amazing trip. i see God everywhere i go here, which really made me wonder why i dont see God in everything at home. he’s the same God in both places and he made everything so i can’t figure out why i have been so amazed at seeing him in everything here when hes in everything everywhere. i feel like i’ve chosen to see God more here because it’s a mission trip and its australia. but in reality, i know that it shows that God should be this apparent in everything I do and not just in a foreign country. God is everywhere and his beauty is all over, but in my life i tend to let that slip into the back unless its new and exciting. there are so many amazing things around us that we don’t notice. im glad God was willing to give me a wake up call, even if it was long overdue. that was really the first week we were here and since then, ive felt Gods presence in my life even more than ever.

i’m currently living with a couple named Dirk and Christina Leijen, who have been married many years and are amazing servants of God. just being around them and seeing the way they opened up their home to me and my two roommates is amazing. i can’t imagine sharing all of my things, space and time with people i have never met before and they are willing to provide food for us and cook for us. being around servants like them makes me want to be a better servant of God and show his love in my actions and my words. they are wonderful people and im inspired by who they are and what they are doing.

we have been so busy since the day we arrived, which was june 19th and today is the first free day we’ve had. and its currently july 15th. i wouldn’t want it any other way though. i’ve been exhausted most of the time i’ve been here, but i see God working through these people and it makes everything worth it. i’ve started relationships with people here that i intend on keeping, and i’ve seen God in the openness and generosity of the people. we’ve been to two different camps, camp orion and camp connect, we’ve done a vbs thing, we’ve worked with a local high school, we’ve had picnics to get to know the people of the church, we’ve traded houses for dinner to get to know everyone, and for fun we’ve been to the city, abseiling and rock climbing at kangaroo point, been to stradbroke island, byron bay, a rugby game, went to the australia zoo, and have just lived in community with people that have a different culture than we do. community is so important and i see it here more than i’ve ever opened my eyes to see it anywhere else. the most amazing thing i’ve seen here is that people from churches all over the city work together and spend time together. they are all christians, not just specific churches, and that is a beautiful thing.

ive fallen in love with the people here. and i’ve fallen in love with my team members. God put us here for a reason, and i can’t wait to see what happens. but for the rest of the day im gonna sit here by the pool in the wonderful 75 degree weather reading with my roommates around. rachel hacker journaling and michael swinea practicing playing his guitar and singing for his saturday night show. our God is so good, and i love how good it is to be with his people in his presence.

and heres some aussie (said ozzy) vocabulary, and props to sarah daughtry for keeping better track of the words than i do.

potato gems = tater tots
trolley = buggy/shopping cart
smash = car crash
bogan = aussie red neck
fair dinkham = true
hache = the letter “h”
zed = the letter “z”
far out = no way. and they said it often
toilets have a half flush and a full flush… you do the math

dodgey = sketchy

brekky = breakfast

sweet as = great

kiwi = a person from new zealand

way out = exit

give way = yield

gents = men

socceroos = australian soccer players

heaps = a lot. and they use this term to describe everything.

toilet = bathroom

take away = take out/to go

uni = university/4-year college

boot = trunk of a car

arvo = afternoon

mackers = mcdonalds