Roma/Sun. Oct 28 - Chinchilla/Fri. Nov 2-4

I neglected to update you all that I was to be gone for a week in Roma and Chinchilla, Australia for a week of outreach. It also had to do with the fact that they needed more rooms on the base, so they found a place that we could do lectures AND outreach.

We left on Sunday morning at about 9pm and headed on our 6 hour drive to Roma. There are a LOT of MAD students, so we took a “bus” (it’s called a Coaster, it’s not a typical school bus, it only has one row of two seater seats and then a long bench on the other side of the span of the bus) and two vans, a 7 seater and a 12 seater. I was in the 12 seater, which I think I prefer, although I do like the seats behind the driver of the bus as they are higher than all the other seats. As if you care :).
I fell asleep on the bus ride there with the cool wind blowing about and was rudely awakened by the hot air hitting me in the face, along with my strands of hair that came out from being tucked behind my ears. To skip forward a bit, to say the least, it was much warmer in Roma and drier. I’ve never seen so many burrs or stickers in my life, well, they’re hard to see on the ground, but they stick to shoes and everything. The girls stayed in an Anglican Church hall on the floor, so glad I bought an air mat before we left. We didn’t have anything planned that night, so we ate dinner hung out and went to bed. (the boys stayed with the Chaplain of the schools)
The next day we had lectures and in the afternoon I volunteered to help clean the house of a man whose name is Terry, and has Cerable Paulsy. He lives in a sort of assisted living type situation and has supported YWAMers for many years. It was a sweet time just doing a few normal cleaning things, and then really spending time chatting and encouraging each other. There were three others who volunteered with me.
As we sat there talking, I asked him what his favorite story or book of the bible was and he began to speak about the “Come Follow Me” passage in the fourth chapter of Matthew. How the disciples dropped there nets at once and followed Jesus, and that it was so out of character for a Rabbi to do such a thing. This conversation was not new to me, the subject atleast, but to hear it from a man who so many would write off as crippled or disabled was so beautiful to me. I think he had a joy that was unexplainble, yet I could see the pain he has gone through. To put myself in his place would be impossible, yet I know I have been in the depths of pain and was able to cry out to God for joy in those times... to get it from Him and to give it as well.
I thought of my mom often during those few hours at Terry’s, how she used to clean elderly peoples homes and build relationships with those sweet men and women (and some that were often not sweet). I think it takes a certain type of person to have the patience to listen and talk with them. I’m not sure I am naturally that person, but I want to be like that, like my mom. (love you :))

The rest of the week was lectures and free time because I hadn’t received my blue card yet. You have to have a blue card to go into schools to work with kids, and those who had their cards went in during the kids’ RE classes (religious education) and did skits. I was SO dissapointed that I didn’t get to show off my AWESOME acting skills, so my friend Laura was excited to do it for me! (caps and italicization show oozing sarcasm) It’s not that I didn’t want to go into the schools though, because I generally like to spend time with kids, etc. Instead, we walked downtown Roma one day and the next couple of days we went swimming at the local pool. WOW! Finally after three weeks I am actually getting use out of my swim suit! :)
This weeks lectures were on Relationships.... I was not too excited about it because I’ve heard about 15+ speeches on the subject and a handful of those were really incredible, what new things could there really be? I appreciated the beginning because it wasn’t specifically talking about just relationships between men and women. By mid-week we moved into the sex talks and then on into pornography and other such things. Our school leader, Gunnliek was speaking all week, and did a great job with questions and being honest and open about stuff. Friday was the coolest ministry time, as Gunni spoke about the need for forgiveness of sins and hurts that have come against you and opened up a time of spoken repentence, etc. It was a time of much healing for everyone, even if they didn’t go up to speak. I do believe it is very powerful to do such a thing, though. During that time a million things raced through my mind that I could say, but one thing that came up was something I didn’t realize still had so much power over me. It was the bitterness I’ve had toward God about my singleness, which I thought I had reconciled but truly realized it needed to be spoken out and let go once and for all. I don’t think it means I’m all happy and joyful about not being married or whatever. It was just the freedom in knowing that God still wants to do so much more in me before that time comes.
That afternoon the team of us going to Chinchilla left at about 2pm for the two hour ride. There were 19 of us, if I remember right :). Here are those that went: artists: Me, Laura, Leah -school leader, Hannah J., Marieka, (yay for all the artists)... MUSO’s (music) guy Kelly (leader), Mic, Stefano, Caleb, Jeremy, Karla (also a dancer), Henna, Heikki, Paulina, Tammy, Eryn, Amber (leader), Mary Kate (leader), and one Dancer- Roseleen.
It was really cool to finally have a smaller team together, and that’s even funny to say since twenty is kind of a large number too. In Chinchilla we served dinner and provided entertainment for a group of youth from the churches in the community. I think it’s a great idea they have there, instead of each church having a youth group, they combine them all into one across denominational lines. They were having a “prom/formal” of sorts and they were speaking on relationships, that part was hilarious for a myriad of reasons that I just won’t go into because it would take too long. (and this is already long!) At the end they cleared the tables and had a dance, and encouraged the students to ask the YWAMers to dance... I got out of the first and second one because I was waiting for the toilet and didn’t get back in time for the second, but then got suckered into the third one. I don’t like dances with specific steps, or when the guy doesn’t lead well, but that’s okay. At the end they turned on Relient K’s anatomy of tounge and cheek, so a bunch of us moshed and skanked it up, that was fun! Yeah, I know all you former youth who are reading this are laughing at me... but that’s okay, that’s why I love you, cuz you love me even The rest of the weekend was really relaxing... I taught Laura and Leah CINQ-O on saturday afternoon... only the youth will appreciate what I’m talking about... it’s a game we played in Belize all the time and most of us got sick of it by the next year. I still suck at explaining it, but it worked out still. I think I still have yet to win that game, Leah ended up blowing Laura and I out of the water. Maybe it’s something about that name, LEAH! I wonder how many of you have lasted through this LONG post... sorry...

I think I’ll end it at there... except to say that we had a night of worship on saturday night that prepared me for this week to come. My heart is full and heavy, knowing that God has a lot to show me and though I so much want it, I’m really scared to let it all out in front of these people I have only known for 4weeks. So, pray that God would place people in front of me at the right time and that I’d be open and able to articulate everything I’m feeling because right now it feels like a big twisted knot in my mind.

Love and Miss you all like crazy!!