Three weeks on the road... Week THREE: Pass it on Tour: Running to Stanthorpe!

Third and final week on the road... By this time we're all feeling pretty drained of our energy juices, but alas, we weren't giving up yet!

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On Sunday we went to churches and told them about our plans for the week.  We split off into our separate outreach teams for the week for service projects.  Sunday night, all of the teams except for my team Japan went to a different town many kilometres away so that they could run into the country town of Stanthorpe on Monday to symbolically and physically reclaim the land for Christ.  My team stayed back on Monday to set up the large tent in a park where all of our main events would be happening through the week.  My team Japan got assigned to help out at a local golf course.  It was such a privilege helping this man who ran the whole course on his own!  We helped him pull weeds from the bunkers (sand pits), did some gardening, moved sticks from around the course, etc.  In the middle of the week we took a break from that and went to a nursing home to do some heavy duty gardening.  The residents were patients suffering from dementia and other mental illnesses.  We weren't able to go talk with them, but they would go to their windows and simply watch us and smile.  It was nice to know that we didn't even have to say anything and we made their days better!  

Below is a picture of team Japan when we gardened for them :)

In the afternoons we had children's programs at the tent where we would make animal balloons, have a massive blown up soccer field, draw pictures, make braceletes, etc, all while connecting with the local youth.  It was a simple way to share the love of Jesus with them and build lasting relationships.
In the evenings, a speaker from around the town came and spoke to the community on the Father Heart of God, as well as what God has for the town specifically.  We had worship as well.  I was able to really connect with many of the locals and make lasting friendships!  On Friday we had a youth night, and Saturday was a barbecue and then a group from the Island Breeze came and performed for us world dances as well as a fire dance to top off the night.  Their show attracts such a crowd, for what would usually cost an audience a lot of money to see was free, and at the same time proclaiming the name of Jesus! There is such power in that, and I trust that God moves mountains through what they do.

It was definitely a very stretching week as we had been going on the road for several weeks without beds, normal shower privileges, or any real restful days.  But God showed me SO MUCH about myself, our group, and how to continue to encourage each other and work together when we're all drained physically and emotionally!  It's trips like this when we're stretched that we come to realize just how much more we have in us than we realize, just how to deal with ourselves when things aren't going just right, and how to rely on God to find rest and strength in Him.

Three weeks on the road... Week two: Impact Byron Bay!

We drove up to Byron bay after a long night and day of packing up at Easter Fest, arriving somewhere around 3 in the morning Tuesday.  Though groggy, and ready for a good nights sleep and perhaps a day of rest, (which was yet to come) our spirits remained high and we were ready for what God had for us in the beautiful bay.

We had lectures on Evangelism by the YWAM base director of Byron Bay, Kevin.  We were able to apply what we were learning in lectures through out the week as we did street evangelism in Byron and in a little town called Nimbin (nick-named the "drug capital" of Australia.)

On Wednesday, we went to Nimbin.  I've never seen a place more artistically inspired by drugs in my life! Every building was multi-colored, the locals were letting their hair grow and believed in the power of self expression, many were handing out - code name for marihuana: "cookies" in the street (which we did not accept FYI, haha!) We held a free barbecue complete with live music, at which I performed some covers and original songs with Ryan.  What I'm learning is that there is SUCH power in music, to attract people, power to change the spiritual atmosphere, power to change people's moods, minds, beliefs, days, etc!  There is also such power in FOOD, there is nothing quite like it to bond people together, catch people's attention and make automatic relationships!  I got into a nice conversation with one of the locals who owned a painting shop, and she asked us how long we'd be staying, and that we brought a lively new spirit to the town.  That's the power of Jesus, baby!  I also left Bible verses around the town and we talked to and prayed for locals.  Below is a picture of colorful Nimbin streets!

On Thursday night we were planning on having a Chai tent in the park with free chai and pancakes for the community, but the weather did not permit us to do so.  Instead, we simply wandered around the town awaiting on God to work.  We danced with people on the street to the music of a busker and invited them to the barbecue the next day, evangelized, and prayed for people.  This specific man that we got to pray for looked SO improved the following day, praise the Lord!

At the barbecue, I got to talk to this French woman who was there for work travel.  She was a scientific atheist who was studying the weather.  She made the comment of how strange it was that the sky was so clear when it had been so rainy earlier, how that was so un-predicted.  That gave me the opportunity to tell her so many of us had been praying for clear weather and God was faithful!  

Lessons are constantly being learned, and God is constantly revealing Himself in new mysterious ways.  His name be praised forever!

Three weeks on the road... Week one: Easter Fest!!

It's been a while since I've written an update!

Week one of our long trip on the road, we had the privilege of helping out at a Christian music festival called Easter fest.  There was a lot of manual labor in helping set up, I was with the boys much of the time setting up tents, stages, moving crates and speakers, as well as decorating for shows.  This really taught me how to have a servants heart and just how far my body can go and be strengthened!  There was a separate crew area where we would hang out during breaks and meals, as well as wait to be recruited to the next job.  

^^ Here is a picture of our fashionable high visibility gear, taking a break from set up ;) ^^

When the festival actually started, we were shifted on for 8 hours a day doing various duties. I helped with security (checking wrist bands at the gates), setting up for certain shows (I got to help set up Tigertown's show complete with christmas trees and fake snow! Their performance later was absolutely magical, and they shot video for a music video they're working on. It was so cool to be able to be a part of something like that!), serving Chai tea in the YWAM tent, etc.  All of these opportunities led to good conversations with people, some of whom are now convinced that they'll join YWAM and do a DTS and even attend the University of the Nations!  God taught me a lot about how far my body can go with lacking sleep and constant energy output, as well as perseverance.  Some mornings I felt miserable, sitting out in the cold and rain near sunrise... But through that, I was able to have meaningful conversations and begin relationships with people, God's hand was all over those situations!

Ever since the beginning of DTS, Taco has been singing and playing this song on his guitar by Mark Lowndes, so its kind of become a theme song for our group.  We got to meet up with him after his show at Easter Fest, in which he didn't play the song! The funny thing was that his wife told him he had to play that song that night, but he forgot!  He said he would come to our crew kitchen and do a special show just for us.  That was such a cool experience, getting our group song specially played for us in our kitchen behind the scenes.  SUCH a special time!  Below is a picture of our YWAM group with Mark in the middle.

A huge praise: A girl's neck was constantly bothering her all week long, and God healed it as I prayed!  She said it felt better after that, and any time during the day it would spontaneously flair up again she'd simply pray again and the pain would go away, praise God for He is faithful!

Easter was absolutely crazy.  It dumped rain on us all day long, so that all of the walkways were just a foot of mud to sludge through.  Everyone walked around barefoot with their pant legs rolled up because any shoes would be demolished in the mud.  It made for an interesting adventure of a day!  Definitely not the typical fancy breakfast and dinner with the family, painting easter eggs and reading the bible together!  But I wouldn't trade the experience for anything, it was probably the most memorable Easter I've ever had. Not many people can say that they got to worship God out in the dumping rain and mud at a huge festival that they volunteered at on the opposite side of the world from their home!