World Youth Day Photos!

Check out the World Youth Day Photos at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2470144&l=e4a03&id=5214104

World Youth Day Recap

Tina (aka Chicken), Rosie and Me at the sleep over at Randwick. We spent all night under the stars waiting on the Pope!

So I returned from Sydney about a week ago after an incredible week at World Youth Day. Amazing. 149 different countries represented through 250,000-plus Catholic young adults. Here are some of the big ideas I took away...

Salvation
We can never earn our salvation. It was freely given by Jesus’ sacrifice, and if we strike out on a journey of “repayment” to God for all our sins, not only do we nullify the point of Jesus dying for us, but we waste our time and talents. Instead of focusing on trying to do what God asks of us, we focus on what WE can do for Him. Which ultimately is nothing. God didn’t create us because he needed us. He created us because he wanted us. He delights in us, and He loves nothing more than when we turn to Him—away from our sins—and fully accept His grace. One of the Bishops who gave a speech was talking about gifts. He said there are 3 criteria for a gift to be appreciated. A)It must be freely given. B)It must be freely accepted. C)It must be used frequently. Basically, if someone gives you something and you do not use it, but just store it on a shelf, it is not enjoyed or given purpose. We were created that we might “have life to the fullest.”

Worship
I have often thought the definition of worship was defined in “praise and worship” which is often singing songs of praise. But I have been thinking more and more about how worship is simply appreciation and recognition of God and His goodness at every moment of the day. Appreciation for the blessings and challenges. Recognizing and giving Him all glory for every good thing. And even thanking Him for the challenging times, as he uses these times to grow us. He doesn’t cause the bad times… those are typically the result of people’s bad decisions. But he will use those times to develop the skills we need for our journey. So, in all we do, we should worship God. Praise Him and bow down before him. Give Him all the glory, as He does things so great that we cannot even fathom.

Friendship
I was gifted by meeting an amazing girl from Canada named Meaghan. She is 21 and beautiful-- inside and out. She's preparing to enter a convent in Michigan at the end of August. She will be cloistered for the first eight years before taking her vows. I consider it an incredible gift that Jesus chose to share His future spouse with me. I got to spend a whole week getting to know her, and she changed the way I think. Her love for God was tangible. And she is incredible! Only the best for God! I am so blessed that God loaned her to me for a week, especially when she only has about 5 left before she is removed from the world for so long. I consider our friendship an amazing gift. Please pray for her as she prepares for this huge next step.

Following the Holy Spirit
One evening during WYD, a friend and I were having an intense conversation. One of those pivotal chats where you know that when you walk away, you’ll be a different person with a new outlook to ponder. So we were walking to the train she had to catch to go home. It was 11:15pm, the place she was staying was a 30 minute train ride away, and we were told the trains stopped running at midnight. The place I was staying at was about a 5 minute bus ride away from where we were standing. As we were having our conversation, I was watching the screen in the train depot. It was counting down the minutes until her train came. 17. 9. 4. 1. We had to finish this conversation. So I had a decision to make.

I knew that to finish the conversation, I would have to get on the train. But I also knew that if I jumped on the train and rode the 30 minutes to her house, I probably wouldn’t be able to get a train back into Sydney. After about 2 seconds of discerning, the train came roaring into the station. “I’m coming with you,” I said. She was shocked. We jumped on board the train and had one of the most pivotal conversations of probably the last 3 years of my life. It was a divine appointment. She needed someone to be there for. And I needed someone to be there for me. In my sharing so openly with her, she felt loved. Wanted. Needed. In her listening to me—her serving me, she found a purpose. She felt she had been living without purpose for a while. And while obviously I am not her purpose, she felt purposeful for the first time in a long time. That was the gift she received from the conversation.

For me, I needed to share my story. A story I often hold back for fear of judgment. I shared it openly with her, as I haven’t with anyone else. She spoke to me of forgiveness. She reminded me that no amount of guilt or shame can change things, but that my repentance was all God desired. Jesus died for just such a purpose. And she reminded me that no amount of good deeds done can repay His grace. But by giving Him the glory in all I do, I can lead others to that grace.

In that train ride, a lifelong friendship was born. Both our lives profoundly impacted, through the intervention of the Holy Spirit. Another thing I took away from that event was how I believe God wants me to discern His will. As we were having this conversation, I knew we were meant to finish it. I could feel God speaking through my friend. I knew it was a kairos moment. I also knew that for this divine appointment to happen, I was going to have to take action. I was going to have to get on the next train when it came. I also knew that once I got off the train, I might not be able to go back to where I had come from. But I trusted. And all God wanted me to do was take one step—from the platform onto the train. That was all I needed to give… my yes and my step forward. Then He took control. The train took me the distance. It was just that easy. And my yes only had to be for that ride. And when the ride was over, I get off… stand on the platform again and wait for the next train. Just because I stepped on one train does not mean I have to remain on it forever. Just til the next leg of the journey.

For the record, when I got off the train, I had to wait 30 minutes for the next train. It took me back into Sydney where I caught the bus, got off at the wrong stop, and just about the time I realized I was lost, a guy asked me if I knew where I was going. I told him, and he told me I was in the wrong area of town, flagged down a cab for me, told him where to take me, and the cab dropped me off at my house. This leg of my journey also reminded me of my life. How I often choose the wrong path. But even when I am lost, the Lord provides someone to find me, put me in a cab, and set me back on my track. It also reminds me of why we are meant to walk the Christian journey in twos. When I was with my friend, we worked together to find our way. Even better, when there were thousands of pilgrims following certain routes, there was no way to get lost. But when I struck out on my own, I didn’t get lost because I didn’t know where I was going. I got lost because I was distracted by the things of the world. Distracted by my ipod, by the people walking past me on the street, or by being concerned with my safety. We need to help each other to keep our focus.

So, I have decided that in my life, I need to be more like I was that night on the platform. I may not have planned the trip, but if I feel like there is something happening that I am meant to be a part of, I will board the train. Just take that one step. Because the events that happen as a result of that one step may very well change my direction for the rest of my life. And as someone who can get caught up in the destination, rather than enjoying the journey, it is freeing to know it’s designed to be that easy. I don’t have to know my “perfect path.” I just have to follow when He calls. Eventually, all those times I chose to follow will make up my “perfect path.”

Prayer
I saw SO many types of prayer this week. Different languages, sounds, volumes, postures, times of day, etc. It was amazing. You realize how large God really is. His diversity. His creativity. His desire for intimacy. His capacity to love. When you think about how very different each individual is. Yet He loved us so much, he created diversity and similarity. He gave us people similar to us so that we would feel understood and accepted. He gave us people different from us so that we could be enhanced by ALL the beauty of the human race. He made us all so different so that we would never get bored, but always have something new to experience. To be in a place and experience God’s amazing creativity. His use of color, language, textures, scents, dress, music, etc. to create the diversity of cultures literally leaves me in awe. It’s funny how we can be so egocentric. But as I stood amidst all these individuals--- so varied but each one uniquely created, loved and in intimate relationship with God, I realized that our God is SO much bigger than we can fathom. That He truly does possess a love that surpasses all understanding. We will never understand Him, but we can strive to love as He does and pray for grace, because we will always fall short.

Power
Crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge with Ang-- and 250,000 other pilgrims!

We have the power to make a difference. A massive one at that. Look at Mother Teresa. Ghandi. MLK Jr. Or even bigger than all of those, Jesus. He was in public ministry for 3 years and died at 33. And look at the impact of one man. With divine assistance, we can make a profound difference. We are empowered to do such. Seems like sometimes we look at ourselves and see the seed for a Redwood. We know that there is something great inside of us. But God looks at us and sees the Redwood Forest. He sees our seed, the trees it will grow, and the sees those trees will yield as well. He sees our impact over the ages. We are so powerful. Always use that power for good.

Grace
I believe there are so many graces that were given and received over the course of this week. I can feel them in my own life. Areas that I had been struggling in, while my struggle still exists, for the first time in a long time, I can envision overcoming the struggle. I can envision a new life that will be free of those struggles. I have hope. A renewed hope. Just looking at all the people around me and knowing the lives they will touch. It can be easy at times to look at our world and focus on the bad. But I really believe that if each one of the people at this event let’s their light shine, the brightness that will stem, not only from them but from the lives they have touched, will brighten our world significantly.

Well, that is all for now. Pictures coming soon! We are back on the road as of yesterday. We are in Queensland most of the next couple of months. If you are interested in where we will be over the next couple of months, here you go (date and city)!

August 3 Monto
August 5 Biloela
August 8 Theodore
August 9 Emerald
August 14 Clermont
August 16 Mackay
August 17 Rockhampton
August 19 Townsville
August 20 Ingham
August 22 Cairns
August 28 Tully
September 1 Rockhampton
September 3 Yeppon
September 7 Rockhampton
September 14 Mackay
September 16Gladstone
September 20 Brisbane
September 21 Port Mcquarie
September 27 Brisbane

Ramping Up for WYD...

Seems that lately my life can be played out in a variety of worship songs. This was a CRAZY week. Up super early and to bed around midnight each night. But it was also incredibly powerful. We were at Youth Arise International in Brisbane. Our team led the "Blaze" track (ages 13-15). It was one of the larger Days in the Diocese events for Brissy. It was amazing to say the least. We were in our sessions with the youth, and then together with everyone for the large sessions. I have never been to a Youth Arise conference, and it was truly life changing. They have them in different countries and have a Young Adults conference in the US as well as a mission school (www.youtharisena.org). They do incredible work for evangelization. Their staff raises their own support and strives to go wherever they are called.

Most recently they are in China. Check out www.partnership4china.net. This is one of the efforts they are making. Recently God has been laying China on my heart a lot. Just really making me realize how incredibly blessed we are to be able to worship freely, and how the Chinese, even this very moment, are being tortured and imprisoned if caught worshiping. Makes the whole World Youth Day experience even more precious when you know what some risk in the name of Jesus. Oh that we were all that brave and devoted. I would like to think that I would put my family and life on the line, but I honestly think it would be hard for me to lay down my life. Which is humiliating, seeing that HE laid his down for me. Especially when I consider he was beautiful and sinless, while I fall a hundred times daily. Makes me want to sing all the louder, knowing that there are people who are forced to silence their praise.

There is a song called, "Your Grace Is Enough." The chorus says,

So remember your people, remember your children, remember your promise oh God. Your grace is enough, yeah your grace is enough for me.

Every time I sing this song, I think about how there are 6.4 billion people on the earth. And how each and every single person is thought of by God. How he sees each one of our hearts and longs for relationship with each individual. Not just to know the masses, but to intimately know EACH INDIVIDUAL heart. And when I think of this I am AMAZED. But also, when I sing this song, I am reminded of Abraham begging for Sodom and Gomorrah. How he bartered with God to save the cities if he could find just 50 righteous people... then 40, then 30, 20, then finally just 10. God would spare EVERYONE if Abraham could just find 10 righteous people in the city. He couldn't.

It makes me wonder though, as I have become more and more aware of all the atrocities and hate that exists in the world, will God ever get to that point with us again? And that is why I sing this song with such passion. Remember your people God... Remember your children. I imagine myself begging him to remember us... ALL of us, even if we do not know him. Or if we reject him. Or hate him. That HE would remember us. And those of us who choose to sing should beg for the mercy for all those who refuse to sing. Reminding God... remember your promise. That your grace IS enough. The grace of Jesus Christ is ALL we need. Seems so simple, it's almost hard to believe. But perhaps that is the point. There is a scripture that says, "Give as it was given to you. Freely." I can never get there, but the goal is to love this way. To give away our love and forgiveness freely, as Jesus loved us. I know that I do not want my sins to be remembered. So how can I hold another's against them? Something I continue to strive for...

Another song I am LOVING right now is by Matt Maher (www.mattmahermusic.com)

Everything I am, Everything I long to be. I lay it down, at your feet.
Everything I am, Everything I long to be. I lay it down, at your feet.

I lay it down, I lay it down, I lay it down, at your feet.
I lay it down, I lay it down, I lay it down, at your feet.

Oh Pearl of Greatest Price, no act of sacrifice, can match the gift of life, I find within YOUR gaze. Oh what a sweet exchange. I die to rise again. Lifted up from the grave, into your hands of grace.

I have really been thinking about my life. What is my purpose. Why I am here. I have lots of thoughts, but I suppose the one that stands out above all the others is that I am made to worship and share the Good News. At a recent concert, Matt was talking about being "Empty and Beautiful" (also the name of his latest album). That is what I believe to be our purpose in life. To be poured out as a libation. That when we exit this life, we have nothing, because we gave it all away. We shared everything we have been blessed with. It makes full sense to me. We can't take it with us, and when we share our gifts, they grow and bless others. In turn, we are blessed. A perfect plan, hey? Obviously not invented in the hearts of man.

I am heading out in an hour for Sydney to attend World Youth Day. We are leaving at 3 am for the 12 hour drive, which they are guesstimating will take about 24 hours due to all the pilgrims. Praise God! God has been working in my heart (as He does in all of us). So please pray for me, especially for wisdom and a heart of discernment. And also, that God would send me someone to share my vision. I have felt strongly for years that I am called to marriage, but about a month ago, I felt a strong calling to begin to pray for my future spouse. No idea why, but I have been asking for prayers for that, so any are appreciated.

Know you are all in my prayers. The theme for WYD is "You will receive power when the Holy Spirit falls on you, and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth." Thank you for the amazing witness all of you remain to me. May God bless you abundantly.

Amazing Generosity

I have finally finished updating my "Generous Sponsors" list. These amazing individuals have been so incredibly generous and I would not be here without them. I am sorry it took me so long to get everyone up, but please know that I have been praying for you all. May God bless you each and everyday, as you have done to me.

2 Corinthians 9:10-15

Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God's people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God. Because of the service by which you have proved yourselves, men will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else. And in their prayers for you their hearts will go out to you, because of the surpassing grace God has given you. Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

My Beautiful Family, Midyear Break, and Why I Don't Often Write About Ministry

So midyear break officially ends today. I am excited about going back to the "NET grind" but also a bit homesick. My parents flew into Cairns about two weeks ago and I flew up to meet them. We had the best time. We spent three days in Cairns where I scubaed the Great Barrier Reef and actually saw a baby shark. Dad and I also snorkeled and saw a stingray (move over Steve Irwin). We road this skyrail up a mountain through the rain forest and then a scenic train ride on the way back down.

We then took off and rode through some of the semi-outbackish area to give mom and dad an idea of the differences in terrain. It was hilarious. A one lane road for about 500km. We had to pull off when the road trains came through. Dad was kinda freaking out because we couldn't find a petrol station. It was heaps of fun.

We stopped in several small towns along the way and had lots of fun adventures. We went to the Capricorn Caves where the bats were so loud they sounded like a waterfall. Apparently they normal are out of the caves during the day but because it was raining, they were there by the thousands. We went shopping on a mountain top town and looked at the beautiful views. We saw the beaches and went to an incredible aquarium full of reef fish. We also went to a wildlife sanctuary where mom and I petted the kangaroos. She LOVED the koalas. She talked to it like she does our cat at home. Both mom and dad had a chance to drive on the opposite side of the road and did bang up good jobs.

It was a LOT of driving. 2656 kms to be exact. But the nice thing about it was that it gave us a lot of time to catch up. Being the oldest and always going on vacation as a family, this is the first time since my sister was born 23 years ago that I have had that much alone time with my parents. It was good to get to chat and learn more about each other. I am so blessed to have these two amazing people as my parents. Praise God!

I was so thrilled they came to visit me. For those of you who haven't been to Oz, its about a 40 hour trip. And bless their hearts, they had a 52 hour trip back due to delays, etc. I am so proud of them for leaving the country and taking such an adventure. And it was SOOO good to see them. Of course now I am missing home like crazy, and I am praying the feeling goes away so that I don't have a tough time with the next six months.

Anyway, I posted some pictures from our adventure and a few from the team. I also wanted to let you guys know that the reason I never post pictures our daily ministry is that we are not allowed to post pictures of the kids due to child protection laws. I also don't share too much of the day-to-day experiences from ministry on here because we promise the kids that what they share during the Encounter Days (this is what the retreats are called) is confidential and will not be repeated. But I will try to post more stories on here about ministry when I can. Thank you all for your continued prayers. Please pray for me. I realize being on break that I am a bit more stressed than I realized. Please pray that I can relax a bit more and not be as stressed in the next six months.

PS- I wanted to say a special thank you to my sister, Kari and everyone who helped take care of my grandmother while my mom and dad were visiting me. I can't list all of you here, but you know who you are. May God bless you abundantly. You are in my heart more than you know.

Have a great week and will write more soon!

Here are some random shots of the team from the first half of the year:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2444808&l=2d45c&id=5214104

Here are some pictures of my gorgeous parents:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2444810&l=7a613&id=5214104

Driving into Midyear!

So two days ago we drove back into Brissy. 8 days of travel and nearly 10,000 kilometers later, we arrived back from Karratha. We had the most amazing weather, and especially evenings. The sunsets and moonrises were glorious. Needless to say, I am a bit pooped. I was staying with one of my sisters (Rosie) but I am now in the airport at Cairns. My parents land in 5 minutes and I can't WAIT!!! Pray that we all have safe travels. I posted some pictures but I will write more about my adventures soon. I have to leave early for the airport so ta for now! Love you all and miss you much!

Show people this album by sending them this public link:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2437889&l=7aa30&id=5214104

On the Road Again...

After about a month of being in Perth and the surrounding communities, we are heading out and up towards Karratha. A lot has happened since I wrote last… the biggest news being that we got a new team member! Pauly Curtis from Brisbane! Pauly was also on last year’s national NET team. He’s a legend! Seriously, the man has a heart of gold and is incredibly talented. He left his band behind this year to serve God. Soon, I will post some of his music up here and you have to hear him/them. Incredible! It’s also pretty cool because Paul’s sister is serving on the Coff’s Harbour NET team this year and is a good friend of ours. So, welcome Pauly!!! Also, Mikey has become our new male team leader and has been a great support. YAY Mikey! So, those are the biggest updates. We were so blessed too because it was school break when all this happened, so we had a full week to get to know each other better and incorporate Pauly into all our skits and dramas before we started up retreats again. Praise God! And thank all of you for your continued prayers.

After a couple of weeks in Karratha, we will be heading back across the Nullarbor to Brisbane. I am psyched because my parents are flying over to meet me, and looking forward to the break. I have been reflecting a lot lately, as I cannot believe we are coming up on the half way point. Here are a few of the thoughts I have been having related to all of you and just how amazing you are!

This past Easter, our team arose at 5 am to attend an ecumenical sunrise service on the beach in Adelaide. Having been up until 2 am rehearsing the night before, we stepped out onto the cold beach, surrounded by a hundred Christians of different faiths and acted out the calling of the first disciples. As the sun rose above the horizon, I looked out over the water and was transported back in time.

I’ve thought a lot about those first disciples this year. How they lay down their nets to embark on a journey of complete and total dependence, leaving families, jobs, communities, and everything familiar to follow Jesus into the unknown. They entered into community with others they had never met to complete a mission, not knowing what it entailed. I’ve often pondered their courage and the emotions they must have felt.

When I first felt called to NET Australia, I had a vision of what it might be like. Quite honestly, I was prideful. Something about it sounded so heroic—traveling half way around the world to spread the love of God. I made a list of my gifts and talents and thought of how I would use them this year to serve God. After three months of being on the road , I realize I completely missed the mark. This year is not about anything I can do. It’s about the amazing things God can do when I get out of the way.

The greatest gift God has given us is the ability to love and serve, and he has shown me His heart through so many this year. As people have opened their homes, prepared our favorite meals, took care of us when we were ill, and shared their stories and their families with us. As all of you reading this have been SO generous. You will never fully understand how God took the gifts you gave and used them for His glory.

Someone recently asked me if this year has been more challenging than I thought it would be. The answer would be, without a doubt. But the true challenge is found in taking it all in—every moment, every person. This year has revealed the true value in our relationships, in our choices, and in our lives. It has shown me that love is about service, commitment and choice. Choosing to be enthusiastic when you are exhausted. To listen when you want to speak. To let someone love you when you have nothing left to give in return.

It may sound cliché, but every student on retreat, every host family, every teacher, and every sponsor all hold a place in my heart. And I suppose the real challenge so far is learning to expand our hearts and hold each person and moment into your heart without it bursting from love and appreciation. But a challenge becomes an opportunity with a change in perspective. And with just 7 months left, I look forward to many more amazing opportunities.

And to all of you, please know I pray for you each night as I go to sleep, but it is only when you reach heaven that you will begin to understand how God took the gifts you gave and used them for His glory.

Check out my latest photos at:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2427102&l=5a3ea&id=5214104

Also, a special thanks to my parents who have been helping me out with SO much while I am gone. I love you all more than life!<