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!<
