Day of Rest

(Not much time type... must head to lectures in like 10 mintues... "Clear Conscience" week with Ken Mulligan...and it should be no less intense than the last week... Ah! LOVE it!!!)
Anyways... here are some pictures from my sunday of rest.
My first Saturday staffing Youthstreet/Backstage, ended up being incredible! I was totally in my element, using the gifts God has given me... just pouring out God's love, compassion, mercy, grace, and truth upon the youth of Townsville! Had some real God moments connecting with the young people! Please continue to pray for these programs... God's doing some amazing stuff over here.
So anyways!
After a drainingly, amazing Saturday, Sunday was spent just chilling. We headed down to the Strande, only to find the lifeguards screaming at us avid ocean swimmers to get out of the water due to two massive Croc's that had been spotted in the area not long ago... g-re-A-T.. so not only do I have to deal with the largest shark breading ground in the world, but the jelly's, and man eating Croc's... isn't this a wonderful place!!! HAHA... actually I love it! The other night I had possums basically throwing mangos at me while I played guitar in the Australian moonlight... Anyways... wow that was random!
So, instead we headed over to the rock pool and waded in the safely enclosed swimming area...
After an afternoon of roasting in the sun, we headed back to the base, and us girls were treated to a surprise "ladie's night out" by the guys on our team.
They had made everything from cheesecake and brownies, to tim tams, sweetened popcorn, oreos, ice cream cake, milo, coffee, tea,... basically anything for us to feast on. They were at our beck and call as we watched "Sweet Home Alabama" on comfy cushions surrounded by party balloons. What a massive blessing to us girls!!!!!
So... now begins another week... my entire team is just being continually blown away by God's goodness! Please pray for us all as we're feeling very drained and worn down physically....
Oh man... but what an incredible time...
OK... I love you all so much! And miss you all heaps... but lectures beckon...

Oh What A Week.....

This past week my DTS was graced with the presence of Joanne Blake, who lectured us on "Identity in Christ." AmAZiNg! It was a radical new way of thinking for all of us!
Learning the lies the world has told is in regards to who we have to be, and who we are and what we are worth... then finding truth in God. Each and every one of has been "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!!!" God does not make junk... we are not junk. He has equipped each of us with individual giftings and talents, temperments, personalities, for a reason. And we are to support each other, reach out the nations, and glorify him, with who he's made each of us to be.
We also learned about who God has called us to be as Men and Women of Christ. This one was a good one for me.... I'm learning what it means to just let the men be men! (and let the women be women!) So great to see the guys on my DTS stand up as men of God... warriors really; Declaring that they would lead and fight... and be the men God has called them to be! LAAAA....
Such a freeing week for all of us. Just the whole finding out who we are and how we are gifted and that it's ok to be this way...
So, freeing to slash and burn the lies the world, and essentially, the lies the enemy has told us for far too long about ourselves... and then resting in the truth of God.
[singing]... amazing!!! Intense week! Physically and Emotionally draining... but so good!
Anyways... last nigth after a LONG, but incredible day... a heap of us headed down to the Strande (our beautiful Townsville beach) for night swimming/pranicing in the ocean, frisbee, and ice cream (donut flavoured ice cream with tim tams and cookie dough crushed in, to be exact.... [drools].)
Sitting in a lecture room, praying and spiritually fighting all day must have built up some supernatural form of energy and psyco joy which abundantly overflowed into the need for me to basically go physicallly nuts. I was running up and down the beach through the incoming waves doing carwheels and rolls. Then diving up and down and all around.
Right after this we had a massive game of ultimate frisbee with a bunch of people... just running my little heart out all over the field.... Then Gareth and I practiced our gymnastic/ballet moves for quite sometime.... then I ran back down to beach did some more prancing (playing "mermaid" and "dolphin" with Kristen.... haha.... er!).
Finally tiredness hit me and I just layed on the beach looking up at the stars in amazement and wonder, letting the waves wash over me and resting in God's goodness and the utter joy, contentment, excitement that he has placed in me since getting here. I am just BEyOnD happy.... so I layed there, letting the sand fill all my crevices, letting the sea salt burn out my eyes, and letting the small bits of seaweed get entangled in my tresses... all this, until Kristen looked over and though she saw a jellyfish wash up on the beach, at what moment, we both let out a little screech and ran ferociously up to the frisbee field...
So yah... then I slept like a rock! And today is Saturday. Youth Street/Backstage day!!!!! (youth ministry.... basically hanging out with kids for 10 hours, building relationships, partaking in any acitivity from dance, and skateboarding, to music and sports, and just pouring God's love and acceptance upon them... amazing times.... really excited....)

Well time to go! Hope this entry made sense to you... and let you into my world a little bit! (I typed it in rapid excitement and joy so may just make nonsense....)

A Tinse More...

Here are some random pictures.. mostly from the Strande. Our beautiful local beach which is about a 40 minutes walk from the base and has the world's largest tiger shark breading grounds.

Here YAH go!

Surfer's Paradies & Rainforests

Well... I couldn't be happier right now! I haven't stopped beaming since I stepped foot in this hear country of loveliness.
Sunday night I fell in love... with footy (ruby.) We watched to the Footy Grande Final and I couldn't get over what an incredible and intense sport it is. These massive fit unpadded guys basically pumelling the crap out of each other is just too much to handle! HAha...
Monday morning we arose nice and early and headed off to the Gold Coast and Surfer's Paradise for a day at the beach. Most beautiful beach I have ever seen and probably ever will see. Miles and miles of white sand beach, massive waves pummelling the shore, surfies catching a wave, aqua green and blue water, uncrowded beaches... so incredible! I couldn't stop smiling all day!
I basically spend the entire day out wave jumping, and boogie boarding, whilst roasting my skin and burniny innerds with the toxic salt sea water. Whatever... it was wonderful!!!!!!!
After a long day at Surfer's paradise we headed up this massive massive winding mountain road up into the rainforest!!!!! Headed up to O'rielly's treetop canopy walk. Came down the ladder from a look out with my legs shaking beyond all reason... heard some crazy cat birds... chased some wild jungle turkeys... admired cute little Billy's hopping around.
On the way home we headed down a 4*4 track stopping several times to catch the magnificent view over this massive valley of rainforest covered mountains as the sun set and a storm rolled in. Absolutly breathtaking... I can't even get over it! Haha...
On the way home we stopped at my first Wooly's (Woolworth's.... or at home it would be a safeway) to pick up stuff for afternoon tea, and night lunch. I was serioulsy entertained for about an hour looking at everything. They aisles commited to sugar/chocolate/candy... I almost died!!! Picked up a kit-kat cookie dough and milo bars. So delcious!!!! I swear I'm gunna become diabetic with all the sugar i'm gunna eat over here... bring it on!!! Haha...
I aboslutly love it here and the journey/adventure has only begun. Heading up to Townsville in two days and getting really excited to get settle in at the base and meet all my DTS'mates.
So excited for what God's gunna do.... so ready for it all... i'm diving right in....
Love you all lots and miss yas heaps!
(sorry if these blogs are all over the place and make no sense... i have very limited amounts of time... please forgive my horrid english!)