Land Down Under Post 5

Have you ever felt like you're trying to drink out of a fire hose? Because that has been the last three weeks. So so cool, but holy cow!!! It's been Lordship week, then Evangelism week, then we had a Prayer and Missions Conference in Sunshine Coast with a bunch of other DTS's from around QLD. So much learned that I can barely summarize it all, but hey, if I wrote it all here, you wouldn't have a reason to take me out to coffee when I get back ;)

Getting Off the Throne

Lordship week was so crazy. I learned so so much about the Gospel and we got to go more in depth on how the New Testament directly reflects the Old in so many ways. I continue to be awed at how complex and all-knowing God is. I'm really excited to just let God run with my life and completely get off of my own throne in everything I do. I don't want to be striving to please our culture and the worldly acceptable ways of living; I want to be a part of the Kingdom culture and bringing heaven to earth. I just do not want to waste any time on my own agenda when I could be spending all of my time pleasing my Father. I also got to see some of my close friends getting baptized and it was so amazing! We are saved by the blood, but we get rid of the old man with water. Like the Israelites were saved with the blood of a lamb over their doorways, but were still under the "old man's" (Pharaoh's) control, then they completely got rid of the old man when they crossed the Red Sea. They went into the parted sea together, but only the Israelites came out, free and living a new life. It's just like us! We are saved by the blood of the Lamb, and we are made new when we go into the water with the old man and come out of the water with only the new. So good.

The Most Awkward Part of Christianity

I've always thought that evangelism was just so hard because it's just really freakin' awkward!! Like I want to love people and let them know the way to eternal life and all, but why does it always seem so hard?! I just thought that you either get rejected, or you look like a fool, and sometimes both! I learned a lot about being able to be myself yet giving Jesus to everyone I meet during Evangelism week. I have always heard people (especially my mom) being like, "Be the light!!" or "People will see you're different and want what you have." I never really understood it/believed it until this week. One day I was just sitting out on the point overlooking the mountain on our base. I was praying and worshipping and reading my Bible. Then a random elderly woman just hopped out of a truck and was asking me what I was doing here and that she could tell I loved Jesus. I was able to encourage her and speak with her about having a relationship with Jesus and pray for healing with her. She just kept hugging me and saying that she had needed this blessing and that she wanted to keep in touch. It was really encouraging to me that I wasn't even trying to evangelize or look for someone that needed some more Jesus. They came to me as I was waiting on the Lord. Then we went into the week and I was able to sing for quite a few people in different venues with my friends, and it was a great segway to showing love or even praying for people. It's not as awkward as running after people and handing out mini Bibles of the New Testament and Psalms or asking everyone right off the bat if they know Jesus. Sometimes you don't ever even say the name of Jesus and you just show so much unconditional love and encouragement, sometimes it consists of asking to pray for healing, sometimes it's buyin' a coffee for the stranger behind you. You'd be amazed at how many times that that can bring conversation, relationship, and most importantly, JESUS. 

SUNNYYY COAST

We definitely needed to get out of town for a bit to unwind and recharge. All of us were feeling a bit worn out. Thankfully, God delivered. Hello. We were all so impacted by the immense amount of worship and prayer that we got to do together along with a few other DTS's. We all also realized how much we loved each other. I mean, we knew we loved each other, but I think just about everyone realized that we are such a unified family. There were people from other DTS's and a bunch of leaders as well were all noticing how unified we were, and it was really encouraging. Plus the time at the beach in the beautiful warm waves of Australia was pretty nice too. All of us were trying to socialize with people from other bases as well, and we met some really fantastic people. I sat down next to someone and they looked at me and was like woah I got a picture for you!! God showed me that you are his daughter that he loves so much and that you can look to him for your father figure. I mean, COME ON! That is so cool! Then we had a time of the elders of the church we were staying at prophesying over all of us. When they prayed for me, without knowing anything about me, they looked at me and said, hey, do you sing? Then they continued to reassure me that music, music, music was going to be my way of life and the way I could spread God's love. It was craziness. The man said that God said that I was like a tigress because I was so unique and powerful with my voice, and that I was like I had colorful stripes instead for my personality and voice. That was so incredible and just again reassured my calling. I can finally say that I am ready for this roller coaster he's about to take me on and that I am not worried about the outcome or what this world's culture will think of me. As long as I keep getting deeper into this intimate relationship with my Jesus, he could ask me to be anything and I would be ready to go. Thankfully, he gave me a calling that I happen to really love. :) 

God's doing some amazing things. This journey is a good one.