Australia On My Mind...

"But the Lord stood by my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. "
-2 Timothy 4:17

UPDATES:
Hello from Auburn University! I am pleased to say that I am only lacking a little under $2,000.. What an incredible testimony of the Lord's faithfulness and provision to His children. I have had many of you join my side during this time and I want to thank you again for your financial givings as well as prayers during this time. Y'all have all been amazing in any type of support efforts you've contributed my way and I am so grateful all the way down to the smallest bit. One thing that I have been so encouraged by is my support group here in Auburn so thank you Auburn if you're reading this! (Shout out to my next door neighbors who specifically asked to be mentioned in my blog.. So Justin and Jay, here you go!) Back to the subject at hand. I will continue to raise support until my trip even if i raise over. The money that is raised after i meet my goal will be donated to the overall team goal to help some of my teammates out. If you would like to give and haven't yet, the link is on the side as well as my address. I am thankful for anything so if you would like to join my prayer team, please email me or post below.

This past weekend was our Australia retreat weekend with all the teams who are currently going this summer. Serving along side my team are two other teams heading to Brisbane and Armidale. They will be serving just like us on university campuses there and laboring for the hearts of the Aussies. Of course, each location has different needs. Brisbane and Armidale have been the typical 'go to' spots for past CCP teams and already has Campus Outreach staff working full time there which is AWESOME. They will be teaming up along side the church there working to grow the church as well as continue to minister to the students of those universities. Sydney (which is my team) has a tad bit different situation. My team will be the first Campus Outreach team stepping foot in the city so we have a huge task on our hands... since we don't have any type of foundation already laid out for us, we kind of get to figure it out! How exciting!

This weekend we were blessed with excellent resources such as a native born Australian named Phil currently in seminary at Beason, and also, a man who served for 11 years in the country of Australia. We were able to ask any type of question that we may have had for them.. yes, even the super shallow questions such as "What are you NOT to wear?" Um, yes, i asked that question... If I'm traveling to a different country, I don't want to be standing out like a sore thumb- I'm all about looking the part. My goal is to look like I've been in Australia all my life so if you have any tips, let me know! Haha but anyways, the time that we got with our teams this weekend was such a blessing and to see how awesome my team works together was definitely encouraging. It's so cool to think that the Lord called us all individually to the continent of Australia and that he has entrusted us with this opportunity to proclaim His name. We, as a team, pray that our hearts will be humbled before we leave in May and that the Lord will do big things through using us as His vessels.

After leaving this weekend, I have such a restless heart for the Aussie people. Basically, if you would have given me a plane ticket on Sunday, I would have jumped on that plane with no hesitation. God is going to do something huge this summer because I can already feel the Lord putting on my heart to pray for barriers to be broken and hearts to be softened. The passage that was laid on my heart this weekend was Mark 11:22-24:

"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. "I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, "Go, throw yourself into the sea," and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore, I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours."

As i am writing this post, a desire that is so great is building up inside my soul that will only be tended to if I go. I desire for the lost to know Christ; for creation to return back to its Creator; for the church to unite together once again in worship and not be so worried about denomination or how one should be baptized. All that matters is Christ and Christ preached.

"Missions is not the ultimate goal of the church. Worship is. Missions exists because worship doesn't. Worship is ultimate, not missions, because God is ultimate, not man. When this age is over, and the countless millions of the redeemed fall on their faces before the throne of God, missions will be no more. It is a temporary necessity. But worship abides forever."
-John Piper

INTERESTING AUSTRALIA FACT:
In Australia, Only licensed electricians may change a light bulb.