Chasing Daylight...

"Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I became like those not having the law. To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might same some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings." 1 Corinthians 9:19-23

After traveling for 36+ hours, I am glad to finally announce my team's arrival in Sydney, Australia! The trip over was quite eventful for us in many different ways. We flew from ATL to LAX, only to have a 6 hour layover in the smallest terminal ever. There were two restaurants, a Burger King and some seafood restaurant. While waiting around, we got to talking to an Aussie named Will who was coming back from visiting his sister in NYC. He informed me that I dressed "bogan" which means bum or redneck in Aussie language... I would have taken offense to that, but I really couldn't argue because I was in fact wearing my brother's flannel shirt. Haha. The 14 hour flight was super awesome. The TV's on our seats had some chatroom function where you could chat seat-to-seat... NEVER have I ever experienced something so innovative! You could even play Battleship versus another seat. I do have an interesting fact... I did not watch one movie while traveling. I slept the first 7 hours of that flight, took a couple laps around the plane cabin, and then slept some more. It was epic. While exercising around the plane, one of my teammates and I got to talking with a Aussie native named Chris who was very entertaining. She informed us that everything in Australia can indeed kill you. What a relief, huh? It feels so surreal to finally be in the city that I've been talking about for so long. I mean, I am located halfway across the world right now from everything familiar. Our view from the apartment is likely the most incredible view ever of Hyde Park... if you click the link, it is the exact view. To our surprise, everything is much more expensive here. We went into a grocery store near our apartment and i think a half gallon was priced at $6... but then again, the minimum wage here is much higher than in the states. We discovered that a waitress working here earns more than a teacher back in the states. If you didn't know, the roads are backwards than in the states so instead of looking from left to right, you look right to left... if you do the first, you will most likely turn into roadkill. Let's just say the past two days have been quite eventful for us!


The time here is 13 hours ahead of American time so as I'm writing this post, it is 4:03 AM there and 7:03 PM here. I was so tired yesterday... jet lag hits hard when you travel this far; I am quite certain of it. Upon arriving and pulling our bags in our 11th story apartment room, we hit the town for a quick sightseeing adventure. We drove to one part of the Botanical Gardens that gave us a beautiful view of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. We, then, continued on over to the actual Sydney Opera House steps and walked around the harbor a little bit. My camera happened to break (as in not keeping any of the pictures I took) so that's kind of a buzz kill, but I decided to mooch off of other people's photog opportunities like these pictures you see now. We ended up going on a food shopping trip, finding out everything costs a leg and an arm, so we didn't purchase much except for peanut butter and jelly. Haha. I am not kidding. The peanut butter tastes much different here. The kind we got was a little lighter than usual with a weird aftertaste, BUT we looked at the ingredients and it's much healthier than we're used to (probably describes the weird taste). ATTENTION ALL: if you want to lose weight, travel to Australia! That will be the case for me upon returning to the states. Get excited, Mom! (I'm kidding of course...).

Our first little orientation meeting was last night but lasted no longer than 20 minutes, reason being everyone not being used to the time change. We couldn't go back to sleep because it was like only 5 PM here and we needed to try and work ourselves into the Sydney time. It was so hard for me to stay awake for those 4 hours . To pass the time, people played Spades... since there was not room for me at the table, I tried making coffee to keep myself awake, but pretty much I was doomed. I would sit down and almost fall over due to the overwhelming drowsy feeling that was taking over my body. Thanks to my team members, they kept me awake and I lasted to 9 PM (this was after our late night venture to the hot tub located on top of our apartment building). Two sleeping aid pills did the trick and I was in bed before I knew what hit me. Most of us, girls, woke up around 7 AM and went running around Hyde Park which was quite refreshing. Tomorrow we plan on running down to the harbor and through the Botanical Gardens. How weird is it that I'm going for a run in downtown Sydney... I mean, first off, I don't really run, and secondly, I can't believe I will be able to say, "Ah, no big deal, I just ran by the Sydney Opera House." I feel like I'm living a dream!

Today we had more orientation to help up learn a little more about the Aussie culture compared to our culture. The verse above was what Rich, our Aussie Campus Outreach orientation leader from Brisbane, considered the vision for what we are to do here. We have come to win souls for Christ, to break ourselves of what is comfortable and give our lives away to absolute strangers. I am so excited to see how the Lord uses each one of us... We were all placed on our specific teams for a reason, being called to specific people located here. I hope to be able to write to you all soon about our time on the campuses here... so far we have only really done orientation. Please be praying for revival here in Australia. There is a need for the Lord here because it is considered a very secular country, with the church culture falling apart. When the Spirit of the Lord is present, nothing can really stop His work or the plan that's to be carried out...

Stay tuned for more pictures as well as more updates on what's happening here in Sydney, Australia!

Interesting Australian Fact:
Tim Tam Slam: (definition) This is the act of using a tim tam biscuit to drink coffee, by biting off the opposite corners and then using it as a straw to suck up the coffee in your mug.

Blind-Sided...

UPDATE:
If you haven't noticed the new layout, i really enjoyed spicing it up for you guys! Anyways, let's get started on the Australia update! Woo! Okay, so what an interesting past couple of weeks. First off, I have raised about $800 in support so I only have about $600-ish to raise. Secondly, after writing my last post, I experienced one of the coolest God-things since this whole support raising process began. The night I posted, I received a really cool email from a girl named Alex Bufton whom I crossed paths with while on staff at JH RANCH in California three summers ago. She, somehow, stumbled upon my blog from Facebook and started to read about what I am going to be doing in Australia this summer (Lord willing!). After reading, she felt that the Lord was calling her to give towards my trip to Australia, even though she and I haven't been in contact since 2007. In her message to me, she explained a little about what the Lord has been teaching her such as giving Him everything, even her finances. She just moved to ATL for her new job and, like myself, considers herself a huge saver and not the one to splurge... Here is a little piece of her message to me:

"Anyways, So on a different note, i was paying bills tonight and writing checks and i had one check left in my book so i tore it out....I told my roommate to keep it because the water bill was going to come soon so she could just write it for me- well it just came so i didn't need it. Anyways that's when i came across your page etc. So Anyways, I just really want to help you financially -even though it's just a little bit- and I want to be praying for you. I can't wait to read more about it and get to hear stories about how the Lord is using you."

(ps: her blog is super cool.. you should check it out and be praying for her and her job in ATL! aabufton.blogspot.com)

How cool is it when the Lord works in miraculous ways? It blows my mind, literally. Sometimes, I think I know His next move and then out of no where, He comes at you from a different angle. Matthew 6:27-28 speaks to me on a completely new level now that I've experienced the Lord's provision:

"Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin."

That's so true... How am I accomplishing anything by worrying about how I am to raise this support for my trip? Like, really... I'm sure by reading my blog, you would probably think I'm stress and worry free, that I haven't experienced any kind of doubt through this process. OHHHH but i have. This can apply to so many areas in my life right now such as my future, internship, job, where the Lord is going to place me after college years are over, spouse (if I'm lucky), etc... the list goes on and on. BUT one thing I've seen and I'm SURE of since sending out my first wave of support letters is that the Lord is faithful in every area of my life and everywhere He choses to take me in this journey. I have been encouraged as well as humbled and that's all I could ask for. Yes, things have not completely gone my way, but I choose to stand here before you and PRAISE HIM. He has completely brought me to my knees and I pray He keeps me here. It's not exactly the most comfortable position to be in, but who said anything about the Christian walk being comfortable? It's not... If it was, I'm sure there would be more Christ followers.

So last week I had the privilege of approaching an Atheist/Agnostic table on campus last week (thanks to the gentle nudges of my friend, AJ). After the first minute in conversation, I was definitely brought back into reality and the urgency we should have concerning reaching the lost. They absolutely did not care about anything my friends and I had to say about God and who He is. To be honest, many of them grew up in the church. All they wanted to talk about was how Christianity doesn't make sense and pretty much laugh at anything we had to say. Basically, that conversation left me with a shaky voice and sweaty palms- I'm sure that was another reason they enjoyed laughing at me. But, the whole experience really gave me a taste of what I will experience this summer, that's for sure. I know a lot of times we surround ourselves with believers so we get caught up in our Christian bubbles (I plead guilty), but there are many lost people out there who have no idea who Christ is or have felt the capacity of His love. When leaving their table, i have never felt such a heaviness for the lost and pretty much broke down in front of the Student Union. Maybe it was the thought that the faces I looked into could possibly never come to know the Lord personally and would experience eternal separation from Him.. and I had a chance to make a difference. Of course, I know it's not my job to save them; its the Lord's job to change their hearts so all i could do was share the love of Christ with them, His story of salvation, and move on. If you get the chance, please send up a little prayer for them.. I tried to get their names before I left, but my short term memory stumped me again except for a guy named Garrett. All we can do is practice obedience when the Lord places an opportunity in our daily walk and pray that He grows that seed later on in that person's life. For example, just like the Israelites in the book of Joshua, they won based on obedience, not on sheer military talent. Praise God for His promises.

Alexander MacKay, a missionary to Africa, wrote this prayer in his journal while serving in Uganda. It was very convicting and put me in a state of prayer, praying that I would grow to have the same level of heart and passion as this man of God did... offering his whole being for the Lord's purpose for his life:

"Lord, enable us to search our hearts and humble ourselves before Thee. Oh, for a closer walk with God, more faith, more sincerity, more earnestness, and more love. I must study more the Word of God. 'If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you.' The Master said so, and His words are true."

I hope you were encouraged by these life events. Let's just say it was a very humbling past two weeks for me... If you have any prayer requests for me, please feel free to fill me in! I love hearing from my followers =). Remember, if you feel led to give, the link is on the side along with the address. Have an incredible day!

Interesting Australian fact:
Australia has about 1500 species of spiders. If you read about our spiders you might not like this: the average person swallows three spiders a year

God Is Always Good...

"It has been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else's foundation. Rather, as it is written: "Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand."
Romans 15:20-21


UPDATE:
Just for you to get a little glimpse of my incredibly awesome team to Sydney, please check out the image to the right. Yes, a very good looking group, right? Yes, I think so, too. In case you are wondering, we are making the letter "S" with our hands for 'Sydney.' =) ANYWAYS, support raising has been pretty steady these past two weeks with no huge improvement, but I have gotten word from some that they are in the process of giving. Even though no drastic change, God is still continuing to show faithfulness so I have absolutely no room to complain. I am just thankful for His provision so far. I received an email the other day about one of my team members not being able to continue the journey to Sydney because he wasn't receiving the financial support he needed so he decided to back out, but give what he had already raised to the team goal. I cannot imagine how hard that was for him to make that decision to back out knowing how excited he was, but if that door was closed, I know the Lord has something incredible planned for his life this summer. If you could, please pray that Chris wouldn't be discouraged by this and that the Lord will give him clarity where he should be this summer.

This past week was spring break for Auburn (and very well needed...)! A group of my closest friends and I travelled to the city of Orlando to stay with the grandparents of one of my friends, Allie B. Our mission while down there was to volunteer at Orlando Union Rescue Mission downtown which wasn't located in the most safe area in Orlando, BUT we went anyways because we had heard of what the Lord was doing through them. This ministry is more like a program than it is an overnight stay for these homeless residents. If you agree with the guidelines, you have to work a job for 40 hrs a week, save 75% of your paycheck, arrive back at the mission every evening by 5:30 PM so they may practice family values like eating as a family, etc,. It's a non-profit, faith-based organization, whose mission is to provide those in need with food, shelter, clothing, and other resources. The foundation of their work is Biblically based- to bring people to know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. We were actually able to have a couple conversations with some of the residents that revealed fruits of the missions labor there. Such a cool thing to witness P.S.

We arrived at the mission to find many sweet and welcoming staffers thrilled to see us! Mrs. Sylvia, the receptionist, greeted us right inside the door and after talking with her a little bit, we learned that she had been serving there for about 22 years. I think the one thing that stood out to me while serving for those three days was that everyone we came into contact with couldn't help but talk about what the Lord was doing there. I mean, it was like they had a group meeting before we came or something because they were all on the same page when it came to what the Lord was doing there. It was like they couldn't help BUT talk about it. Mrs. Sylvia told us that it cost $11,000 daily to run and only the Lord could have provided the funds because its not like they made any money there. Everything is cost free for the residents. It was like the Lord purposefully directed me there this past week to tell me, "Listen, if I can provide for this ministry that has been around for 60 years, don't you believe I can provide for you?" God definitely has a sense of humor sometimes. I'm pretty sure if you were standing next to me when all of these thoughts were coming together, you could have heard me laugh under my breath.

If you would like to learn more about the mission, the website is: http://www.ourm.org/

Another cool thing that I've been able to witness is how the Lord's using my trip to Australia as an opportunity to share. I've been able to share what my team will be accomplishing while there and, also, a chance to share what the Lord is teaching me through this whole preparing stage. I'm learning a lot about prayer- how the Lord doesn't always answer us on the first request, but through the waiting period, He allows us to grow more dependent on Him. If we received everything we ever wanted, what would God be to us? Through this period, we learn the art of persevering which develops our character, giving us a spirit of hope, because we know the God we serve is good through all He does and chooses to do (Romans 5:3-5).

Recently, I've picked up Searching For God Knows What by Donald Miller. who pulls our understanding of the gospel of Jesus out of the formulaic, propositional framework that the world has placed it in. He presents an explanation of the gospel in relational language, dealing primarily with the story from which our theology has been deducted. Its beautifully written, to be honest, and I recommend it! Here is a little excerpt:

"I confess, I feel there is a God who is very big and who understands everything. In the morning, when i get over these little moments of epiphany about how complex my construction is I begin to fear the God that is, because He made all this that is our existence an He understands its physics. Whatever it is that understands the physics of this thing that is happening to us would have to be quite remarkable, with giant oaks for feet, perhaps, and a voice like wind through a forest and a mind that creates creations of which it might ponder in a way of learning what it already knows. I start to think about this and I confess, it stirs a certain fright and it helps me believe the Scripture that teaches His ways are not like our ways (See Isaiah 55:8-9)."
-Donald Miller

INTERESTING AUSTRALIAN FACT:
It is illegal to roam the streets wearing black clothes, felt shoes and black shoe polish on your face as these items are the tools of a cat burgular.

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.

Be Joyful Always...

"Trials teach us what we are; they dig up the soil, and let us see what we are made of."

UPDATE:
Hello all! I have been dying to write this next post because i have been so encouraged lately through you guys participation in everything. Wow is the only word that's coming to mind right now (probably due to the fact that I'm not the type to pull out a dramatic vocabulary word in a time like this).. but seriously! Through the "donation" link, I have received about $400 and that's just through the link. I have also received emails and Facebook messages from people wanting to participate by sending a good ol' fashioned letter. You all have encouraged me in this process verbally and nonverbally more than you realize. Also, those of you who have sent me a personal letter of encouragement, THANK YOU. It means the world. To fill you in, the support raising these past couple of weeks since my last post has been remarkable. More support from the first round of letters I sent out are coming back in the mail which is a thumb's up in my book plussss the online support that i've received equals a second THUMB'S UP. I am approximately 75% there goal-wise so two thumbs up right back at yall! Let's keep pressing on towards the final goal... almost there!

Since this journey began, I have experienced trials of all types and something I've been contemplating lately is how do you know if its Satan scheming or God working. If you look at the story of Job, God allowed Satan access to test his faithfulness to Him. Why would God allow such a thing? For God's glory. One thing that's become clear is that God is Sovereign and will receive glory in everything; that's just who He is! Well, the conclusion to the story of Job was that he was faithful all the way through. He lost everything, but in the end, God poured out blessings that tripled what he had before. The lesson to learn here is it's all in how we choose to respond to the trial at hand. God-given or Satan inflicted, glorify the LORD in your response to the particular trial and He WILL bless you. God's hand is in everything. Through trials, we are being refined into the men and women the Lord desires us to become.

Of course, I expected for my world to be rocked sooner or later due to the big trip coming up, but definitely not in the ways I've experienced. Some wise words were written to me recently: "When you embark on a journey of truly utilizing your life for the purpose of the Lord, SATAN SHOWS UP; to walk with you and attempt in every way to destroy your aim and your devotion." Honestly, he was successful for a little while, but praise be to our God and Father to rescue me from his snare and turn it into a life lesson for me to learn from.

James 1:2-4:
"Count it all joy, my brothers and sisters, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Count it all joy... Okay. Sounds so easy, but to actually put it into effect? Now, that's a challenge. When i think of the trials that I've come face-to-face with these last several months, I cringe at the thought to "count them all joy." How can someone find joy in such things as pain, heartache, suffering, and rejection? Well, Christ did 2,000 years ago. Before finding Christ myself, I would have thought someone to be a crazy freak if they had a smile on their face during one of the hardest times of their life. Just because Jesus Christ was God, he was man and walked with man and thought as a man. Yes, He lived a blameless life, but He did NOT have i easy. He experienced everything you and I face daily. Those days where everything seems to go wrong, He knows how you feel because He had many of those days Himself. Just because He walked on this earth ages ago doesn't mean he can't 'identify' with you. He created you! He knows how you tick and how you think; That thought that just passed through your mind- He knew it before you even thought it. Who would want to bypass a friend like that? If i remember correctly, most of our best friends in life are those who we feel 'understand' us? Hmm... I'll leave you to contemplate that.

So, recently, that has been what I've been learning... to count it all joy when it comes to trials in life. When I experience hurt from a dear friend, I count it all but joy. When i experience rejection, I count it all joy. When things don't go the way they should have, I will choose to count it all joy. Because of these trials, I am a stronger person and will be better suited for the battle that's headed my way in a couple months! Satan will not have any part in stealing my focus nor my devotion in life. God has a huge plan for me as well as He does you, so don't allow the obstacles Satan throws in your path to distract you from where you were walking in the first place. Every day will be a battle, but God is daily training us: "God often takes away our comforts and our privileges in order to make us better Christians. He trains His soldiers, not in tents of ease and luxury, but by turning them out and using them to forced marches and hard service." Charles Spurgeon

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (MY LIFE VERSE):
"Be JOYFUL always; pray continually; and GIVE THANKS in ALL CIRCUMSTANCES, for this is God's WILL for you in CHRIST JESUS."

Australian Interesting Fact:
People of Queensland in Australia are called “Banana Benders." Also, “Sand Gropers” is the name given to the people from Western Australia .

A Love Forgotten...

Update On Support:
SO! I would like to start off by acknowledging the Lord for his providence in my life these past couple of weeks. He has been so faithful to me in bringing in the financials for my trip. Yes, i am now closer to my goal but still have a little over half way to go. To be honest, when i was told the price of the trip, i told myself... "How in the world am i going to raise $6000 by myself?" Little did i know, the Lord was standing right beside me whispering..."Have you already forgotten about Me? Have faith, daughter." Thank you so much for all of you who have supported me so far. I cannot tell you how thankful i am for you joining me in this. Seeing how the Lord is providing and how He is going about it, I can tell you with a full heart that God is going to do some incredible things in Australia. For example, I have gotten emails and messages from people whom I am not very familiar with wanting to give and help me out. That is such a huge testimony to me.. so thank you form the bottom of my heart! Please check in next week for more updates! I will keep filling you guys in on all the details as they come in.. woo!

As you can see, the title of this blog is "A Love Forgotten..." Why did I name it what i did... Well... For your information, Feb. 14th is just around the corner and I am sure that you have all either thought about it, already made plans with your significant other (whomever it may be), or have planned a Anti-Valentine's Day Party with a bunch of your friends and have already burned copies of your"angry girl mix" on iTunes for all the girls attending. Whatever your status may be, single or taken, we all have the desire to love someone as well as love someone in return. I know that's the case with myself and I'm sure it's the same way with you. How depressing would it be to love someone with all of your being and never receive the same affection back..? Yeah, PAINFUL.

For an example: If any of you know Peggy (my oldest sister) and her boyfriend, Matt Bean... you KNOW that those two are madly in love. I mean, It's all over my Twitter page, Newsfeed on Facebook, texts messages from Peggy, etc... Basically, It was my Christmas vacation- ask any of the Pursell children-I was pretty much stuck in a minivan with Peggy for a full week while i heard "click click click" from her iPhone. You knew when she received an email from him because she giggled uncontrollably and made the "Peggy face". Due to the fact Matt was already in Guatemala for work reasons, emailing was their only form of communication. So, we as a family took turns leading distracted Peggy around by the arm while she typed her emails back to him.. we didn't want her to run into a pole or anything.

With all that to say, I hope you picked up on the level of LOVE I'm talking about. This brings me to my point. Since taking my job, I have moments where I'm alone in the cafe and think about stuff like this. I find myself getting caught up in the "If Only's" or "I Wish I Had's".. like, if i would have done something this way, i would have this or that. That's just not the way it works. The Lord's plan is perfect for my life as well as it is for yours. God gave his most precious gift to us which was his Son, Jesus Christ, so that we may experience life to the fullest. As John 10:10 puts it, "The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it ABUNDANTLY." What exactly does abundance mean? Abundance means- "an extremely plentiful or oversufficient quantity or supply." The Lord loved us so much that he sent his SON to die for US.. really... what did i ever do to deserve such a love? And I love the fact that this love never changes.. its constant, unconditional, perfect, beautiful, patient, kind, not self-seeking, never easily angered, keeping no record of wrongs. WOW. Can we just focus on that really fast? We are completely sinful and there is a perfect God who wants to be loved by us.. He wants a relationship with US!

"He was despised and rejected by man (you and me), a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces was despised, and we esteemed him not" (Isaiah 53:3).

We so often forget about this Love, Jesus Christ. He has offered everything so that we may be able to have fellowship with him one day in Paradise. He traded in his righteousness for ALL of our unrighteousness.. We rejected him, shamed him, made a mockery of him, crucified him, yet He in return, gave us life and a love that we will never be able to show him back. What a love we have forgotten... He wants to be where you find that satisfaction and contentment. Let us not get so caught up in our 'misery of singleness' attitude or what we feel like we're lacking, that we forget about HIS love. Trust me, I am a pro at this and it gets you NO WHERE. Let the most amazing Eligible Bachelor, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, love you... and in return, love him back with all that you have. That is the least we can do for him considering all that He has done for us..

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19

AUSTRALIAN INTERESTING FACT: There are more than 150 million sheep in Australia, and only some 20 million people.

And We're Off...

Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. -Hab. 1:5

Wow.. its already another week which begins Week 2 in my support raising process. So far, the Lord has been so gracious to me.. to think it's only been one week! Praise Him. Of course i am still very far off from reaching my end goal of $6000, but I know my God can meet my needs if He chooses to or not. He will receive the glory either way. I can't even express how the Lord is already working in my heart.. that will be saved for a later post!


I started my job at Pottery Cafe about three weeks ago! First, can i say how awesome it was that i actually found a job during a very critical state of our nation..? Well, I still sit back and can't believe it. Anyways, i've been working the past couple of Saturdays and a couple Thursdays so far and have loved it! My job entails me working the coffee bar as well as helping out customers with their ceramics, getting their paint set up, brushes, etc. If you ever need something to do in Auburn, you definitely need to stop by! It's off Glenn by Fitness for Women. This is my project I'm currently working on: a dinner platter with Samford Hall sketched and ready to paint!

Today, I was sitting in the Student Union on campus completely stalking the country of Australia, looking up sites about ministry opportunities there and such, when i came up with an awesome idea! I would absolutely love to start communicating with an Australian missionary who's already there working with either high school students or college students before I leave in May. By doing this, I can get a feel for the work I will be doing and begin praying for the country.

Thank you,again, for following the blog! My email and number are listed in the post below if you need to get in contact with me about anything. I would love to answer any questions you might have for me as well...

There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us. - Richard Sibbes

INTERESTING AUSTRALIAN FACT: In Australia, it is illegal to walk on the right hand side of a footpath.

The Start of Something Great...

Today marks the beginning of the long support raising process!

For those of you who are checking out the blog site for future postings, I'm guessing you received my letter. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your busy schedule to read about where the Lord is directing me this summer. Since i am not promised that my goal amount will be raised, the only thing i can do is trust that the Lord will get me where I feel He is calling me this summer which is Australia. Ever since the opportunity came about, I have been filled with an excitement beyond understanding to know that I will be used for such a higher purpose.

Evangelism can be pretty scary when you think about it... Walking up to random people you have never met before especially in an entirely different context. BUT knowing that this could be their only chance to hear about a saving grace which gives them HOPE knocks all fears and insecurities out of the way. As i prepare for this summer, I am praying already against the devil's schemes. Of course the devil will want to stop what the Lord is trying to do which is reach all people groups with the gospel- because when that happens, the Lord will come back, the devil's reign will be over and he will be thrown into the eternal lake of fire.

If you would like to join me in lifting up Australia in prayer this summer, I would love for you to join my prayer team! Please email me at ramsey.pursell@gmail.com and let me know if that is something you would like to do. If you happen to know of anyone else who would be interested, please share this blog with them! That would completely make my life.

Prayer is the vital breath of the Christian; not the thing that makes him alive, but the evidence that he is alive. -O.Chambers

Again, thank you so much for taking time to read about something that becoming so dear to me as well as an irresistible passion in my life...

I will keep updating this blog until my team leaves in May! Woo!

Interesting Australian Fact (just for fun!):
Australia has the world's largest population of wild camels with one hump.