An Attitude of Gratitude

After a 37 hour day, 3 flights and 22 hours of traveling I've made it home. I'm so excited to finally be home, but this summer heat definitely makes me miss the winter temps in Pakenham.  I didn't realize just how long I was gone until I began catching up on life at home from the past 11 weeks. It was quite an overwhelming feeling to finally be home and try to process all the happenings of the past weeks.

Dear Pakenham family, you are missed heaps already. You will always be my home away from home. Feel welcomed to come visit when ever you would like. And once again, thank you so much for giving me the chance to serve among you.

I want to thank everyone who prayed for and financially supported this trip. We may never see the full impact we made this summer or see the seeds we have planted grow, but I know God had a purpose in sending me. Everyone who prayed and supported me helped make that possible. The task in Pakenham (and Australia as a whole) isn't over though, we only handed over the baton to other leaders that will carry out the work and ministries God has planned in Pakenham.  Please continue to pray for blessings on Pakenham Baptist as they grow as a church body and continue to reach out to the community around them. As for me, my task doesn't end in Pakenham either, this summer was just part of the master plan and task God has for my life in full-time ministry. To God be the glory, great things he hath done!

This will be probably be my last blog, so thank you for following my journey in the land down under.

Hoo-Roo Oz!

Well Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Pakenham anymore. We made it to Sydney yesterday and took a ferry to see the infamous Sydney Harbor. I’ve now seen the Sydney Bridge and Sydney Opera House. The only thing that’s missing is locating P. Sherman 42 Wallaby Way Sydney. 

Who's ready for some Opera?

Today has been filled with reflection on our time here in Australia and reconnecting with the rest of our Aussie team. I feel like I just arrived in the Land of Oz and it’s already time to head home. As I've continually learned, mission trips aren’t only about me ministering to others, but I always find I’ve been blessed, as well as grown personally and spiritually by the end of the trip. This has been such a learning experience for me, through the good experiences and the bad. It’s been really hard for my impatient self but God’s definitely shown me how to have patience in difficult situations. I can do absolutely nothing on my own, but through Christ I can do anything. 

Tomorrow I’ll begin the long journey home. We’ll leave Sydney Wednesday afternoon and after the longest day ever (37 hours) I’ll arrive back home Wednesday night. Please pray that the Qantas airlines won’t organize their much anticipated strike tomorrow and there will be safe travels for our entire team of thirteen that will be traveling back home.

Home Is Where the Heart Is

Well 10 weeks definitely went a lot faster than I expected. We finished up our work at the school on Friday with a packed Brekkie Club and a box of Cadbury chocolates. The good-byes (or see ya laters as I'd prefer) have been passed out and tomorrow we begin the journey back home with a 2 day stop in Sydney for debrief. It's bittersweet to think this is my last night in Pakenham. If home is where the heart is, I either have multiple hearts or pieces of it are scattered in the many places I can call home, which now one of them is Pakenham. As excited as I am to be back stateside in 4 days, I got teary eyed knowing I have to leave this new home and family I have made on the other side of the world, to go back to an equally loved home and family in the States.

Young Adults, the normal picture

Thank you Pakenham Baptist for giving me this opportunity to serve along side you and live life with "y'all".  I have loved my time here and I will miss my new Aussie family heaps! I'll be reminded of you every time I try to pronounce a word the Aussie way or try to drive on the left side of the road (hopefully this won't happen). So, SEE YA LATER!!

Is it too soon to say I no injuries yet??

The Last Week

The last week of our 10-week stay in Pakenham is finally here. I am excited to be heading home (to warmer weather) in the next week, but it will be bittersweet to leave this church and community that have become another home for me. We’ve spent a lot of time this last week wrapping up some of the projects and ministries we’ve worked with while here. HBC follow-up cards have been mailed out and a new term of Sunday School and Youth Group bible studies have begun.

A tour through the school with one of my favorite students.

 Today we completed our last day with the Elevate Leadership Program at the primary school. It was sad to say bye to the boys, but we still have 2 more days at the school for the bike program and brekkie club.  I’m thankful for the opportunity we’ve had to work in the public schools, because most public schools in the States would not allow this much involvement from the churches. Please keep the Chaplains and the volunteer Religious Education teachers of the public schools in your prayers, as they work in a tense environment trying to balance the pressures of the secular media and various political stances that are attempting to take away funding for religious groups in the schools. This is an amazing opportunity they have here and they are working very carefully to maintain positive relationships within the school districts.

The Elevate Program 

The Great Ocean Road

 We have returned from our trip down the Great Ocean Road. The sun stayed out for our drive on Monday so we could see the beautiful coastline.

Cape Otway Lighthouse

The Lighthouse Keeper's hymns

The Twelve Apostles (there's only 8 rocks left standing, 4 got washed away)

Finishing Strong

It’s day 55 here in Australia; the past 8 weeks have flown by. It’d be easy for me to focus on being home in two weeks, but I know there’s a lot God is still doing through me and in me as I finish the race set before me here in Australia. My prayer for the next 2 weeks is that I finish the race strong: 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.- Hebrews 12:1-3 

A hug from Roger, the Kangaroo

We can’t thank the Florida team enough for all of their help at HBC and the Basketball Clinic. They left at the beginning of the week, after a trip to Phillips Island to receive hugs from Kangaroos and watch the Fairy Penguins waddle up the beach to their nest. Our adrenaline from last week has finally worn off and the remainder of the week has been slow compared to the hustle and bustle of HBC. Our main goal for this week was to follow-up on any decisions made last week and the relationships that we are beginning to build. We will be back to working in the schools on Wednesday, after a vacation up the Great Ocean Road.

Music Time!

I Will...

Kangaroo, it's what's for dinner... after we pet them and feed them, of course. On Wednesday, we took the Florida team to Gumbuya Park to feed Kangaroos, but while we were there Bus Drive Ben so graciously served up some delicious Kangaroo steak on the barbie. I will admit I felt a slight bit of guilt for eating the animal I was feeding and posing in pictures with 10 minutes earlier, but it's all part of the experience.

Family Night- Friday, June 8th

Grand Central Station is now closed. I've had so much fun hanging out with the kids and watching them grow in the Word all week at the Big Apple Adventure. We had 69 kids total.Tonight was the closing program, the kids were so eager to drag their parents from class to class to show all they had learned and the paper mache apples they created. Having the team from Florida here has been such a blessing.  One young boy gave us some challenging behavior problems at the start of the week, but tonight he was so disappointed to leave HBC. His attitude had totally changed this week all because a group of strangers showed him Christ love. Seeing these kids light up after a week of HBC is such a reminder of the task set before us and our purpose here.

I Will... Big Apple Adventure 2011

"I will take you name to every nation

spread the goods news of salvation, baptize in the name 

of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 

I will teach the things that you've commanded 

make sure that your truth is planted. 

Jesus I will do whatever it takes to bring glory to your name"