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"

Where Faith and Life Connect

We had about 50 kids attend the Basketball Clinic on Saturday. I don’t think anyone could tell this was the first kid’s Basketball Clinic they’ve had, it ran so smoothly. The kids are already asking if we’ll do it again next year. The best part is 7 kids wanted know more about Christ after hearing the short message Pastor Joel gave.

My Basketball Team- The "Chicks"

All aboard at Grand Central Station, Holiday Bible Club has taken off. We've completed Day 2 of the Big Apple Adventure, with a total of 57 kids. The kids are loving it so far and we had 10 new kids attend today. I've been put in charge of sound, so I get to learn motions and sing with the kids in music all morning. It’s been so much fun watching the kids get excited about HBC and even more exciting to see them grow in Christ the past two days. Tomorrow the bible studies will be focused on presenting the gospel, please be praying the kids hearts will be open to receive the word and the teachers will be filled with words of wisdom to speak.

Team from Sweetwater Baptist-Florida

Happy 235th Independence Day America! Last night we celebrated the 4th of July, Aussie style, complete with meat pies and Pavlovas. Of course, no 4th of July celebration is complete without watermelon and sparklers.

Magic Moments

Time flies when you're having fun... and busy! We've spent this past week nailing down all of the details for all of the excitement we have in store the next few days. The Basketball Clinic and Holiday Bible Club, as well as our team from Florida, have finally arrived. After a fun Florida team orientation of horse back riding, archery (yes, I shot an arrow; no, I didn't hurt anyone or myself) , and a whip-lash Ferris wheel ride it was time to get to work. I loved looking around the church tonight to see a mix of Aussies and Americans working together as the Body of Christ to hang lights and posters, make hot dog stands and even get a little dizzy spray painting graffiti in preparation for the Bible Club.

We'll be taking the courts at 10am tomorrow for a fun filled day of basketball. Please be in prayer for our volunteers and all the kids that will be participating. We're expecting a large number of kids to sign-up at the start tomorrow, so be praying we're not overwhelmed or stressed if we get a mass of kids registering at once. But also please be praying that we will still be joyful and excited if we receive less kids than expected. We want tomorrow to be about giving God the glory and a time to fellowship with these kids, what ever circumstance we may be in.

In other news, I've now had a "Magic Moment" with a Koala. Our new Host Mom, Janet, took us to Healesville Sanctuary on Tuesday to hang out with some amazing Aussie wildlife. I heard a bird roar like a tiger and had a close up with a Koala, since we're in Victoria we're not aloud to hold them. I'm really starting to bond with the Australian wildlife.

Meet Bernie the Koala