A quick post

This is just to let you know how the canoeing went...We dubbed it the canoe trip from hell, haha. Here we go...

In high spirits we posed on the beach for a photograph, all ready to tackle a river in the middle of the Australian Everglades. We picked our own teams (bad move #1) and set out across the lake. The waves were about 3 ft tall in most areas. Now, my team was the only team with three people in a two man canoe, we also had two water proof barrels with food and sleeping bags in them then we had three one man tents (aka mozzie domes), a backpack and some other items floating around in our canoe. And by floating I do mean floating, we were riding so low every wave ended up in our canoe, we tiped three times before we got to the waves and 2 or 3 more once we got to the peaks. finally we paddled our way right through the meat of the lake waves and all with the power of prayer being the stength in my arms and the balance in our canoe. We arrived at an island on the other side of the lake. Here we refueled after a 20 second break (since we were the last ones there) and headed back out. This time however we took a canoe with seats on the bottom of the boat, harder to paddle but better balance. We also shafted our barrels over to someone else.

Off we go to cross the last little stretch of lake till we enter the river canal. We tried to walk most of the way here seeing as it was relatively shallow. We got through and into the canal, and was it ever beautiful, it was calm with trees and tall grass on either side, just gorgeous. Unfortunately at this point I was too scared of tipping to take my camera out. So along we drift the slight current taking us till we get close to where we are supposed to stop and have lunch, or WERE supposed to stop and have lunch because we were about 2 hours late at this pouint. But we arrived at this spot and it turned out to be one, a dead end, and two, not solid land, so we couldn't even make do and have lunch there. We had gone the wrong way, to make a long story short, we back tracked all the way back to that island, this time going INTO the waves and took another route, we got into the right canal and floated upstream. Now my patience were wearing thin, and that showed through the false identity I was trying to were, the one that said everything was fine, haha. So at this point I was irritable, not angry or mad, or upset really, but I didn't say much and was starting to run out of gas. FINALLY we arrive at the campsite at 6pm, its already dark (Australian winter) and we eat and camp. On a side note, we camped at this site, when really we were only about a third of the way to our REAL destination. We never made it to our real destination. 3 caones didn't make it and 3 teams went back and brought them to the site, somehow our three man team made it on its own.

THE NEXT MORNING, the skies were looking grey, the winds were insane, and that was only in the river they were bound to be three times as bad on the lake. Our staff spent a good 30 - 45 minutes in prayer and another short while planning. Finally they decided we were heading out and we made new times, this time it was me and Darcy (a girl on our school). We headed out up the river against the current into the wind, it was slightly challenging in itself. We got to the lake and were we ever in for a ride! We went around the "easy" way which ended up looking too hard, so we cut back and headed straight out into the middle of the lake. We were the first canoe at this point and even after back tracking we hadn't seen another canoe. Off we went in the middle of the lake and stopped at an island before crossing the harbour, which was where the waves doubled in size. I walked the canoe for quite aways, while I was walking I walked literally an inch away from a stingray and followed it along, little did I know (but later found out) that they were deadly poisonous. As we rounded the island we saw the 5 ft waves we were about to canoe through...we looked back at the EASY way we could have taken and decided rather than walking through the shallows all the way around the harbour we would take the HARD but much quicker way, straight across. After probably two hours of paddling INTO 5 ft waves we finally came out on the other side of the harbour, intense pains in my shoulders, calves (from keeping the balance in the boat and walking probably a good few kilometres waist deep water), and the multiple, MULTIPLE blisters on our hands. Here we were, walking our boat, beach in sight, Darcy pulling me for most of it at this point, because she had shoes and after seeing that stingray I was slightly more reluctant to walk the boat. Eventually I took the boat, gave Darcy a break and we could make out the bus on the beach we parked at. We got in and paddled for DEAR life. As we pulled onto the beach we let out a LOUD victory cry, all the campers on the site were looking like we were crazy, but we really couldn't have cared less. We pulled our boat on shore and immediately prayed for the other groups, who as we were praying turned the corner all together, we hadn't seen them the whole time, but there they were.

In short is was the worst two days of my life and the greatest experience of my life. The most physically and emotionally draining, and yet the most rewarding and amazing. War wounds and all we sat down and had lunch. This was when we found out from the camp ground owner that he thought we were insane, he would never have paddled through that, its not canoeing conditions, and that there were sharks, snakes, deadly sting rays, etc...in the water. We also found out we COULD have called a water taxi to get back. But I was content with they way we chose to do things, to perservere and conquer Gods creations, Gods power IN creation, with the strength God himself gave us. Everytime I prayed I had 20 more km of rowing flow out of my arms, even when I thought that I was surely dead, I could NOT paddle anymore, God always has reserves. The end of the story is our prize, the owner said that he was truly astonished that we even CHOSE to paddle through that, nevermind MADE it. So...he gave us Noosa Heads - Australian Everglades BUMPER STICKERS! Personally, I found the internal acheivement more exciting that the bumper stickers!

Off to Stanthorpe, a VERY chilly town on the interior of New South Wales. Peace, Love and Prayers! (sorry about any typos, had to hurry)

Road Trips

We are leaving for Noosa Heads, or Noosa, which is north of Brisbane on the 26th at 7:45 in the morning, we are going canoeing and having some lectures. Then we get home on sunday, REPACK and leave for Stanthorpe for a week of lectures!! Its going to be an awesome busy week, but I'm totally pumped, and I'm excited to see what God has around the next corner for me!

Peace, Love and Prayers!!

Outreach

I have been selected to be on an outreach team and now know my definate outreach location. I will be spending 6 weeks in India with a team of 4 people that were selected for a unique outreach to establish connections in an area and start setting up a new YWAM base. This outreach team is significantly smaller than the others and is generally made up of people who are very interested in pursuing mission work, not to say that other outreaches don't contain passionate possible full time mission workers.

I'm really excited, I just hope I brought enough winter clothes because it will be winter in Northern India and temperatures will be in the negatives for a lot of the time I'm there! I'm very excited and have a heart for South East Asia and the Pacific Islands. God has blessed me so much since I've been here and this is just another example.

Peace, Love and Prayers!!

Muslim Outreach

Well, we are back from the muslim outreach and it was completely amazing. At least 5 or 6 people came to Christ. The were prayed for and broke down right there in Surfers paradise...aka "Sin City".
I know that many muslim lives were touched and they were thrown for a loop when the hostile aggresive Christian heart they thought they would encounter was a selfless, passionate, kind, open and interested heart. But I learnt some Arabic just as a conversation starter. How to say hello, and how are you. It was definately a lot harder than i expected and sometimes you don't get to see the seeds you sowed blossom. But they are planted and WILL produce fruit in one way or another.
We learnt many of the muslim misconceptions about Christianity and how to deal with what they THINK we believe and what they have problems with in our religion. Then we went out well equipped and chatted it up with them. It was amazing.

This week the lectures are on Identity in Christ. Speaker - Allan Brown. Hes an awesome guy a 60 year old hippie surf bum turned Christian. But hes very wise and prophetic.

Peace, Love and Prayers!

Gold Coast

This weekend the Beach to Bush school (the one I am in) is going to the Gold Coast. Otherwise known as surfers paradise. Its going to be amazing to see the beaches and everything, and maybe try surfing. But the REAL purpose for heading to the Gold Coast is far more exciting. Its a very popular spot, especially on this particular weekend, for Muslims from closed islamic countries to vacations. I'm not completely sure why, but there are just thousands of muslim cruising around the Gold Coast beaches. We are going and connecting with them, showing them the tangible love of Christ and what its like to have a real relationship with a loving, caring Father God. Converting muslims left right and centre so as to bring them the hope that the Father wants them to have....sounds amazing.

ANYWAY, if anyone back home wants to take part in inteceding and lifting up our team in prayer on this particular weekend...we are going to be there friday night and all day saturday (in Aussie Time)

Thanks for your constant prayers and support..

Peace, Love and Prayers!!

Week One

Well, we just spent a week with a lecturer named David Way. He spoke on Hearing the Voice of God. I have to say I dont think I've ever had so many revelations in one week, haha. I do need some prayer though. I have decided to get together a Intercessory prayer group for various nations and each week I will (or someone who offers to will) research an area and make a list of prayers concerns for a certain country. I just need prayer for clarity on working out the details of how it is going to work, because its not my ministry its Gods, I'm just His tool, so I need to be completely sure how He wants me to run it. The other prayer I need is for our outreach, I know the areas we are going to head: Venuwatu, Malaysia, and India, and I know which one I want to do and all the details about them, but I'm not going to say which one, I just want prayer that wherever I will be most beneficial to God thats where I will end up.

Last night we had a worship session. I have to say that I have NEVER experienced anything like it. We had a lot of trouble sinking in tune with the Spirit, no matter how much we prayed for Him to be present, it just wasn't so. So, we started praying for each other and asking what was missing. And someone said that there was something in the room that was not holy, that was unholy. As this person said that a guy dropped to the ground, spoke in some crazy language (not toungues, but an actual language) and convulsed. His face contorted in ways I never thought possible and he was speaking with a hellish deep voice. There was a fullout exorcism right there on the floor, he was annointed with oils and prayed over and I read from revelation while he lay there. It seemed really painful for him, but he was finally able to claim Christ as his saviour. He's an awesome guy and an amazing Christian, its amazing and scary to see how satans deceptive ways can dig roots even into the lives of Gods people sometimes. We also prayed healing on a man who volunteers at the Base and he was healed. This is not the first miraculous healing I have seen, but it was truly an amazing night last night.

Peace, Love and Prayers!

The Crew

The students here are totally amazing and everyone is really passionate and open and willing to be used by God and allow God to reign in there lives. Their are about 5 or 6 Canadian Students in my school alone, and then like 5 or six leaders who are Canadian...its awesome though, so many great people, great experiences and great things to come for my life. Some very prophetic words being spoken and already some amazing guidance and potential callings in my life opening up, nothing that I have never considered, just more sure about it all.

Peace, Love and Prayers!!

Weekend

Alright, well, we had our first trip...and it was completely AMAZING, totally awesome just to be out in the outdoors away from all civilization and spending lots of personal time with God on a new level, because I was outdoors and totally meditating in a sense on everything God had to say to me. There was a lot of healing done on the weekend for all of the people in my school. From physical healing to emotional and spiritual healing. But overall, I just really got to know everyone really well and they are all totally amazing people and we are going to have a stellar time rocking the light and spreading the word. Growing, upholding each other, bringing hope to desolate and dry landscapes (spiritually) anyway, more to come, sorry this is short, people are waiting for the computers!

Peace, Love and Prayers!