hello readers,
I really wanted to share some of the things that have been going on lately. We've been meeting with school chaplains this past week to set up times we could come into schools to work with children. The meetings went really well and we would have started Monday except our Monday meeting was just canceled because the programs we were going to work with are being pushed back. But hopefully Tuesday is still on. We'll be working under the chaplains there talking to kids and making friends and inviting them to the camps we host when the larger Lipscomb team gets here. I forget sometimes that there will be a team coming and it makes me really excited. The more people the better. On Tuesday we met with a chaplain in the morning. He told us to come back for another meeting later in the day when kids from the school could be there. Rachel and I had a few hours to kill so we grabbed lunch and went to a part nearby. We were just laying in the grass enjoying the abundant Aussie sunshine when I woman with a small boy came to play on the swings close to where we were. I went over to say hi and she recognized my accent so we got to talking about from where and why I had come. I turned out she was a Christian too. She was a Lebanese woman who comes from a family of all Muslims. She had incredible stories to tell and was so refreshingly open about her faith and how she came to be where she is today because of God. I just love how God works. She told us she was very encouraged by meeting us in the park because there aren't a lot of Christians in Australia. I know I was greatly encouraged but I don't know how she was. Fortunately God knows what we need when we don't.
Well that's all for this update. We had both of our Saturday plans canceled so we're trying to make some last minute plans.

Peace

I've been everywhere man

Wow, it has just been a total whirlwind since I arrived. The people we met at Church on Sunday were so welcoming and loving. It really has been a flood of faces. It's taken me till now to really get a handle on all of the names I'm learning. One thing's for sure. I love my host family. Colin and Karen are a riot. We have a lot of great laughs at the dinner table and over games of "Footie" (Rugby or Australian rules football). They are hospitable in every way but not afraid to take a poke at my accent or times when I mess up an Aussie phrase. They Australian rules football has a big event every year where all of the pros go back to their home states no matter who they play for so they can play state v state. They call it the State of Origin game. I guess because I'm a typical American in that we don't pay much attention to other country's sports, I called it the State of the Union game. I don't think I'll ever hear the end of that.

They are so many here in the 15-20 age range that just need direction and purpose. Unlike the states, where you can leave home at 18, in Australia it's 15. It's not that unusual for a misbehaving 15 year old to be kicked out of the house. It's these kinds of kids I'll be working with in and out of schools to try and provide some stability and guidance for. Because we'll only be here for 3 months I'm going to try to move them towards a church or church member who can continue the work after we leave. There is so much opportunity for us to get plugged in to the high school age community through schools. Schools here have chaplains who work as social workers/ guidance councilors. They can't be paid by the school and officially they are like military chaplains in that they can't advocate a certain brand of religion. Fortunately there is a Christian organization called Scripture Union that trains and sends out these chaplains. So most of them actually are Christian and the ones we've talked to have no problem talking about Jesus in the schools because so many Chaplains are Christian it's almost assumed. Next Monday we start working in a public school where we'll be a Christian presence, influence and hopefully friend. I'm excited. Although I can always use prayers. Mostly that God breaks down my inhibitions that stop me from being bold in my faith. Thanks, love you all.

-Robert

I finally found a way to take pictures off my camera and put them on a computer connected to the net here.

Ok so until I figure out how to put these pics where I want them. We have the Sierra Nevada mountains, Sunset at LAX, sunrise in the air right before we landed at Brisbane, and the line at Krispy Kreme, 30 mins for donughts at Brisbane's first location!

How did I get here?

So it's been a pretty hectic first few days but I got here in one piece. The plane left LAX at around mid-night so I'd been up for 22 hours by the time we took off. Of the 14 hours it took to get to Brisbane I was probably only awake for 4.

We had the arrival day and the day after to adjust. Rachel and I have been on the move ever since. Keith Lancaster from Acappella is here with some friends teaching song leading and four-part harmonies to bolster A capella singing in the coC's which has been a lot of fun. The first night we arrived I was sitting in the front row in the middle of singing a song when I got a tap on the shoulder. It was Mike asking me if I wanted a ride to my host home. I had passed out sitting up in the middle of singing. I felt awful but I've gotten to know Keith better since then and he understands where I was coming from .

Church on Sunday was great. It wasn't held at the building but because of the singing workshops it was held at a local k-12 christian school. Congregations from many denomonations were there all singing together and it sounded beautiful. Afterwords a large number of the congregation met for a picnic in an Ocean side park called Wellington point which is just georgous. (I'm working on photos, at the moment I don't have a way to get stuff from my computer to the internet because I've been using other people's computers) Sunday night we went downtown to West End church which was explained to me as a gathering of people who didn't feel like they fit in at a traditional gathering. We had a good time singing together and me and Rachel were able to introduce ourselves a little. This ministry is something we're going to be participating a lot in while we're here which is very exciting to me. It started out as a college-aged ministry but most of the entendees ended up being homeless and patients from the local mental hospital wondering which is a great ministry in and of it self.

I was able to drive for the first time yesterday. We're borrowing a small little 80s Mazda hatchback while we're here. On my first drive I only drove on the wrong side of the road! But I've had a little more practice since then and the only tricky part I think will be the round-abouts which are abundant.

I'll have my hands in many minitries while I'm here but my primary job will be making friends and drawing people closer to God through friendship and example. There are so many people I will have the privilage of getting to know better and help along the walk of Christ. Well I have to run. I'm at the library and the timer is running down. God bless and I'll try to post again soon.

We have liftoff

Here we are, t-minus five hours and I will be on a plane to LA. It's strange how long it takes some things to become real to me. I've been praying and preparing so much for this trip but it still seemed impossibly distant in a dream kind of way. But five hours out it doesn't seem at all like a dream anymore, I'm really going to spend three months with some of God's children in Australia. This has only been possible because of God working through some incredibly generous people people whom I greatly admire and love. Thank you to everyone who contributed whether in gift or in prayer. I hope to extend the love you've shown for me to everyone I meet in Brisbane.
I am blessed beyond all measure. I'm on my way to another country to grow relationships with more of God's children, I am blessed with people that helped me get there, I'm blessed with a supportive, loving family, blessed with encouraging friends, blessed with wise people to point out my stupidity and show me what Christ-like living looks like.
Next time I post I will be IN BRISBANE!!! many more post and pictures to follow.

Also, there has been a bit of a change up in my housing arrangement. If you didn't have my old one you weren't missing anything. My new address is:
4 Clearwater St
Ormiston QLD 4160, Australia


Love, Shalom!

Opening day

Greetings fellow adventurers. So here we are- 12 days out. It has been such a crazy journey to this point. What a beautiful thing, to witness the answered prayers that have led me here. I remember back in October begging God to show me where he wanted me to go. It was a little uncertain for a while there but it soon became clear where I was supposed to go. It would have been worth it if joining this trip only led me to meet the people this trip has placed in my path so far. God's blessed us with an incredible group of people that he binds together through His perfect will and timing. Mark and Beth- continuing the legacy I had only heard about- have been nothing short of spirit led. They pour in so much hard work and love into this trip and the people it involves and I thank God for putting such examples in my life.
Soon after I became a definite part of the team I started praying for my own spiritual development. I want to be the disciple of Christ God wants me to be. And although it can be scary(knowing that it will happen), I ask for Him to make me into His servant. God has been working on this prayer since before I left the womb. But after I started praying for growth for the sake of this trip, God revealed himself more and more, showing me just how much he can transform me if I'm willing to be shaped.
More later, I must now get some rest so I can begin packing for the trip of a lifetime. Thank you God for putting me here.