Good times

What a wonderful time we've enjoyed the past few days. The team arrived without a hitch. Well, almost. One of the kids did get pulled over for not declaring food in their bag because they were taking it through for someone else and didn't know there was food in the bag. So they got to be humiliated by the smart-alec quarantine officers getting asked questions like "can you eat this?". But everyone made it through alright and we got everyone back to their host homes fairly quickly. It was a really long day for the poor jet lagged team. We took them to a beautiful ocean-side park called Wellington point for lunch and went for a long walk along a sand bar to an island that can only be reached at low tide. After wearing out the already tired group we took them back to their host homes to spend some time before the BBQ at night. I felt really bad for them because they were already tired and disoriented and now we were at a party with new faces I hadn't even seen. And the only light was that of the camp fire so they couldn't make out well the faces they were meeting. So we didn't end up staying long because we had done the job of keeping them up long enough.

Sunday morning went extremely well. I always love to worship with Holland Park but it was especially nice to hear Dr. Lavender speak and I was particularly glad he had come on that day because my host mom had decided to come to church that morning. She's one of the most kind hearted people I know and embodies so many of the traits of Christ I just can't wait till she makes the decision to pursue a relationship with the Jesus I think she believes in. To what degree I don't know.

Monday morning, after much delay, we took off for the Lipscomb retreat. We reserved the perfect quaint little cabin in the outback three hours from Brisbane. It could not have been a more perfect place. It had gorgeous rolling hills and some rock-faced mountains off in the distance. The team is melding so well as only a group could after being prayed over so much. I'm so grateful to Mark and Beth for the hours I know they spend praying over the trip, for fruits they don't get to witness immediately like I do. In the short time we've been here we've heard nothing but good things from the host families and congregation members. I pray we are just as effective with those who don't know Christ. We have the opportunity Friday morning to witness to the kids of Redlands college. The interns have been there before but we haven't been able to talk in the more intimate class room setting that we'll be in on Friday. We need prayers that the spirit would speak through us to say what these kids need to here. That there is more to living than living for themselves and that there is a God who genuinely cares about them. Exciting stuff. Also on a side note, God is teaching me this week to act on my compulsions to serve. There is more good I can be doing and I want to act on it when it comes to my head. That's all for now. Love you all!

-Robert