Joyana: A beautiful young woman with a zest for life and a passion for people. She has spent the last three months assuming her identity in Christ, and she now wears that identity with style. She is so at ease with people, and when she speaks, you can't help but listen. Such a priviledge to know.
Jérémie: A young man, and a new friend. An inspiration, a seeking heart. Jérémie left his life in Sherbrooke four months ago, and I got to meet him on the beach in beautiful Byron Bay, playing volleyball. We ended up hanging out a bunch during the week and having some really memorable
conversations about life and God and the past and the future. He's a man who I looking for something and finding the most beautiful thing of all. He's encountered a God who hears him, who inspires thought and pondering - a God that simply has to exist. I love Jérémie's brain, because it works through everything. He makes me think about things in new ways, and reminds me to go back to truth whenever I'm uncertain.
Berith: A sweet young lady from Denmark with one of the most gentle spirits I have ever met. Berith has a heart of gold, and a love for the Lord that is so inspiring and so genuine. She's easy to talk to, and makes you feel like you are going to be okay no matter what. she's a great listener, and has wisdom far beyond her twenty years that she shares with the great discernment that God has annointed her with. Hugging Berith is like hugging the holy spirit. It's more than just a hug, it's like sharing. Spiritual touch rather than physical touch. I got to spend the last morning of my time in Byron with this young beaity, and it was a morning that I won't soon forget.A new friend, a new sister.
Sunday, 8 January 2012
Saturday, 7 January 2012
Byron Bay
We’ve been here for nine days already, but they have all sort of
blended together to take the shape of Impact Summer 2011-2012.
We rolled up in Byron Bay last Wednesday, after saying our good-byes
back at Lewis House and being on the road for a good ten hours. We
were greeted by booming atmosphere of a town saturated in a vibrant
beach- nightlife culture. The sidewalks were packed with young people
who had no place to be and every reason to accept what the world was
offering them. It seemed like the whole town had been dipped in this
sense of mistaken identity.
We began to absorb how big the task ahead of us really was.
Partnering with teams from bases from all over Australia, we gave away
hundreds of sausages and burgers and, on other occasions, pancakes and
chai. We performed dances that spoke of identity, we acted out skits
that remind us that we are sought after, that we are always loved. We
engaged with the inquisitive, creative minds of the locals and with
the meaning-seeking hearts of backpackers. We entertained skeptics
with absolute truth and answered questions about our own personal
beliefs. We saw incredible healings, from age-old injuries to
fractured wrists, from headaches to lactose intolerance.
We have spent the first nine days of our outreach meeting people
where they are at, and loving them in a way that speaks identity into
their lives, that calls them to more.
In the chaos of the end of a year and the beginning of another, we
met the town of Byron Bay with the love of the Father on our hearts.
We have seen God move in incredible ways, and as we prepare to move on
to our next destination, we go with even bigger expectations, with
more life-long friendships, with more love for each other, and with
faith as big as a town covered in the love of God by the actions of
only a few.
blended together to take the shape of Impact Summer 2011-2012.
We rolled up in Byron Bay last Wednesday, after saying our good-byes
back at Lewis House and being on the road for a good ten hours. We
were greeted by booming atmosphere of a town saturated in a vibrant
beach- nightlife culture. The sidewalks were packed with young people
who had no place to be and every reason to accept what the world was
offering them. It seemed like the whole town had been dipped in this
sense of mistaken identity.
We began to absorb how big the task ahead of us really was.
Partnering with teams from bases from all over Australia, we gave away
hundreds of sausages and burgers and, on other occasions, pancakes and
chai. We performed dances that spoke of identity, we acted out skits
that remind us that we are sought after, that we are always loved. We
engaged with the inquisitive, creative minds of the locals and with
the meaning-seeking hearts of backpackers. We entertained skeptics
with absolute truth and answered questions about our own personal
beliefs. We saw incredible healings, from age-old injuries to
fractured wrists, from headaches to lactose intolerance.
We have spent the first nine days of our outreach meeting people
where they are at, and loving them in a way that speaks identity into
their lives, that calls them to more.
In the chaos of the end of a year and the beginning of another, we
met the town of Byron Bay with the love of the Father on our hearts.
We have seen God move in incredible ways, and as we prepare to move on
to our next destination, we go with even bigger expectations, with
more life-long friendships, with more love for each other, and with
faith as big as a town covered in the love of God by the actions of
only a few.
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Tell Me Your Name
Two days ago, I arrived in Byron Bay with my outreach team. We rocked up at about 9:30 pm and went straight to the beach where Impact Summer, the ministry we are working with here, has most of their events. We kicked off our trip with worship in the midst of the vibrant beach-cultured nightlife of Byron.
I had the opportunity to speak to this one girl, who was sitting by herself slightly apart from the crowd. She shared her story with me - that same tale that rings true throughout our generation. She had a difficult childhood, and as she searched for identity, for meaning and worth apart ffom the lies that were spoken to her as a child, she turned to partying and to meaningless relationships. She grew up in the evangelical church of germany, but never really believed in God. Loneliness and hopelessness had such a grip on this young woman, and it was clear that she belived so many lies about herself.
How can it be that we have wandered so far away from our own identity. How can it be that, in a generation so centered on identity, that is the very thing that we are so obviously missing. The story that my new friend shared with me is the story of so many of my brothers and sisters. We are all searching for identity. And the saddest thing is that our Father is standing right there offering us the best life, the best identity, the truest love that you could ever imagine
All we need to do is take it. Step into it. Believe it about ourselves. Embrace it.
Loved. Taken care of. Beautiful. A great success. Enough.
And how do you impart that into people? You point them to the Lord with the way you treat them. You don't just sit with them, you bother to learn their name. You hear what they have to say, and you hear their heart. You show them love, and you recognize them as a brother or a sister.
This is the identity that this girl in the park chose for herself that night.
Her name is Tatianna, and she is a daughter of the King, an heir the the kingdom of heaven, and my own sister in Jesus Christ.
I had the opportunity to speak to this one girl, who was sitting by herself slightly apart from the crowd. She shared her story with me - that same tale that rings true throughout our generation. She had a difficult childhood, and as she searched for identity, for meaning and worth apart ffom the lies that were spoken to her as a child, she turned to partying and to meaningless relationships. She grew up in the evangelical church of germany, but never really believed in God. Loneliness and hopelessness had such a grip on this young woman, and it was clear that she belived so many lies about herself.
How can it be that we have wandered so far away from our own identity. How can it be that, in a generation so centered on identity, that is the very thing that we are so obviously missing. The story that my new friend shared with me is the story of so many of my brothers and sisters. We are all searching for identity. And the saddest thing is that our Father is standing right there offering us the best life, the best identity, the truest love that you could ever imagine
All we need to do is take it. Step into it. Believe it about ourselves. Embrace it.
Loved. Taken care of. Beautiful. A great success. Enough.
And how do you impart that into people? You point them to the Lord with the way you treat them. You don't just sit with them, you bother to learn their name. You hear what they have to say, and you hear their heart. You show them love, and you recognize them as a brother or a sister.
This is the identity that this girl in the park chose for herself that night.
Her name is Tatianna, and she is a daughter of the King, an heir the the kingdom of heaven, and my own sister in Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, 27 December 2011
Here goes....
Today is the day that I leave with my team on outreach. We set out for byron bay at 10am, and will arrive at about 10 pm. Am I excited? Yep, and a little nervous, too.
I have thought a lot about preparation in the last few weeks. If you had asked me in september if I was ready to go on outreach, i would probably have said yes, based on a little knowledge of Cambodia, and some passable people skills. Now, on the other side of my lecture phase, I can look nack and say that I was no where near ready.
The last weeks of this phase, I have learned so much more about myself, and I have been really focused on discovering the dreams and the vision that God is giving me. I want nothing more than to pursue those dreams with my whole life. If that pursuit looks like it has done in this season of my life - finding role models and a different kind of family to add to my own, studying God's character, being a hobo for a night (I will blog about this soon, i promise. It's a story worth waiting for!) - then that is exactly what I'll do.
I dare say, I'll go to the ends of the earth if He asks me to.
So as we head out, we go with the Lord, and we go with one another, and with a team of supporters, and we'step out into a dream that the King of kings has dreamed. We recognize the extraordinary, and we expect no less.
Please be praying for me and for my team!
I have thought a lot about preparation in the last few weeks. If you had asked me in september if I was ready to go on outreach, i would probably have said yes, based on a little knowledge of Cambodia, and some passable people skills. Now, on the other side of my lecture phase, I can look nack and say that I was no where near ready.
The last weeks of this phase, I have learned so much more about myself, and I have been really focused on discovering the dreams and the vision that God is giving me. I want nothing more than to pursue those dreams with my whole life. If that pursuit looks like it has done in this season of my life - finding role models and a different kind of family to add to my own, studying God's character, being a hobo for a night (I will blog about this soon, i promise. It's a story worth waiting for!) - then that is exactly what I'll do.
I dare say, I'll go to the ends of the earth if He asks me to.
So as we head out, we go with the Lord, and we go with one another, and with a team of supporters, and we'step out into a dream that the King of kings has dreamed. We recognize the extraordinary, and we expect no less.
Please be praying for me and for my team!
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