First Sunday in Sydney

I walked into church this morning and was in awe of the enormity of it all. I sat with my friends on the center floor, 5^th row from the back. Worship started and the lights and music resonated in far more than the spacious room. Being in the auditorium gave me a glimpse into these next few months. Once school starts I will be sleeping, eating and breathing ministry. And does that make my heart go pitter-patter? YES. In everyway! I’m in the place I’m called to be. And I’ll be doing what God has asked me to do… That’s very refreshing. It doesn’t mean I don’t miss home, it just means that I can finally allow myself to mentally, emotionally and physically BE in Australia.

Anyways… more about church…

They do things differently, which will take some getting used to, but it’s awesome to be in a crowd of thousands seeking God. After worship, someone was giving announcements and they said that Jesus Culture was in the house. So we looked over and Kim Walker was sitting there! Okay so I’d be lying if I said I weren’t a little “star-struck.” But seriously… How cool is that?!

Then a group from Africa called Watoto came to perform. It is an ensemble of former child soldiers that is now traveling the world sharing their experiences and giving light to a subject so often not shown in the news. They danced, shared mini monologues and when they sang it was as if heaven itself was on the stage. The sound of captives set free... There is no sweeter sound. The youngest was 9 and the oldest was 19. To hear their stories of being forced to kill their own family members, to their recollection of nightmares and violence opened my eyes to the reality that this kind of thing still happens in our world today. It breaks my heart.

In the introduction of the performance, the pastor said this…

“There are two words that should never go together... CHILD SOLDIER. But if they do, there should be the words NO MORE that follow it.”

We serve an awesome God. A God that showed these teens the power of His love. To hear them speak of forgiveness in the midst of all this pain was incredible. I can’t wait to post the videos. It was incredibly powerful.

After church some of the girls from a house far away came over and we sat in the kitchen and talked for hours. So far I’ve met people from Germany, Norway, England, South Africa, Switzerland, Canada, and many of the students are from the States. (My roommate Blake is from Georgia. A true Southern Belle!) Around 5:30 we left for church again. It was packed. We sat in the very back. And guess who was leading worship? Brooke Fraser. Oh my goodness. Soon I guess it won’t seem like a big deal, but it’s definitely shocking still. There was a preacher from Atlanta there named Creflo Dollar (don’t know about the spelling) and he spoke about trusting God. Exactly what I needed to hear.

Here are some of my notes… It was epic.

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

*“Faith believes God can do it, and trust believes that even if He doesn’t you will not be moved.”

*Trust commands rest, and rest commands results.

*If you spend your time doing the do’s, you won’t have to worry about doing the don’ts.

*I may not know how He’s going to do it, but I trust He’s gonna do it. I may not know when he’s going to do it, but I can trust He’s gonna do it…

* Trust is an expression of commitment.

So I’m choosing to trust Jesus. 

The walk home was wonderful. It was around 8 o‘clock and the sun was just starting to set. The breeze made it’s way through the trees, and the immense spider webs kept us entertained the whole way back.

When we got home we sat down on our floor and discussed the message, talked about our fears and cried out for God to sustain us. I’m so blessed with such an incredible roommate. Already we’ve had such great conversations, prayer times, verse sharing, etc. I’m so thankful to have a friend... Someone who is walking through the exact emotions, unknowns, and changes I am.  And if you’re wondering… Our room is all cute too! And it stays relatively clean…  We’ve posted verses all over the walls, and have pictures on the shelves and stuff. It’s fun.

So here’s to you America… Be blessed. Trust Jesus. And know that a girl named Lindsey Noelle loves and misses you so much.