Outreach - rapidly approaching

Only Five More Days till our two month outreach! I don’t feel 100% ready but I know I will be by Saturday. I’m really going to miss it here. The base has become my home away from home. I’ll miss sleeping in my uncomfortable bed, staying up late chatting with my roommates (two of them are on the Vanuatu team), going to base worship and intercession, and doing my work duty as receptionist. But I know that outreach is going to be phenomenal! Our team has really come together and I can see us becoming like a family while we’re out.
--Our first stop is Cairns where we will be ministering to backpackers and doing night evangelism in the markets.
-- Please continue to pray for our outreach time. Finances still need to come in. Team unity still needs to be kindled. I want more of a vision for our time and divine appointments with the people.

Last week was our final week of lectures. Justin Claypool spoke on the topic of missions. It definitely was a challenging week and God really spoke to me through the teachings. I can honestly say that I am ruined for the ordinary. My mindset about life has changed. I know longer need to do what everyone expects me to do or be who everyone expects me to be. God has specific things for me and only me. I don’t want to miss a single opportunity because of fear of man’s opinion.

This week is “Outreach Prep.” We’ll be working on dramas, sermons, testimonies, games, Auslife training, and tons more! I’m preparing a sermon on the topic of “missions.” It will be my first time giving a full-on sermon. I’m excited and nervous all at the same time.

I’m also packing up all my stuff. I’ve accumulated so much while I’ve been here. Books, papers, letters, packages, and more and more clothes. It feels like I should be packing up to go home, but I still have another TWO months!

And that’s about it for now,
-Kaitlyn

ps
Thank you for being part of my great adventure!

lovetheunlovely

Voice in the Dark:
Last night we put on a benefit concert to raise money and awareness of female injustices going on around the world, specifically in Thailand. The money that was raised will go directly to the Tamar Center, an organization that brings prostitutes off the streets and helps them learn life skills so that they can support themselves and their families. The Tamar Center needs $500,000 to build their new center in Pattaya.
Here’s a link to the Tamar Center video:
http://www.ywamthai.org/pattaya/tamar_video.html


Prostitution, human trafficking, and sex slavery, have become issues that have burdened my heart. My heart breaks for the women and young girls who are trapped in these situations with little to no hope. I’ve been reading this 30-day prayer booklet, where there is a personal story on a different issue for each day of the month. It’s opened my eyes and given me a bigger picture of what the world is actually like. It’s not the peachy place I once thought when I was younger. I’m angry, heart broken, and ready to take part in the solution…helping one person at a time.

You can go to this website if you would like to buy a book. It’s only $5 and all the proceeds go to Voice for the Voiceless cause.
http://www.voiceforthevoiceless.com.au/30-days-of-prayer/

Hey everyone!
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my blog about all my adventures here in Townsville, Australia! God has been doing so much in my heart and He’s been using me in awesome ways. As some of you know, I am heading to the Outback in a little over three weeks with a team from Reef to Outback. God has blessed me with great prayer and financial support since I’ve been here. However, I still am in need of my outreach fees. As some of you know YWAM is completely volunteer, from the DTS student all the way to the founder, Loren Cunningham. We all rely on relational support.

With this in mind, I have come up with a strategy that I call, "Operation 100/20." I am looking for 100 people to donate 20 dollars each. $20 on its own is not much, but when 100 of them come together it can truly make a difference! Hopefully by the end of this operation, I will have 2,000 dollars for my outreach! I ask that you would pray about coming alongside me as I continue to serve God in the area of missions.

You can donate online at this site:http://www.reeftooutback.com/mypage.aspx?profile=2679

3 more weeks...

Outback, here we come!
In about three and a half weeks, 12 of us are setting out for out two month outreach throughout Northern Queensland. We will be stopping in several towns for 1-2 weeks each. Our main focus for outreach will be youth, as 85% of Australia’s population is under the age of 25…the largest youth generation in history! God has given us an incredible opportunity to share His love with His children through many different avenues.

What will we be doing?
In Australia, Christianity IS allowed to be taught in schools and because of this, we will be doing several different school programs. One of them is called Religious Education classes where we will explain the truth of the gospel in way that is relevant. In the past, Reef to Outback has seen a lot of fruit come from these classes. We are also running an all day program called “AusLife.” AusLife is a fast paced, interactive seminar designed for grades 8-12. The goal of Auslife is to get students thinking and talking about different life issues. Peer Management, Self Esteem, Goals and Values, and Relationships are the four seminars we run that help address many of these issues. At the core of the seminars students are challenged to evaluate how a relationship with God is relevant in their lives. We will also be doing lunch programs, camps, and after school programs, where we will have the opportunity to share testimonies and build relationship with the kids.

In Mount Isa, our final destination, we will help pioneer a Youth Street program. Youth Street is an amazing program that I’ve gotten to be a part of here in Townsville. It’s a place where kids can spend a Saturday afternoon getting active, developing talents, making friends, and learning what it means to have a relationship with Jesus. It provides kids with a safe and positive environment, somewhere where they can feel free to be themselves without fear of judgment and criticism.

When we are not doing the things mentioned above, we will be serving the local churches and poorer communities through practical ways: yard work, building, cleaning, cooking, etc..

I hope that this gives you a glimpse so that you can get excited about what’s happening in the Nation of Australia!

camping

I’m home from camping, alive and well! We got in late Friday night extremely exhausted and I’m proud to say, with only 4 bug bites! Its great that God cares about the small : ) We stayed at a boy scout camp called Blue Water Creek. It was a quaint little place with an eating area, kitchen, roof covering (for lectures), and complete bathrooms. I’m sorry to disappoint everyone, but it definitely wasn’t “roughing it.” The only wildlife we saw was lots of bugs, a couple of snakes, a kangaroo, and TONS of tree frogs. The frogs pretty much overtook out bathrooms. Seriously, on some nights there were up to 5 frogs staring at you when you showered.

God did some serious stuff in my life during camping. I had heard from all the staff on base that its one of those pivotal check points in your life where things are never the same. I believed them, but didn’t know what to expect. (That’s one thing God is teaching me. My expectations are too small. When I place my own opinions about what should happen, its limiting what God can actually do. I’ve found that when I dive into something without expectations, just a desire to have God move, He is faithful to meet me. And its beyond what I could ever have expected.)
^that was a little side note for you guys.

However, at the beginning of camping, I went aside and asked God if He would give me insight into what He was going to do. And the only thing He told me was, “Kaitlyn, you are going to fall in love with me all over again. You are going to listen and obey me not out of obligation, but out of a love response for me, your Father.” And God is certainly good at keeping His promises. I have a new heart realization of His incredible love for me, one that compels me to love Him and His people. I have recognized Him as Lord over my life and have been brought to my knees by His pursuing love. God showed me His intimacy through speaking to me often and answering several of my prayers. He wants to know what on my heart. He cares for me like a daughter. We have a new relationship. He speaks. I listen. I’m also learning that I have to commit myself to Him on a daily basis. It’s not a one time, mountain top experience. It’s a process. And I’m ready for it!

Other things about camping:
-Swimming in the river, rope swings, jumping off bridges : )
- Worship and good conversations by the camp fire.
- Looking at the stars for hours (they look so much closer and brighter over here)
- Being on Supper crew with Caitlin (supper = dessert) and making some amazing cinnamon rolls.
- Playing in the rain. (which was basically a monsoon)
- and NOT getting wet in my tent! Praise the Lord. (most of the guys and some of the girls were flooded)
- playing “take two” for hours upon hours

It’s hard to believe two months have gone by. I miss everyone a lot but I’m also at peace with knowing that this is exactly where God wants me at this time in my life. Love you guys! Three more months to go : )

Here’s a cool but random thought to leave you with:
When you sin, don’t get down on yourself. Get on your knees. Because Jesus didn’t come for the perfect, he came to seek and save the lost. He came for the sinners. Jesus is not far from you when you sin. He is the closest. (Mark Parker, our 2nd week speaker)