Coffee with Jesus

How has it already been 2 weeks in Australia?! This time has flown by, from making runs to Target for a pillow and shampoo, to running at 0’ dark 30 in the morning for morning exercise.  I am absolutely thrilled that God has given me the opportunity to be here.

I’ll start out with a little update on base life.  I live in a room right above our classroom, with 7 other girls on the 4 Wheel Drive DTS.  These girls all have an incredible heart and a passion for Jesus that is inextinguishable.  We have morning lectures with the rest of our team (the 8 boys and 3 staff members) every week-day morning for a couple hours.  Then we have lunch together as a base and move on to work duties.  After work duties, we have 2 hours of free time before we meet for dinner and evening activities.

The first week, our lecture was on hearing God’s voice.  Our DTS leader, Romano Mantel, spoke and it was incredible to sit in class and learn more about our God and the relationship He desires with each of us.  His presence is a gift and it is a privilege that we can experience Him in such a real and personal way.  God challenged me to spend time truly getting to know the ultimate best friend, sovereign Lord, and loving Father.  Romano mentioned spending time with God is like being with your best friend.  You want to be with your best friend and know everything about them, you want to sit in their company and enjoy their presence, you want to share a coffee and a laugh, you listen and you share.  I personally call it coffee with Jesus.  And it is exactly what it sounds like, and more.

This week we have been learning about the character and nature of God.  Building upon hearing God’s voice and his desire for a relationship with each of us, our speaker this week has shared heart-wrenching stories about God’s provision, God’s faithfulness and God’s love.  God has personally revealed to me, that I struggle with depending on God.  I know God is there, and as much as I’ve heard of his trusting and dependable love for us, it is so difficult for me to truly believe.  I’ve been praying that God would take off worldly lenses that I view God through, and would reveal His one, true presence.  God is faithful and God is dependable.  He has been doing just that.  He has revealed to me how many lies I believe that hold me back from surrendering all to Him.

I truly am thankful for this time, these moments, these revelations that bring me closer to understanding the vast love of our Father.  The moments spent with Him in the Word, the moments spent in fellowship with others, and the moments spent in His breath-taking creation have changed me already.

Not to mention, Australia is incredible.  The first Saturday we spent at the beach, and this second weekend we spent four wheel driving through sand dunes and jumping into crashing waves.  My heart hums a joyful tune when I’m in His creation. Picturing God hovering over the waters before Earth became what we know it today, and embracing the stillness of the heavens and the earth leaves me speechless.  He spoke light into the world, He spoke land into being, He created Australia and all that it encompasses.  God is creative.  God is beautiful.

Thank you for your prayers.  God is alive and working.  I am blessed to be here and I am blessed by y’all.