#14 Australia- Trip #1

A few posts back I talked about my first international mission trip to Indonesia.  I loved that trip and it opened my eyes to so many things about other parts of the world and confirmed my desire to go to the "nations" and share the gospel.  However there were some frustrations for me on that trip that would shape where I would go for my next short term mission trip.  The hardest thing for me to deal with in Indonesia was the language barrier.   So I decided on my next trip I would like to go to an English speaking country.  I wasn't ruling out never doing missions in a foreign speaking country I just felt like if I wasn't going for a period of time that was long enough to allow me to develop a good grasp of the language then I wanted to go to an English speaking country.  I honestly thought it would be Wales but when I started searching for summer trips on the International Mission Board's website several opportunities from Australia came up. I read the descriptions but was still thinking I would apply for the Whales trip.  However I went to bed that night and the next morning I woke up and had an overwhelming desire to apply for the Australia trips.  I just knew in my heart that was where God wanted me to go, so I applied and was accepted to be a part of a group of college students working at various churches in Queensland, Australia.  In late winter/early spring I found out that I had been assigned to work at North Pine Baptist Church near Brisbane Australia.  Little did I know at the time that I was about to go on a trip that would forever change my life and that I would have the pleasure of working with some of the most amazing people I have ever met.

"Little" brother Wade and I

When I read the cultural handbook they sent us about Australia I was a little nervous. I remember it saying things like Australians were really stand offish, sarcastic people who didn't really care for Americans.  I'm sure it said good things about them as well but as that was 8 years ago I don't remember all of it.  I think in those books they want to prepare you for the worst case scenario but when I got to meet the people in the church I would have the pleasure of working in, those things couldn't be farther from the truth.  The church family at North Pine were so welcoming, caring, loving, warm and they seemed to have no problem with me being an American.  Now the sarcastic part... well... that may have been spot on in many cases (not to name names or anything, but ahem... Wade and Jared you know I'm talking about you.)  I remember riding in the car one time with Wade and Catherine and I asked them if the expression "Good On Ya" was only used when a person was being sarcastic.  It took them back for a minute and then they said well... no... why? I just said it seemed like whenever Wade used it he was being sarcastic and we all had a good laugh and then maybe Wade had a little moment of self reflection...  (love you brother!)

Farewell staff lunch Sue, Andrew, Jill, Dan and Alana

 During my first trip to Australia I worked as kind of a ministry intern at North Pine Baptist Church.  I had a wonderful supervisor, Andrew, who was very organized and planned a wonderful summer (well it was summer for me, it was actually Winter over there,) for myself and the girl I was assigned to work with, Alana.  We got to help out with youth group and religious education classes (in the public school!) We also helped with playgroup (my personal favorite), Sunday School and we got to be a part of the Young Ads group at the church.  We got to be a part of a wonderful staff. Besides Andrew, who was the Associate Pastor, there was Dan the senior pastor and Jill the secretary.  We had a lot of fun at staff meetings, lunch as well as morning tea. (I seriously could not get over the amount of tea and snacks that were scheduled into the day.) 

Dan and Kerrie

It was a really great staff to work with.  Dan and his wife Kerrie were actually the first host home I stayed in.  They are such wonderful caring people and there was no pretense with them. Who they seemed to be at church was who they were at home.  They welcomed me into their family for the three weeks we were with them and I came to think of them as my Australian mom and dad.  Dan was very protective and wanted us to have a great experience there.  He really wanted to make sure we got to experience the best of Australia as well as all the things that people expect you to experience in Australia. We went on drives to find kangaroos and koalas and I remember one night he was trying to decide what he would make for dinner and he said, let's have "shrimp on the barbie".  (That is not something they say, but he knew it was something Americans think they say).  So he barbequed some "prawns" and steak for us that night.  It was a good place for me to begin my stay because they had traveled in America quite a bit so they were aware of some of the cultural differences and it was a great place for us to spend our first weeks. I remember one night about an hour  or so after we had just eaten our big meal he asked if we wanted some supper. I thought why would I want another supper we just ate dinner, I'm full.  Well since he knew that many Americans use supper and dinner interchangeably he must have noticed my bewildered expression and he clarified to ask if I wanted a "bedtime snack".

The second home I stayed in was with my supervisor Andrew and his wife Susan. That could have been awkward as he was my supervisor but it wasn't.  They were great and I had a wonderful time with them.  It was also very important to Andrew that we had a good experience and felt included in the life of the church.  I can't say enough times what a great job he did in planning for our time there and making sure it benefited all of us. 

Foster Parents, Chris and Denniss

The third and last family I stayed with was Chris and Denniss Strong.  I was the most nervous about staying with them as I really had not gotten to be around them very much before I moved in with them.  They were my last home so I had been in Australia for about 6 weeks and I knew a lot of people by then but I hadn't had a lot of interaction with them, so I was apprehensive.  However I had no need to be. Chris and Denniss are some of the best people on the planet (in my humble, yet accurate opinion).  I did not know them well before I moved in but we bonded very quickly.  They were so easy to talk to, I have so many great memories of sitting around their table drinking tea and just talking with them. They are so wonderful and have so many great stories to tell.

Foster Sister Erica

One time we were having dinner and their daughter Erica had joined us that night.  While we were sitting around the table their son Matt called and when he was talking to Erica he asked her how the foster kid was doing. I remember she said (in a very Erica way) "Foster kid?? She's not a foster kid!"  We all had a good laugh and from that time on I have been affectionately known as their foster daughter.  Even today when I write them emails or messages on facebook I call Erica my foster sister and Chris and Denniss my foster "mum" and dad.  I had so much fun with them.  They had so many great stories and Chris taught me how to knit, which was something I had always wanted to learn.  It was one of the hardest things to do to say goodbye to them when I left, in fact even now I get teary thinking about the last time I got to see them at the airport in Brisbane.

Catherine, Anita and I at the Gold Coast

Besides all the parents I picked up during my stints in Australia, I also picked up a little brother.  I'm not exactly sure how it happened but sometime early on one of my friends, Wade, got designated as my little brother. It was actually pretty funny to me that I called him my little brother because while he was younger than me, he seemed a lot more mature. He already had a full time job and just seemed more like a grown up than I felt as a junior in college.  He became a great friend to me as did his girlfriend and now wife, Catherine.  I remember they were just starting to date when I arrived and I was one of the first to be in on their "little secret".  I got to go on a really fun trip to the Gold Coast with Catherine, Wade, and a few of our other friends from the Young Ads group, Liz, Anita, and Michelle.

Senior High Youth Group

 Liz and Anita also took me on my first trip to the Australian zoo.  That was definitely a highlight in my trip. I got to hold a Koala and what was possibly even more entertaining was that I got to watch Liz and Anita get a giant snake wrapped around them! Liz and Anita were very special friends, they really looked out for me and always were wanting to make sure I had something to do and didn't feel lonely.  I also got to work with Anita and two awesome senior high girls, Storm and Katherine.  We had a lot of fun doing a tacky touristy day where we visited...wait for it... The Big Pineapple! 

I'm so thankful for how the Young Ads embraced me and made me a part of their group when I was there. I had lots many fun outings with many of them and so many wonderful conversations.  They were just such a special group of people and I loved them dearly.  There are to many memories to share but I remember Beck was the first person over there to give me a hug and it forever endeared her to me as I love hugs and I'm the kind of person who needs to be hugged.  She also cooked kangaroo for me, (don't judge me, I was in Australia, it only seemed right that I pet one and eat one!) Dani and I had a really fun trip to some shops up in a place called Montville. We're both "girly" girls so we had a lot of fun shopping and talking about our favorite girly movies.  Dani and her husband Clint were so much fun, and have the sweetest hearts. Clint also taught me how to play cricket, which is a really fun memory.  Jared and I bonded over quoting Zoolander (one of our favorite movies) and working the week long winter extreme camp which was  a lot of fun.  If I remember one thing about Jared was that he had a great laugh.  Josh was also became a great friend during my times there.  He seems like a tough guy on the outside as he is really tall and maybe kind of intimidating if you don't know him but he's really a big softy with a huge heart.  Michelle was wonderful as well.  She had just come off of a two year mission trip on a ship and so even though her experience was much bigger we shared a little bit of common ground and she seemed to understand what we were going through.

Well I know this post has gotten very long, but I can't stop without talking about the amazing kids (and their parents) that I go to work with while I was there.  Those beautiful children absolutely stole my heart.  Its funny part of me really wants to go back to Australia and take my family so they can meet all these wonderful people but I also realize I would be really sad because all the cute little kids I worked with are all grown up now!  (Well at least teens or almost teens.)  It was so much fun getting to know the Isabelle, Sam, Jake, Kelsey, Mitch, Caleb, Thalia (spelling?), Lachlan and sweet little Gemma.  I got to know these kids and their awesome parents Ian, Rochelle, Janine, Fiona, Kylie, and Cynthia at church, playgroup and/or Sunday school.  Getting hugs from them every week and getting to know their parents was one of the things that really helped me when I was feeling homesick. They also taught me a great song about a "fearless" mouse who runs around the house.  I have gone on to teach many American children that song, I love it!   

Michelle, Liz and I

I know this is such a long post that I probably should have turned it into two as I'm sure I didn't do these wonderful people and my memories of them justice, however they will show up in the next one as it's about how I got to go BACK to Australia the very next summer, what I got to do and who I got to bring with me!

Dani and I

To close I just want any of my North Pine church family reading this to know how I much I love you and treasure my time I got to spend with you.  All of you hold such a special place in my heart.  Its awesome knowing that even if I can never afford to come back and introduce my family to you, I know I will see you again one day because even though we may be from different sides of this world, we all have the most important person in common, Jesus.  So it makes my heart happy to know we will meet again, but there are still some days (even 8 years later) that I miss you all terribly!      

#15 Working with the FFBC Youth

 Note to any readers still checking in: Sorry for the long pause in my blog posting.  We have had a crazy July with friends and family visiting, swim lessons (for Landon, not me), Sports Camp, and Darin being away at school.  However life has now settled down and I'm going to try to get back on track with blogging...

As I've mentioned in previous posts I loved my time in the youth group at Fairfield First Baptist.  My time in the youth group had made such a huge impact on my walk with Christ and when I graduated I knew I wanted to help other teens grow in their faith.  So my sophomore year of college I started helping with the youth group.  Working with the students at First Baptist  was such a rewarding experience for me. There is something amazing about pouring your life into these teenagers who are so hungry to learn and grow in their faith.

During my time as a youth helper I got to help plan activities and lead a weekly small group Bible Study for an amazing group of high school girls.  I enjoyed all the aspects of helping but the small group was by far my favorite.  Each Sunday night I got to meet with Beth, Kristina, Megan and Erin.  We had so much fun studying the Word and talking about life. They were real and honest and I think I probably learned as much or more from them as they did from me.   These young women were like sponges, so ready to soak up what God was trying to tell them through the Word and if you've ever taught Bible Study before you know that having people there who want to be there makes a big of difference.  I didn't get the typical blank stares, they were engaged and actively participating in the study.

Beth, Kristina, Me and Megan in Australia!

I also really enjoyed getting to have a close friendship with these girls outside of Bible study. We would go to lunch or see movies together.  I helped Kristina get a job with me at Payless, which was really fun to get to work with her.  Also my manager loved that I helped him find a reliable employee.  Beth and I got to live together for a year or so when I stayed with the Whites.  I remember many late nights where Beth, Amy and I would sit in one of our rooms talking and laughing about things that were happening in our lives.   I also got the opportunity to take three of these girls with me on a mission trip to Australia.   I'll talk more about all that later, but it was so cool help these girls that I had had the privilege of discipling every week  get to experience doing ministry in another country.  I'm so very proud of these girls and how they have continued to serve the Lord in their lives.



Another wonderful friendship that came out of that small group Bible Study for me was the
friendship I developed with my co-leader
Tracy.  I don't think I knew her super well before we started but it didn't take very long before we were close friends.  Tracy is an amazing woman of God and a wonderful encourager.  College was a pretty confusing time in my life, there were just so many decision to make, and it was so nice having a more experienced friend to be able to talk things out with.  I remember many long lunches and phone conversations with Tracy where I would just pour out my heart to her and she was such a great listener and encourager.  Another great thing about Tracy is that I think she is one of the most empathetic friends I have ever had.  She would be so very excited with me during my high moments and it also seemed like she experienced  my heartbreak with me during my more painful moments.  It has been a true gift to have a friend that is able and willing to do that.  That is one of the reasons why she was  a great person to have as my wedding coordinator because she seemed almost as we excited as I was about the big day! 

I also loved helping plan activities while I was helping with the youth.  This gave me the chance to be around some of the other amazing students in the group, like Amy Moon, Josh, Ashley,  Danielle, and all the other wonderful students that made up that special group.  Some of the highlights for me were the Sock Hop and the Spring Girls Retreat.  I'm blessed to have been able to work with such a great group of students and adults.  It is so cool to see how so many of those students have gone on to serve the Lord in various ways.  I don't think there is anything more rewarding in this life than when you see people that you have invested your life in go on to help expand the God's kingdom.  I'm so thankful to have had even a small part in their lives!      

#16 Bible Study with Lauren

The summer after my senior year I was invited to go to a park one afternoon with Amy, a high school friend named named Katie and the wife of one of our Young Life leaders, Lauren.  I didn't really know Lauren that well at the time.  She had been my cabin leader at Young Life's Fall weekend that year but I didn't really know her all that well.  I honestly wasn't even sure why I was being invited to go, but I'm always game for a fun outing and we were getting ice cream so I went.  I'm so glad I did because that day was the beginning of one the greatest discipleship relationships I've had in my life thus far.

At first that day we just ate ice cream and got to know each other a little better, and I believe Lauren shared parts of her testimony with us.  Then we were sitting down at this picnic table and I remember Lauren asked us if we'd like to start doing a Bible Study with her.  I was taken back a little because I wasn't really expecting her to ask us that but I was about to start college and I was too old for almost all the Bible study groups I had been a part of in high school so I agreed to go.

I grew so much in my faith during those three years of Bible study.  I didn't really know hardly anything about Lauren before that day at the park, but I soon came to learn that she was an amazing, wise, Godly woman.  She knew her Bible so well and always had such insightful questions and challenged us to be real and honest.  To this day I still remember things she brought to my attention about God and the Word through that Bible study. For years after the study Amy and I would be talking about something and we'd say "remember when Lauren taught us this..." or "I was trying to figure out what to do and I remember Lauren always saying that God says...."   One specific truth I remember her challenging me with was the importance of bringing the truth to the "light"  and not hidden because God is light and in him there is no darkness. It's funny that I remember that because I'm sad to admit that the specific issue in my life that she was challenging me about I never did bring to the light.  I struggled for a long time after the fact whether I made the right or wrong decision but while I know it is too late for that decision to be remade that truth she brought to my attention has always stayed with me and to this day I try to always apply it when a tough situation comes up.  She also had great expressions that I had never heard before. I thought some of them were kind of quirky at the time but I still remember them with fondness to this day.  When we prayed she'd ask us if we want to go around the horn (everybody pray), or ask who wants to dial?  I also remember she prayed with her eyes open and when she prayed it always sounded like she was having a conversation with God. It made me feel like He was sitting right in the room with us.

We did some great Bible studies.  She introduced me to Kay Arthur and while I don't like all of Kay's study methods of coloring in your Bible, she is an AMAZING teacher and I learned so much in those studies.  I specifically remember my eyes really being opened in the one about Spiritual Warfare.  

Another thing I loved about Lauren is that she was always so open with us about what was going on in her life and her struggles.  For me to really trust someone I have to know that they trust me as well.  So I was always impressed that she would share openly with us about her life, her past, her marriage, family and all kinds of things.  I remember when she and her husband were trying to decide whether or not try to get pregnant with her fourth child, she was so open about her desires and her concerns.  She allowed us to pray with her and encourage her and it was such a joy to get to see her have her beautiful daughter Elizabeth the next year.

Lauren was also so dillegent about praying for us and following up when we had a prayer request. She did not let us get off the hook when she knew we were struggling with something or someone. She challenged us with the Word in a very loving way. She was a great accountability partner.

Lauren, I don't know if you are reading this or not but if you are I just want you to know how much that time with you meant to me and that it has forever impacted my life and most importantly my relationship with Christ.  As I look back on my life I can see that during those few years I grew tremendously in my walk with Christ and I know God used you in a big way to help that happen.  I know we haven't stayed in touch very well but I just want you to know that  I love you very much and I am so thankful that God put you in my life. Thank you for your faithfulness in meeting with us during that time and allowing God to use you to help me grow stronger in my faith and my knowledge and understanding of the Word. 

#17 My Best Friend and One of the Most Fun Years of My Life!

One of my all time favorite pictures of us!

I've been talking about a girl named Amy in a lot of my posts and some of you who didn't know me in my first 25 years might be wondering. "Who is this Amy girl who is in so many of your posts?" Amy White (now Davis) is the best friend I could have ever hoped to have during my growing up years.   As you've seen in several of my posts we were pretty much attached at the hip from middle school until I moved away after college.  I don't have a lot of memories from those years that don't include Amy, and I have loved being able to have a friend with whom I have been able to share so much of my life.  One of Amy's favorite books and my favorite movies, (I haven't read the book and Amy hates the movie) is Anne of Green Gables.  Anne of Green Gables always talks about how she longs for a "bosom friend."  Her heart's one desire is to have a friend with whom she can talk about anything, laugh, and just live life together.  I'm so blessed to have had that with Amy.

Amy and I have made so many great memories together and I have shared many of those in other posts so this post will focus on what I consider probably the most fun year of my life.  (I'm sorry babe if you're reading this I love you and I love our marriage, but judging on scale of "funness" over the whole year, this wins the prize.)  Our sophomore year of college Amy and I got an apartment together.  Neither one of us had gone away to school, we were both attending the Hamilton branch campus of Miami University, but we wanted to have the experience of living on our own.  We rented a small one bedroom apartment in our home town and we had the best year.  Our house became the hangout house.  We would have Tuesday night movie nights with Matt C and Sarah where we watched a movie (I cannot lie we watched American Outlaws a lot) and ate cookie dough like it was ice cream out of bowls.  Matt always thought it was so weird but I did not like double dipping with everyone! Yuck!!  We also had poker night every Thursday where a bunch of our friends would come over for dinner and poker. ( We just played for fun we didn't use real money, only poker chips).

For a 'spoons' tie breaker we had a peach cobbler eating contest.

Those were our "regularly scheduled" hang out nights but people could be found there pretty much anytime.  Like I said it was the hot hang out place. I love some of our random memories, like having Duck Hunt, Tetris and Mario Brother tournaments. Yes, that's right we did have an original Nintendo and it was old school even back then.  We played our old school Nintendo on one of those big old TV's that were surrounded by a wood box.  Remember those? It was a hand me down from my Grandma.  Who needs flat screens when your TV looks like a piece of furniture?  Our dads and Matt and Steve LOVED moving that up and down the stairs for us when we moved in and out.  The TV was so old that we really couldn't even watch TV shows on it as it didn't get reception, we could only watch movies and play nintendo.  I had a smaller 13 inch box TV (with built in VCR) in our room that had bunny ear antennas and we would watch our shows like Friends and Dawson's creek.  Well I think I've done a good enough job convincing you how cool our apartment atmosphere was, I mean a huge old TV that looked like furniture, an original Nintendo, and a 13 inch TV/VCR combo with bunny ears... Well, maybe it was the people who lived there that made our apartment so cool.
 

On Super Bowl Sunday that year Amy and I had no desire to watch the Super Bowl so we got some yummy food and rented a couple of movies.  Our friend Sarah came over and we watched the Brittany Spears movie, Crossroads, Sarah was reluctant but it was awesome and ever since then it has been Sarah's favorite movie of all time! (Love you Sarah, don't hate me for revealing your "secret".)  Another favorite Sunday was when we had a really bad snow storm and church got canceled.  We didn't have very much food in the house but we found enough to make our own enchilada type concoction (that actually tasted really good.) Then Amy's sister Beth came over and we played Nintendo and watched movies all day.

There was a lot of laughter and silliness that year.   I remember making a late night run to Biggs one night and we ended up pushing each other around the parking lot in grocery carts, it was so fun.  Another of my favorite moments weas when we would turn up some of favorite songs and dance on our beds singing at the top of our lungs into our hairbrushes. There were also two marriages that resulted due to the people connecting at our apartment! Neither one was ours but that's okay, I think part of what made that year so great was that neither one of us had a super serious boyfriend.   

Amy's Wedding Day!

Amy and I are not similar in many ways, in fact we're kind of opposites in a lot of areas.  I'm more "left brained" and she is more "right brained".   However, it has been interesting for me to see over the years how the best parts of each of us have rubbed off on the other and have helped us balance out to become better, stronger people.  Its also funny to me that when I look at our husbands, Brian and I think a lot a like and so do Amy and Darin.  I guess opposites do attract in great romances and great friendships.

At my rehearsal dinner with my matron of honor

The best thing about mine and Amy's friendship was that we shared an understood attitude of unconditional grace.  We could share anything with each other and know that the other person would be understanding and loving but when needed we could also call each other out on bad behavior or attitudes. Although Amy and I are different in many ways, we share the most important thing in common, our faith and desire to serve the Lord with our whole lives. Unfortunately that commitment has taken us down paths that keep us five hours a part and I don't get to see her very often, however when we do see each other its the same as it always has been.  Well mostly the same, we can still tell each other anything, that understood grace is still there, and we still laugh a lot, but we don't still go to grocery stores late at night and push each other around in the carts...  At least we haven't in about 9 years but she is coming to see me soon so who knows???

I love you Amy and I'm so thankful for your friendship.  You've been as close to me as any sister I could have had.  I've enjoyed experiencing so many of our important milestones together, graduating high school, going to college, standing next to each other at our weddings, and becoming mothers within a year or so of each other, its all been great!  I'm really looking forward to the day when Landon and Camille get married and we can become in-laws together.  I know its wishful thinking, but as of now things are looking pretty promising!