One week here/ My new life.

Office... where I work

Lecture Room... Where DTS students learn & worship/ prayer happens often

Looking out at the yard between the common room and the classroom

the Common Room... where we eat and hang out

Outside... looking at the common room side

An echidna! We found this little guy in our yard outside!!!

I've been in Australia for one week now! A week ago yesterday I was arriving at the base being welcomed by old friends and new faces alike. It's hard to believe it's only been a week... so much has happened here already. There's so much to tell and explain, but I'll begin to try.

I probably got over jet-lag and settled in within about the first three/ four days I was here (although those first few days were quite overwhelming!) I had Thursday- Sunday to kind of rest and get settled and process, though, which was really good and needed. At first I was really overwhelmed by the amount of people living here. Imagine going from living with 5 people to 50 something in a day! Talk about overwhelming. Needless to say, I quickly am finding the inner introvert in me coming out. Saturday I woke up early and walked to the beach (about a 25 minute walk) and sat on the rocks with my Bible and journal as I watched the waves crash. There was a crazy canoeing competition going on and multiple groups of surfers. But even with all that going on, I was able to find the place of quiet and stillness with God and His creation. Amazing.

Sunday I went to church with Amy and a couple other people here. Please be in prayer that I would listen and seek God for what church HE is calling me to plug into and be a part of here. That's something He's really made priority in my heart, so I would love your prayer into the faith family He is calling me to.

After church, I spent some time with Meg, one of my best friends and my mentor here. She and her husband Ken are a part of the leadership of the base here, and I'm going to be spending a lot of time with them- learning from them as I do life with them. (Side note: Meg is from Tennesee and Ken is from Georgia, and they're the only other Southerners here). Anyway, they have a huge heart to mobilize people into missions and into the nations. That's a big part of my heart too. They came to me with the vision of wanting to build a mobilization team into YWAM Wollongong where we would go to local churches, youth groups, schools, wherever God calls us.... and tell stories of what God is doing all over the world making the gospel known to engage those in our community with the call of making disciples of all nations. So... that's another big thing you can pray for!

To shift gears a bit, I'll share about the week and what I'll be doing for this season on the base. So, I think we have about 43 staff here at YWAM Wollongong now. A few of those staff are staffing the DTS. But the remaining staff all have very key roles to plug into and serve to make sure the base is able to operate and do everything God has called us to do. Just recently, the base has grown and gained enough staff to make sure every job on base can be done and done well. We have teams of people operating and serving together in various capacities... Office/ registrar, hospitality, kitchen, maintenance, and IT/ technology. Each is important and necessary. It's cool because in interning for One Way Ministries and working in the office- combined with getting to go on the field in Guatemala- I saw the value of all the office stuff and the need for it to do the ministry we did on the field. It's all for the glory of God and making Him known!

So... It looks like I will be serving in the office. The interesting thing about this past week is that my office operations leader, Chris, was out all week because her son broke his arm. So, I've seen a little bit of what I'll do, but not really yet. Another cool thing about the operations teams, is that each team meets together every morning for prayer and to invite God into our work for the day. It's so cool to ask God to come show us ways to do our work really well and make sure everyone is doing okay that day and hold each other up as a team. Then once a week, all the Operations (Ops) teams come together for worship. Also, every week, the whole base comes together for worship in the morning. And once a week the whole base comes together for intercession/ prayer for an unreached people group. There is so much prayer and worship that goes on here. It's pretty incredible.

It seems like I've been here forever already. Part of that is because I feel so disconnected from life back home, which makes me really sad. So, if you think about it, PLEASE shoot me an e-mail or something and just tell me what's happening with you or your family or whatever. Communication is so hard with the time difference. Also, part of feeling here a while is because I have gotten to know people so quickly. I still have a long way to go building relationships, etc. But I'm surprised how much I've gotten to know people in just a week! But I guess that happens when you're sharing a bathroom and shower with 25 people! (Which, by the way, hasn't been nearly as rough as I thought... which is a blessing! :)

There's so much I could still say, but this post is getting lengthy so I'll cut it short. :) Pray still... for the transition to a completely different life, which is still hard. Also pray for my back as it is bothering me, that I will use that opportunity to depend on God. Finally, pray for a hunger for God's word and truth. :) Thanks yall. I'm realizing more and more every day how blessed by the people I am at home behind me. I have such a strong support system. It's really quite phenomenal. You are each a blessing from God to me.

love, Christy

Enjoy a few pictures of my new home here...