Well, well, well., time seems to have flown by yet again. It seems like my last post was only a few days ago, but here I am on July 20th posting again with only 9 days until I fly into Sydney to end my mission trip. It has been quite an experience. The people here constantly tell me about how much of a blessing I have been to them, but in all reality, God has blessed me much more than I believe I have blessed anyone else. He has taught me so many things that if I were to begin listing them here...well...I would still be here 9 days from now! The Lord is good and His mercy truly does endure forever and to all people, in all parts of the world. I have seen the power of the Lion of Judah, and the sacrifice of the Passover Lamb. I truly believe I will never be the same. Never.

As my date of departure edges closer and closer, I have realized that a truly bitter-sweet euphoria has embedded itself in my soul. Part of me longs to be home. I long to see my family and friends. I long to be back in familiar surroundings. And Rebekah, honey, you just have no idea how much I want to see you! But diametrically opposed to this, I feel that there will be a real sense of loss. I have grown very close to a great many of these people. I truly do love many, if not all, of the people in this congregation. They will always have a piece of my heart, no matter how far away I go. But, even over all of these things, I feel a strong sense of completion. I feel as though I have done what God brought me here to do. I believe that I have finished the race; I have fought the good fight. Now I am in the homestretch. I am making the last turn. Please pray for me still that I will finish even stronger than I have been before. I do not want to go out as a mere candle in a breeze, but as a roaring flame that cannot be subdued.

Let's see, what can I tell you about what I have done since I wrote to everyone last? Well, the first week, there wasn't a whole lot to tell. I spent all of that week working on the discipleship progam, which happens to be coming along nicely. This week, however, has been mad. I spent all of Monday morning preparing for my sermon on this upcoming Sunday night, and working out a Bible study for Wednesday. Tuesday morning, I finished putting in all of the Scripture references that I wanted to use for the DP. Then, that afternoon, Kim and I went with one of the church members named Malcolm. He works at a museum in Brisbane that he wanted to show us. Let's just say that early life in Queensland was brutal. Wednesday morning, I went and led a Bible study for some of the senior members of the church, in the home of Les and Isa. I also learned how to play a cool pool game called Snooker. It's an interesting game to say the least. Thursday morning was spent at Deception Bay North Primary School, teaching some Religious Education to the grade 3s. That afternoon, I did some small group/ hanging out time with some of the youth. Now, here I am on Friday, still preparing for the sermon on Sunday, and getting ready for the youth group meeting tonight. So, as you can see, it has been quite a week. However, next week seems as though it will be a good week for me to finish up the DP and get some rest before my 30 hour trip home.

Another intersting thing that happened this week, was with one of the youth. We were practicing doing handstands, and one of the youth named Ben wasn't very good at it, so he feel on his face and cut his eyebrow open. He was fine, but I definitely had to fill out my very first "Incident Form". It was kind of scary, especially when I had to list that I was the "church authorized supervisor". Yeah, you're probably laughing about that as much as I am. Anyone though, he was fine. In fact, he was kind of happy about it, because he got to miss school for a day because of it. All's well that ends well. Or in Aussie: no worries.

For those of you who do not know my schedule, here it is. On July 30th, Kim, myself, and the two other Queensland missionaries will fly back into Sydney at around 10 in the morning. We will then spend that afternoon, as well as the 31st debriefing with our country supervisors. We will be sharing stories with all of the other missionaries, as well as talking with our sups about whether we were properly used. On Wednesday, August 1st, Austrlia time, we will fly out at around 1 p.m. headed for LA. On Wednesday morning, August 1st, American time, we arrive in LA at about 9 a.m.. I will then be getting on a flight headed to Houston at 12:30. I will arrive there at 5:30 pm. My last flight leaves out of Houston at 6:00, headed for Birmingham. I will then be in Birmingham around 8:00 p.m.. I will have crossed several countries and one big stinkin' ocean, but I will be home. Then, I will be spending the following 5 days in Gulf Shores, catching up with my family, and Rebekah. If you want to call me, feel free. However, don't be discouraged if I don't answer. I will be getting over jet-lag. I will then be moving back into downtown Birmingham on or around August 8th.

Well, that's pretty much everything. If at any point during that mammoth trip you happen to think of me, please pray for traveling mercies. I will need all that I can get. This will probably be my last post. Unless something stupendous happens between now and the time I leave, the next time I speak to everyone will be face to face. I thank God always for your encouragement, so continue to comment. I greatly appreciate it. God is faithful. He will bring me home soon. God bless.

For His Glory,

Andrew

G'day from Down Under. I am now finally back in the office after spending two weeks in the bush. (don't worry mom and dad, I didn't see any venemous snakes). It feels good to be back at the church. Last week was a week off. It was great for the first couple of days, but towards the end I got bored. I was ready to do something. Now, though, I'm back in my routine, and time is moving quickly yet again. I can't believe it's only 20 more days until I head back into Sydney. I mean, that's less than 3 weeks. It doesn't seem like I have even been here that long, but the numbers do not lie.

Life is pretty good right now. I was a little bummed out before I left for the bush, and I was pretty bummed out while I was there. What with relatively no contact with the outside world, Rebekah in Guatemala, and no one to really talk to, things got pretty tough. The devil really used this time to attack me, but Christ came through stronger, as ever. It really seems that through this time of trial and affliction, God began to grow fruit in this ministry. Let me explain. While I was out in the bush, I was able to come back on Sunday morning because I got the opportunity to preach. (Yeah, I couldn't believe it either, but yes, I got to preach on Sunday morning). God really gave me a wonderful message to bring about how He uses imperfect people to accomplish His perfect plans, and WOW did He use it. People all over the church came up and told me how deeply convicted they were by it. Then, I began to see some changes. Steve, the guy that I was staying with, didn't read His Bible at all. He wasn't extremely interested in growing very much, but he had a heart of gold. Well, that night, he got out his Bible after dinner, and said to me, "Andrew, I really don't know much about the Bible, but I want to learn. I really don't even know where to begin. Could you teach me something." That's probably the coolest thing anyone has ever said to me in my life! So, for the next 3 nights I got to sit down with Steve and teach him about the Word. The first night we did an Old Testament overview. The second night we did a New Testament overview. The third night we did a general Bible study on Philipppians 3. It was really awesome to see him grow; to see him eager and hungry for the Word. That's not something that you see very often. Then, on Friday, when Kim and I were riding back to town with Elton, he told me about some of the things that had been happening while I was gone. He said that people had been really motivated by some of the different sermons I had been preaching on the importance of discipleship, God using imperfect people, and being passionate about Christ. He said that leaders were starting to volunteer to help with the youth group, and that the youth were starting to get excited. The youth actually pulled him aside, and told him some things that they wanted to start doing to reach the community. He also said that the kids had started asking about the discipleship program I had mentioned, and they wanted to know I was going to start that. Finally, I thought, I am starting to see some fruit. It gives my heart great joy, even now, to know that something is finally happening. God is finally, and faithfully, beginning to use my weak efforts to bring about change in this ministry.

This movement is what I have been hoping and praying for. And, I am glad that it is working out the way it is. People aren't turning to me. They are turning to God, and they are furthering the ministry done through this congregation. I am joyous that it is working this way because in the end, the ministry that will be done in years to come will not involve me. I am here only for a short time. These people were here before I arrived, and they will be here long after I am gone. I am glad becasue I am only teaching and equipping these people to further their ministry in the future. I am stinkin pumped up about what is starting to happen here. Things are going well.

Thanks to everyone who has been supporting me while I have been gone. Please continue to pray for me and this church. I firmly believe that things would not be happening here without your continued prayers and support. Thanks to my family and friends. Please continue posting. Your encouragement while I am here means more to me than you will ever know. I love all of you guys. Do not worry about me. If you do, only trust in Romans 8:35-39. God is faithful, Christ is loving, and the Spirit is empowering. Trust in that. God bless.

Blessings,

Andrew

Rom. 8:1

Greetings, once again from the land Down Under. I know it has been a couple of weeks since I have posted, but there really hasn't been anything post-worthy happening. Let's see, I moved to a new host home, and I'm going to move again on Tuesday and go camping in the bush for two weeks. During those two weeks, I am also going to try to climb two of the glasshouse mountains around there, Tibrogagan and Beerwah. I am about to preach again on Sunday night, and then again on next Sunday morning. That'll be interesting. Please pray that God would give me sufficient time to prepare for next Sunday, because this upcoming week is going to be very full.

God has been very good to me here. The ground for spreading the gospel here is very hard, but God has opened a few doors into people's lives. There are a few of the youth that are beginning to warm up to me and open up. I am trying to get a few of them to start getting into the Word more often, mainly because they don't do it at all. It is slow and painstaking work with them, but I do feel like some things are starting to happen.

I do have some REALLY, REALLY good news. I spoke with Elton, the youth pastor, about the need for discipleship in these kids' lives. I mean, they have no one pouring any kind of biblical truth or knowledge into them. They just don't know what the Bible has to say, period! Anyway, I spoke with Elton about this, and he said I could start a discipleship program with some of the boys when I get back from holidays in two weeks. The trick is though, he said that they want to be able to pick it back up when I leave ( which will only be 3 weeks after I start it), so he wants me to make out a discipleship program for the youth! That's really cool, and really scary at the same time. I'll have about a week with nothing to do, so I'll have time to get it ready. My only problem though, is that I'm not really sure how to do it. Please pray that God would show me what these kids need, and how to give it to them. I am confident that He will. Also pray that God would give these kids a passion for who He is. Australia is a passionless country. If there were only a few who really cared, great things would happen. Please pray for this as I do.

Lastly,  I would like to ask for prayer for myself. It has only been a month I know, but I am beginning to grow weary. We work 6 days a week, somtimes 10 hours a day, and it is beginning to tell on me. Next week is going to be a week of rather intense labor, and then I will have a week off. Please pray that God would sustain me until my week off. Also, I sometimes feel that I am not really making an impact here. I am doing everything that I can, but I just discouraged because of the lack of change I see in these peoples' lives. God is good, and I know He has a reason for me to be here, but I have been getting discouraged lately. I am beginning to miss my family and friends, and the comfort of being around someone I can talk to. I humbly ask for you prayers in these things, so that I may be strengthened to do His work.

Thanks for everything. And keep posting, and/or sending me e-mails. I love to hear from everyone. Good on ya' mate.

For His Glory,

Andrew 

Well, well, the last few days have been quite interesting. I got to meet two amazing career missionaries on Sunday morning, preach Sunday night, and God is still teaching me tons of things about how to work with the Australians and to love Him more in the process.

First off, the missionaries. I got to eat lunch with an older couple named Tom and Salome Hoey on Sunday morning. It was probably one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and this is the reason: these two souls have been serving in Papua New Guinea for the past 39 years. What makes it more amazing is that they pioneer workers with the Batami people (i.e. Cannibals!) That's right, they were the first people to bring the gospel to these people that had a cultural history of murdering and eating one another. 39 YEARS! They moved thier whole family out there when they were in thier 30s. They left thier jobs, relatives, comforts, safety...everything. Now can you see why I was so blessed to be able to spend a few hours with them and hear their stories of the ways that God worked with them. They imparted much wisdom to me. In fact, so much that I can't even begin to tell you it here. However, I will share one story they told me about how they finally were able to bring the gospel effectively to these people. Tom found out, after several years of working there, that the Batami people had a local legend about eternal life. The story began with a crying baby. All problems within this culture are related to a crying baby somewhere down the line. Anyway, the baby was crying because he was dying. Now, there were two spirits that wanted to help the baby. There was the good spirit (I don't remember their names, very local), then directly opposed to this was the bad or evil spirit. When they knew that the baby was dying, they raced for thier resepctive fruits. The good spirit went to get the fruit from the tree of life while the evil spirit went to get the fruit from the tree of death. Well, while the good spirit was on his way back with the fruit of life, he heard the baby's crying stop. The evil spirit had beaten him there, and fed the baby the fruit of death. Because of this, the Batami believe that eternal life had been lost forever. They thought that there was no way to get it back. How awesome is that! Imagine that joy that Tom and Salome had when they could stand in front of all the Batami together and effectively say "We bring good news! Eternal Life has not been lost. Our God has made a way through His Son Jesus Christ! Come to repentance and know the Lord." And people came. Now, there is a thriving church within the Batami people group. In fact, they are now beginning to reach out to other tribes in the area. They have all given up their cannibal ways. Talk about amazing ways that God reveals Himself. Now, imagine how incredibly encouraged I was to hear that from someone who had gone into much harder soil than I have even here, had prevailed in such a way as that. Man, God is good!

I also was allowed the opportunity to preach to the church that night. It was the night before a state holiday, so there really weren't very many people there. However, I made up my mind a long time ago that I would preach the same to 5 people as I would to 500. And, through no worth on my own part, God blessed it. I really believe there were some hearts genuinely encouraged and changed in that room. I preached on how we must all passionately pursue Jesus Christ. The church in Australia, in many ways, suffers from the same disease that the church in America suffers from: lethargic apathy. Many people were very pleased and said they enjoyed it, which is really the only way I can judge whether it had any affect or not. I believe that God has been faithful to me though. Someone apparently even said they thought I was a young Billy Graham. I told him I appreciated the compliment, but I was no Billy Graham. Just for the record, I wasn't entirely sure how to handle that. If anyone knows a better way to take those kind of compliments without insulting the people who give them to you, I'm all ears. So, all that to say, thank you to everyone who prayed for me. God heard your prayers and has worked a work that was not here before. That' good enough for me. Thanks again.

God is still teaching me so much about doing the little things with a pure heart and motive. Today, I spent 4 hours fixing the font size on powerpoint slides for 250 songs. Then, I moved boxes to the youth minister's office. Lastly, I went around and tightened the screw on cabinet handles in the youth room. While this may sound mundane and fruitless to many others, I believe that God has a purpose in it. First, by doing these small, almost ridiculous sounding things with a happy heart, I have made a great impression on the staff and church. I believe this is going to open up even more doors for ministry as the summer continues. Second, I have realized that even though I am not on the front lines of thier ministry all of the time, I am doing things that suppor the ministry. In the end, they are going to be the people that remain here for life. This is not my ministry. This is thier ministry location, in which I am only participating for a short time. Third, God has shown me today how much He has already been changing my heart. When I was asked to do all of these things, part of me wanted to cry out "dumb!", but before that thought could become fully formed the Spirit would say "Whether you eat or drink, do everything as if you do it for Christ". When this scripture would come to mind, I would immediately let go of my own pride over these menial tasks, and I would embrace them as if I were leading someone to Christ through those activities. That may sound crazy to some, but I am convinced that it is the truth that God is teaching me. Perhaps it will bless you as well.

I really do think God is changing me. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I know it is happening. I can't see it in any huge ways, but I can see it in the small things. I can see it in the way I react to things now. I can see it in the way my mind works. I don't entirely understand it all, but I am convinced it is happening. Honestly, it kind of scrares me. Over that though, it makes me excited. Oh to know Him and the Power of His Ressurection! I feel God working. Thanks for all your prayers in this matter. Keep it up. I think I'm really starting to learn what Christianity is all about. Thanks.

Yeah, I know this was long, but I felt like I had a lot to say. Also, I don't know when I will be able to post again. I'm moving to a new billet tomorrow, so I don't know if I will have internet access or not. In addition, as soon as I leave that house, I will be going pretty much straight camping for two weeks. Then, I will be in another house for the last 3 weeks where I won't have internet access. So pretty much, the only time I will be able to post is when I am at the church. That really doesn't afford me much opporunity, so it could be awhile. Please comment as much as you want though. I will be able to check that, and you really can't imagine how encouraging it is for me to hear from all of you. I love you all in Jesus, and I pray constantly for your edification in the faith.

In Christ Alone,

Andrew

Well, greetings from Down Under once again. I've been here almost two weeks now, and things are starting to get a little more sane. I've actually started to get into a routine of some sort, which is good. It almost feels like home...but still not really. We may be allies, but this is definitely not the U.S.

In many cases, there is actually a lot of anti-American sentiment. And everybody, I mean EVERYBODY hates George Bush. In most cases they are just trying to get you going, or just plain make an argument out of nothing. I've finally learned how to diffuse the situation though. Whenever someone asks me whether I like George Bush or not, I simply reply, "The Bible states that we should respect those that are placed in authority over us. President Bush is in authority over me, therefore I will respect him." This seems to end the arguments for two reasons. One, they are Christians and they realize I am standing on the immovable rock of Scripture; or two, they absolutely hate Christians and they think I am nuts for qouting a useless book. Either way though, it gets the job done.

God has still been faithful in not only my prayers for rain, but in all other things as well. The last time I prayed for rain, it rained for two days straight. He is just overflowing in His blessings while I am here. It makes sense though. You know what Hebrews says. "Without faith it is impossible to please God."

For a while I was a little depressed. It actually wasn't homesickness or anything like that, but something else entirely. In my arrogance, I thought that I wasn't being used like I should be. I felt like I should have been at the forefront of the ministry I was involved in. I felt like maybe I wasn't doing important things. I was doing stuff like cleaning the worship rooms, organizing slides for the powerpoint during services, and helping with RE in the primary schools. I really felt like I wasn't doing what God had me here for. Then, it was as if God leaned down and spoke to me with that "still small voice". I realized then that God was teaching me how to appreciate the little things. Yes, I wasn't doing anything in the lime light, but I was doing the things that needed to be done. God was humbling me, and showing me that I should be content in whatever He had for me to do. When I finally realized this, my anxiety left me instantly. I am now totally committed to serving Him in whatever way He has for me while I am here. In fact, I am convinced that this is the reason tonight's youth event went so well. I felt like we were on the verge of a good conversation (which is a good thing for these kids).

I do have a few prayer requests for you guys. The main thing we have going on right now is just lack of any biblical knowledge. It is amazing how little these guys know about the Bible. This is to be expected, and is therefore not really all that suprising. The problem then is that they are just not hungry for the Word. They've lost that new-found eagerness of accepting the faith, and they are now very weak in what they believe. Just please pray that they would start to care. Pray that somehow God would plant a need for the Word within their hearts, so they will begin to desire Him. If they'll just get hungry, I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to feed them. Also, I will be preaching this Sunday night at 6:00. Pray that God will speak through me as I attempt to impart the passion that I have for Christ. (Don't forget that 6:00 on Sunday night for me is 3:00 a.m. Saturday morning for you. So don't pray late! ha ha). Lastly, just pray that God will open up opportunities for me to share the gospel with people. The ground here is very hard, so many of the gospel seeds have fallen by the wayside. Continue to pray that God would give His harvester success in the field. I love you all and I continue to desire your love and prayers. Thanks to everyone who has been posting to encourage me. It means a lot.

Servant of Christ,

Andrew