Quite A Week

We officially finished our first week of classes in  the Discipleship Training School! It's so hard for me to believe that I've been here 15 days now, but let me tell you, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

It's been so exciting learning all of these new things about God. Things that I wouldn't have even thought about if I hadn't been here. One of the first things we learned about was Intercession. For the longest time I had always wondered why I needed to pray. If God knows everything that I'm going to ask for, what's the point of even asking? Isn't that wasting His time?! The way our speaker Kerstin worded it is that, yes, God knows exactly what you're going to ask for. He knows everything you need, He knows everything the world needs. However, He's not just going to do something. It would be just like me giving you my coat if you hadn't even asked for it. I hope this makes sense! The verse that really stuck out for me was Ezekiel 22:30 "So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf on the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one." What God was saying to me in this verse is, "I can change the world through any of my followers, but until one steps up and wants the change that I do, I can do nothing."

It is ASTOUNDING to me that an all powerful, almighty, all everything God, chooses not to do anything on His own, but wants a partnership with His children. Crazy, right?! Oh my gosh. I love it. I feel like now for this reason God will hear my prayers. I mean, I know He did before, but this really struck home and my heart.

So every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday we start the day interceding or "standing in the gap" for other countries, people, or organizations. Already we've devoted our prayers to the country of Yemen where 99% of the people are unreached and the country is devastated with violence and riots, all the countries we're from (America, Germany, Norway, Finland, Canada, South Korea, Denmark, Australia) and we've prayed for the Railway Children in India, a large portion of the children in India who have no where to sleep at night, no food to eat and a life of fear. We prayed for the Railway Children organization that takes in these children and tries to find homes for them. This year alone 9,000 children were put into homes. Praise the Lord! We also then wrote to children within the organization. Telling them we loved them, God loves them unconditionally and they have hope for the future. I would encourage you to put them in your prayers too. I couldn't even imagine having to grow up sleeping under bridges, never knowing where I was going to get my food from or who might be lurking around me in my sleep. Please pray for these children.

We started our Coffee Van ministry this week! I LOVE IT! We go into downtown Southport which is where there's shopping and high homeless rates and we set up our table and ask everyone who walks by if they would like free coffee, tea or milo (a really disgusting Australian version of hot chocolate) :). Most of the homeless people know that we're there and come by regularly. One guy, Brendon, became my friend:) He's an older man and he loves to talk to you about anything and everything. It's so sad to me, because it makes me think, who doesn't talk to him that he would need to tell us everything. I love it though. I love hearing his stories, his dreams. He's writing a book called working backwords. I'll tell you more about him next week.

For the first half of coffee van (about a two hour long ministry) we we handing out coffee, and then the second half we went on a prayer walk around the city of Southport. As we were walking down this street, I got a really heavy feeling. Our leader told us that this street was where a good majority of the homeless youth slept at night. The street had a lot of stores with entrances that had coverings over them to keep the kids dry from the rain, shade from the heat. It broke my heart. I just looked into a corner and could imagine these kids coming in at 1 or 2 in the morning and getting no reprieve. I can't imagine having to roam the streets all day and have no where to go. No rest. Sleeping on concrete. Eating whatever they can. It makes me so angry how so much of this world can be living in wealth while there are children in India sleeping under bridges, and youth in the Gold Coast who find the streets safer than their own homes.

And then I think, "Wow, Megan. Hypocrit?" Yes, I am. I have a bed and clothes and much more than I could ever need. I don't know what to do, but I pray God reveals some way that these kids (turned adult too soon, I am sure) can be helped by me.

I think that's all for now. I don't need to write a novel.

Please keep me in your prayers:)

Megan

Sometimes The Hardest Thing And The Right Thing Are The Same

Wow. That is the only way I can start this post. The past few weeks have been such a whirlwind of emotion, peace and excitement.

Sitting here, on the front porch of my new Australian home, I am sobered by my journey to get here—to right where I am today. I remember leaving Cheney nearly three weeks ago, and hearing the words from a familiar song, “sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same.” Of being reminded that God doesn’t call us to a life of comfort—although I sure wish He did!

It was incredibly difficult leaving all the beautiful people that God had blessed me with for the past two years of my life; people who I am sure will never leave my heart, mind, or life. Ever. But I was comforted with the fact that if God placed them in my life, surely it wasn’t just for that season of my life, but to hold them as confidantes forever.

Leaving home was nearly as hard, however I knew that it was the most necessary step for following Jesus. I have known for so long that to live a life truly dedicated to the Lord, I was going to take up His call to leave my family. He has given me so much strength in knowing that I have so much more in His kingdom. The strength and courage I’ve received from following God’s call has far surpassed any expectations I have had already. And it’s only week one!

My first week in Australia has been spectacular. We have 7 students in our school: 6 girls and 1 boy from all over the world. Vikki from England, Maija from Finland, Berith from Denmark, Arthur from Australia, Anika from Canada, Ashley from Korea and little ole me from AmericaJ

We’ve just been doing basic orientation things: if you see a shark—get out of the water, watch out for big spiders, trust God, and be completely surrendered. The basicsJ

My days will begin at 7am with morning work duties around the house that everyone is assigned too. (There are five girls in my house, by the way). Then the mornings are different by the day. We’ll either have worship, intercession, or a meeting from 9-10, morning tea (best thing EVER) from 10-10:30, lectures from 10:30-1:00, lunch from 1-2, then it’s different from 2-4 everyday—some days we have one on ones, other days we have small groups, on Friday’s we have outreach, and on the other days we will have ACTS which are our assigned duties around the base from maintenance to kitchen duties, etc. From 4-530 is our assigned “study time” or dinner prep if you’re assigned for it that week, then dinner from 530-630. After that is free time except on Thursday where we have our “coffee van” outreach, which I can tell you more about after this Thursday at our first coffee van outreachJ

I can’t even tell you how reassured I am to be here at this time. It has been so clear to me that this is exactly where God has called me for this time. He’s starting something revolutionary in my heart. I’ve been reading Loren Cunningham’s (the founder of YWAM) book, “Is That Really You, God?” And it has thrown my mind and heart for a loop; for it seems that Loren and I share the same vision: to see young people change the world for Jesus. I know this is what I want and need to do; I’m just waiting for clear direction on how God is going to use me to fulfill this vision, and what He’ll have me doing.

It’s a very exciting time for meJ I’m excited to see where God will take me and what ways He will use me. Please keep me and YWAM bases everywhere in your prayers; they are doing amazing things to spread the gospel of our Lord and SaviorJJ

Love from down undah ;) 

Megan

The beach at Surfers Paradise, 6km away from the base:)

 The beach and skyline of Surfers Paradise

 4 of the 6 girls on DTS and an intern...(From L to R; ME:), Vikki, Anika, Tina, Maija)

An upwards escalator! Except not an escalator...because it doesn't have steps. WEIRD!