Controlled Chaos

Life these past few days has been challenging, frustrating, humbling, amazing, encouraging, disappointing, and mind blowing. Since we have checked into the Backpacker, we haven't been able to find affordable housing that would accomidate all of us. We have even considered splitting up, but nothing has opened up even if we did that. The job hunt has been difficult. We have met a ton of people at the Backpacker from all over the world. David had a chance to share his faith with a girl from Norway, Taylor had a great conversation with a couple from Germany, and we brought 2 girls from Iowa to Church today! Also met a guy there named Brian, he is from Wilmington NC. He is 24, just graduated and felt called to Newcastle. He loves surfing, skating, playing guitar, and basically everything else we all love. Not an accident we met.

The group has been back and forth and back and forth on what we should do. Should we stay in Newcastle?...Should we head north to look for jobs?... We have spent time together and alone, thinking about options, and knowing that in order to move forward, a decision must be made. We finally decided to go North, to the Gold Coast area where there is more tourism, bigger cities, and hopefully more jobs and housing. After making that decision, we had a family meeting and decided that Me, Caleb, Sherb, and Taylor were going to head north this week and Ned was going to stay for a week and continue to look for work. It was Ned's birthday, so we took the night off from thinking about things.

Today, Sunday, we got up and went to a church called Church 180. It is located in the same building as a casino - ironic I know. All the people we met were incredible, loving, and welcoming. After church, we had some tea at the back and a women basically told me that we had to come eat lunch with her and her family and another family at their house. Ended up going and having a HUGE lunch, way more than I have had at any meal since I've been here. After spending most of the afternoon with them, talking and learning, we decided to go to the 6 o'clock service at Church 180. The message was incredible - not enough time to tell you about it but it was super encouraging. After the service, we all ended up going up there to be prayed for.

I started talking to one of the guys, explaining our situation and that we needed guidance and direction. As I am telling him all these things about jobs and housing, he tells me that he just bought a house, isn't planning on moving in for a while, that it is empty but we are more than welcome to stay there for free! Then after church when we were talking to people, found out that we may be able to all get jobs through people everyone knew! Also talked to the worship leader and told him that Sherb and I played guitar - asked him if they needed any acoustic players - he said definitely - we are going to sit in on worship practice tomorrow.

God is blowing my mind. This whole situation has further revealed to me the truth that God is in control, not me. I was looking for God to give me direction and understanding of His purpose for me here. We don't know our purpose yet, but we are walking in the light of a good God, a faithful God, and a God whose heart breaks for the lost, even the lost in Australia.

It's been a mentally draining week for all of us but we are excited to pursue God's plan for us here.

Continue to pray for our situation, our hearts, our attitudes, and our spirits to continue to be seeking the Lord and looking for Him to move.

-David