I've had an incredible first month here on the Sunny Coast! I have learned more about myself, who God is, and who I am in him than I have in the past few years. We have had so many amazing speakers that have really encouraged and challenged us to go deeper into our relationships with God and create an intimacy that cannot be rivaled by anything the world has to offer.
Below are some pictures I've collected as I've been here and a couple short descriptions of what they are of!
The top picture is the backyard I sit almost every morning to read my bible and watch the sunrise.
This picture is from a quick weekend trip I took with one of my roommates where I got to spend some amazing time on the beach hearing from God.
My Birthday was one to remember! My roommates started the day off by surprising me with decorating the dining room, making me breakfast, and singing me happy birthday when I walked in then later in the day everyone surprised me with a cake a then everyone sang me happy birthday! They then had a time of encouragement and prayer for the coming year and we ended up singing amazing grace as a group. I was a beautiful day surrounded by amazing people!
These photos are from a sunrise hike we did one of the first weeks. When we got to the top someone had brought a guitar up with them and as a group we lifted our voices in worship.
These are just a couple of the amazing sunsets I get to see every morning :)
This is the whole group of us on one of the first days
This is me with one of my amazing roommates and good friends Meike, she is from Germany!
This is Sara, one of my really good friends here, and outreach team member (with me in the background haha) When I leave my phone lying around Sara likes to take selfies with it and so I have a beautiful collection of her selfies haha!
We love to have fun and take weird selfies here so this is from the room we have class in while we were waiting to begin one day
Here on the sunshine coast we have an amazing coffee culture and since I am one, a lover of coffee, and two, always am in need of WiFi I have become a regular in many of the local shops.
Two of the leaders here (Karis, seen above, and Sam - they are married!) are also from Wisconsin, down in the Milwaukee area, but it has been really fun to go out and get to know them! This was one time where we went to a small coffee shop out of town and found ourselves looking at a beautiful nature area!
I personally love starting my day with God, so every morning I choose to get up around 5 am, get in my bible and just hang out with God. Sometimes I use that time to journal, pray, or sit and listen to God but other times I do that later in the day. This time is really just whatever I need to connect to God and be filled by him.
Then Breakfast is between 6:30 and 7am
We leave for base (the church were we have classes at) most mornings at 7:30am
We start class at 8am with worship Monday and Friday, Intersession Tuesday and Wednesday, and regular class on Thursdays
We have class lectures until 10:30am when we break for morning tea (AKA tea, coffee, and snacks)
Then start class againat 11am
We then end lectures each day at 12:30-1pm
We then have lunch before going home.
Afternoons are spent many different ways but generally
Monday: Cleaning duties and Outreach preperation
Tuesday: Free afternoon often used to work on homework, be in the bible, run to town quick, have one on ones (mentoring), read, hangout together, or take a quick nap every now and then ;) Tuesday Nights we have the SBS Students (School of Biblical Studies: a 9 month program in YWAM where students study the complete bible in five different ways) come and teach on a book of the New Testament that we read the previous Wednesday afternoon
Wednesday: Cleaning duties and bible reading with SBS. Then on Wednesday night we have night lecture from 7pm-9pm
Thursday: BBQ on the beach! As a DTS we go to the local beach and spend some time together bonding, processing the week, surfing, or playing volleyball
Friday: Cleaning duties and at night we have ministry in the community
For an easier visual of what my days look like here is an example of what my schedule generally looks like!
In three weeks we leave for outreach! It is crazy how fast the time has flown!
Please be praying for the final funds to come in for some of my outreach team, that the hearts of the people we go to on outreach are soft and the the harvest is great (Luke 10:2), for protection of our team from sickness and from man, and that we are overflowing with the Holy Spirit while we are there and have the opportunity to share the gospel that means so much to us with others!
With Love, Allison
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