The Lord is Faithful.

Photo by: Kieren Ash

First of all, I want to apologize for not writing in, what feels like, years! I have heaps of things to catch up on so stick with me, reading this post will be well worth it.

About a month ago (March 19th!), I went to a bar with a couple of my friends and after hanging out for about 10 minutes one of the girls (who had been drinking prior) felt too drunk too handle and asked me if I would leave with her and make sure she got home safe. I wasn't really excited about the bar and I wanted to help her out so I told her that we could leave that way the others could stay out until whenever. We left the bar and ended up at McDonalds to get food and wait for one of her friends to come and pick us up. After about 2 hours a guy and a girl sat next to us and sparked up a conversation. They were both Australia (as was my friend) and we all got along really well. Our conversation was very lighthearted, we didn't talk about religion at all, but got to know each other and spoke about our family background and whatnot. We exchanged information and they had to go catch a bus so we walked them to the bus stop and said our goodbyes. I honestly thought that was the last time I'd see or talk to them which made me pretty sad because they were really nice people.

We all added each other on facebook and soon after, the guy sent me a message asking if I could meet him at Wynyard (a train station in Sydney) on Sunday. I asked my roommate if she'd go with me and she said she would so I agreed! The morning of, Kelly accidentally slept in, but I thought I'd go ahead and meet my new friend at the train station. After all, it was Sunday morning around 9 am and I felt pretty safe. Above that I really felt the Lord pushing me to go. I was picked up by him and his sister outside of the train station and they told me all about the place we were going.

Church. I'd been praying for months about a church and the ones I tried out, I wasn't too fond of so I was excited that the Lord literally just laid this one in my lap. My friend told me it was in a pub because it was a really new church plant and they were just getting off the ground. I was keen so we made our way to Pyrmont (the city the church.

We got to the church/pub and when I walked in I started meeting heaps of people around my age who legitimately loved the Lord. The conversations weren't forced like the other conversations I'd had at other churches, and above that they reminded me of my friends back home. I ended up getting into a conversation about my church background and I told them I attend a church called "The Village" back home to which they responded with "Matt Chandler!?!?". My heart started racing. No way did I just find a church through a guy I met at 2 am in a McDonalds....that just so happened to know the pastor of my church. It gets better.

I find out not only do they know Matt, but they are apart of the same church network as The Village. Acts 29. There are 2 Acts29 churches in the country of Australia. Two. This one, Cornerstone, doesn't even have a website or any type of advertisement.

I listened to the sermon and I was sold. Adam, the pastor, spoke about the Truth of the Gospel instead of just lovey-dovey general messages. After the sermon I met a guy named Dan who, after a nice conversation, asked me if I would be a leader at a week-long Youth Camp. After I had a chance to pray about it and sleep on it I accepted! For the past few months I've been really upset about missing YoungLife camp this year, and this was so similar it was almost unreal.The next Saturday (just 6 days later) I hitched a ride with another leader and was on my way to Camp Kedron.

Camp was incredible. The food was wonderful. The people were amazing. And most importantly the Lord was the focus. The other leaders I met at camp were life changing. They were encouraging and welcoming the entire week. On Friday (the last day of camp) the camp "dad" & "mom" (which happened to be Adam, Cornerstone's pastor, and his wife Amy) brought me a birthday cake and the whole camp sung to me! A great end to a great week.

The next day, my birthday, I went bowling with a bunch of the leaders from the camp (Amy, Adam, Vanessa, Dan, Kieren & his girlfriend Maddi) and then out to dinner with two other leaders (Rhys & his sister Allie) along with an American from the AIFS group. It was a great birthday.

Yesterday I went to church again at Cornerstone and I've got to admit I'm going to be devastated when I have to leave the community I've formed here. After church I went to Amy & Adam's apartment for tea and ended up staying the whole day! We had great conversation, made dinner together and then ended the night with champagne on the roof of their apartment...which happens to be a garden overlooking Sydney.

During the past 2 months I've made heaps of friends in Sydney but none like the people I met during this last week. I've felt drawn to Australia this whole trip, but I was disappointed that I didn't have a good community with uplifting friends. Now that I've met friends with eternity at mind, I feel even more called to live in Australia.

I don't know about you but there are heaps too many things making up this story to boil it down to a just plain coincidence. I started praying for a church about 2 months before I left, one random night I was out at a bar and my friend wanted to leave, I ended up meeting a guy who goes to this church every once in a while and he just so happened to invite me to church. A church that not only knows my pastor back home but is part of the same church plant network. A church that isn't online and doesn't use advertising. I met a guy who invited me to work at a camp, after I'd been pretty upset about missing YoungLife camp this year. I also was running out of money and this camp was free for leaders and I had a place to sleep with 3 meals a day. How can someone turn a blind eye to that? How can someone just say that is a coincidence. No. That's the Lord, being faithful.

3/28/2010

Photo by: Kristin Bohacek  

I'm gonna take a break from Australia updates and share a clip from my prayer journal on this day last year,

Jesus. Today was the best day of my life. I told 200 people about my love for You! March 28, 2010 will forever be the day I made our love known. The joy You have put in my heart is incredible. I can't say it enough, I love You! I love You! I love You! You are my King & I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with You. I never want my love to end. I feel a glow on my face of true happiness. I honestly don't know of a time I was happier. I pray for guidance through my life & wisdom. I love You, Jesus. Thank You for the opportunity You gave me to physically show what You did for me. DYING & coming back to life. Lord I will choose every day to die to me & live for You. I love You. In Your Arms, Rebecca

PTL PTL PTL

Praise. The. Lord.

Thank you personally for praying for me.

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about how I felt so isolated in Denton and how I'd tried to make friends and it wasn't happening-- see Are You kidding me?

Well, God has responded. This blog probably wont be too long but I just wanted to say thank you so much. On Wednesday I was able to meet with a fellow UNT transfer student and it was a blast! We got lunch and I had a great time talking and being in fellowship with each other. That night I went to an event at The Village and met a girl that is a member of The Village and we prayed together and it was awesome! THEN, Thursday I went to Frisco a few hours before young life so I could do some bible studying and I met this guy that goes to the Village and he invited me to a home group!!

To say that the Lord has been faithful would be a complete understatement. The Lord has been more then faithful and I am so encouraged by Him.

PTL

Are You kidding me?!

I don't like blogs about problems. Even more- I don't like writing them. That being said please excuse my last 10 blogs my entire blogging history...and this blog. But starting next blog I'll try to keep them as upbeat as possible. My apologies.

So I have ended my day today with a general theme of how I feel about living in Denton right now. Bitter probably isn't the best word...maybe a little bit of bitterness mixed with confusion mixed with a patience-problem. Boiling it down it all comes out to a big "Are You Kidding me God?"

I don't want this to sound depressing at all so get that thought out of your head because I am not at all depressed...or pissed, just confused. Back on track- I have no friends in Denton. Not one true friend that I hang out with and call and live life with. A few people go to UNT that I went to high school with, there are a few people I have classes with that I talk to..during class (and of course if heaven forbid someone were to get some crazy illness and need me to take notes for them) and then one or two that I have hung out with once and then fallen off the radar. I have been racking my brain on how I made friends in Arkansas because I didn't go there with a bunch of friends yet when I left I had so many good ones. So what is going on?

I think the Lord is calling me to a season of isolation. I say that only because I have definitely tried to make friends. I go to the same church every week and sit by myself, I even got baptized at the church! (Not to make friends of course but because of my love for Jesus!) I tried to join a home group but they are all full. There aren't enough leaders to lead more home groups so I'm kind of out of luck with that avenue. I have applied to 7 jobs and no one has called me back. Today was my most desperate attempt to make friends. I went to the crime alert meeting at my apartment complex. I was the only one that attended...out of over 300+ residents. After that I went to a different church's College group (The church I currently go to doesn't have a college group) where I sat by myself and met no one. Obvi I could have gone up to a random person and introduced myself but it seemed like EVERYONE was in a group with 2 or 3 other people and were in deep conversation.

I'm not going to lie, I came home very frustrated. Not at the church I went to or the residents in my complex but at God. Why would You call me to a place 300 miles away from my friends and then not deliver? What is the point of being here? I mean I have my ministry in Frisco with Young Life and I absolutely love it. I love my girls, I love the leaders I love the deliverance of the Gospel. I love that. But why Denton? Why UNT? I take the bus every day and every day there are new faces. I go to the same classes where everyone seems to know everyone and I end up just hanging out alone. I even met some of the Young Life leaders here (because I thought we'd have so much in common) but they never remember me when I see them around town. I go to church every week and I am recognized by no one. Why? Again, I am not mad, just confused. I enjoy the time I have to myself. I never sit at home and wish I had friends in Denton to come over and hang out with because I'm usually pretty busy with reading or homework. I do sit at home and wish I had community and fellowship in Denton. What I really long for is a house to live in with a couple of Jesus loving girls in this beautiful city.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. Romans 8:28-30

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. Hebrews 10:35-36

Mmmmm Good one God. Plus 5

I love it. I am ok with not having friends right now because it is building up my relationship with Christ and when I have a problem instead of calling up the first friend I can think of, I call up the only Friend that can honestly say loves me unconditionally and always has my best at heart. I am constantly on my own and being pointed to scripture by the Holy Spirit and it is awesome. Would I choose this isolated life over one filled with friends? Probably not but I'm glad that it has made a nice little(hopefully) appearance.

It has forced me to look back on all the times I was at an event with tons of my friends and saw someone sitting by themselves. It gave them a personality in my mind. I know I was overlooked by tons of people tonight, not even thought about by most. I know that I am someone they will probably never think about again and that it didn't even register that I have a story and a future. So many times I convince myself I am different and unique but in their minds I am just a body occupying space. I know this because I have done that. Non-consciously thought that about countless of people. Now that I know how it feels to be outside of the crowd I want to be on the inside so I can put this knowledge to good use. Other people that have felt the way I felt tonight, I know it.

Another Good one God for tonight. Plus 7

If you get a chance, please pray for endurance for me. And please let me know in a comment or a facebook message or even an email if there is anything I can be praying for you about.

Love you, mean it.

The Village

I don't ever want to be one of those people that say "Matt Chandler says ..." or "At the village we were taught...." etc. because I always want to be someone that says "the bible taught me...." but this website changed my life.

http://denton.thevillagechurch.net/articles

Question/Answers that are backed up by legit scripture.
not Matt Chandler
or The Village
or my young life leader
or my friend
or some guy on the side of the road.

Nope, that thing that The Holy Spirit gave to us. You know, The Bible.


If you were raised in the church, awesome.
I wasn't so I don't know how that feels, but from what I've experienced I feel the desperate need to tell you personally to keep an open mind.
Read Romans 2, look how far being Jewish got people with Jesus. Read Philippians 3, Paul is constantly throwing out his Jewish credentials. Read Ephesians 3. Read Luke 13:23-28.

I do not know everything, believe me I am very far from that. But Since I am such a baby Jesus-follower I have to keep an open mind to everything. I wasn't fed religion as a child so usually when I hear something radical that is "in the bible" I always have to check it out for myself to make sure its true. It breaks my heart that people were taught certain theologies as if they were 100% Truth and they have no room to look for themselves because they were taught at such a young age that one way is the right way always. It's almost like a prejudice because it seems like it's a pre-recorded tape playing over and over in their head. This is not a shot at people who have been raised in the Church. In fact I am very envious of you because you were able to learn about Jesus for 19 years and I started my journey 5 years ago. All I am saying is before you defend a certain theology, question it and find it for yourself in the bible. Google the pros and cons of it. Make your own opinions.

Love you, mean it.