Recap. Rewind. Past couple weeks.

They saved the placenta for us to observe on our visit to the hospital. It was so exciting to finally get our gloved hands on one that wasn't made out of yarn and a mozzie net.

We learned newborn resusscitation. The baby was so slippery, I suppose that is what happens with plastic.

We definitely took ahold of the hospital experience...so many tubes and gadgets.

There are different ways to hold the bub during resuss, Sarah is excitedly demostrating thumb-over-thumb.

Let me introduce you to a dilly-sucker. Used to suck out the fluids from a newborn's mouth, or the spit that resides in Rachel's mouth. Dilly bars anyone?

This is at Market Night. I am displaying the ring that was gifted to me and how to properly execute a kitty stab. Please notice our awesome sign in the back, probably part of the reason we won the market.

Becca and Bekah. Staff and student. Friend and Friend.

As we were praying for finances we prophetically came up with "power signs" that represented us seeing breakthrough in finances. We all did our power moves when we were introduced on commissioning night. Mine had to be altered since I was wearing a dress. However, it still held the meaning, breaking through selfishness and on guard on the enemy's lies of doubt. It was the perfect match for "Eye of the Tiger". Can you feel the fierceness? Imagine, this is only a picture...

Here are all the lovely BASers, fully commissioned!

This is my one-on-one/school leader, Darcy. I love her heaps. Stevie jumped in the photo, uninvited I may add. I like candid shots.

Here are the fearless staff!

My scandinavian friends.

If you can't get all the way in the photo, atleast get a body part in. "I'm in the picture!"

shimblie bimbles

I am feeling deeply unispired. We'll see how this goes.

Yesterday, we had planned a night together with all the roommates. Some of us were feeling pretty disunified. Even when we live, sleep, school, eat, teach, shower within inches of eachother, we still have to be intentional about the time spent together. A lot of ugly confessions came out, as well as new revelations from God about what He has been speaking and of course fun times giggling together. It was nice to get caught up with everyone. It's not easy to always be in such close quarters with everyone, but this is definitely how we learn. I think we all caught on that we have to choose to love one another, even in everyone's "annoying habits", we have to choose love. To finish off the deeper-than-planned-evening, we all took communion with soda water and the snack of choice. I chose a strawberry. About a month ago, when we finished 24 hour worship, we came together as a base, and then divided into 20 groups with 20 different fathers leading us in communion. Pete shared that communion is a cornerstone event where we all recognize Jesus' sacrifice and that we are striving to be in right relationship with him. Along with that comes the committment to be in right relationship with one another. So similar to the time that we had as a base, we come back together, confessed and brought light to any other issues that darkness needed to flee from, and then prayed together. It turned out to be quite the evening. Afterwards, I ended up sharing about high school dances, I don't know how we diverged that way. Anyway, all the girls were quite impressed with Charlie's creativity. They all thought that stuff "only happened in movies".

Hehehe!

Okay, it is time for me to one-on-one...Love you family!

I hope I haven't left anyone hanging too long.

Today is Friday. We are all pretty exhausted. I have wanted to update since Wednesday but the Aussie internet wouldn't allow me too. Anyway, the page is loaded, homework is done, Friday night meeting is over and it is so late that I get the whole couch to myself. Oh wait, Callie just got on skype, this might have to wait...

MMkay...So Tuesday night ended with me writing a final update and blog. It really feels like forever ago...Anyway, I tossed and turned the whole night, just being in anticipation of what the next day held. I woke up too early, but being on the top bunk, my computer conveniently rests on top of a huge closet. Without waking anyone up, I was fully able to get in contact with the world. I opened my painfully slow Yahoomail Classic (I have been spoiled with lightning email and the all-new Yahoo mail at the Dinneen house)...and low and behold, my total of 3800 had decreased to 3000. Praise God. It was hard to contain my bouncing, even with my mummy bag zipped fully. Without too much time passing, my roommates all had woken up and I was able to contact my mom and share the incredible news. As soon as I contacted her, we rejoiced over the money that had come in on Tuesday and Wednesday, my number of 5800 had basically been cut in half. It was perfect timing really, my mom was actually on the way to the bank, and was depositing some final checks for me. As we added it all together, little by little, my total was falling. Before we knew it, I was totalling zero. ZERO. No more money. I needed zero more dollars. Oh God, you are good! I let out a cry of rejoicing and yelled it to my roommates. How incredible. God's timing is more than perfect.

This was just the start of the day...Melisa also recieved her money before we went to class. Praise God!

So we went into our classroom that morning, praising God for His work and then headed to Hollie's house for small group. Darcy encouraged us to be sensitive. If there was anyone God was laying on our hearts, anything He was telling us to give away, random people we were to wait for on the street, to just be sensitive, to put actions behind our faith. And so we did, probably 20 phonecalls were made, clothing was redistributed, zillions of emails sent and recieved, several SMS's sent via Skype and with each dollar we received news of we praised God. We were all in faith that by midnight, we would have a total of zero. The day was a quick one, stories were scattered from school to school. All the schools had their finances due and each one had their epic tales of anonymous-unheard of-donations.

After dinner time, we all filed into the classroom. We looked at the decreased number, now 15,000 from the morning's 20,000ish. We had already seen God's generous heart that day. It was set, we wouldn't leave the classroom until all of the money came in. We started out by doing some prayer marching. You know the usual, singing "Father Abraham", "I may never march...", "He's got the whole world...", marching seven times around the outside, acting out the story of Jericho. It was a fun time in our groups and prophetic. Again Darcy brought us back together to encourage any final people to contact that God was laying on our hearts. We continued to pray, some people called, others emailed. The hours passed, people came in and out of the classroom. At one time we entered in with the DTS for a time of worship, what a testimony to see them all worshiping, on their faces, praying for eachother, fully relying on God, so much change in such a short time! Around 9pm, we all gathered for one final time. We praised God together for all the people who had donated to our pool, and finally were told how much there was. We had 7000 in the pool and 9000 remaining. BAsically, we need 2000 more dollars. We entered into a time of hearing from God, singing, and then before anyone could do anything, the number became zero. ZERO! ZERO! Who is our God? The creator of the universe, author, perfector, creator. My dad. I am his daughter, and he has provided 120,000 for my whole team to go on outreach. No mountain is too big, no heart is too hard and no amount in any timespan is too big for my God.

We saw God breakthrough. Absolutely.

Thank you for your prayer, your support, your love. Rejoice with us. God is good!

the past couple days...

We just finished yet another prayer time, and yet again, God met us. The latent phase has finished and we are transistioning into hard work in these last hours before our finances are due. We have been focusing a lot of 2 Chronicles 20 since yesterday, it feels like so much longer than that... Jehoshaphat and his army were up against unlikely odds, but rested in God's words that were spoken through people. Tuesday mornings are usually base intercession time, but today Darcy and Becca felt that we were supposed to prophetically walk through the passage. When Jehoshaphat heard that there was a strong army waiting up against him, he went to the Lord and proclaimed a fast for all of Judah. Then together the people seeked God. Jehoshaphat stands in front of the people and declares God's character "you rule over all the nations and kingdoms", "power and might are in your hands and no one can withstand you"...it continues on. In his closing phrases he shares "O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." I really took heart in this bit, all day it has been the cry of my heart. God, I have absolutely nowhere to turn but you. Then the underdog, they quote like 5 generations before him to accredit him, says "Hey, this is God's battle, don't be afraid! You aren't going to fight, but you need to prepare and stand firm. The Lord is going to deliver you. Face it. God is with you." With that all of the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell flat on their faces in worship. Finally, moments before they went out, Jehoshaphat tells his people to have faith and worship as they go out. It was in their time of worship that God sent out ambushes, the enemy was annihilated. The reward was great, and the fear of the Lord succumbed surrounding nations. They rejoiced for their God had delivered them.

I am looking forward to Thursday, the celebration, the deliverance, the worship. It will be beautiful. Until then, we continue to labor, the first 4 cm have come, we are joyful, the waters are broken, but the transitional phase is just beginning, the last hours are going to be difficult, but the one who will deliver us rules over nations and kingdoms, power and might is in his hands.

24,560 dollars to go.

for callie

Hi callie-

I love you friend. I need 5,881 more dollars.

Bek

5 days remain.

Today Hollie recieved all her money. Breakthrough!

We are at 32,132 dollars. Zero, here we commmmmmeeeee!

I talked to my mom today.

She asked me if I had received 5,000 dollars already and if I hadn't been updating them. Although it was her misconception and my undescriptive phrases that teamed up for confusion, it was comforting to hear that my mom is teamed up right along side me. In the end, I clarified, "I am counting down, I still need 5,800, it was just a change from the six thousands." and she responded with "Oh, I bet everyone else got that, they probably aren't as dense as me." Hahaha. All of that to say, there is power in team work. I usually say thank you in my blogs or emails, and I mean it! So once again, thank you, for teaming up in finances and prayer. I am not alone in this. It is unifying as we have prayer times together as a school and just as powerful when I get an email from someone at home telling me what is going on in their life and that they are partnering in prayer with me and the school.

Six days until finances are due. Woooooot (that's for you Charlie).

Tonight instead of Thursday night evangelism, we are having base worship. I think we are going to be interceding and worshiping for the city of Perth, possibly praying for people we have met previously and doing some spiritual warfare for them. I can hear them across the laneway getting set up....I'm excited.

The weather is taking a change these past days. Slowly the scarves are being pealed off and the three-quarter length sweater is a usual part of my outfit.

Anyway. Dinner and singing telegrams are calling...

and now...market night...

Tonight was a beautiful night of community. We have the market night to raise money for outreach, which may seem counter productive since six schools are headed on outreach, so where is the money going to come from? The heart of our evening was to bless the other schools with our creativity, and money seemed to just be a biproduct. As Becca put it "we are going to win the market night!". We went into the evening joyfully and with the right heart to bless the other schools.

The BAS set up quite the spread including: base-famous peanut butter fudge, chocolate and peanut butter balls, crocheted headbands and cell phone covers, cards, and an old fashioned "fishing" game where you could win any of our homemade goods. Some of the crowd drawers were "watch-Dave-make-sushi" bar and the absolutely-irresistable-hot-off-the-griddle-Norwegian-waffles. Most unique, profitable and hilarious was the Singing Telegrams. You could decide who you were selling it to, what song you wanted, how many people and what those people are wearing. Just to give everyone a taste, we began a slow clap in the middle of the market bustle, one by one we formed into a line and then it began, "Lean on me, when you're not strong, and I'll be your friend...", then came the silence, the staring and the all time favorite, beat-boxing. What a crowd stopper and knee slapper. We have four more acts sometime this week. I am anticipating the shock when 12 girls dressed in salvation army clothes knock on the door of an unsuspecting recipient. Hehehe!

Anyway, God is so good. We saw nearly three hundred dollars come in tonight, where it came from, who knows? I believe that in the changing of hands, God is multiplying the money. Amen.

So, since Saturday, when we were at nearly 49,000 dollars, we have seen 12,000 dollars come in. Praise God! Personally, I broke into 5,000s today! I saw almost a thousand dollars come in. God is pushing me and I am learning. This is the time for faith to grow. I believe as a school and as a base, trusting God for finances is a pillar in community-building. As we were in a huge lunchtime prayer today, I got the song from High School Musical stuck in my head, "We're all in this together...". Zach and Gabriella, I like them. Anyway, I really feel like our coming together is bringing power, breaking strongholds, keeping the enemy at bay.

Thank you for all your prayers, I believe the flow of generosity from the carwash and the market is due to prayer beforehand and during the fundraising hours.

Please email me any prayer requests that you have or just drop a comment to say "hi", I really like those.

God is good.

thank you for praying...

World's most successful carwash, $830. Who even makes that much money at a carwash? We did. We also had $850 of donations towards the school's account as a whole and were sponsored at 27.50 per car and washed 52 cars. When you add all the numbers together it is approximately 3,000 dollars. Wow, God, thank you! We all saw our numbers come down. Personally, I had about $600 dollars come in this weekend. I am now sitting at 6,137 dollars before I am sitting on a plane to Indonesia. Thank you for all your prayers and emails and contact.

Today Robyn shared about Jesus and Suffering for our Jesus Devo. The world clearly states, keep yourself safe, hide from the bad. I mean, I change the channel when the "feed the children" commercials come on, it is uncomfortable to see others in pain. Robyn shared that Jesus was greatly moved and then embraced the pain. There were times in his suffering when he would draw away in the suffering, we are allowed to feel the pain. I think this is something I haven't embraced. It is not natural to want to feel pain.

On Wednesday we are headed to a private hospital! All week we are learning newborn care. So far we have only gotten up to pulling the placenta out, and now we actually get to think about caring for the baby and watching the mum and bub (the aussies shorten anything they can) connect. We will have the chance to palpate a placenta and learn recessatation. We are on the edge of our seats.

Cool.

Tomorrow Sarah and I present the need of Swaziland to the class. 47% of the country is infected with HIV/AIDS. It is estimated the country will die out by 2050. 70% of the people live on less than a dollar a day. I had no idea until about three weeks ago. God be the solution.

Well fam and friends, I hope to hear from you. It really makes my day.

it will be multiplied!

as of today, we are washing cars for $19 each! (aside from the money we will get from the car owner!)
paula-$2
melisa-$6
rachel-$7
connie-$4

praise the lord!

the last winter cafe is tonight!

I feel silly again writing a blog about how revolutionary the teaching has been, but it is looking that way again.

I think as long as we have a teachable heart, as long as we are open to recieve, as long as we are filtering people's views through the Bible, we will always be learning more and more.

This morning we had our final testimony shared. Over the past four weeks, each of us has shared our life story at small group. It has been in this time that we have seen breakthrough in one on one times (staff and student meetings), lectures and relationship. It also has to do with the progression of time, but there has been more depth and understanding coating the classroom as we learn about people's lives. I have rejoiced in my friends' redemption (and mine) endlessly. God is good. Amen?!

Anyway, I want to ask something of each of you. Would you be willing to sponsor me for our carwash this weekend? I am excited to have my friends involved with raising money for our outreach. Currently, we have seen 70,000 dollars come in, and now we need another 50,000. All of our money is due September 10. So far we are washing each car for 9 dollars! Yay! I want to see this quadrupled...atleast. Whether you can give 10 cents per car or 5 dollars per car, each bit counts. Please feel open in asking any questions!

In our financial prayer, it is often brought up, to be the persistent widow. To give of what we have, to be faithful in the small. I am convinced we will see our needs provided for, someway, somehow. We must be in a place of needing a miracle in order to see one happen.

One quick story before I post. About two weeks ago, my power adapter for my computer starting acting funny, you know, melting the plastic, smelling like you had put Glad-Ware on the bottom rack of the dish washer. It was actually so hot to touch, that I was avoiding plugging it in. I was imagining it exploding and then blasting out my computer screen. Anyway, Saturday morning, my cord spliced a three inch hole in itself. After the initial shock, I didn't know what to do. There is no Apple store, perhaps I could send it to Sydney? I wasn't sure if it was even worth the cost. Anyway, one of my roommates asked a fellow Mac user...and it turns out, a four minute walk away, is a store that honors Mac warranties. I walked over there on Monday, and by this morning had a brand new adapter. Thanks Jesus.

Anyway, guys, God is moving in Perth. How about the rest of the world? I would love to hear from you all! Thank you Sarah Park for your prayer request!

Just another day at the beach.

Yesterday was Sarah's birthday. It has gone around the other schools, that if you want a party, go to the BAS. Most of it has to do with the fact that we are the smallest school, less of us to get to know, lots of love to go around...

I am feeling unispired as I begin to hack away at my computer...

This week we have the Base Leader's husband is speaking. I guess the "base founder" would be a more concise way to decribe him. The topic is "Spiritual aspects of birth". We began the week by talking about death and suffering, most of which I am still pondering.

The problem with our incredibly deep lectures, is that I am still processing by the time another week rears its head too early Monday morning. Dr. Panter last week invested his heart into our classroom each day last week. Each morning he would begin by talking about what God has laid on his heart for the morning. Most of the week we talked about running the race, and finishing well. What struck me about Dr. Panter was his zealous heart for the Burmese people. It seeped into nearly every lecture, from Women in developing countries to S.I.D.s. His passion to bring change to Burma is invigorating. He has thrown off passivity and will not let even the hardest of the hard stop him.

One story that Dr. Panter shared has stuck with me. As he was overlooking the water, close to his home in the England, he humbly thought about the blessings in his life. He had completed his medical training, opened a personal practice, brought a new baby into the world...life was good...many people had told him and he agreed. He was truly helping people, whether during his 9-5 shift or on a Sunday morning while playing the organ at his church. As he gazed upon the waves, God asked him, "What do I think of your life?". This became a cornerstone for Dr. Panter. As he reinterated to us, God sees our motivations, God does not care about societal values, God cares about you living a life for Him.

I feel changed by this. I am still trying to take hold of it all.

On September 10, all of our outreach funds are due. Please continue to pray for strategy and release. And please, contact me with any new prayer requests.

I miss you, church family...you guys are the bestest.

the harvest is here. the kingdom in near.

What would happen if I no longer viewed the world through my own eyes but through God's lense? First off, things would look different, more specifically, I would have a broken heart, I would hate sin, I would that it was destroying relationship, hate that was it was destroying individuals...often times I forget to do that, when that happens, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) becomes sheer evil that needs to be eradicated, I forget that they too are God's people, they too have the promises from our God, they too are seeking to know "Is there a God? Does He love me? Is He Good? What on earth am I doing here? Why do I have to face this pain?". I forget that God's heart is for these men who rape children of their innocence, I forget that God's heart is in pieces for them because they chose to shot another women who refused to become a sex slave, I forget that God is pursuing them, just as hard as he is pursuing me.

And in my pride, I weep. Weep for our broken, broken world, that has been absolutely destroyed, that has absolutely turned its back on God. I weep because He has not stopped pursuing us, no matter how far we have gone.

We are meant for joy. Yet it is a rare occasion that people are filled with happiness and much more likely chance that we are stressed, overworked, tired and weary. Where is the joy? Where have we hidden it? Why have I traded such pitiful emotions for the smiles He delights in?

In my lamenting I have begun to challenge these thoughts, do I dare look at my life in the way that God looks at it?

and we are at the beginning of a new internet month.

:)
I am way past due for a blog update. I did send out an email update last week, does that count for something? The thing I don't like about missing an update is because I miss details, and that seriously agitates me when I can't share all the details.

This week we had an incredible teacher. Not only was he a guy (it is nice to get some testosterone in the classroom every once in a while, although it is more work because we have to put all our models away and turn over all the posters) but his heart is beating for the lost. He presented evangelism to us as a lifestyle. I have been longing for this, but I have not seen it lived out thoroughly. When I think of it as a lifestyle I start to think, "if it is a lifestyle, how will I ever have time to do anything else?" To Danny, we must be lead by the Holy Spirit. As he put it "Jesus walked through the crowds and didn't talk to everyone".

Danny began to softly share his story with us. His parents radically became Christians when he was seventeen. He had grown up hearing the stories of Jesus because his parents forced their kids into Sunday School each week since they wanted nice kids. This transition shook Danny up and he began to push it all away. All he ever wanted was a wife and babies he said, he ended up doing his nurses training and in his early twenties his girlfriend got pregnant. When she decided to abort the baby and rejected his proposal, he went over the edge. Long story short, Danny was doing intravenous drugs for six years. At the age of thirty he came to know the Lord, and essentially has dedicated his life to making God known.

Of course it is these powerful testimonies that people think are "real testimonies", but Danny rebuked those lies, and shared how each of have a different flavour of God in our lives. What we view God as, is what we will share God as. If we see God as our source of joy, that is what people will see God as, if we haven't spent time with God in two months, that is what people will see God as. On Thursday, Thursday night and Friday afternoon, as we proclaimed to the city of Perth, I saw each of our 31 Flavours (ok there aren't 31 of us) come out.

Anyway, we saw two people come to know jesus on Thursday night. Go God! And probably fifty people prayed for...Amen.

On Monday of this week, we had a woman from Denmark come to the base and share about herself. She challenged basically everyone's thinking. What stood out to me was "the Kingdom of God will violate the world". Evangelism is not normal. Going up and talking to people, is not comfortable. Telling people that "God talks to me, I believe he thinks you are beautiful" is not a light conversation. I need to be shaken from my cozy hide. I believe this began to happen a bit more this week. I want to be a violater.

Okay, thank you for praying for our carwashes. Last week, we made $510 and this weekend $770! Go God! We really saw a release of finances.

In the headlines of this week. Drumroll please...we will be headed to Indonesia for 2 months, Cameroon for 4 months and then Sudan for 2 months. Thank you for all your prayers! We are all VERY excited for our locations and KNOW they are ordained by God.

This has been a week of the Holy Spirit moving. God is so cool.

Some prayer requests:
-I have about a fourth of my outreach fund! Praise God! I need approximately 6,000 more dollars. Pray for a release.
-We need to submit our base fundraiser sometime this week...it will take some time to compile it. Please pray for ideas, motivation and a release!

and so it is...

That Australia has limited bandwidth. Therefore, it takes forever to upload anything. My plans to blog when I have time have been crushed quickly with the slow dial-up speed internet, that seems a bit oxymoronesque, quickly with slow...hahaha. Now when it is moving, I don't have time. Eeek. Anyway, soon and very soon I will have time to write when the internet is moving along. Just to drop you a line though, I am alive.

Just Photos...Thanks dad, I recieved the camera cord.

This is in King's Park! It is comparable to Central Park in New York...it is gargantuan.

We trusted God for $1200 for twelve new mattresses at the base. Between us and two other schools we raised all the money needed! Go God! God spoke to Sarah and asked her to cut her hair and sell it. She received $120. I got the last brush in just minutes before the chopping...

This is me becoming Australian. Robyn is a genuine Aussie, she is here completing the school with 5 of her 6 kids, mother and student. Her husband homeschools during the day and she covers the afternoons.

Sarah (with short hair!) from the U.S. via Peru, Melisa from B.C., Canada, Sarah; one of our staff, from Connecticut, Connie, from Norway.

This is my birthday table. Micah is the wee-one, child of Darcy (she is staring at him) our school leader, then me, then Melisa, then Connie, then Anna from Sweden and Guatemala, then Robyn, then Sarah.

Connie and I consuming Snapper and Chips...I thought halibut was everywhere. I am so ethnocentric.

Apparently Anna doesn't like being seen with us...she is in none of the photos. I promise, we love and include her.

Yahweh...

This week was rather heart-wrenching. As we pursued the topic of "unity", each person seemed to walk away feeling like we have a ways to go in order to attain this Biblical unity. We explored the relationships that we have and are just beginning. I am afraid my life will continually consist of people sharing information with me and following, I will feel as if I have lived a lie for the previous twenty years. Allow me to explain a couple tidbits...

Independence: This is something I have viewed as strength, wisdom and of the utmost importance. Lie number one is revealed. Our society has been feeding me these lies, and let me tell you, I have been chewing on them for years and years. I was awakened to hear that me pulling away, wanting to complete tasks on my own were destroying unity. I have thought it to be efficient to complete jobs on my own, but was reminded there is power in works being completed as a family. So although it may not be quick, it is against the ways of the enemy...revelation...convicting...Another note on this, alone time. Let me direct our attention to Genesis 2:18, "it is not good for man to be alone..." This shook me, not only is it not a good thing for me to be alone because I wasn't created this way, I don't have a right to it. I catch myself saying "I just want to be alone", "I just need God and me time", "If I could just find a few moments...", when really, this is part of taking up my cross, letting go of myself, I do not have any right to have alone time.

Sharing Burdens: I have consistently viewed this as weakness. As Colleen shared with us, again I felt convicted. By me, holding onto whatever it is I am gripping, I am not allowing others in, therefore slowing down any chance of people getting to know me, therefore not letting them feel like they can open up to me...viscious cycle. I found this well illustrated in a quote;

"You will ever understand the other person unless they reveal themself to you. They will never reveal themself to you unless they trust you, They will never trust you until they know you. They will never know you until you reveal yourself to them." -Tom Marshall

I think this is part of being weak so God can be strong.

In all of this, I am compelled to fall on my face. In all my shortcomings, God is wooing me. He has bestowed hope within me. He wants to change the world with me. God's character is beaming through all the darkness. I have messed up with friends, he brings hope. I have broken communication, he gives hope. I have hindered unity, he is offering even more hope.

His glory cannot possibly be contained. The mountains will bow at his feet. The oceans will roar. My friends, I have fallen deeply in love with My Lord.

Breaking into a new decade.

This weekend I turned twenty. Who would have thought I could get this old? I feel much more mature now saying "I am twenty". There is a difference between 19 and 20. Probably it's that I no longer have to say nine-TEEN. The world's perception of teenagers has made me excited to no longer be coupled with "bad drivers" and "irresponsible-credit-card-holders". All in all though, age is more something for a driver's license than anything else. If I have learned anything in my years of living, it is that age is only a measure for statistics, and should not ever hold us from what we want to do or God is telling us to do.

The morning of Saturday, July 26th, began with an exuberant girl waking up and tearing open an envelope from a certain someone who had sent a certain something along with a certain Bekah before she left a certain day. I couldn't wait! I had stared at the envelope pinned up to my bulletin board for 23 days before I was allowed to even consider opening it. Although, I must confess, I did think about opening and resealing...it was only briefly, and then I remembered how my mom snuck into her parents room before Christmas one year and had to fake that suprise when she "saw her gifts for the first time". Anyway, for the record, I couldn't even tell what was in the envelope by the time I had opened it because my eyes were still REMing. After a quick dash to the loo, I came back and stared at the lovely photo from my dear friend. I called him to tell him how thankful and excited I was for his artistic ability, and he didn't answer. I think he is screening my calls. My roommates wouldn't let me leave the room, so I thought, "I will call my family!". Hahah, after no one answered their phones, I called my dad's cell phone. Old faithful. Even if we can only talk for ten minutes, it was better than not talking to them at all. The conversations with Dad and Sarah began with "What are you doing today?" and I explained, "well, it's my birthday." The time change, never gets old. Once I was released into the base, I smelled a tantalizing fragrance, that can only be described as chocolate chip pancakes. A little taste of Saturday mornings at the Dinneen household, only complete with mom saying "Please make a couple without chocolate chips." What lovely friends. They had decorated a table with items from the Salvation Army bin (one man's trash is another's treasure). We had an abundance of breakfast and we were able to share with our Sports DTS friends. Slowly we were a group of 13 surrounding a six person table. It was a morning to remember. Later in the day Melisa and went into the city for bubble tea, then we had my dinner table, dessert at Darcy's house and then a sleepoveer.

The highlight of the day was after lame-non-Seattle Bubble Tea. Melisa and I rushed back to the base to meet all of our school mates and staff. We were headed to Kangaroo Island. It had been described to me as "a fenced in area with kangaroos roaming". I thought it sounded interesting, I probably would've described it as a marsupial zoo though. Anyway, we arrived at the island, which actually was a peninsula, and began filing into a fenced area. I was thinking "Okay, it is a fenced area, doubled fenced so that kangaroos don't get out". While I was discussing my brilliant revelation with someone, someone shouts "hey, there's one!". I look for the other fence...and then I get it. "Wait, are WE fenced in WITH the kangaroos?" Slowly we started closing in on the 100 meters between us and the roos. I was fascinated, taking video of little specks hopping around. We were able to get closer and closer, I was shocked. Soon we were nearly 10 meters away. I was snapping photos, posing like them, simply enamored. This was not like the zoo at all. One by one, people were getting within a meter or two of them. I was started to get a bit leary...Thinking back to Animal Planet, watching the stupid tourists attract Kangaroos with dried banana chips, and before you know the get slapped acrossed the face and are out $30,000 for plastic surgery bills, not to mention they were only able to enjoy Australia for 12 hours. So I was not planning on getting any closer. Robyn had a different plan. She grabbed me by the hand and lead me to the grazing kangaroo. Before I knew it, I was letting it sniff my hand and then stroking it's cuddly fur. Who would have thought? I practically embraced a kangaroo the first time I ever saw one. Woah...I am almost Australian.

Anyway, a memorable day nonetheless...I guess I am stating the obvious at this point.

i was thinking i should not tell you what the stench was...but then again...

I thought about exaggerating my story, but that would be lying. So in lieu of a legendary story, it was mildewed clothes. I do insist, none of us had smelled clothes this bad. They had been placed in a plastic sack, soaking, for 4 days, then taken out, left in a corner until our discovery. It is strange, Anna is rather mother-like (in the most nurturing way possible) and makes sure our room is tidy and swept. So sometime between the morning room checks and tea break, Sarah's younger sister had dumped her revolting pjs in our room. A dead rat would have been just as exciting, I was just as positive as Steve that something such as a rat or marsupial had died.

This week has been nothing short of world-shaking. Monday we did A&P of the Pelvis and then Tuesday A&P of the Placenta. How powerful it is to learn God's detail through the lense of God's eyes, not an overworked Professor's eyes. I have appreciated my year of sciences at EvCC, but to sit in a classroom, where the five other students are just as fascinated by the function of the Chorion being God's provision as I am, is incredible. Often in conclusion of lecture, we will talk about God's Character in pregnant women. The way women change, how their brains know exactly what is going on and being changing the body, I come to a loss for words, it is an awe summoning image of God bringing new life into this shattered world when a baby is developing in the woman.

This week for two days, and our first week of lectures, we have had Jules speak to us. Jules graduated from med school at the age of 22 from the UK. Either she is brilliant or the system is slightly different, probably a combination of both. She came into YWAM at the age of 24, and since then has been involved with the healthcare focus here at YWAM Perth. She believes that doctors can specialize in missions and this October will be pioneering the DRS, Doctors Reaching School. I have been blessed in the way that she humbly imparts her wisdom and love for healthcare to us. At the end of her lectures, she would ask us, "What have learned about God's character?"

Since Wednesday we have teamed up with the July DTS (Discipleship Training School) as they have been learning about the character of God. Chris Adams leads the School of Worship here at Perth, he reminds me of my cousin Keith. Some people giggled when they heard we had just been learning about the Placenta on Tuesday and then God's Character on Wednesday, but we BASers just looked at eachother and smiled, knowing we have been learning about His character since day one, just in a bit more of an anatomical perspective.

I feel awoken. We are in a broken world. All of our sins are affecting the people around us, who then sin because of what we have done to them, who then hurt others, who hurt their kids, who hurt their grandchildren. God is divinely patient. Waiting to bring us to heaven. But giving us a chance to witness to the world. Arise church, there is urgency. Shake yourself from your cozy little hide. There is urgency. This is the now. Love people like you have never loved. Reach out. Sow generously. I must know God and make Him known. These past three days have been tearful, exhausting, yet this is the beginning.

In a couple hours we have Friday Night Meeting. This is another all-base time, where we meet as the base and invite the community, essentially a church service. I look forward to these times, to open the doors, worship together. The wash machines are now available for use, so I am off.

Family and Friends, thanks for your comments, I look forward to reading the tidbits. Please keep me updated on you.

Oh right quick, a couple of prayer requests.
-Our speaker for next week cancelled due to sickness, she has been battling Typhoid recently.
-Outreach fees are due Sept. 10 (a bit sooner than I expected, but God knew all along).
-I am a cold sore mess, please pray against sickness.

Palpation Station.

I can't believe this is it. I am here. I am in Perth. I think it is finally real. Tonight we watched a moving clip with women in India and Kenya. They shared about lives that had been lost because of no skilled attendant to help their mother, aunt, sister. 600,000 deaths occur in pregnancy evary year, 98% in the developing world. These 8 minutes brought me "to", I am here. God, I will see this changed.

Mondays are quite busy for us, worship, lecture, lunch, work duties, assessment, dinner, presentations. Before presentations last night though, we had a special treat for some exhausted students, a pregnant woman! It seems as if our school studies about this species all the time, but we never actually seem them. When Marika walked into the room, we were all but shrilling. Darcy demonstrated palpation techniques on her. We listened to the fetal heart, guessed her gestation (we were two days off!) and learned the dos and don'ts of it all. Ahhh, it was a moment I will not forget. Palpation will be something we regularly do while holding antenatal clinics. Late last week we conducted a "clinic", including testing urine/haemoglobin, millions of questions, vitals, nutrition education, and much more. It was like adding the missing puzzle piece to have a real fetus and mother and see the palpation. I was on cloud nine.

Every Tuesday and Friday we have base intercession. This morning as we seeked out God's heart for us to pray, there was unity in our small group of four to pray out protection, declare victory and repress the enemy. I am just in awe of the power and authority we have in Christ. To see what happens when we set aside time to seek God for his heart. We had a beautiful time of declaring God's Character over the world, Australia, Perth, us. Seek first his face.

I think it should be at the end of next week when we find out where we are going on outreach. For sure, we will be going to Jakarta, Indonesia. The other places are still unclear. We are waiting on communication stuff.

Yesterday, I walked into our room and immediately had to leave. What had died in our room? I was positive Tod Packer had sent us a mystery parcel. Throughout the day, during breaks, we walked into the room with our shirts over our faces. We would search for the stench as long as we could stay in the room. Finally, before dinner, we found it. "It". Perhaps I should wait until the next post...Any guesses?