Brooke's Australia Adventures Update #2

Brooke’s Australia Adventure Update #2 – Sunday, April 1, 2007

Dear friends,

I must start out by just saying how amazing is the grace and the love that the Lord gives us? His mercies are new every morning and great is His faithfulness. Even in our sin, he sent Christ to die for us – what marvelous truths! My friends these past few weeks for me have shown me again and again how weak I am and how much in need of a Savior, as well as love, and that I cannot do anything good on my own. To be honest I have felt a little anxious at times, confused about my purpose here and wondering if anything I was doing was going to come to any good, but I am discovering that in the midst of the confusion of hard times and in my weakness, God’s strength is still available and His plans will remain firm, regardless of what I do or don’t do…

“Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus
Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free…”
Song titled “Oh, the Deep, Deep Love of Jesus”

When I first moved here to Australia, although I had felt confirmed over and over again in the decision to come and was excited at the prospect of the adventure, it was still a bit challenging to get settled once actually in Newcastle. I was finding myself not feeling like I fit in, or that I felt insecure about my ability to do the work well. I became overwhelmed by the question of finances and things that were left undone back home and frustrated by the complexities of living in a new environment where I had to rebuild everything – a sense of spiritual community, a purpose in the relationships around me, social capital in terms of finding needed resources and it was difficult to know where to turn to for the support I needed – my family and friends were 15 hours away as well as calling numerous calling card codes to get through… it was hard. It was also confusing to feel like I was beginning to feel a real sense of connection with the friends in Sydney and the community there, but to live in Newcastle and want to dig in here as well… But, I must say, I am starting to find that the Lord has sent friends along the way to help me not feel so alone and that although my expectations of how the Lord would provide may be different than what it is, it is still good.

Lamentations 3:22 & 23
“Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”

Let me give one example… So, I found myself the first bit in Newcastle spending a lot of time waiting for buses or having to take taxis late at night because of the public transportation system, but knew I wouldn’t be able to afford a car and even thought a part-time job would be nice, but that too would require a car and how could all that come together. Well, I shouldn’t have stayed up that night worrying because help came in the form of two Rotarians, one of whom owns a used car dealership and the other who owns a gym… needless to say a month later I am so much grateful to these two generous and patient gentlemen for all their help to get me mobile and working to earn some extra money. I have been on a steep learning curve here in Australia in many ways and learning to drive on the opposite side of the road, using roundabouts and other rules of the road and driving a manual shift car are three of the biggest! I don’t know when I have felt so alive as I felt the day I was learning in the rain to do an uphill start in a manual car with a Rotarian coaching me from the passenger seat… it was incredible to drive back that day the 30-45 minute drive relying on memory directions and see that indeed – even if I did stall out in a roundabout, I could get myself home safely in a foreign country! The job has also given me room to learn and grow. A few days a week, on the days I don’t have class or after class, I head over to the gym to work with children in the crèche (day care) or on in the pool helping them learn how to swim. It is quite an adventure and allows me to have a more well-rounded experience in Australia by meeting children, parents and families that I wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to know at the university and gives me much needed money to travel and see the country on school breaks.

There have been so many other learning experiences here that range from learning how to water ski and knee board, to have the opportunity to speak to many Rotarians at a district conference. These have been affirming, invigorating experiences and yet also these chances show me how far I have to grow. I do feel as though I am growing and am being given amazing opportunities and that others are investing in me, and my time, here in Australia and for that I am grateful.

One exciting service project I am able to help with is to coordinate the National Student Leadership Forum on Faith and Values (NSLF) community service project in Canberra. I have helped with the NSLF in the US for many years with this particular portion of the Forum and it is a gift to be able to explore in a more hands on way what the particular needs of the community in Canberra (Australia’s capital city) are like compared with my work with the needy of Washington, DC. I am also excited to see how students in Australia are impacted by the service component that made such a huge impact on me at my first forum – the Florida Student Leadership Forum back in 2000 in Tallahassee, FL. I see so many of my life decisions and opportunities stemming back to attending that forum that one weekend seven years ago, and it is my absolute honor to continue to give back to a forum of similar vision and caliber that served me so long ago. If you are interested in learning about the Forum here in Australia, check out: www.nslf.org.au and please keep the team and I in prayer as we prepare for the Forum to take place in Canberra, May 31-June 3, 2007.

“I don’t know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know; the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve.”
- Albert Schweitzer 1875-1965 French philosopher and medical doctor to the people of equatorial Africa

These past few weeks have been filled with learning in so many different forms and although I first felt when I came that I wanted to give myself time and grace to get adjusted, I began to feel a little impatient with myself or my lack of feeling like I belonged. Part of the reason was that I am involved in an intense master’s program and the majority of the study abroad students around me living at International House are here just for the semester to party and have fun and I was feeling like I couldn’t connect with them, as I wasn’t going out like they were. Then, I was visiting churches but not sure where I was going to fit, and was away so much with a Rotary conference or a project or down to Sydney that I felt it wasn’t all going to click. But I am feeling more centered now even though not much has changed as I have decided to rest in the uncertainties and the messiness of some of the questions that don’t have easy answers. I have decided it is okay to go out a bit with the people I live with and even if I mess up, see what God is going to do even through that. I have been humbled by my lack of confidence in my own strength, but I have seen Him in even more strong, gentle, humble and beautiful forms through this season… I am learning so much through my program as well and yet as you learn more about the causes of poverty and the different theories that have set out to address the root issues, you begin to learn how much has gone wrong and how the ideologies that have sought to shape things for the better have made things much worse… it can also be depressing, but I have been again trying to take these frustrations back to the Lord and ask for a renewal of vision for why I am here and studying and how it can be applied to serve His kingdom purpose.

Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

One way I am going to try and live out both the Rotary’s ideal of: Service above Self and Jesus’ call to the least of these that motivates my studies is to go to Thailand on my break between semesters. I am going from June 15-July 11, 2007. Many of you may know that my heart has been breaking for this country for a few years now and I am very excited to firsthand be able to experience the country and seek to learn how organizations are serving the people. Specifically, I will be serving organizations working with women who are either currently involved or just coming out of the sex trade. This is a huge industry in Southeast Asia and I first learned about the trafficking of women and children into this industry when I was studying in my undergraduate years at Flagler and had spent a summer serving in Costa Rica in 2000 and was amazed to see what was happening. I will be serving my first two weeks in Bangkok with a ministry called NightLight (http://www.nightlightbangkok.com/). I am in the process of applying for the last week or so with another organization in Chiang Mai that would give me the opportunity to see how different gospel-centered ministries serve the women and children of different communities on this major issue, a modern slavery issue alive in the world today. As this year marks the 200th year anniversary of the end of the British slave trade and the movie “Amazing Grace” hits the theaters with the story of William Wilberforce and the Clapham sect and their ability to help fight this horrendous issue, I realize though much has been done, there are still over 27 million slaves in the world today (in differing forms) and if I can, I want to do what I can to end part of it. I am looking so forward to this learning experience and truly see it as a discernment trip to see whether the Lord would be leading me there more long-term in the future post-grad. Would you please pray for me as I prepare mentally and spiritually for this trip and if you are interested in helping cover some of the costs of my travel, please e-mail me directly about this.

“Think about yourself as a little seed planted in rich soil. All you have to do is stay there and trust that the soil contains everything you need to grow. This growth takes place even when you do not feel it. Be quite, acknowledge your powerlessness, and have the faith that one day you will know how much you have received.”
- Henri Nouwen, “The Inner Voice of Love”

As I write this on Palm Sunday, I am entering into my last week before a much-needed 2-week holiday from school (I know, you are thinking, didn’t she just start?). It is true that I have just started but I am excited to use this time to travel around Australia a bit, and hopefully get ahead (not just keep up) with the studies I am entered into. I will be traveling to Adelaide, Melbourne and Canberra during the break and getting to visit different friends and make new ones with people through the NSLF as well as Rotary. Please pray that I will be able to rest and feel renewed and not overwhelmed when I come back to finish this first semester up strong with the projects and papers that will be in the second half. Pray also that I would continue to trust and just be in the places I am taken and learn how to live fully in the moment I am in. Thank you for your gift of friendship, even at a distance.

Much love,
Brooke

For photos that accompany the journey – check out the blog at: www.brookesintladventures.blospot.com