Brooke's Australia Adventure Update, Winter 2014, August 6, 2014

Brooke’s Australia Adventure Update – Winter 2014, August 6, 2014

Greetings friends,

Romans 12:13 “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.”

This past few months for our family has been filled with seeking to practice hospitality and receiving the abundant gifts that come when you open your home and lives to others. At the same time, we have also been privileged to receive some hospitality as well. The scripture above talks about need, in our first world context we don’t often like to consider that we might be the ones in need, but indeed the way we are born as dependent little babies ensures that we are in dependent relationships from the start. I recognise that both our ability to give and our need to receive at times connects us to one another in ways much more personal than simply financial transactions and our lives are richer for these exchanges. Our first fun visitor was our new Papi – Abe from Virginia. Abe came to Sydney for the Rotary International Convention in May and he had gotten in touch through mutual friends asking for suggestions for accommodation when he was coming. We actually live not far from the Sydney Olympic site where the conference was being held, and since I was a former Rotary scholar and the recipient of so much Rotary goodwill, we offered him our guest room. After many conversations with him prior to his arrival, I picked him up at the airport early on a Tuesday morning and discovered what a gem of a brother in Christ he is. It turns out we have more than a few mutual friends from many different parts of the world and we enjoyed 10 days of fun adventures and sharing with him. Our children particularly were blessed by his generosity and kindness as he had brought them many fun books and toys from the US and loved having them perched on his knee as he read to them. I always seem to appreciate Sydney and the life we have more when we are able to share it with friends from far off. Abe’s visit also allowed me to have a little more to do with the Rotary world and I attended the Alumni gathering at the Convention and also accompanied Abe to the House of Friendship and a local Rotary meeting while he was here which helped me remember all the good times I shared during my time as a scholar and helped me consider how I might still remain involved.

Hebrews 13:2 “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.”

After such a successful time sharing life and home with Abe in May and June, I was contacted through my position at Young Life by a university student from the University of Tennessee, Bayli, who was coming to study at Macquarie University for a study abroad semester. She was interested in serving alongside our Young Life team in Ryde during her time in Sydney since she was very involved in her team in Knoxville. As we began our correspondence it became evident she had been unable to secure housing yet and asked if I knew of any families that might be able to house her and that she particularly would be willing to help with children. Brendan and I prayed about it and offered her our home for as little or as long as she chooses to share it while she is here. She has been with us now for just over two weeks and has been a great blessing to our lives and family. She truly does love children and it is wonderful to see Jeremiah so excited to say hello to Bayli in the morning and play with her American coins on her bed as she teaches him the name for quarter, nickel and dime and run around with her torch (flashlight in American terms). She also gratefully is a massive dog lover, and Kimba has certainly been blessed to have lots of cuddles from her. I feel so grateful that we have a space we could offer and I’ve reflected much in the past few weeks of having Bayli stay with us on how well I was received when I moved to Australia and how much of a blessing it was to find family on the opposite side of the globe. I love that God’s family is so big and really we are brothers and sisters and can help one another out and not only give, but receive also when we choose to open our hearts and lives to others.

1 Thessalonians 2:8 “Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well.”

One of the ways I have received hospitality recently was on a trip to Spain I made in May. I had a very good phone conversation with the Young Life Mid-European Area Director Dave in March concerning our plans to move to Macedonia in 2015 and about what the ministry of Young Life was hoping to do in that nation. We spoke very excitedly about the whole region of the Balkans and the vision the Lord had planted on his and others’ hearts. It was indeed a very timely conversation and stirred us both up. From that conversation Brendan and I were invited to attend the Young Life All European Staff Conference held in Spain in May and meet the people in the region and see what God is doing. Unfortunately due to work commitments, Brendan was unable to go but we prayed and felt peace that I should go and see. As we’ve been following a number of confirmations this year from the Lord I decided I would get back in touch with some friends from the Balkans I had visited years ago, Dimitar and his sister Mariyana who had hosted me so well in Bulgaria in 2008. When I did this to my surprise I found Mariyana was now living in Barcelona, the very city I would fly into for the conference and she was available to meet me, host me and share her city and life with me when I came in. What a blessing! She was such a wonderful first contact when I arrived after travelling nearly 23 hours from Sydney – the first such trip of such a distance and time away from my children. I received such joy walking around the city with her and catching up on life from the past 6 years and our hopes and dreams for the future. Then, I travelled to Platja d’Oro for the Young Life conference and although I arrived not knowing anyone, by the time I left less than a week later I had enjoyed fellowship with around 250 amazing believers from over 20 nations in Europe and been able to catch a glimpse of what is happening in those nations. Some truly deep friendships began as well as some unexpected reunions of old friends from Washington, DC that happened to be there to pray and encourage people and I definitely benefited from that wisdom and prayer. This trip was a discernment trip to both allow me to experience what the mission of Young Life has been and is doing in Europe, particularly the Mid-European region of which Macedonia and the Balkan nations are included in, as well as a time for me to meet and connect and share vision and life with those serving in these nations to see if there was a synergy between us and potential to work together. I believe there is. A great outcome from the trip was for this adventure of the dream of going to Macedonia becoming a more sober reality by even taking the 21 hours of air travel and realising really what a massive move it is we are attempting to make. People often remarked on what a big move it was we were undertaking, but one question really caused me to pause... I was asked what I am most afraid about in this move. I honestly had not been considering fear, but only seeing it as a big adventure and something that had been bubbling inside Brendan and I since we met, but the question of fear caused me to pause and search my heart. Was there any fear? What came to me was the absolute joy I know my children have in their relationship with their grandparents and how much I love to see the way they are cared for by them so well each week. A move this far where it is expensive and difficult to make would mean obviously we would not be as close geographically and the relationship would be harder to maintain its intimacy. I also was sobered by the reality that potentially this move is the next season of our life, probably not just a short-term adventure, but that if we get involved in ministry especially a year will just be a chance to learn language and culture, but to really make an impact we need to be thinking longer term. This scared me too as everyone – our children, the family here in Australia, will age and again relationships will change. Upon my return this was the thought running through my head that coupled with jet lag wouldn’t allow me to sleep... so I got up and opened up the Bible, here is the passage I read:

Matthew 10:37-39 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.”

 This passage comes from a larger address Jesus is making to his disciples as he is preparing to send them out to do the work he prepared for them. It resonated so clearly within me that I don’t need to fear, but to trust and follow Jesus above all else and our life will be much more valuable than if we hold on to what we think holds value in our life. The amazing blessing was when I shared some of my thoughts with my mother in law, she was completely confirming of our calling to go and that she and her husband had been praying and also felt it was to be a longer assignment. She wasn’t holding us back but affirming and blessing, God is so good! There is much to prepare and still much to do here in Sydney, but it does feel as if God is clearly leading and guiding us on our path.

Isaiah 26:3 “You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.”

On the home front Christabelle celebrated her first birthday in May and has started walking like a pro, as well as climbing or standing on anything she can (her high chair is a particular daunting favourite). She continues to be a smile-ly delight and has began the habit of singing all the time – in her cot at night, in the car and her favourite song taught to her by her nana while I was in Spain is “Gallump Goes the Little Green Frog.” She knows the claps and actions and really loves signing it and also along to Collin Buchanan as we drive. She also keeps learning new words like ‘juice’, ‘ball’ and attempts “pwease” and mleko – the Macedonian word for milk. Jeremiah has had an eventful winter as we’ve been potty training and he really has mostly mastered this skill. He especially enjoys the chocolates and lolly incentives we’ve been giving as they are irregular treats. He also delights our visitors with his questions and declarations, Bayli thinking him to be very funny and random when he shouts, “I’m a boy!” They are both very social and we are delighted to parent them and share them with others. Brendan and I share five years of marriage coming up on the 15^th of August and it is wonderful to reminisce about all that God has done in the past seven and a half years of bringing us together and the unity and fruitfulness of the five years of marriage. Of course it is a continual decision each day to work together and communicate about what is happening in our lives as well and most of all to love. I am so incredibly blessed to have him as my husband and the father to our children. He cares for us so generously and sacrificially. We’re looking forward to having a night away in the Hunter Valley to celebrate and I continually thank my in-laws for generously caring for our children.

Isaiah 64:4 “Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.”

There has been much else happening with Young Life: leaders coming and going; Northern Sydney area closing; Northern Leaders Retreat; new outreaches on the verge of being birthed; etc. I feel this update is already so long so if you would like to know more Young Life news, please e-mail me and I can send you our latest newsletter or prayer calendar.

Life is also full with involvement in our new C3 Silverwater Church as I’ve started helping out with a playgroup for mum’s and young children each week and continue to enjoy the fellowship of the Care Service lunch afterwards with different members of the community. Brendan and I have joined a Connect group and are excited about the friendships we’ve been building from the church. Truly, our lives are full and our cups overflow.

Thank you for journeying with us and for your prayers for us in this season. 

 Blessings and love, Brooke