October Bliss

Well this past month we had an opportunity to work with another church up in Brisbane, Queensland. We were up there for 3 weeks in which one week of that was a Holiday. We were able to do so much for that church there like putting on a mini VBS on the first Sunday we were there. Also during the week we had the honor of visiting a few of their elderly couples who had AMAZING stories to share with us. We did some letter boxing with the church's flyers and met some people through the neighborhoods. Not to mention on our letter boxing days we got to go swimming and cool off:) It has been getting SO hot here lately and it's not even summer yet! The church up there was so amazing and encouraging for us. Although I love the church here in Gosford it was nice to get away for a couple weeks and meet more of our brothers and sisters in Australia. Now the congregation up there is looking to get an AIM team which is SO awesome!:) Our co-ordinator keeps getting emails and cards in the mail with nothing but good talk about us AIMers:) It's good to hear that we're making good impacts on the people here even if we think we're not really doing much. One of the main ministries here for us as Americans is forming relationships in which I guess we're doing good in:)haha. This past month has really been an eye opener for me in many ways. I'm so glad that God gave me the opportunity to come here and show these people Jesus. Thank you all for helping me follow that plan of God's for me. THIS month has really been off to a good start with getting back into our girls devo with the teen girls, going to Ladies class, University and Donnison St. this Friday. Today I got to be part of an AIM presentation to this AIM class to come here. We had a lot of fun on web cam with that one and getting to see everyone back in Lubbock was pretty cool. Please keep them all in your prayers as they write down their choices next week of where they would like to go. Thank you all for keeping me in your prayers<3.>

Goodbye to Kiwis<3

I have had the most AMAZING week with the youth group from New Zealand! They have encouraged me in SO many ways. This past week we have worked hard together cleaning up yards, we helped a lady move out of her house and put her stuff in storage, visited elderly members and helped with Donnison St. This past weekend we drove 12 hrs to Melbourne for a camp called Revive which was an uplifting day, but honestly I got more from hanging out with these kids all week then I did at that camp. This youth group is so open and awesome. I pray for the youth group we have been working with to open up to us, but it's really hard getting close to them. God knows what he's doing and I don't doubt that for a minute. These kids that came over hopefully were able to lift up the youth group here:) We had to say goodbye tonight after an AWESOME 10 days with them. This Friday my teammates and Matt all go up to Brisbane to work with a church there for 2 weeks. There we will be having a small VBS for the kids on the first Sunday we arrive. Our theme is "The Wall of Jericho." It should be HEAPS fun:) Everyday we will be visiting members of the church and on Wednesday nights we will be teaching the childrens classes:) I can't wait! Thank you all for supporting me in this mission God has me on in Australia<3.>

Dani on Red Bull<3

Wow.. So this past week has flown by so fast it seems like. This Saturday the youth group from New Zealand will be here which is so exciting:) We're going to be doing a lot with them and bringing them to their service projects, making them lunch everyday and then next weekend we head down to Melbourne for a camp called REVIVE. I'm looking forward to it myself:) This past weekend we went to a masquarade engagement party which was quite fun. When we went to the Uni church on Sunday night I met this guy whos wife used to live in Alaska! It was pretty cool to talk to them because they just got back from America and hearing all about their adventures was neat. Well this past Monday went really good with the girls devo. They really seem to be opening up to us and talking a lot more on a personal level. These girls really encourage me and keep me on my toes at the same time:) I've also had to say some really sad goodbyes this past week as some of our closest friends here left. Billy flew out last week and then this morning Sarah flew out. Please continue to pray for them as they still have a lot of immagration papers to do and will be away from each other anywhere from 3 to 6 months. Today was a REALLY good day for me. We all went to visit this elderly guy named John and all he likes us to do is sing sing sing:) It was fun! His face lights up and he gets this really big smile when we're singing. I love old people:)lol. I don't really remember what other big events has happened since my last blog, but if I remember I'll write more:) So tonight we watched this really good movie called "Freedom Writers" and if you haven't seen it, you should. It's one of my new favs<3.>

Breaking a couch...

Tonight was one of those bittersweet moments because it was our last night to see our "Dad" here. He gave us hugs and told us words of encouragement that I'll never forget. I know God has other plans for Billy and Sarah and that it's never a goodbye, it's SEE YOU LATER:) If nothing else, we'll see each other in Heaven! Tonight was full of memories that will last forever along with some funny ones, thanks to Matt:) Well ever since Billy and Sarah have been married they have been house sitting for an older couple who are away on Holiday. Now they have a very beautiful house full of beautiful things along with some pretty expensive furniture. We were all saying goodbyes because we were the last ones who were leaving and Matt had a great idea to instead of normally just sitting down on the couch it was more like fall into the couch and he pretty much broke it, but it was hilarious! Right after we heard the "crack" mom aka: Sarah yelled from downstairs "What just happened?" (but she said it like 4 times) until running up the stairs to find all of us just staring at the now slanted couch. It's actually kind of funny how out of all people... it was Matt. Well tomorrow some of us are going to visit this guy named John who just recently moved to a new retirement village. We're going to see how he's settling in:) Kinda cool how now we have the opportunity to ask "How are you settling in?" instead of us getting asked that. I guess it's true the older you get the faster time goes by:) I got to talk to Breanna today which really helped me. It was good for both of us to hear a familiar voice from a person we love so much. Well tomorrow is coming fast and I still have to write in my journal and read God's word before I shut these tired little eyes. Lately I have been reading Psalms and Proverbs and I really recommend reading them together. It's been very encouraging for me, maybe it will be for you too:) Tomorrow night we have Donnison St so please keep all those people who come for that dinner in your prayers<3i>

Family<3

I've recently mentioned Billy and Sarah for prayers. This week is Billy's last week and then the following week Sarah leaves. Well us AIMers call them our parents:) and we joke about how our parents are "abandoning" us here..lol. Even though it's sad, I know God has other plans for them. Please continue to keep them in your prayers<3>

Proverbs 27:10

So this past week has been pretty good. It's been a little hard because the two main people who I usually talk to and get encouragement from are gone for awhile, but I found an amazing verse to help me. It's Proverbs 27:10 and it totally fits my situation. It's interesting how I found this verse at the time of need, God really does work in mysterious ways and he proves that to me ALL the time it seems like:) I'm really looking forward to this weekend because a newly engaged couple are having an "engagement" party and the theme is a masquarade. It should be pretty fun! So me and Jessi have this guitar that we found in one of our closets when we moved in and we make up these songs.. it's pretty fun. Maybe someday I'll actually learn to play it though:)haha. Last night we had the teen girls over for our weekly Monday night devo and it went really good. We're starting a purity talk with them from a book called Sexy Girls How Hot Is Too Hot. I gave them WWJD braclets to start the class off with. Well we're going to go buy something to drink cuz we're like 99.9% parched:) I'll write more later! Take care and God bless! LOVE YOU ALL<3

Philippians 1:21 <3

September is off to a wonderful start:) We have been helping this lady named Nyree at her house. With cleaning, doing laundry and giving her someone to talk to. We will usually go over there around 9am and stay until her daughter needs to be picked up from school. It has been really humbling for me to help her. It isn't easy asking for help when you aren't used to it so I'm just so glad that I'm here and able to help her with what she needs. This past Monday we had to cancel our teen girls Bible study because we got stuck in Newcastle. The next train that returned to Gosford was at 4:30 and thats when we usually start the Bible study. It was a bummer but Lord willing theres still next Monday. Yesterday we went to the Uni and Jessi and Courtney met a girl who was from the Outback! It's so interesting that where I come from we're used to Moose in our yard, but here she has Kangaroos in her yard:) Pretty cool huh? Last night for dinner we made taco salad for the congregation and it was SO good:) It's one of my favorites. Tonight we're having Matt (AIMer from last years class) over for dinner along with our friends Billy and Sarah. Matt leaves the field at the end of November, but Billy and Sarah are leaving us like next week. Billy and Sarah were recently married in July and are trying to move to America. Sarah is from Oklahoma, but since Billy is from Scotland they are having problems with migration so please keep them in your prayers so their move to America can go smoothly. I hope everyones week is going awesome and your all turning to God! Keep the Faith<3>

About August

This month started out a little slow, but picked up pretty fast. Before we knew it we were doing something everyday which doesn't happen very often (as you know if your a missionary). Sometimes we can find it very frustrating being in a big place, but with nothing to do. Without having our visas it has made it even harder, because we can't volunteer at the moment. We are hoping to get them within the next month.*fingers crossed* So as for now, we are getting to know our fellow brothers and sisters here. This past month I was able to go to a going away party for some other missionaries who have been in different parts of Sydney and Newcastle for the last 2yrs. I found it very emotional and it wasn't even me leaving! Just hearing about everything they have done and the relationships they have I pray to God that I can atleast make half the impact they have made. Being a missionary has taught me so much just within the last 3 months thats it's not about you and me, it's about them. My team and I have recently started a girls Bible study with the young girls in our congregation every Monday night. So far it has been going really good. I hope we can make an impact on these girls, but thats in God's hands. Please pray for us and the girls here so that all our hearts be opened to him and that we're able to be a good influence on them. On Tuesday's we go to a Ladies Bible class with the elderly ladies in the congregation. I know it has made an impact on me and I've been able to learn from them as well. My teammates and I have been picking up different roles in the class as to leading prayers, song leading and even teaching the class:) Every Wednesdays we have our weekly meeting with our co-ordinators and then we head off to the Uni (University) for lunch where we have a Bible study with some of the students. It's so amazing to see the love for Jesus in people my age and I know it has to put a smile on God's face as well:) On Wednesday evenings my team cooks dinner for the congregation before service. After service we all meet at Mackas(McDonalds) for coffee and more worship with each other. Every Friday we rotate as to who goes to Donnison St. That ministry is so fun and gives me and amazing feeling doing something for someone who couldn't afford that meal. All the glory for that goes to God. This past Friday was the youth group putting it on and they served 102 meals! It was AIMazing! At the end of this past month we went to a camp called Toukley and had what we would call Family Camp. It was so much fun. I paired up with my teammate Jessi and we taught class for the 6-9yr olds. Now every Sunday I had been teaching the pre-kindergarden class so it was defininately a change for me, but a good change:) Well.. this was pretty much it for this month. Thank you ALL for supporting me in this missionary trip to Australia! I can't believe I'm going on my 4th month already:) Remember that ya'll are apart of what I do here too! Thanks again:) Keep my team and I in your prayers as you all are in mine daily<3.