After our first week of lectures.

This morning we went wakeboarding at a cable park and had an absolute blast! Kneeboarding was super fun and easy to get the hang of and I did that a few times, so that by the time I got around to wakeboarding my arms were like jello. I almost-sorta got up :P It was fun regardless. Keep your eyes out for Bryan's video.

Last night we headed on down to the surf shop for their trial run of the new coffee shop they added to their store. They also had a sale on all clothing so we had fun trying on hats and such. :) The store is a local ministry focused on reaching the surfing culture here on the coast that was started by some guys who did their DTS a few years ago.

It is super cool because there are several ministries that have emerged from this YWAM base but aren't directly associated with the base. A coffee roasting ministry, the surf shop, the wakeboard park I talked about above and a few others. All of the people involved have a heart for what they are doing along with a heart for the community and for following the Lord. They are great examples of how our everyday life can be a light for Jesus. God promises to bring us life and life abundantly if we are willing and ready to give it all to Him.

This past week has been a whirlwind of new ideas, being challenged and discovering more about how to listen for God's voice. Our teacher this week was Jason Solari. (You can check out his website: http://www.jasonsolari.com/)
His teaching incorporated something for every learning style which I really appreciated.

Tonight we find out where we are going on outreach! Pray that the Lord's will would be done as the leaders are meeting this afternoon to put the teams together. Thankyou all for your support and prayers! They are very appreciated!
Much love,
Moira

Currently Digging...

Hanging out with all the new and wonderful people I have met here...This morning our house had a pancake breakfast together which was super sweet. I have definitely been connecting with the other girls and I'm so stoked to spend these next months living with them.

Playing games...We actually have a ton of free time during the afternoons here to hang out, go to the beach, go shopping, or read. One of the guys brought a fantastic game called "Jungle Speed" and it's a blast! "Ligretto" is basically a version of "Dutch Blitz" but you can play with eight people. And today we played a tedious game of "Risk." :)

Going for walks...to the BEACH. For coffee, to Maccers, or to the grocery store. I'm getting to know the area and everything is very accessible.

It is only the beginning.

I am beginning to understand why people fall in love with Australia. Specifically the Sunshine Coast. It is beautiful here.

This Sunday marked the commencement of our YWAM DTS. In the past few days I have met the other wonderful students and we are starting to get to know each other. They are all great. The leaders have also been super welcoming and have made us feel at home here. I room with 3 other lovely ladies in a house with about 12 other girls. We all live in houses in the community rather than dorms or in some communal building. The idea is that the YWAM Sunshine Coast base is decentralized so that there are no limits on who we can reach in the community. Also, it is to make our time here as little like a camp as possible. I really appreciate that.

God has something huge up His sleeve for all of us and I am eagerly anticipating what He is going to do in and through all of us.
Much love!

A is for Aquarium; Z is for Zoo.

We got to see koala bears, kangaroos, cassowary's, puffer fish, dugong's, kookaburra's, and loads of creepy snakes. I think my favourite part was learning about the dugong's. They are cousins to manatees and there are only six on display anywhere in the world...and we got to see two of them. ^_^

Cool (or not so cool) story of the day: While at the zoo, Beth pointed out to me that my nose ring was missing. Gone. Nowhere to be seen. I figure it must have fallen out in the night and I didn't notice. By the time Beth told me it was already noon. We walked back to the harbour mall and found a jewellery store, only to be told that nose studs weren't sold anywhere in that mall and we that we would find one if we went farther into the city. So we walked. Finally we found a store that sold nose studs and I bought a new one. But my hole had already closed over. Long story short, I repierced my own nose using Beth's earring and lots of sanitizing cloths from the piercing store. Ouch.

Sydney is beautiful.

Before arriving in Sydney, I had heard from several people that Sydney was quite similar to Vancouver. Yes, it is a metropolis and is very multicultural, but it is also very unique. Most houses, including apartments and townhomes, have intricate wrought iron fences and window bars that give Sydney a funky feel. Guys wear their shorts quite short. The weather is humid and hot. People here don't seem like they are in a rush to get anywhere. It is a very beautiful city. Some of the animals we have seen are quite bizarre and we are looking forward to seeing even more when we go to the zoo and aquarium tomorrow! So stoked. The seagulls here are actually cute. As opposed to the big ugly ones back home. So far we have walked all over the city, visited the Olympic park, gotten lost a few times (not really), attended Hillsong church, visited the Opera House and eaten a ton of cultural food. Tonights dinner was greek and it was delicious!

God has answered prayer already since we have arrived! My card and Beth's card weren't working the first couple days we were here, but yesterday they started working again and we were so relieved! Thanks God!

Thunderstorms and sunscreen.

We arrived all in one piece and made it to our hostel no problem. We've been mooching wifi wherever we can and taking in the sights. Today we stopped at a grocery store to pick up some fruit and snacks and such and we bought weeklong transit passes so we won't have to worry about that over and over. Currently we're at the COOLEST water park (that has free wifi) I have ever seen. We are going to the city Hillsong campus tonight!
Much love,
Moira