May '14 ~ God is on the move!

Hey!
It's crazy to think that it's been almost a year since I came to Australia as a missionary. Here's an update of what's been happening lately! 

At the moment things are quiet at the YWAM base here in Toowoomba--quite a change from the past 2 months! 
Beginning of April the Discipleship Training School I'm currently staffing finished the lecture phase and headed straight into outreach mode!


The first 2 weeks of outreach was split in half between doing renovations to some of the units here at the base and also working alongside the Easterfest Crew to set up for the festival. Both involved manual labor such as cleaning, a lot of painting, putting up huge tents, stages, fencing, and some of the creative work that went into making the festival look awesome! 
It was so rewarding working with Easterfest as we were able to serve and bless them immensely!
After Easterfest was over we were even able to
be apart of the team that tore down the festival and clean up Queens Park.

Now all 3 teams are overseas on their outreaches to New Zealand, Malaysia, and East Timor and have been for the past 2 weeks! We have had updates from all of the team leaders and things are going well. They are all excited and are doing incredible ministry in each location. They've been evangelizing on the streets, teaching English, playing in cafe's, serving the homeless, praying with people, seeing the locals experience the love of God for the first time! 

I have exciting news! 
Myself and my co-staff Hannah, have been asked to join the team in New Zealand to lead their final week of outreach and debrief! This was quite unexpected but an awesome opportunity! So in 8 days we will fly over and take over leading the team, allowing the current leaders to attend a family members wedding in the States. Please pray for wisdom and strength for both of us as we step into this role! While being amazing, this will also be a challenge for us both as we have never lead an outreach before now. Prayers would be appreciated!

Also here's an update on my Visa situation... It's been quite confusing.
Due to me traveling to New Zealand for the outreach, I have put my visa application on hold until I return to Australia. Once I return I will send in my application for a 1 year long Visa, which during that year I will be preparing for a Religious Workers Visa. Pray for favor in the immigration office and that I will be accepted for this Visa quickly! 

Another exciting piece of news I would love to share with you happened last week. Our Director, Kerri, invited myself and 2 of my co-staff to attend a meeting with Loren Cunningham (the Founder of YWAM) and other YWAM Directors and Leaders from YWAM Australia and other bases in the world! This was an incredible honor and privilege to not only hear Loren Cunningham speak, but to actually meet him and hear the vision and heart God's given him for YWAM and the direction it's heading! He spoke about many things, but something in particular he shared that was incredible was their vision about the Bibles. Previously, it was thought that although possible, it would be decades before there was a Bible in every language on the earth. Loren shared how God is on the move in this area and that not by 2025 as some have thought, but that God is specifically saying that by 2020 there will be a Bible in every language in the world!! YWAM is only one of the organizations working towards that goal and I believe it will happen! Praise the Lord!

The last thing I want to share is about God's provision. I am officially coming home for 3 weeks in June!! God provided through my incredible family and friends $2,300 for my plane ticket so I could come home to my family after 1 year of being a missionary with YWAM Toowoomba! I am overjoyed to see my family again! I also am very excited to connect in person with all of you back home and with my home church! Thank you for contributing to me coming home! I would not be able to do this without your support! May God's blessing be over all you and your family! 

 God bless!
~ Chelsea