Brewarrina

After our adventures in PNG we had two weeks in the outback of Australia. It was an amazing time. The first week we spent in a little ghost town called Brewarrina, or Brea for short. It had about 200 people a catholic church, a post office, a grocery store... and a community pool! This is where we spent all of our time, not only because it was 110 degrees dry heat, but that's where everyone else spent their time as well. Everyday at 3 o'clock, right when school comes out, all the children and all of their parents come to the pool. EVERYONE is related, and when we arrived we stuck out like sore thumbs. They immediately started asking questions. Who are you? Why are you here? How long will you be here? We became friends with the children and tried to talk business with the adults. We fired up the church, encouraged the women's ministry and brought a little girl to God.

The second week we were at a friends house named Nose. We had a LOT of open land to run around on with the horses, cows, peacocks, kangaroos, wild boar, emu, and the hundreds of hunting dogs. It is the perfect setting for the ministry that he runs out there which is taking in teenage druggies, or trouble makers. Because that far out in the desert, there is just no trouble you can get into. They learn responsibility working on the farm, and get to sit in the presence of God 24/7 whether they know it or not. They only take a few teenagers in at a time, to give them the best love, compassion and attention that they need. There were 3 boys while we were there, and they became our brothers for the time that we were there. They taught us their responsibilities, and asked "Why in the hell would you be sweating in the desert hanging out with losers when you could be sitting on your ass watching TV in America?" (words of Bilow, excuse the french) I got to have so many conversations with him about having a call on your life, and not being a loser, having a purpose for your life. After a week of us all telling him just how special he is in God's eyes, you could truly tell a difference in his attitude. That is a place that I was in not long ago. Not knowing what God had for me, or that God even cared enough to have a plan for me.

After a few amazing weeks of hunting, farming working in the sun and ministering to people our age, it was time to return to Gold Coast. The students had a week of debrief with Chris Twinn and Graduation night came way to fast. It was emotional and inspirational. The new students for Feb school were drooling at the mouth and looked like wide eyed babies looking at something shiny haha. I can't wait to see them grow the way these September students have, and step out into their own places in life, always bringing their best friend with them. If I wasn't sure that this is what God was calling me to before, I SURE know it now. God bless each and everyone one of the September 2010 Gold Coast DTS students. I have LOVED every second of teaching you, crying with you, laughing with you and just being with you. God has amazing things for you and most of you have found those things in this 6 months, and for the rest of you that haven't yet, keep searching, keep pressing in, keep going HARD for God, and always remember that you have people praying for you, thinking of you, and wishing you the absolute best. I have loved being your staff, and now I'm loving being your friends. I love you.

Jaclyn