From the Head of College Operations' Desk

Our school’s 17th trip with Townsville YWAM was our first trip with Year 9s and our first trip with as many as 36 students attending and it was another successful, impacting time. God is so kind.

Amelie and Abigail were two Year 9s that shared at a recent chapel service. Here’s just some of what they shared:

Amelie Vilar "God was there in everything we did on missions. One of the most memorable nights at YWAM for a lot of us was the Upper Room night. In a room lit only by candlelight, the cross was in the center of the room. As Jenna read out a poetic piece intricately describing the suffering Jesus endured, I felt His pain. My heart broke for Him and I thought of how unworthy we are to deserve such unconditional love. At the foot of the cross I knelt before Him in gratitude and submission. I knew God was moving as I looked around the room, surrounded by His people praying and glorifying the most high. I didn’t want that night to end, I felt great love from Jesus. Later that night God had some words for us, and every individual who stepped up to share, delivered perfectly. God spoke."

From talking with a lady they met on their prayer walk Amelie reflects: She had said our encounter with her was a sign from God because she’d just been thinking about getting closer with Him. It’s incredible how God placed her there at that time.

Abigail Faber "So, a barefoot 5 year old little boy was walking along the streets by himself came to the church at around maybe 2.00pm and I asked him “what’s Mummy doing?” and he said "she’s sleeping". On the missions trip we were given wristbands with 4 signs that explain the gospel and so I ended up giving him one and telling him what the 4 signs meant. I then asked him what all of them meant and he said exactly what I told him and he was talking about how Jesus loves him. It was so inspiring to see how God could move through a 5 year old, it was so cool! As soon as I saw him, I knew that he needed to be loved, he needed to feel God’s love and that’s exactly what I tried to show him."

Isaiah Nathaniel "During a prayer walk we stopped and were invited to ask God for a name of someone he might want us to meet. I got the name “Robert”. I was sure there’d be no Robert in Yarrabah. 2 hours later, the first child we asked shared that his name was “Robert”. What?! Wow – This is the Robert God had told me about. I got to pray for him. It didn’t seem overly meaningful to Robert, but it was to me and hopefully one day it Robert will remember that God knew his name."

Here’s a few other snapshots from what Year 9 had to say about the trip: 

"I started talking to God through writing down my prayers; I grew confidence in praying out loud and in talking about my faith; God really changed my perspective on how to treat others with respect, and I really felt His presence throughout the trip; We helped people – face painting, fence painting, sausage sizzle, praying; leading at church; I have become more willing to lean on God and not be so anxious; God really made me see how much more I could be doing for him and how much more time I should allocate to him. He also showed me how easy it is to help people; This mission trip taught me humility and to be grateful for what I have, realising how blessed I am; I can be a bringer of light; I learned showing care doesn’t always have to be something big it can be as simple as a friendly smile, a quick conversation, or even taking the time to really listen when someone needs it".

A number of students said they now want to: 

Read their Bible each day; Pray more; Choose kind words; Go on Prayer Walks; Be someone who brings comfort, kindness, and encouragement to the people around them.

Thank you to all who prayed and supported this trip. Keep praying for these students as they seek to put into action the truths that God has shown them. Also, let’s hold onto the importance of Mission in our school as part of growing a heart for others and allowing God to transform us to become more like Christ.

Learning in the Light of Eternity

Darren John

Head of College Operations/Missions Coordinator