Our trip was originally planned to be very different from how it started out. We were going to head anticlockwise around Australia to mostly smaller towns and Churches where we had contacts. However, we ended up in Ballarat, a city-type town (population of about 100,000), clockwise from our starting position, where we had really no contacts. So kinda random but going with the flow. Since we had nowhere to stay at first we just booked in to the cheapest caravan park we could find -which I thought was actually pretty good; we got our own little toilet and shower. How great is that?
So here we were at the start of our trip in a big scary town not knowing anyone. I was still studying so Matt went about making all the phone calls and trying to make contact with people. He managed to get on the local Christian radio station twice (and tag me along the second time). He also met with a few people. Not much happened in that first week, but we got used to living in the camper which was good. Never has it been so much effort to do things. We have to put away EVERYTHING right after we use it. When I finish typing on this laptop I have to wind up the mouse and the lap top cable, put them in their proper place, pull out my USB internet and put that away, and put my laptop into the laptop bag which I also need to put in it's proper place. And making meals! Never has this been so difficult. So we are now living on the most basic food, which is actually really nice. Mostly just fruit, veg, and rice or bread. No oven. No microwave. Just a hotplate (which also needs to be taken out when needed) and pots. But we love it!
So back to Ballarat. We had someone we may have been able to stay with, but that kinda fell through, so we were meant to leave the caravan park the next day but we had nowhere to stay. I had the idea of just packing up anyway and leaving by the 10am checkout time and just seeing what God did, but I bailed out, and we just paid for a few more nights at the park. Well of course we got a phone call at about 9am the day we originally were going to check out, someone was offering us a place to stay. However, we couldn't get our money back so we ended up just staying at the caravan park. I was like "aarrrh, I should have known that was going to happen." I realize that I need more faith.
On Sunday we went to York Street Church of Christ and met some great people. We met a really nice couple named Adrian and Amy who have generously offered for us to stay with them. So when we come back we have a place to stay! We also went to a church that has just been renamed OneTwoOne (pretty sure that's right). We met a bunch of people our age, and they invited us to hang out with them that night which was random but really great.
We came back to Melbourne for the album launch and for me to do my final exams for my course. Concert was really fun, and I think the exam went well. I will find out on about the 16th February. For now, back to Ballarat.
Pray points
-More faith
-To be where we can help best
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
In The Beginning
The date to leave was set, 19th January 2010. We were determined. We just had to sell our cars, get a new car that could tow our pop-top camper, and pay off our camper with the money from our cars. So a week before we left non of that was done, but we were trusting God that He would come through. If this was really what God had called us to do then it would happen.
I was madly trying to finish my course, and Matt was running around getting everything else ready. He was starting to get pretty stressed about the whole car situation. Obviously we needed a car before we left. That was currently the only thing truly standing in the way of us leaving on time. All the money we had went into Matt's CD, so we didn't have much. There was always talk of a check coming out of nowhere from someone, but I really didn't think it would happen that way. However, at Christmas a couple in our Church had very generously given us $3,000. We were going to use this for our car, but we needed a little more; cars powerful enough to tow are generally a bit more than that. Time was running out, so we decided to see what we could get for that price. And wouldn't you know it, Matt found a 97 Ford Falcon for $3,500. It was just put on that night, so we went to see it the next day. We were pretty sure it would do the job (I know "pretty sure" isn't really what you want, but at that point we only had a few days). So we put a deposit on it. Later we found out that Ford Falcons are the best thing after a 4-wheel drive for towing. How's that! A few things still had to be fixed up on it, so the guy said we'd get it either Monday or Tuesday (Tuesday was the day we were leaving).
Monday 18th: We really wanted to pay off our camper before we left, but we had to sell the cars. Although it wasn't such a stress now that we had a car. A Christian couple who wanted to be missionaries came and looked at Matt's car. They were pretty keen, and we thought they were great. They were waiting for a check to clear and would let us know by tomorrow. We got our car that day (day before we left). Things were looking good.
Tuesday 19th: We got a call in the morning; the car was sold! That day we packed up everything we had a drove off on our journey. It was last minute, but God does that.
I was madly trying to finish my course, and Matt was running around getting everything else ready. He was starting to get pretty stressed about the whole car situation. Obviously we needed a car before we left. That was currently the only thing truly standing in the way of us leaving on time. All the money we had went into Matt's CD, so we didn't have much. There was always talk of a check coming out of nowhere from someone, but I really didn't think it would happen that way. However, at Christmas a couple in our Church had very generously given us $3,000. We were going to use this for our car, but we needed a little more; cars powerful enough to tow are generally a bit more than that. Time was running out, so we decided to see what we could get for that price. And wouldn't you know it, Matt found a 97 Ford Falcon for $3,500. It was just put on that night, so we went to see it the next day. We were pretty sure it would do the job (I know "pretty sure" isn't really what you want, but at that point we only had a few days). So we put a deposit on it. Later we found out that Ford Falcons are the best thing after a 4-wheel drive for towing. How's that! A few things still had to be fixed up on it, so the guy said we'd get it either Monday or Tuesday (Tuesday was the day we were leaving).
Monday 18th: We really wanted to pay off our camper before we left, but we had to sell the cars. Although it wasn't such a stress now that we had a car. A Christian couple who wanted to be missionaries came and looked at Matt's car. They were pretty keen, and we thought they were great. They were waiting for a check to clear and would let us know by tomorrow. We got our car that day (day before we left). Things were looking good.
Tuesday 19th: We got a call in the morning; the car was sold! That day we packed up everything we had a drove off on our journey. It was last minute, but God does that.
Friday, January 1, 2010
The Journey
The idea for this trip started many years ago when Matt was trying to figure out exactly what his future was going to look like. He knew he wanted to follow God and play music, but he was looking for direction on what that meant. One day, when Matt was going for a walk and praying about it, he got a vision; the terrain in front of him kept changing, and he had a guitar on his back, and I (Sarah) was with him. That was the very beginning, and somehow out of that we've started on this crazy journey around Australia to do ministry and help people and churches.
Our mission statement is "To serve people and draw them closer to God, and do everything in love for our Father."
This will look like different things in different places. It might mean helping a church start a youth group, or teaching music to a small music team who don't really know many Church songs. In some places it might even be as simple as baby sitting the pastor's/vicar's/minister's/whoever else's kids so that they can take their spouse out for dinner and have some time out. We're pretty open to anything. We feel called to the smaller churches in the smaller towns, but again, we'll go with where ever God leads us.
Matt has a strong desire to bless and challenge people with his music. We both believe this will be an crucial part of our ministry.
Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 "...we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you." Like Paul, we want to be able to do what God has called us to do and not charge people for it. I have just painstakingly completed a medical transcription course, which I can do over the internet anywhere in the world. This guarantees us a set income. Also, Matt repairs guitars. While Matt's is not a guaranteed income, it pays well and is something he can do where ever he is if there is a need for it. This means that we can play at churches and serve without expecting anything in return.
We realize that this will not be an easy thing to do. We are relying on God for just about everything, but our lives belong to God, and He has called us to something so much more exciting than we ever hoped for. Through Him we can do this. This is truly living life to the full.
Matt has a strong desire to bless and challenge people with his music. We both believe this will be an crucial part of our ministry.
Paul says in 1 Thessalonians 2:9 "...we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you." Like Paul, we want to be able to do what God has called us to do and not charge people for it. I have just painstakingly completed a medical transcription course, which I can do over the internet anywhere in the world. This guarantees us a set income. Also, Matt repairs guitars. While Matt's is not a guaranteed income, it pays well and is something he can do where ever he is if there is a need for it. This means that we can play at churches and serve without expecting anything in return.
We realize that this will not be an easy thing to do. We are relying on God for just about everything, but our lives belong to God, and He has called us to something so much more exciting than we ever hoped for. Through Him we can do this. This is truly living life to the full.
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