Sunday 25th April - Sunday 2nd May
Monday: Sarah and I began our work today. We are a bit of a way out from town however by some miracle we have managed to park the camper in the one spot for a 10km radius that gets phone reception. Well at least if you go onto the bed there is reception you just have to fight the temptation to lie down and have a nap.
Wednesday: Today was a momentous day. We went into Canberra to buy Sarah a new laptop. We did a bunch of other stuff whilst we were in there but that was our primary purpose for going there. Of course getting something that important that we would be investing into, for anyone who knows me knows that it was going to take all day. We went to every shop that sold laptops compared stock and prices, found the best store and proceeded to meticulously go through every laptop there. Eventually we made our decision and after a little bartering we left with a brand new laptop. This is a really significant thing for us, it means that Sarah will have an effective, reliable and up to date laptop to do her work on and I will get her old laptop which means I will have a computer to do my work on. It means that I will actually be able to start typing this blog again. Yes that’s right this blog is being typed up on Sarah’s old (and my new) laptop. Both laptops are an invaluable resource for us and this ministry.
When we got back from Canberra we went to small groups. We got to catch up with a lot of different people. For those who don’t know Sarah lived in Cooma for a number of years and she is really enjoying being back and seeing everyone again. At the youth small group we were asked to share about what we were doing and also our testimonies. It was really cool being able to share in that setting and Sarah and I probably listened to each other more intently than anyone else. You get to know each other so well but when you hear each other tell your own stories sometimes you remember things you had forgotten or you realise things you didn’t know. It was a special moment.
Thursday: Today we departed Cooma for a brief time. We had been invited to the Gippsland Regional Youth Alive. I had been asked to play out in the foyer as one of the pre-event items. So we made the trip back to Lakes Entrance. We decided that we would still work the full day so we left in the late afternoon. We were both very tired by the time we made it there.
Friday: Whilst Sarah was busy typing away I had a burst of creativity and I wrote a new song. The song is based on the book of Ecclesiastes. Although rather than making the song sound solemn I wanted to show people that there is life in the words of this book. The song basically explains that all of the stuff that you strive for in life, work, house, car, possessions, etc, really is meaningless. The words of the chorus are:“Everything is meaningless when all said and done, History is empty if it can’t change the heart,Everything is meaningless if it’s not done in loveTomorrow will be a memory but today is where it starts.”Hopefully it will be a song that inspires people to live a real life.
That night was the Youth Alive rally. My main job was to play before the event as background music, creating an atmosphere. This is essentially what I did. It was lots of fun and the atmosphere was relaxed but also very alive. I occasionally had some of the youth come and pretend to sing along or dance around, some even just came, sat and listened. It was really nice. I played for an hour straight and then the event started. Sarah and I had offered our services in the altercall room. The event was great, the band, the music and the speaker however I do have a pretty serious issue with the altercall. Most of the kids we met out in the altercall room either had no idea why they were out there or they just didn’t care. There were a few who seemed genuine in their desire to make a commitment or a re-commitment however the choice to become a Christian is not something you should do in the heat of an emotional whim. It is supposed to be a lifetime decision, one whereby you choose to accept the forgiveness of Jesus Christ and choose to live a new life in Him. This decision cannot be properly made from an emotionally driven message designed to get you to join a club. I know these are strong words but that’s what it felt like to be in that altercall room. It is my hope and prayer that each youth who legitimately made a commitment will realise that it’s an ongoing commitment and they need to seek out those who will disciple them i.e. youth leader/pastors. I have seen many youth make a half-hearted commitment to God only to give up on it never realising what it’s all about and the value of what they will ultimately miss out on because it was never properly explained to them.
Saturday: Once again we said goodbye to our friends in Lakes Entrance and made the trip back up to Cooma. Now that we know we are going to be around in the town for a while we really feel like we can effectively sink out teeth into whatever it is God has for us to do in Cooma. It is quite an exciting place to be.
Sunday: We went to church this morning and it was great. I joined in with the music team and there was other people visiting who played in the team as well. Apparently it was the first time the church has had a full worship team in a long time. Sarah was quickly volunteered to do the sound once it was discovered that she could do it. We both really enjoyed the service and also the fellowship afterwards. For Sarah it is especially wonderful to be back as she has and I imagine always will have a great fondness for this church.
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