Pythons, Koalas and Crocs, Oh My!

In the book "Hinds Feet on High Places" there is a little girl named Much Afraid. She is crippled and weak and has horrific and innumerable relatives-- to name some of them, there are "Bitterness", "Anger", "Temptation", etc.. In the book, Much Afraid decides to run away from her family and follow the Good Shepherd to the High Places. Early on in her journey with Him, He says to her something to the effect of: "Much Afraid, I must leave you now, and make a place for you on the High Places. I will not be far away- if you call, I will be here. I have chosen two companions for you to show you the way to the high places. You must hold their hands the whole way- do not let go." Thinking the Good Shepherd had prepared her kind, happy friends to show her the way, she was sadly surprised when their names were "Sorrow and Suffering." She questioned His wisdom in His choice, and He told her they were the only ones who could show her the way and make her ready for the High Places...

As the book draws on, there is a part in her journey where her relatives attempt to ambush her to bring her back home. Bitterness shows his face from the rock he was hiding behind, and tells Much Afraid that the journey was pointless, the Good Shepherd had left her and was never coming back because she was worthless, and her only hope was to come home to them. More of her relatives show up and call her over to them, and eventually she leaves her companions Suffering and Sorrow on the side of the road to go to them. They quickly turn on her and try to capture her to bring her back by force, and she gets so smothered that all she could get out is this call for help: "Good Shepherd, help me now, make haste and do not tarry!" Instantly He is there, and with one swing of His staff, Anger and Bitterness and Temptation and Discontentment all scattered. He then turns to Much Afraid and asks: "Dear little Much Afraid...why did you let go of their hands?"

There was a vicious thunderstorm last night. It's the "rainy season" here, so we get them rather frequently, but they are no less awe striking when they hit! So (and I must admit that over this last week I have grown rather tired from being constantly and actively interacting with groups of people), I was looking for a place to be alone when it started pouring, and I came to an alley on our base with a gate at the end of it.

I must point out now that the Lord doesn't often speak to me in the way that just about EVERYONE has been hearing from Him this past week- as in through sudden mental pictures or words or visions. I have not felt left out per say, but I had become acutely aware that I had not been fully participating in all the activities where we were told to "practice hearing God," only because those exercises almost always took place in a closed room with other people. I do not believe God is limited as to how He can speak to us, but I had nonetheless not experienced any sudden visions or voices in my head, and I was not about to fake it! It bothered me less because I have known for some time that the Lord most frequently speaks to me through small beauties or oddities in nature, when I am alone, outside.

So, jump back to the alleyway. I walked down it with the wind rushing through the palm trees and the rain beating the metal roof next to me. I stood at the end of the way with my hands on the bars of the gate and looked out across the street into a forested area-- suddenly a large, white bird flew directly across my line of vision and landed in the tree straight across from me. It landed, moved its feet around a tad, and began to stare at me. I smiled and started to sing, as I often feel closest to Christ when using my voice to sing His praises reclusively. The bird stared at me for almost the entire 45 minutes I sang to Him, joined by several other singing birds-- odd that they would sing with me in such a harsh rainstorm, hey? It was a blessed time for me. I was there, I was alone (though interrupted 4 times - distractions are frequent when you're with Jesus, I find - and Jesus was with me. We were there together, and we were joyful together, me for being His, and He for having me. I was reminded of times in my life that I rejected help from family and friends and Christ and acted on my own behalf because I thought I knew best- I was struggling through the storm, never finding rest. Last night, I found refuge within the storm, finding it as the most refreshing time of the entire week. I saw my own foolishness and, like so many others, have wondered in the past why my Beloved "let me" stray from the flock. I used to call out to Him in times of absolute desperation and use the words "Good Shepherd, come to my now, make haste and do not tarry, I cannot continue." Always, after being comforted, I was confronted with the words "My dear little Much Afraid, why did you let go of My hand?"

"I am my Beloved's and His desire is towards me." Song of Solomon 7:10

Random fact of the post:

We went to the Billabong Wildlife Sanctuary today! I absolutely adore animals, so it was pretty special for me. I held a python and it licked my bottom lip. Pretty great, eh? I also held a koala- totally worth the 18 bucks. Kangaroos and crocodiles and birds and butterflies were everywhere. I have a sneaking suspicion the crock show ended early due to the animal ripping the bamboo stick out of the trainers hand and devouring it in the water. It was all absolutely beautiful. Thank you as always for your prayers! Click Here to Read More..

For Kicks and Giggles

I woke up this morning to 96% humidity and a forecast of 98 degrees (F) at midday. It didn't rain all day and it hit the predicted "high" before 2pm. On the bright side, the nights are absolutely gorgeous (pun intended). I walked out onto the deck last night as the stars were out; there was a breeze, the palm trees were swaying, the songs of forest life and city life were mingling, and I found a surprisingly long picnic table to stretch my back out on. The stars weren't too plentiful (not like in the ADKS, for my fellow mountaineers), but the fact that I was looking at them from the coast of Australia somehow made them more awe filling. It was a time that was given to me straight from the Heavens. While I love interacting with people - especially when they laugh at my jokes - (just like my dear mother), I find peace and refuge in the quiet serenity of nature, (just like my wonderful father). Laying there, staring at the stars, listening to some wonderful singer/songwriter music.... It was truly lovely. Something funny came to mind during that time- a night or two before I left...

My brother took me out for one last brother-sister date night at Outback Steakhouse (quite fitting for the occasion beside the fact that it's his favorite restaurant) and as we were leaving, I was in a sentimental mood. I looked up at the stars and said "well, last time I'll be looking at those for a while!" And of course, being the quick witted Winters child he is, he was oh-too-happy to jump in with bursts of laughter and make excruciatingly clear the fact that the stars are, in fact, the same, no matter where you are in the world. I walked into it, admittedly. We had a hearty laugh together. At any rate, there I lay, thinking that a few hours before, my family had slumbered under the same set of twinkling diamonds in the same velveteen night sky.

I must say for humor's sake that my star gazing was hilariously interrupted by one of my fellow students (on a different DTS) surprising me by coming up the steps by my picnic table. When I inquired as to where he was coming from, I heard him say "I was dodging bullets on the playground!" I smiled and nodded with an "Oh! Okay! Ha! Bet that was fun." He responded with "It was a good time. I'll see you tomorrow!" And that was that. Only slightly confused but more than a little resigned to my confusion I put my head back and proceeded admiring the Lords handy work when, after another ten minutes, a second comrade came up the stairs. I asked him the same question and this time I got "I was doing pull-ups on the playground!" After a millisecond of thought I realized what the first boy had said and it struck me how odd it was that I was so completely unconcerned at the thought of the first guy "DODGING BULLETS" on the playground. At any rate, it brought my wonderful night to a funny close.

I don't have much to tell you concerning my spiritual well being - know that I am doing well and that the Trinity is at work in this place. I can feel the Spirit walking the halls, protecting us and spurring us on in our endeavors to follow the Great Commission. I can feel the Father enjoying our nightly songs of praise, listening to our prayers (not just hearing them), answering them, appreciating our acknowledgement of those that have been answered in ways which make us overflow with joy. I can feel the Son interceding for us constantly, bearing the full force of the Father's glory when we could never.

We had a two hour worship service earlier this evening- there were over one hundred bodies all in one room with little to no airflow--we were all sweaty BEFORE we walked into the room. I'll leave the rest to your imagination... But know that we're getting good practice in focusing our hearts AND minds on Jesus even in the midst of certain uncomfortable surroundings. It's good.

Thinking that it may be possible for me to be in this environment-- Christian evangelism and fellowship structured towards the goal of reaching the unreached --excites me greatly (as well as frightens me)! We shall see. That is a thought that has just broken through the soil in the garden of my mind- I will water it with prayer and supplication and be sure to tell you all what it looks like when it blooms.

At this point, if you would like something to pray for, please pray for my physical well being. It is strenuous work, I can feel my body wearing down, I can feel my back straining with sitting for 4 hours straight (in classes) and then, say, lifting couches (during our service time). I'm being wise, but I don't like opting out of physical activity. It wears on my self esteem and psyche. I can feel my skin reprimand me for letting it get burnt to toast and bitten by the innumerable moskis (mosquitoes) they have here. My feet hurt walking all day on the concrete floors and running up and down the 6 flights of stairs between the doors and my room. My head hurts from the climate change and the heat. I have to wake up early and I don't get to sleep until late, and we have assignments and work positions on top of all else. It's not too bad, though- if you'll excuse an oxymoron, I'm doing pretty well for being pretty worn down. Thank you for praying.

Random fact of the post:

The temperature of my showers has officially dropped below the average temperature of my drinking water. In addition, I lost my phone today, even after setting it down and thinking to myself "Anna, you're going to forget that as soon as you look away from it." Three hours later as I was thinking to write this post, I began to search for it, to no avail. Then, suddenly, it hit me: ducks have three eyelids. Just kidding. Well, they do. But that's not what hit me. What hit me was where I had left it. I found it sitting there, in a public place, just as I had lovingly set it three hours before. This, my friends, is a perk of attending training in a legitimately and solidly Christian environment! Click Here to Read More..

Jesus Loves the Sunburnt

Greetings, Loved Ones! As I write this to you, my arms and legs and chest are CAKED with Aloe Vera Lotion. It was Australia Day today-- a holiday for this grand country that warrants fantastic celebration. To commemorate said holiday, all of our Schools spent most of the day at the beach, waiting for the fighter jets to fly overhead and enjoying kangaroo on the barbie. For myself, a proud redhead (they call me a 'ranga here- as in orangatang- because they have red hair?) that meant willingly roasting in the Aussie sun for the hottest hours of the day. For the Aussies reading this- I was not using "States' sunscreen"- I bought yours, and it still wasn't enough! I also continuously put it on (like everyone does) throughout the day.... My one fatal move, though, was choosing to walk home from the Strand. I was exhausted and I could feel my skin cooking and I was told it was a fifteen minute walk. The staff were going to drive us home "in a little while", but for those of you like me, you know that that's sadly not satisfying- it's better to leave on your own right then and have the peace of mind of knowing you're on your way home than to wait and see when everyone else will eventually be ready to leave. So, I risked it, and I walked all the way back with my dear friend Lucy (what a Godsend she was- I would've died of despair had we not been laughing at our bad choice the whole time). It was AT LEAST a forty minute walk in the baking sun. AND we got lost at least twice. But you know, it was a good time anyway. And it turns out that almost everyone is burnt pretty badly- not too different from July 4th in that aspect...

Now that I've related that not-so-pleasant-but-still-hilarious news, I would like to pose a rhetorical question: have you ever been moved by the Holy Spirit? I have no definition of "moved"- no qualifiers, no modifiers. Nothing to prove that it even happens, except that I can tell you confidently that you know when it does. Our DTS (discipleship training school) kicks off tomorrow, and so tonight we had a tour of the new YWAM medical ship and then a worship service on the top deck. I have to be honest, I don't know how to continue from here, except to say that the Holy Spirit did indeed move me. It was night, it was warm, there was a sea breeze, the people I've already begun to love deeply were surrounding me, and we were all singing to Jesus. A thought came to mind during our first song, and that was that here, in Townsville, Queensland, Australia, and everywhere, I am finally free to love Jesus shamelessly. I feel no need to hide my desire for Him so as to maintain old friendships, no need to hide my need for Him so as to keep my vulnerabilities from others. Who has done the freeing get tricky: Jesus is the one who frees, of course, but does that mean He was the One who gave me a need to be freed in the first place? No, my friends, that was my own doing. The Devil had successfully snared me in a trap of my own pride and self-reliance, convincing me that his voice was "reason" and my love for Jesus was a hindrance.

My friends, I have wonderful news that I have known for so long but not had the courage to accept. Love for Jesus is not a hindrance. Loving Jesus with abandon is the best choice you can make because it is returned with such fervor that it brings you to tears. As we were singing together, all our different voices joined in singing His wondrous praises, tears streamed down my face for the warmth and freedom that I had heard so much about and that was FINALLY mine. With my head raised to the stars and a tear or two racing down each cheek, quick thoughts of the book "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis came to mind. Written from the perspective of an Elder Demon to a Youngling Demon, he writes as an advice giver on how to ensnare both young and mature Christians, and bring them away from "our Enemy above" (Jesus). My family was reading this book together before I left and so I took it along and continued reading it earlier today, where I read a chapter on how demons can distract and "persuade us that our vivid Christianity is only a 'phase'". I thought back and realized how often I see that in my own history and in the history of those I love. I opened my eyes and there was a bright star right above my line of sight. I looked at it longingly for a moment when I saw a huge bat fly across it. I watched the bat fly into the night when another appeared in its place and again passed by the star. That could have been coincidence, but I will leave you to decide for yourselves.

This I know for true: the Devil will try more than once to distract you from the beauty of Christ. Beware of the "phase" trick, my friends- your love for Jesus and His returned love for you is the most vibrant and everlasting truth you can experience.

Now, for those of you who know me: you know that I am RARELY speechless- most of the time, if telling a story, I simply won't stop, even if no one is interested, just because I'M interested in the sound of my own voice. (Ha!) As some of my fellow students gathered to pray, I found myself truly speechless. My turn came to pray and I had thought to say "I have nothing to say, Jesus", but my throat simply wouldn't make the words. I believe that, Loved Ones, is the Holy Spirit moving.

I love Jesus. He knows me for what I am, not for what I have pretended not to be. I can rely on Him, He will not cause me trauma, He will not abuse my trust, He will not scare me. He will not cause me to endlessly rely on myself. If you have not yet realized the truth of Christ, I pray that you do soon.

Random fact of the post:

I, and several of my comrades, have not, despite our VERY BEST efforts, been able to find decent pillows. I am currently using a square, bright orange decorative pillow with a mammoth blue flower on the front as my pillow. Get this- I put it in a normal pillow case just so I felt normal. (And also cleanliness!?) I HAVE NO REGRETS! Though the pillow is a tad squished, it has worked wondrously these past couple nights.

Thank you for your prayers and support. Christ is working wonders here. Wish me luck on the kick off of our school tomorrow morning! Click Here to Read More..

First Impressions

Greetings, Loved Ones! Boy, do I have some news for all of you... I safely arrived in Australia in the late afternoon of Thursday, January 22 (January 21 for America). I had no "expectations" for my destination here and yet somehow was completely dumbfounded as to the place I was brought into. The base at which I am staying is mainly hard concrete and unpainted walls, still undergoing massive renovations. There are wood chips and pieces of heavy machinery everywhere, spread out evenly among the plastic chairs and tables in the small "cafe" area (also concrete and unpainted, and the only room with Wifi). The AC is a bit limited even inside- when it is turned on, which is not that often, it isn't cold, but rather blows air around 74 degrees instead of the outside temperatures of ~90 degrees. It's currently the "rainy season" here, which means thunderstorms are a daily or bi-daily occurrence-- for those of you who have experienced an environment like this before, you know that this means one thing: humidity. I feel as though I'm swimming through most of my days, either through the air or through my own sweat. I have entered the land of broiling hot days and showers that can never be cold enough even when rivaling the temperature of cold drinking water; showers, by the way, are taken at least two and sometimes three times daily by almost everyone here on base...

Now that I have told you all the graphics of where I live now, I will share the majestic and ordinary wonders: first, there is a mountain directly behind our base that is absolutely awe striking to look at. A mix of brilliantly green foliage and stark red, sheer cliff rocks, it's name is "Castle Hill"- there are WWII bunkers atop its peak, accompanied by one of the most amazing views I have ever witnessed, even after living in the Adirondack state park for most of my childhood. The path to the top is not too long but rather brutal- while it is mainly derived of rows of stones making countless "steps", the path itself is more or less STRAIGHT UP, and the bugs are relentless. I have had to deal with thousands of black flies before in the mountains of New York, but in Australia, it seems that everything is bigger and more numerous. As we were climbing back down the "hill" last evening, we were joined by hordes of dragonfly sized insects that would congregate in clouds located directly at head level. And I don't mean groups of, say, twenty. I mean groups of at least a hundred in each cloud, all flying into your face and hair. Not fun. But the sunset... Jaw dropping. So many different colors, radiating from Magnetic Island to the reef to the shipyard to the mainland.

The trees here are also unique, like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. As you walk the streets (quite a task your first couple days as the cars are all coming from the opposite direction- the crosswalk lights take too long to operate so you have to satisfy yourself by looking the wrong way and running to the middle of the street and stopping and doing it again) you'll come across palm trees that start off at their base like a giant plant bulb and get thinner as they bend and curve upwards to the sky. Right next to those you could run into a mammoth cluster of trunks made of hundreds of cord-like branches so thick and so thoroughly twisted together that, were you to try to navigate the inside of the tree bunch, I'm sure it would be black as night. Then, across the street, there might be a courtyard with one massive Lion-King-esque tree in the middle, perfectly trimmed and just plain beautifully grown.

Also, I've already seen the flying foxes, as previously mentioned in one of my earlier posts! They're a good deal larger than small dogs and not at all afraid of flying only a couple yards from your face. Also, there are indeed wild kangaroos here... I haven't seen those yet, but I'll be sure to update you when I do!

Lastly, I will tell you the spiritual environment that I am in, as that is truly what I am here for. YWAM is a non-denominational organization, and in being non-denominational, they fully accept and, as I've found, greatly encourage the kind of charismatic Christianity that is a bit new to me. To give you a small example, during the first worship service I experienced, sometimes there was loud praise, and at other times dancing and people clapping to their own rhythm, etc.. There was a point in the service where we were all called to pray for the Holy Spirit to come dwell among us, at which point everyone in the room burst aloud into singular prayer for at least 6 to 7 minutes. While the nature of the service may have surprised me at first, it was incredibly refreshing. To know that everyone in the room desires Jesus - that everyone is there of their own choice - to feel the Holy Spirit in the room, listening to us sing and dance and yell our praises to him...just awesome. There is truly something special about worshiping in a church where, ten miles away, there is an island full of people who have never heard the gospel but are literally crying out for help.

Thank you for your prayers, and I am sorry about how long this post was- there's just so much to tell you all. Though I have already encountered many oddities and difficulties, I want to make it clear that I LOVE it here, and I feel completely comfortable, as this is the exact environment (right down to the lack of AC and carpet), that I feel most at home in. I am thriving here, and Jesus is living in me.

Random Fact of the Post:

Everything is different here concerning the bathrooms. First off, the women's rooms are ALWAYS painted blue, and the men's are ALWAYS painted pink. Second, they aren't called "women's rooms" or "ladies rooms" or "restrooms" or "bathrooms" at all. They are exclusively called "female toilets" and "male toilets". As if the toilets themselves had gender identification needs. Thirdly, the toilets themselves flush the opposite direction (apparently because we are South of the equator?). Fourthly, whereas America has toilet bowls half filled with water at all times, here there is no such thing. (I've begun realizing while here how much America really does use unneeded amounts of things like water and electricity. Not that I'm growing prejudiced at all against my home country- on the contrary, I would welcome half-water-filled toilets and AC blasted with all the windows open and lights that don't ever flicker--down here they just don't tap as many utility resources). Lastly, the stalls are not stalls but rather cubicles, wherein the infamous gap between stall door and stall wall is nonexistent. Click Here to Read More..

The American Flag

Greetings, loved ones. Tomorrow afternoon I will depart my home, bound for Dulles airport and, eventually, the great Down Under. As I was driving around completing last minute errands earlier this evening, I realized I needed gas, so I pulled into the nearest Turkey Hill. After running inside and telling the cashier "15 on 3, please", I went out into the windy cold and started my race to fill the car as fast as possible. Why, you might ask? Because- it was cold out, it was dark out, it was windy, my hair was in my eyes and face, and only heaven knows how many people had touched the gas handle before me. (Ha.) The reason I'm telling you all this is just to illustrate the state of mind I was in at the time. All of a sudden, as I'm waiting for the painstakingly slow pump, I realized this was my last night in the United States of America. As that hit me, I forgot about the cold and the wind and the germs and I raised my head to look up. Directly across the street from me was an American flag, glowing in the dark night sky above an in-ground spotlight.

The Lord has been putting it on my heart and mind recently (in the last year) that I shouldn't be in such a rush in life. Ever since I entered in middle school my mindset has been that I HAVE to get on to the next thing. It CAN'T wait. I'm SO bored with whatever everyone is doing right now that I HAVE to move on to the next chapter in life. Life moves slow sometimes. If you rush through everything, my guess is that one day you'll wish you hadn't. I will miss my home country, this next half-year. I will miss my home, and I will miss my family and friends. I probably shouldn't have been in a rush to get into Australia these past months. I am praying the Lord will teach me to enjoy and utilize well the time He has given me in each place He puts me in.

That being said, I do leave tomorrow, and I couldn't be more ready. Thank you to everyone who has supported me, both financially and through prayer and encouragement. I loved seeing some of you at my commissioning yesterday! Please pray that I have safe and smooth travels tomorrow (and the next day!). Thank you again, and you will all hear from me soon!

Random fact of the post:

The luggage weight limit for my airline is 50 lbs. I'm bringing a hikers backpack, due to the nature of both my family and the journey I'm about to embark on. I had quite a bit of stuff I needed to bring, ranging from dresses to sporks and from clotheslines to water filters. My father, who is notorious for being an immaculate planner and packer, was able to fit EVERYTHING I had laid out PLUS the pile of clothes I had set out that were "desired but unnecessary" into the backpack. Now, that is an incredible feat on its own. The news that brought me and my mother to laughing awe was this: when he weighed the pack, it was exactly 50 lbs and 0 oz. Click Here to Read More..

To Be Sent Out

Greetings, loved ones. My father just came up to me as he was about to retire for the night and said this: "it occurred to me as I was praying on the deck that, after you've been down there a while, you may start to feel lonely since you'll realize that everyone who knows and loves you is very far away. But, you need to remember, God loves you more than any of us, and He will be right there with you the entire time." If any of you have ever heard him preach, teach, speak, counsel, etc., you know that he puts on a certain tone of voice when he says something he views as exceedingly important; his voice lowers and he articulates clearly and slowly and he looks at you with squinty eyes and occasionally will point his finger at you. That's how it was when he said "He will be with you always." It had an impact. I view myself as independent. I am not and have never been a home-body, and while I know I will miss my family I have not expected to miss "home". That said, I know my father to be wise, and I believe him when he says I will feel lonely. It's true! In only two weeks I will leave everyone I have ever known and live on the other side of planet earth for almost half a year.

I want to thank all of you for supporting me in my journey thus far! I have good news for those who have been praying: I received an email-confirmation today letting me know I have been granted my Australian Student Visa. Thank you Jesus! As to my funds, my last update showed a status of about $500 below my goal. I will be sure to share with you when I hit my mark. But even before that point - I wanted to thank you all for your support, financially and through your prayers. Know that the Lord has begun working even now in unusual ways, before I have even left the states! I look excitedly forward to what He has planned for me in the upcoming seasons. Thank you again, and God bless you all!

Random Fact of the Post:

I am being recognized and prayed over and sent out publicly as an official missionary of West Shore Evangelical Free Church on the 18th of January at the end of both main services. If you are local, I would absolutely love to see you there; I will leave that Tuesday, so it will be the last chance to connect face-to-face before I leave. Like I've said before, I will be keeping this blog running and hopefully updating it weekly once I get there to keep you all up to date, but if you'd like to actually see me, in the flesh, the wonderful person I am, (HA!) Sunday the 18th will probably be the last opportunity. : ) Have a wonderful week, and be blessed. Click Here to Read More..