Back in Australia!

Hey all!

The last 6 weeks or so seem to have been quite the whirlwind, but I've finally found some time to sit down and document a bit of what's been happening. 

I had a great month at home, got to spend a lot of time with my family and catch up with lots of people. I was really glad there was lots of snow!

 It was a good time to be able to communicate with people what I'm up to, freak out a little about how much everyone has grown in the last year, and have a little time off to pray and think about where God has me. When you're living in a certain reality, it's easy to forget what other options are out there, so it's always good to go home and get a little perspective. That being said, it was hard to leave everyone back home, but I do have peace about this being where God has me for now. He wants me to be seeing Adelaide as home, and committing to being here as long as he has me here. That is a scary concept, and one that I haven't completely accepted yet, but I'm getting there. I know that the only place I want to be is where God has me, but the ramifications of that on the future are a little harder to jump right into. I am really excited about the coming year(s), and can see that God is going to do some great things! I think he's still positioning us all, but it'll all happen soon!

When I got back to Australia right before New Years, I spent a day in Sydney with Zac and Graham, my Canadian friends, and then traveled up to Byron Bay for 10 or so days of outreach. We joined up with the YWAM base there and some other YWAMers for what they called Impact Summer. Byron Bay is a big backpackers destination, and a very spiritual town, so we mainly hosted events that were conducive to meeting people and having conversations with them. During the day, we'd set up volleyball nets at the beach and invite people for games. A couple times we had a volleyball tournament with people from all over the place. In the evenings, we set up in a park and gave away pancakes and chai, did some performances, and shared testimonies. Especially during the evenings, many people on our team had opportunities to share their stories and God's love with backpackers and locals. There was a local who used to be a crystal healer, and he was hanging out with us almost every night that we were there. Several people had chances to talk to him, and by the end of our time there, he wanted to be baptized. We were all there as he was baptized in the ocean and then prayed for him after that. It was an awesome experience! I personally talked to several people who had questions about Christian spirituality, and made some friends what I will be in touch with who are seeking. It was a really fun outreach - especially rough because we spent a good majority of our time on the beach ;). 

Since Byron Bay, I've been at my friend Nat's house, spending time with her family and relaxing a bit. Tomorrow we'll be heading back to Adelaide and getting back to work. I'm really excited to see everyone there as well!

Thanks to all of you for your prayers and support while I was home. It was great to see so many people and catch up. I'll continue to be in touch!

Blessings

Caitlin