Messages from mission.

Continuing along the line of "Stories from the Stump".

I've been away from last Sunday (my birthday) until this Sunday (my mum/brother's birthday) on mission from Sunday to Friday, conference from Friday night to Sunday. The conference is basically heaps of uni students coming from all over Australia to meet up and learn and stuff. The mission is just with your uni group. In a word, it was epic. Thought this might be a bit long for one post, so one post each for conference and mission.

We went out to Nowra for the mission. Working mainly in the schools there. About 20 of us, three high school teams and one primary school/other team. We all stayed with various families from the churches there; most of us with ones from Nowra All Saints, a couple from Nowra Baptist, and a couple from Nowra Church of Christ, always at least in pairs. I got a family from Nowra Church of Christ, and they were amazing. The Dad's a muso, there was a piano in the room we were sleeping in, and they had a massive bookcase. It was a great house, and a great family. Didn't like leaving.

Anyway, I was on high school team #2. Was at Bomaderry High Monday, Shoalhaven High Tuesday/Wednesday, and Nowra High Thursday. In short; Bomaderry's teacher was crazy-scientist type but cool, and the kids were mainly just "whatever"; Shoalhaven's teacher had a bit of a harder time, but the kids were slightly less "whatever"; Nowra's teacher didn't relate to as much, but the kids were a bit more interested.

Couple of quick stories. Firstly, heard a testimony from a guy in year 10 at Bomaderry. And the guy seemed quite similar to what I was like back then. And so was his testimony, in some ways; but more like what mine could've been, if a few things had changed. Struck me a bit. Then, I met this guy at a sort of service + dinner for the "down and out" of Nowra. Blind, but saw with the eyes of God. That's how I'd put it. A man of prayer, and related so well to everyone. He was just an amazing guy, inspiring. Then a couple of guys at Nowra school were really interesting; one asked me, "When people say that God 'revealed' himself to them, what do they mean?" Told him to just ask God to show himself, it's as simple as that. Hopefully he does, and He does. Then another student was very adamant that there was no God. So the teacher said: "So you think that if you read this gospel (think it was Luke) and pray every day for three weeks, nothing will happen?" "Course not!" "Challenge you." "It's on." Love it.

That's about it for mission, I think. Got to do my testimony a couple of times, lead the sessions we did once or twice, was good. Might put my testimony up here at some point. Post for conference probably up at some point tomorrow.