spring cleaning

i am SO sorry i haven't updated in ages!! its really hard to find the time to write an entire blog!! the past couple of days have been amazing!! to give an example of an average day, i thought i would post a schedule on my blog!

every morning we wake up at 6:30am to do workduties. work duties are just cleaning the house, and every week, we all rotate. this week, i'm on kitchen duty.

then from 7am to 8:40am, we have quiet time, eat breakfast, and get ready. we are just left to do our own thing. i usually shower first, then eat and then have quiet time before we leave.

at 9am, lectures or class start. we usually have something like intercession or worship in the morning, so not usually lectures. but its different everyday. yesterday, we all sat in a circle and talked about how we were doing emotionally, physically, and spiritually, and then we prayed for eachother. its awesome to be so close with everyone. we are all very honest and open.

(side note- tuesdays is community day. so every tuesday morning we have worship and intercession, and then go out into surfers paradise, homeless shelters, or put on programs for the local schools in the morning.)

10am- TEA TIME! we have a 30 minute tea time EVERYDAY. and its a big deal! everyone in australia has tea time!! we have tea or coffee with like fruit or bread or cookies. its so cute.

10:30-1pm- lectures!! we have different speakers every week, but each week is themed. like this week was hearing god's voice.

1-2pm is lunch. this week i was on lunch clean up, so i cleaned with ivan after lunch everyday.

2pm-4- lectures/small group/one on ones/ ACTS. it changes everyday. one on ones is when you go out with your staff mentor to talk. just to check up on us and give us a chance to be open and express what we're learning or if we're struggling with stuff. my mentor is Tina. she is great!! ACTS is explained in an earlier blog. my ACTS is cleaning the base. so yeah, 2-4pm is something different everyday.

4-5:30pm is free time! this is when i use the computer.

5-6pm is dinner.

6ish-9pm is lectures or outreach prep or coffee van (we set up a free coffee van in downtown GC and just minister to people. but this is only on thursday nights). or just free time. it changes everyday.

so after whatever we do at night, we go back home. i love our house. i feel at home there. i love coming back there after a long day. we usually hang out and play cards or swim. i usually just go to bed at like 10pm because i'm so tired!!! and then the whole day starts again!

its a pretty full day, especially when its EVERY day all week. its a little overwhelming sometimes. people keep asking me how i'm doing or how my heart is or what i'm feeling... and its hard to just tell people one emotion. i am just learning and processing SO MUCH information, and God is just teaching me and revealing so many things to me and just cleaning me out. thats how i feel. like its spring cleaning time. in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, there is a scene where the narnians and aslan take over the witch's castle. people are charging in and opening every window, every door. they are letting in the light and the fresh air. every damp and dark room is exposed. thats how i feel. like God is shining his light into the very darkest corner rooms of my heart. hes just charging through and spring cleaning has begun. i kind of just feel like i'm just along for the ride. its hard to pinpoint ONE thing i'm feeling or ONE thing i'm learning, because its all just A LOT. but its good. its very good.

last night, we celebrated the Jewish feast, Purim, which is when Ester helped save her people from an attack. So, in the tradition of Purim, we all dressed up in costumes! everyone looked so cute. i was a cat :) haha. so we all met in our costumes and took turns reading the entire book of Ester outloud. then we all just ate food and talked and stuff. it was so fun! i loved dressing up!

anyway... thats all for now! i'll try to be better about updating y'all more often! thanks SO MUCH for your prayers for me! i need them! i miss and love y'all so much!!!

hugs and kisses from australia!

grace