Rising Up Down Under

The team rolled into Brisbane yesterday, a bit weary from its travels (14+ hrs. LA- Melbourne, 3 hrs. there following customs and transfer to our domestic flight, and nearly 2 hrs. Melbourne- Brisbane), but excited to see everyone and begin to get down to business.

After a pretty good night's rest, we hit the road for some local Aussie sights and experiences. We spent a good part of the day at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, where we got up close and personal with creatures unique to this great nation. We experienced kangaroos, koalas, wombats, platypuses (or is that platypi?!), kookaburras, tasmanian devils, emus, pythons, crocs, and cassowaries first-hand...and loved every minute of it. It helped us see again the creative and imaginative hand of God our Creator.

The evening was given to a weekly meeting held at Ann Street Church, designed for international students who want to learn English and make friendship connections. This group runs anywhere from 12 to 45, and there were more than 15 with us tonight (from places such as Korea, Taiwan, China, Japan and France) as we engaged in "speed chatting" and a giant Scrabble game. We had multiple opportunities to share our faith with different young people, and made some blessed connections.

We see God's fingerprints all over this place and we're excited to be part of what He's doing here. We agreed that it would be easy to let our spiritual guards down a bit because life here seems so similar to our own culture, but that the spiritual warfare is every bit as intense in this place as it is anywhere else. So we pray that we will be stretched and challenged, that we find open doors, and that we courageously live out and speak out the message of hope and life that Jesus brings. Would you join us in praying for these needs in our lives while we're here?

Thanks, and good on ya!

Pics: 1. Team hanging out with some of the locals; 2. Border collie meeting the girls; 3. Posing with newly-shorn wool; 4. Edgar and his little buddy; 5. "Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree..." 6. Brittney checking out Aussie bike racks; 7. Kyle introduces the team; 8. Scrabble in a whole new way!

Location:Brisbane, AU

where in the world are we going?

As we approach the end of June (and the beginning of our summer), two Knott Avenue Global Outreach (GO!) Teams are making preparations for experiences in different parts of the world.

Our Australia Team will be in Brisbane June 27-July 12. We will partner again with our own Daun Slauson and the Ann Street Church of Christ, working with them as they reach those in their world. Team members (left to right) are Edgar Garcia, Mary Flores, Kyle Marsh, Brittany Hughey, Leslee Marvin and Mike Carman.

Our Montana Team (Larry and Joyce Clasen, Kelly and Judy Kappen, Carol Hall, Lorraine Dupray, Jim and Maureen Wilke and John and Connie Bergsto [not pictured]) will be in Kalispell, MT June 30- July 14, working at the Youth With a Mission (YWAM) base there. This training center is led by Jeff and Kristi Wilke from KACC, and the team will be busy with projects ranging from office help to building and construction needs.

Pray for these teams as they travel, serve, connect and pour themselves out because of the good news they've come to know. Pray for divine appointments with people who need the hope and encouragement that Jesus brings. Pray for team unity and a spirit of oneness. Pray for their families who will carry on here in their absence. And for lessons to be learned and lives changed, both among those who go and among those to whom they go.

Romans 10 tells us that those who bring good news have beautiful feet. How great to know that KACC has several with such gorgeous feet this summer! Check back here throughout the trips for updates and encouragement. And while you're at it, why not show off your own pretty feet? Wherever you find yourself, take the opportunity to deliver a message of hope, life and good news to those around you. After all, you don't have to get on an airplane to make a difference in this world!