Jagged edges no more

I am so amazed at how creative God is and how very similar and yet vastly different each of the beaches are. Over the past 8 weeks, I've walked on multiple beaches around the world. Before I left my lovy hometown of Charleston, I took one last walk on the beach. Then in both Australia and Fiji, I've gotten the chance to walk on numerous beautiful beaches. Each one has a unique touch that the other one does not have. 

The beachfront in Australia has sandy beaches, but also sections of rocks. As you walk along the beach, you can see different pieces of sea glass. I've always been facinated with sea glass. The first time I saw it was years ago when I was little. My dad had a business trip close to the beach and brought a shell back for each of us, but for me, he had a small rounded piece of sea glass. 

Sometimes we are like these pieces of glass. We have sharp, jagged edges that cuts those around us. God is like the waves of the ocean and over time he rounds out those edges that slice. It doesn't happen overnight, but it takes time. It takes years of being warn down by the sand and waves. We aren't beaten down, but instead being refined. 

In the end, that piece of glass that was nothing but rubbish, has become beautiful, almost like a small gem. 

"Mightier than the thunder of many waters, 

mightier than the waves of the sea,

The Lord on high is mighty!"

-psalm 91:4

We are one in the spirit

For the months leading up to the internship, we prayed for unity with the interns. Whenever multiple people come together, there's always the potential for dissensions within the group. 

So far we've only been together for three days, so I really can't say how the remainder of our time will be, but already I feel like I've known everyone for years. It's amazing how a bond can be created with a complete stranger because of the unification we have in Christ. On top of that, each of us are gathered for a similar purpose and common goal. 

It's as if overnight, I've been blessed with 18 new siblings!

That's not to say that we are all the same and live in perfect harmony. As we get to know each other we've been learning to celebrate those differences. For the past three days we've been taking personality tests to discover what strengths God has given us. Instead of just being intrinsically helpful, the tests have also been a way to quickly get to know each other's personalities. This has also been the perfect foundation for seeking God's call on our lives. 

I'm personally beginning to understand how God has wired me so that I can use my strengths to be an impact for the world. 

For instance, I just learned that one of my top qualities is enjoying the challenge of meeting new people and trying to win them over. I'm drawn to strangers and want to get to know them. 

On my first day in Fiji, I passed by a house with multiple children in the front yard. I told Langdon that I wanted to get to know those kids, and sure enough, I've already had the chance to meet them. Today, I asked several of the other interns to join me and we spent the afternoon kicking a soccer ball around and playing frisbee. 

My prayer is that as the weeks progress our relationship with these kids would grow and we can develop a relationship with them as we share the gospel. 

Pray also that God would develop those strengths and that we can encourage each other in them. 

Blessings,

Liz 

EE Internship: Day #1

With staggered arrival times, all of the interns are finally together!

Five of the Americans came in early this morning and we've been spending the day picking up supplies in town, beginning our training, getting settled in, and getting to know each other a little better.

From left to right: Alex(Australia), Mitch(Australia), Panapasi(Fiji), William (SC, USA), Deanna(MD, USA), Emoni (Fiji) Lagi (Samoa), Breezy(SC, USA), Anne(SC, USA), Ashley(FL, USA), Buna (Fiji), ME!, Caitlin(SC, USA), Rusila(Fiji), Takape (Fiji), Walter(CA, USA), Pete (UK), Ashnil(Fiji)

As we went around the room sharing the things we most wanted to learn and grow from in the next six weeks, we were fairly unified in the response. #1 we want to learn how to share the gospel and reach the people around us for Christ and #2 we want to use this time to seek where God is calling us in the future.

Please be praying for my team and I as we take the next six weeks to serve the Lord together.

Pray for unity for the team.

Pray for our influence in the community.

And to end with a little story. Several of us went into town this afternoon to have a look around and pick up supplies. A few of us walked by a shop and the owner welcomed us with "Bula, come in and have a look."

Trying not to be rude, we walked in to his shop which was filled with carved masks and other ceremonial carvings. We were ushered to a mat where we were asked to take off our shoes and have a seat. While one person spoke about his village and the people who make the jewelry and ceremonial carvings, another man brought a large wooden bowl and set it on the mat.

He added water, then took a small fabric back and started filling it with a powder. The bag was then stirred around the bowl with the man's fingers, then he dipped a half coconut shell in the bowl and offered the concoction of kava for us to drink.

Kava is often associated with pagan practices around the island and is sort of a mix between an acoholic/drug for the people of the island. As soon as we refused, the man in the shop asked us if we were a church group.

I share this story to show how these spiritualistic traditions have filled the island and the need they have for Christ in their lives. As I left the shop, I got really excited about what I will be learning in the next few weeks and the ability that I'll have to share them with these people. I cannot wait!

Blessings,

Liz

Taking things at a slower pace

Today, we're in Wollongong (pronounced Wool-en-gong...at least I think so, sometimes it's hard tell from the Aussie accents). 

It's a bit chilly out, so to get us warmed up for the day, we had steaming hot bowls of porridge, which come to find out is the same thing as oatmeal. "Porridge" sounds so much more sunstantial though, doesn't it?

(View from the house we're staying in)

To go along with the warm cereal, I had to try a slice of toast with Vegemite. Although I don't dislike it, I can't say it eould ever become a favorite of mine. It's a bit too salty for my liking. Think of beef bullion, then just take out the beef flavoring. Pretty much pure salt. 

After "brecky" we hopped in the car and visited Symbio Wildlife park to cuddle with koalas, feed kangaroos and hop with the wallabies. 

(It's hard to tell in this pictures, but there is a Joey with the mama)

Tasmanian devils(not to devilish looking)

Although I've seen these animals before, it's so much better getting up close and petting them in Australia!!

I think my new favorite animal(not sure if there's an old favorite) is the koala. They are just as cute and cuddly up close as they look. Their fur is is so soft!

And random little fact, although it looks like a teddy bear, the koala is actually  a marsupial, in other words, he's the cousin to the kangaroo and wallaby. They also have a little pouch they keep their young in. In fact, one of the koalas had a a little Joey and she was just old enough to start popping her head out. 

The kangaroos were so fun. I'd never noticed how much they look like oversized rabbits. 

They were quite friendly and let us pet them and get close. 

After the park, we took a ride along the small coastal towns and stopped for lunch at one of the cafes overlooking the ocean. 

Wollongong is one of the larger of these towns nestled between a range of mountains and the coast. 

After lunch, we returned home and have been snuggled under blankets enjoying a hot cup of tea. 

Trains, planes, and automobiles

I am safely back in Fiji, getting settled in and unpacking. It's the first time in weeks that I haven't been living out of a suitcase and it feel great!

So far we've gotten to travel with just about every means of automated transportation (no motorcycles yet). 

Planes...

Trains...

And automobiles(trains and cars:)

And just like the movie, this whole week, we've felt like we're "going the wrong way!"

I've gotten used to the cars being on the opposite side of the road, but it's when I walk down the street that I keep forgetting that people also pass on the left. I've already accidental bumped in to several people by moving to the right. Oh well. 

For now, I'm going to take a wk around the training center before the sun goes down completely. 

Blessings, 

Liz

G'Day from Down Under

Heading off for Australia, I was daunted by the 42 hrs it would take to get from Charleston to our final destination in Sydney. 

Thankfully the long flight was not as terrible as I imagined and Anne and I spent a very pleasant 8 hrs in Fiji. There's something so incredibly wonderful about a shower and change of clean clothes after traveling for 30 hrs. After leaving our big luggage at the training center, we got to be tourists for just a little bit. 

As with most third world countries that are open for tourism, there's such a stark contrast between the wealthy, touristy sections and the way the locals live. 

The islands are beautiful, but most people live in small buildings with old or sometimes dirt roads. Chickens, goats and dogs roam freely. For the first time in a year, I felt like I was back in Africa. 

As soon as you get close to the resorts, the roads become new and smooth. The grass is well groomed and you can see that thought has been put into the planning of the landscape. 

And let me tell you, it is absolutely, breathtaking beautiful. 

Between odd babysitting jobs, writing my book, and packing for my trip, I haven't had much down time and it felt wonderful to breath in the smells of the ocean and relax. 

When we got into Sydney later that night, we really wanted to go straight downtown to see all of the buildings aglow for the last night is Vivid, but our rumbling stomachs and tired eyes  won the battle and we headed straight to Maroubra where we're staying in Sydney.

The next morning we got to actually see the Maroubra beach in the sunlight before going downtown to view the Opera house and still through the Botanical Gardens. 

Later we took a ferry ride to the lovely little town of Manly. 

As soon as we got off the ferry, Anne and I were excited to find an Aldi, so we stocked up on snacks and food to eat on the beach. 

I did a bit of exploring about and found a cave carved into the rocks by the ocean. 

On the way back we got to see the Sydney harbor lights. 

June 7th 2015

So June 7th, 2015 will never happen in my calendar. I left last night,Ssaturday June 6th from LA and when my plane landed it was Monday Morning. I hope that it is beautiful for all who have had the priveledge of experiencing that day. 

Thankfully, I had several uneventful flights and met Anne in LA. 

We thought we'd have a long time to wait, but ended up meeting a lovely couple from Australia who gave us some great tips for places to see in Sydney. 

The flight to Fiji was just long, but it was great to find a friendly face waiting for us at the other end!

Langdon took Anne and me back to the training center for a shower and now we're about to head of for (as Langdon calls it) a "sneaky adventure" before we have to hop on a plane again and head to Sydney. 

This place is beautiful and I can't wait to explore it more next week!