Australia: This is Just the Beginning

Australia. 

I've been saying I will be going for quite a while now. . . though only recently put in the application.

People have been wanting the story, so here it is in a nutshell.

When I was little and all through growing up I can remember only a few things that I wanted to do. I wanted to be a mommy (of course) and I wanted to share Jesus with people. I still want both, and both will happen. However, sharing Jesus with people is something I can do right now . . . . . whereas being a mommy will have to wait.

I graduated highschool having already traveled to the Dominican Republic and to Zambia on international mission trips. At the time, I was 17 years old. Though our stories differ, I remember my mom giving me three options: go to college, be a full-time missionary, or have other long-term plans for my life (marriage). I was 17. Full-time-overseas-missions is kind of out of the question as a minor. So is marriage. That left me one option and though I really never wanted to go to college, off I went. 

Cornerstone was a great school, and I learned so much there. I met people who have become an integral part of my life and I have no doubt in my mind that I was supposed to be there for the 2012-2013 school year. However, in January 2013 I began to have doubts about whether or not I should stay. 

At that time, I had changed my major from social work to "undecided." A perfect step in the right direction. Not. Ok, so I had no idea what I was doing with my life. 

I had a mini crisis as I tried to figure out what I was doing. YWAM crossed through my mind along with other mission opportunities, but I was in school and it would have to wait until I was done. There is no time for 6 month long mission school training and college at the same time.

Eventually, I decided that I was in school, and that wasn't going to change. I may as well resign myself to that fact and get on with life. I changed my major from the ever-popular "undecided" to double in psychology and ministry. I made myself excited about it and continued learning all sorts of fun things. 

Honestly, I did enjoy school. I miss it terribly sometimes. But, as it goes, I came to another fork in the road that March. God again began to lay it on my heart that maybe, just maybe, there was another plan for me. 

I don't know where these thoughts came from. I brushed them aside as so many annoying flies. Soon, it became too much. I actually had to think about it. Then Mom asked me if I thought I was really supposed to be in school. Flood waters broke loose. Yeah, there were some tears, but mostly it was just thoughts. 

I remembered a few things. 
*I didn't ever really want to go to college.
*I was working on a second choice major, because my first choice (which I knew I didn't want to begin with) didn't work out.
*Missions are what I wanted to do. I didn't need a degree for that, necessarily.
*Debt is a terrible road block when it comes to doing anything in this life.
*YWAM kept popping up...

I wrestled with God for a whole month before coming to terms with Him. We had decided by mid-April that I wouldn't be coming back to Cornerstone. To be honest, that was a really scary thought. All I had ever known was school. I'd been in school as long as I could remember. Oh well, I guess. 

I had heard and I had decided. Something people can tell you about me is that once I decide something, that's probably how it's going to stay. I began talking to people about all the details wrapped up in un-enrollment. This included everything from housing to laptops to deposit fees and the key to my mailbox. 

By the beginning of June I was officially no longer a student. I had returned my laptop and all terms were settled. Camp was next on the list, but I had no idea what to expect after that. 

Summer came and went, and though that would make it sound uneventful it was anything but. However, it is not extremely relevant to this part of the story and so it can wait for another day.

I returned home from camp many weekends over the summer and then finally at the end for good. We were moving, and I needed to get a job. I also needed to find a church to attend. I had been gone nearly a year and no longer called any one church home. 

As I struggled to figure out what God had next for me in this crazy adventure called life, I thought of things I hadn't been able to do while in school. I had wanted to get involved in equine therapy programs, and I wanted to go places and Love people. Of course, YWAM came up again. And again. And again. I met people who talked about it. I went to church and the pastor talked about it. I talked to more people--and they had been a part of it. Others knew people who went somewhere with YWAM. I never brought it up myself, but still people would begin to talk about YWAM. Always YWAM. 

I think I am a fairly intelligent woman. I can take a hint. So I started researching YWAM more thoroughly. I mostly looked at Zambia to see what I could find there. Africa holds a special place in my heart, and I believe it always will. However, I kept being pulled to look up Australia. 

Funny thing is, I had heard of people going to Australia with YWAM and I always thought, "I have absolutely zero interest in going there." God's humor...gotta love it.

I got an email a few days later from a woman who works with YWAM Townsville. I must have put my information into some form on the website. To this day, I don't remember doing so. Still, she emailed me, and then called me. She has continued doing so, and did again today. 

At that time, I was just looking. She helped me think about it and decide what I would want to do. It was a lot of praying before I finally decided what I wanted more information on, though at the time I wasn't willing to say I wanted to go yet. 

We talked more and more, and kept praying for answers and guidance. God finally gave it. I was supposed to start planning to go to Australia in July 2014 with their Pacific DTS. 

My contact called again and urged me to put in my application. I declined the request, saying that, no, God wouldn't let me forget if I was supposed to go, and yes, if I was supposed to be there God would handle it--even if that meant short notice on the application.

I continued waiting. I began to tell a few people that I was going to Australia. Then I told more. I doubted at times, but Joshua was there believing for me the whole time. And once I told others, they stood there and believed with me that I would go as well. I thank God for my family of believers that has stood around me and continues to stand around me as He sends me off.

One day, a friend of mine told me that he had something to give me. It was a surprise and I needed to come see him to receive it. It had to wait a while, but eventually I saw him. The tease he is, he waited until I was about to leave before placing an envelope in my hands. He then turned and bolted off down the hall--into the guys' dorm, no less. In other words, I couldn't follow him. 

I looked down, and in my hands was that envelope. Honestly, I didn't notice it was a bank envelope, but it was. I opened it, and inside I saw $334.17. (I think I remember that number correctly.) He had saved his last paycheck from the summer simply because God had said to. There had been no reason why--just "save it." So he did. When he came back out, he explained that to me and that God had said that it was for me.

I was speechless. 

Days later, I was in church listening to the sermon. I don't remember what it was about, honestly. All I remember was that it was completely unrelated to what God said to me.

"Turn in your Australia application."

It was enough for me. Ok, God. I'll get right on that. I found references and took a picture. The rest was complete already. I turned it in the next day. 

His timing is perfect. Days later, I was at a bonfire with YATEC. I didn't realize it, but they all gathered around the place where I was about halfway through the evening. Then a friend of mine began to speak. He addressed everyone, and said something about a friend they wanted to thank and help out a little bit. I honestly wasn't paying very close attention. 

He said my name. He handed me an envelope which he explained was from all the people gathered there. It contained $622. For Australia. 

I was nearly in tears, and could hardly speak, but they had me tell this story. It ended with me saying that the application would require a deposit of nearly over $800 only weeks after it was accepted (I knew it would be--God had said so). I didn't know how it was going to come together, but I had trusted that God knew what He was doing. I hadn't asked for money, and God still hasn't said to send out support letters. I don't know if He will or not. All I know is that when He says something is going to happen, you had better believe that it's going to happen. 

I got a call tonight from my friend over in Townsville, Australia. She informed me that there was a folder laying on her desk. This folder was special. It contained the acceptance information for Alainya Slakes into the YWAM Townsville Pacific DTS program for July 2014.

If I said I was not excited at this news, it would be the biggest lie of the century. I got off the phone with her and bolted through the gym with the biggest grin you can imagine stretch across my face. I slid to a stop on my knees and threw my hands into Joshua's. He looked into my eyes and I told him I'd been accepted to Australia. As I threw my arms around his neck he lifted me off my feet and spun me around. I'm sure I squealed in glee. I bounced up and down as I told all my friends there that I was going. 

I didn't doubt it. In fact, when she told me that I was accepted I said I knew I would be. That was complete truth. But to actually hear it? Now, that was exciting.

Friends, I'm going to Australia. And God is going to continue to do amazing things--now, until then, once I am there, and forever afterwards.

Praise the Lord!