DTS Update 10!

Hi everyone!!! What a fun and exciting time of year! I cannot believe it’s almost Christmas and a new year! It just keeps getting hotter and hotter here so it really doesn’t feel like Christmas, but I’ve been really enjoying all of the festivities and traditions in Australia and on our YWAM base!

This past week was fully outreach!! Our main “outreach” was Stable as well as things around our campus. Stable ran its event from last Thursday to this past Monday with “bump in” (load in) and “bump out” (strike) a couple days before and after. Our team was at Stable every night, and it was an amazing experience! We did so many different things - building up the sets, wrangling animals, dancing, being various people in the town of Bethlehem, running kids activities (tie dye, face paint, etc.), making food, walking around with big heads, caring for the volunteers, picking up trash, talking and praying with visitors, data entry, picking up trash, and soooooo much more!!! It was such a cool event and the community really came together there! I met so many faithful individuals who serve at this event so wholeheartedly, and the difference their service makes in people’s lives was crazy to see. Alongside Stable, we picked up some work in the kitchen on campus 💪💪and made some amazing meals of course. We got to do all of this alongside the Norway and Whitsundays teams that were here, which was a blast!!

Aside from outreach, I’ve had so many opportunities to just enjoy being on campus. I have so much gratitude to be in this place and living so fully on mission. This has been such a special time!

We are now heading into a time of debriefing our outreach and preparing for our next one in Papua New Guinea (before getting back into more lectures next week). I’m excited for what’s ahead! 

Highlights (besides everything Stable!!)

• People love their carols here, which has been so fun! I think I’ve sang “Joy to the World” at least 20 times just this week alone.

• Bunnings sausage sizzle!! Sausage sizzles are a HUGE thing here. It’s basically just grilling up sausages and serving on a slice of bread with some onions. They are so good!! But we had the opportunity to run a sausage sizzle at Bunnings (kind of like a Home Depot) and to fundraiser for the youth programs our base runs! It was the best time! I manned the register - so fun but a little rocky at first considering I had never seen any Australian currency before that day 😂😂

• I’ve been missing the kiddos I’ve been with up to this point, but I’ve had some fun moments with them here and there, just hanging out with them in the in-between times!

• Late night Maccas runs!

• We went and supported Debbie, the most lovely lady from PNG who serves in the kitchen here, get baptized!! 

• I’ve had a great time hanging out with my team more and just doing fun things with one another.

• We rode around to a few neighborhoods to look at Christmas lights!

• I’ve been playing the cajon a little more for worship! It’s been such a new thing for me to help organize worship sets but it’s been a blast!

• I can almost fully move my finger again ☝️

• We got the campus ready for Christmas! We set the tables all nice and set up a cozy area around the tree! I’m excited to celebrate!! 

Have the merriest of Christmases!! Sending blessings, may the Lord be your strength this season!

👋👋

Annika :)

So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him.

2 Corinthians 5:9