DTS Update 13!

Helloooooooooooooo, how is everyone??? I’ve been good! Really good! The past week has been so full, and I feel like there is a lot happening all at once but all really awesome things! We have started our final week of lectures (the speaker is amazing and really challenging us to think deeply) - so crazy, it feels like we just started! This also means it’s our last week in Townsville for now. Our cohort is all together for only a few more days! It’s going to be so hard to split up!

This past week has been a ton of preparation for outreach. We are trying to prepare what we can so that we can be fully present while there. But there’s plenty that we won’t know until we get there! It’s honestly so exciting. It’s been a little hard to focus on lectures this week 🫣 because I’m feeling just so ready to go! I really just can’t wait to be in PNG and experience what the Lord is doing there. Yay!!

We are heading out on Jan. 19th and will be there for seven weeks! I may be harder to contact when we are there, but I really don’t know what that will look like yet. All part of the adventure God has for us!

Highlights!! 😎😎

• We undecorated Christmas as a campus 🙁 but it was really fun to do it with everyone on campus! We played volleyball and had a sausage sizzle together that evening which was really nice!

• We had small group again! We didn’t have small group during the first outreach, so it was really good to be back with my group this past week and just talk and grow with them.

• Ken and Robyn had us over for ice cream again! So kind of them and so fun!

• We have had so many great times praying together and brainstorming for PNG! I love my team so much and I can’t wait to see the fruit of how God has been preparing us!

• So many moments rehearsing PNG songs and dances - sooooooooo fun!

• My team had breakfast together on Saturday morning and then went out to shop for things we needed to get for outreach!! This actually ended up being a blast and I can’t wait for more silly times together!

• I SURVIVED MY FIRST CYCLONE!!!! Well not really because they are the same as hurricanes, but we got hit with a category 2 cyclone over the weekend. Praise God, it was not bad at all and just led to some cozy indoor activities while we waited it out.

• It’s my last week with Ariah and Isaiah 😢😢 I’m going to miss them so much, they’re going to be so big next time I see them! But we’ve had a lot of fun this past week - bubbles, chalk, cleaning, walks, hair salon games, and many, many tea parties!!

• We have had a ton of really cool resources shared with us for connecting with the people of PNG! PNG has over 850 languages - a huge challenge, but connecting with someone in their heart language is sooooo impactful. It’s been cool to learn some of the main languages there (Tok Pisin and Motu) and translate some of our materials. But I also can’t wait to learn more and use the recordings and things we have in their languages in order to connect! 

• I’ve just had so many lovely and really meaningful conversations with people here! 

I pray the new year has started off well for everyone! Please pray for my team and I for everything we have ahead! 

💟💟💟

“Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” 

Psalm 119:105