THE JOURNEY

I can't believe its already been a month that I have been out here! Time is flying by!

So I am on my second week of classes and they are great! I love what I am learning and I love the professors that are teaching them. The classes are more than just a traditional 'class' but it is a time for the professors to pour into us, challenge us, and encourage us! The classes that I am taking are: Personal Leadership, Old Testament,  Music Excellence, and Band Practice. How college works here is that all the worship, dance, media, and production students attend the same lecture class. Then for each class there is something called your tutorial group. This contains 20-25 students that are in your stream and you have all your classes with them. You pretty much live life with. Each class will have a tutorial time which is usually lead by another teacher and we talk about everything that was discussed in lecture that week. We also take this time to pray for each other and talk about life with each other.

While being here, I have learned a lot about myself. To be honest, my expectations on coming here was to just learn things about worship and what all that entails, but God had different plans. Coming here has been a huge eye opener. I noticed how comfortable I was in Oklahoma but being here I have had to rely on God sooooo much! IT'S AMAZING! At times it can be hard because I will start missing home, family, friends, and North Church but I have had to lean on God to fill that void. I want to be satisfied with God and God alone! I have started to write Scriptures that really speak to me in a notebook everyday and when I walk to class I take that time to read over it. I want to know God's Word and I want His instructions written on my heart (Psalm 40:8). I really want to take this time I have here to GROW, SEEK God, and to become more confident in Him.

Here are some verses that have been very encouraging to me:

Psalm 32:8
The Lord says, "I will guide you along the BEST pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you."

Psalm 16:11
You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and pleasures of living with you forever.

Psalm. 25:5
Lead me by Your truth and teach me, for you are God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.

Now let me tell you a little about how my job is going! IT IS GOING GREAT!! God could not have blessed me with a greater job! The owners are amazing people and I love working with them! On March 3rd, I am helping put on a 'Live Music Performance' at the coffee shop! It is going to consist of all different performers singing or playing insturments from Hillsong College and it is going to be a blast! Pray that it works out and is a huge success! I want to see this business flourish!

Below are pictures of when I went to the downtown Sydney! It is about a 40 minute bus ride and cheap to get there!

Of course this is the Opera House! Took this picture from the Sydney Harbour Bridge

So I have a slight obsession with gelato! Way better than ice cream! This was a gelato shop on the harbor and it was definitely my favorite! They had about 30 flavors! My goal is to try all of them before I leave! Haha

These are some of my friends (great people) and behind us is the Sydney Harbour Bridge!

Sail Boats!

Skyline

Skyline from Botanical Gardens

Thank you for all your prayers!

Prayers:
For students who do not have jobs to get some.
For my job to pick up in business.

Love you all!
David

MAY THE FUN BEGIN!

HELLO EVERYONE! So I think it is about time to update this blog! As you all know, I have been looking for a job! Well........I GOT A JOB!! It's a coffee shop called Waroeng (Meaning 'Little Shop' in Indonesian). How this all came about was a total God thing! On Thursday, I went to the city for a conference Hillsong put on for all who were 18-25 years old. One of the speakers talked about tattoo trust and asked if we were putting ALL of our trust in God no matter what. At that moment I felt God speak to me about not putting my full trust in Him, especially for this job. That night I told God that I would put my totally trust in Him knowing He would provide. That next morning, God put in my head a verse I had read a couple of days before and it was Psalm 73:23-24 "Yet I still belong to you, you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny." I said this verse over and over again that morning. Then I went out to search for a job! The third place I stopped at was that coffee shop! I asked if they were hiring and he said, "Yes! You want to help?" Of course I said yes :) That day I got hired and him and his wife trained me! They are awesome people both from Indonesia.

They opened the shop just two weeks ago! I am excited to be apart of this and to help as much as I can to make their business grow! I feel like God has placed me here not just to help grow their business but also to show the love of Christ. My first day of work, they started to call me as part of their family! This showed me that this was a total God thing. I have given them ideas about having a 'live band night' and opening up on Saturdays so that the students can hang here. They were excited to hear about my ideas and are looking forward to doing them! Please pray that their business will grow! I am very excited to see how God will use me here!  

Also, classes have started! Praise the Lord :) This week is called "intensives". So it is pretty much one class (Church & Ministry) all day long! Towards the end of the day my mind feels like a prune haha...so much information! Next week, actual classes start! I'm very excited about that! Below is a picture of our Chapel time! They are amazing and I'm pumped to have these 4 days a week! 

                                                                  This is our Chapel

Bondi Beach

Sydney Harbor

Thank you for all your prayers! I love and miss you all!