New Vision

“For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. For you shall go out with joy, and be led out with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the cypress tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” Is. 55: 10-13

As we were praying about our recent trip to Sydney, I felt the Lord direct us to this passage in preparation for what He was going to speak to us at the conference. Isaiah 42 was the chapter that God spoke to us on our first trip to Australia to attend the Calvary Chapel ministry conference on the Gold Coast back in 2009. That chapter became our theme for the adventure that was to come as we transitioned from the ministry of Calvary Chapel Forks into missions with Youth With A Mission (YWAM) which ultimately led us to N. Queensland and Papua New Guinea, where we completed a year long staff internship program with YWAM, Townsville. As mentioned in Isaiah 55, the life transforming truth of God’s word is central to our relationship with God, for it expresses His heart, nature, character, and plan for humanity’s salvation. Heb. 4: 11-12 states, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.” Thus when I read that God has a distinct purpose in delivering His powerful word into the lives of a needy world, I get excited because we get to be apart of that work. We get to be His mouth, His hands, feet, His ears to touch the lives of hurting people and as it is apparent, the people of Australia.

It was with great difficulty that Cameron and I left Sequim, WA to begin our 12 day trip to Sydney. Difficult because this would be the longest that we have ever been away from the kids and though we were very confident that they would be fine in the capable hands of our relies (relatives), we knew that we’d miss them terribly. Nonetheless, we found ourselves over thirty hours later in a very nice home in the Northern Beaches area of Sydney reunited with both old and new friends all who share the same burden for Aussies. We spent three days getting to know one another better and generally enjoying the fellowship. We spent much time sharing worship songs, ministry stories, and time praying for the nation. Leading up to the trip, Cameron and I had been in contact with some of the key members of the team and had been very interested in their plans and considered what involvement we might have but remained unsure and not entirely committed even through this preliminary period. All that changed though, when the conference began in earnest.

We had been praying for months and had as many people as possible praying for us also so that we would know clearly what the next step for our family would be. Sure enough from each of the speakers came a wonderful message of God’s great love for us and His clear calling of our family to continue serving Him in the Australian mission field.

The plan, as it stands is to spend the rest of the school year in the States and prepare to set sail again for Australia come July/August 2012. So far there are a hand full of families and some individuals who are likewise preparing to relocate around that time, some are Aussie nationals while others are from the U.S. The hope is to get established in the Sydney area near downtown and launch a Calvary Chapel affiliated church by the beginning of 2013.

During the conference, one thing that was clear and is felt by many is that God is ready to move powerfully and significantly in this country and has gathered all of us together to be apart of the work. How is it going to happen? How will we get the visas, the finances, the people and resources? I’m confident these questions will be answered in the near future. In the meantime we will all be in disciplined and fervent prayer for how to take the next delicate steps. We are emboldened by the confirmation of our calling and incredibly excited to be apart of His work. All of the team members are remarkably gifted and experienced men and women of faith and we are honored and blessed to be working with them.

So, another chapter is beginning for us and we can’t wait to see how it will all unfold. One thing for sure, serving the Lord is always a challenging adventure and rarely dull. We are so, so grateful for your prayers and your partnership in the ministry. I can’t fully communicate the ups and downs that we’ve experienced over these recent months but we are always comforted by the words of encouragement, prayers, and support that are expressed constantly by all of our friends and family. Thank you again for investing in the Lord’s work through us.

The Botkin Family

The Next Step, "Envision Australia"

“Let all those who seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let such as love Your salvation say continually, “The Lord be magnified!” Ps. 40: 16

Truly, we are crying out, “The Lord be magnified” in everything we are doing right now. We are excited and filled with great expectation for our trip to Sydney in a few days. We are planning to room with three or four other couples from the U.S. for the days leading up to the “Envision Australia Conference” (envision-australia.com) and for a couple of days afterward. Our roommates share our burden for Australia and have a heart to see churches planted throughout the Great South Land. Our time together as a group will be vitally important and will be spent:

1. In Fellowship, getting to know one another as Cameron and I haven’t met some of the team and need to really connect well and share our hearts with them.
2. In Worship, spending time exalting Jesus as one body, surrendering to His will and plan while also making a firm stand against any opposition.
3. In Prayer, humbly coming before the Lord to align our hearts with His as we walk through the city. We’ll be crying out to the Lord for the souls of its citizens and to receive vision for the future ministry.
4. In Bible study, building up and encouraging one another in His word with open minds and hearts ready to hear what the Holy Spirit will speak to us.

Then, the conference…Brian Broderson and Bill Welch leading the sessions with Scott Cunningham and Steve Grace leading in worship with a wonderful mix of men and women from all over Australia all meeting with the primary purpose to worship the Lord and to hear from Him about ministry in this great, spiritually needy nation.

We’re stoked, excited, and expectant for this trip and for the future of God’s work Down Under!

Please keep us in prayer:

• Continued open doors for church planting in Australia, especially for the team in Sydney.
• Obtaining a visa for long-term service in the country.
• Financial provision for our family as we hope to be relocating to Australia by June/July 2012.
• Clear revelation of God’s plan as we connect with many people on this trip.
• Strength, endurance, wisdom, etc. for Lois and Ron as they watch our kids while we’re away and for the kids to be a blessing.

Thank you again for your love, friendship, and partnership in the ministry.

The Botkin Family

Recent Sermons

Here are some recent teachings that Jeremy has done at various Calvary Chapels since we've been back. May the Lord richly bless your Bible study!
http://sermon.net/calvaryportangeles/sermonid/2746892
http://sermon.net/calvaryportangeles/sermonid/2752742
http://sermon.net/calvaryportangeles/sermonid/2813824
http://www.calvarypointloma.com/audio/index.php/2011/06/19/genesis-12-faithful

Fall Update

Hello everyone, yes it’s been quite a while since I have posted anything and I feel horrible about it. It’s one of those things that if you put it off once or twice it is easy to continue to put it off, but alas I cannot continue I must get back in the habit of writing lest you might think our lives are stagnant and uneventful which could not be farther from the truth.

As many of you know we are now renting a home in Sequim, WA and are attending and working part-time at Calvary Chapel Sequim (CCS). As we made our way back up Interstate 5 from California, in late July, through Oregon and on to the North Olympic Peninsula both Cameron and I were feeling certain we’d end up in Sequim and so were delighted when Pastor Hans and the elder board of CCF offered me the job. It is a breathtakingly beautiful area with a sunny disposition throughout most of the year and yet is still very close to my parents on Bainbridge Is. and Cameron’s parents in Forks. Also, there are a handful of Calvary Chapels around all of which are very supportive of our mission and love having us help out when there is a need.

Meanwhile in Sequim, we’ve been blessed to enroll Ryan and Aubry in the Olympic Christian School (OCS) just a few minutes drive from our house. We were really conflicted with putting the older kids in school since though, we felt clearly that we should not continue to home school them, we were not willing to place them in the local public school. We figured the other private Christian schools would be too expensive so we really prayed and felt the Lord directing us to OCS. Once we sat down and met with the principle and some of the staff our worries disappeared as we saw a school that seemed a perfect fit and the ministry discounts that were offered to us brought the cost down considerably, praise the Lord!

Currently, my responsibilities at Calvary Sequim include helping in the youth ministry, men’s ministry, worship, surf ministry, and in general administration and maintenance. I am also volunteering at the Olympic Christian School teaching beginning guitar and occasionally teaching in chapel.

Cameron’s been busy home schooling Sean and Kay, volunteering at the Olympic Christian School, and keeping the house efficiently running, and assisting wherever possible in the women’s ministry and youth ministry at CCS.

Ryan and Aubry have transitioned amazingly well from full time home schooling for most of their lives to OCS. They have small classes with faculty who are very involved and dedicated to helping them succeed, as of Oct. they are both getting nearly straight A’s! Socially, they fitting right in and getting along with their peers very well. Ryan’s class has a good ratio of boys to girls but Aubry is the only girl in her class. Nevertheless, she’s doing fine and is connecting with the girls from the other grades. Calvary Sequim has a young group of girls called “The Ladybugs” who Aubry has joined and befriended. They are spending a lot of time together in fellowship and prayer and have been active in, and are currently planning many community service projects, outreach events, and even a short-term mission trip to mainland Mexico in July 2012. Unfortunately, with our projected plans for serving in Australia, Aubry won’t be attending. Aubry continues to enjoy piano lessons as she’s picked up where she left off when she left for Australia and is growing in her skills more and more all the time, even singing a bit more to our delight as she has an amazing singing voice.

Ryan has been diving headlong into school and is kept pretty busy with homework. He’s taking my guitar class at OCS and another one at church and is progressing really well. When he wants to blow off steam and get some exercise, he enjoys getting on the bike and exploring the surrounding area especially the trails by the beach. He is also involved with the Youth Ministry and Surf Ministry at church and is always excited to get in the water and has fun whatever the conditions.

Sean has been adjusting well to being the man of the house when his older siblings and Dad are away for the day. He and Kay are really teaming up well through their teaching time and through out the day. Sean’s been keeping busy with the Olympic Peninsula Home Connection (OPHC) on Tuesdays, our local home schooling co-op and will be starting swim lessons soon. He stays active doing hiphop dance, playing in the yard and occasionally going into the woods with Dad to fish and/or hunt.

Kay also tags along to Tuesday school but is too young to attend classes all day. She’s learning very quickly next to Sean in our home school and both are really enjoying the Calvary Kids’ Club at church. Kay’s also enjoying ballet classes once a week and can often be heard singing wonderful Christian songs that she makes up as she goes.

I’m sure many of you are interested in finding out what is on the horizon for our family’s calling to Australia. Well, we are also very interested and are continuing to pray and connect with others who are interested in missions Down Under. Since our return from Townsville in June, I was able to attend the National Pastors’ Conference and prayed earnestly that God would connect me with other ministry leaders who might be apart of God’s next step for us. Straight away, I began meeting people both interested being involved first-hand and those who’re interested in supporting the work. Two significant men were Pete Nelson and Brian Henderson. Both have a huge heart for Australia and both are actively working toward launching a church plant in Sydney around July 2012. As we’ve been in communication over these months their vision and strategy has become more solid and other couples, families, and individuals are coming on-board to be involved, including our family! As Pete is leading the church plant and the rest of us will be in supporting roles, his vision is for this church to be a church planting church. That it would begin with a very strong missional focus thereby staying away from trying to make a name for itself and gain personal notoriety. Instead, when the time is right, he feels no hesitation in sending out ministry leaders like ourselves with other like-minded workers to plant churches throughout Australia and potentially throughout the world. His heart is for the Calvary Chapel style of ministry to really gain a foothold in Australia and to spread freely where God wants it to go. This is exactly our heart as well, even more now that we’ve been there for a year and have seen first-hand the hunger for balanced ministry and the expositional teaching of the word of God. Oh the fire continues to burn in our hearts to get back to Australia and do the work! Even so, God has brought us back for a myriad of reasons many of which we’ve already experienced but I’m sure there are more to come.

Here’s one recent experience I’d like to share with you. A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to come down from Washington to S. California to meet with Pete, Brian, and a handful of other interested parties to pray together and share more of the vision and strategy for the Sydney church plant. I flew in on a Sunday night with everything going smoothly on the trip down. I met my Mom at the San Diego Airport and was soon in bed. I awoke early Monday morning to make the drive up to Murrieta for the meeting. Everything went well through the meeting and we were all blessed to be reunited and to get to know each other better. As the meeting wrapped up, we ate lunch together and then I headed back to San Diego, not really sure what to do with the rest of my day. I figured a trip to see some old friends at a local Ocean Beach surf shop would be in order. I managed to find a parking spot nearby and walked down the busy sidewalk to the surf shop. After a while of browsing I was able to reconnect with the owners who I have known for over twenty years. They were among the group of friends and acquaintances who have watched my life change from when I was 19 years old, a wandering godless surfaholic to a newly born Christian, to a youth pastor and eventually to husband, father, and church planter, and missionary. All along the way I’ve tried to stay in touch and have prayed many prayers for their salvation and for God to really transform their lives and use them. Sure enough, as I began to share with them of our experiences in Australia and Papua New Guinea and they shared their personal struggles over the last couple of years, their hearts were broken and their spirits were ready to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior and to turn from their old lifestyle. After more than twenty years of prayer, God gave me the privilege of being able to pray with them to receive Jesus and become Christians. If it was for this reason alone that God brought us back, it would be worth it, but there have been numerous other instances much like this that we’ve been apart of in the last few months and I’m sure God has much more ahead. What a joy it is to know God and to be His agents of love for this world, whether it be in the States or in Australia or wherever, we are so blessed!

So as we know more about our specific plans, we’ll be sure to let you know and I am recommitting to be more current on the blog so everyone can see what we’re up to. Once again thank you for your prayers and support and we ask that you would continue to partner with us in the work.

PRAISES!

• My Mom’s cancer has been treated and all reports say the likelihood of it returning are very slim!!!
• We’re established in Sequim for now and God is faithfully providing and is using us in a bunch of different and significant ways.
• Everyone’s healthy, though I gotta remember to keep my back strong, it’s gone out on me twice already since we’ve been back.
• Home schooling with Sean and Kay is going great
• Regular schooling with Ryan and Aubry is going great
• The Lord continues to make our van run well and has provided us with a nice used truck for a second vehicle.

PRAYER REQUESTS:

• More clear direction in obtaining a visa for Australia
• The Lord’s will in pursuing a second job for Jeremy or Cameron
• The Lord’s will for Cameron to go back to school to finish her AA

June 2011 Update

We’ve arrived back in the States and are getting adjusted to all the changes; driving on the other side of the road, great cheap food, huge servings, and free refill drinks! The avalanche of big box stores carrying everything you need and a whole lot that you don’t all for ridiculously low prices. When we were in Townsville, we were in survival mode and didn’t spend a lot of time looking at ads or wondering what we could buy next because we couldn’t really afford much and it wasn’t a necessity, now that we’re back the temptation to buy everything in sight is constant but the fact that we have to cart everything we own around in our van and trailer is a great deterrent to covetousness. It’s been a bittersweet time being back. Our hearts burn to be back in Australia serving God and we have a very real sense of unfinished business in our spirit. It’s wonderful to see our family and friends and to visit familiar churches and neighborhoods but it’s also very difficult to leave such a loving group of friends in Townsville and our adopted country. Whether it was leaving Pt. Loma to plant CCForks, or leaving Forks to answer God’s call in Australia, departing is always tough. We are consoled by Facebook, Skype, and email knowing that we can all stay in-touch more conveniently than ever before but the distance is still hard. Upon our return we’ve had many conversations with family and friends and each time three questions understandably arise which, come to think of it, parallels what Jesus tells John in the book of Revelation, Chapter 1: 19. “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.” So I’ll try to answer them in this order.

What we have seen:

Here are some short thoughts that I hope will communicate some of the multiplicity of lessons we’ve learned over this year, some are new while others serve to refresh our memories of timeless truths. Our God is a big God, a loving Father, and always faithful even when we’re faithless. He’s incredibly patient, full of grace, and merciful. In the same way that He shows grace toward us as individual Christians, He likewise shows it to organizations that are sincerely trying to serve Him. It’s okay to be a little demonstrative in worship, God is generous by nature and blesses our free generosity. God speaks in many different ways and He wants us to listen and obey His voice and not walk in presumption. God is as real and powerful in Papua New Guinea, as in Australia, as in the States and His church is equally warm and loving throughout the world. We should always act in faith, not in fear. Though the weather may turn deadly, though the funds seem to be running out, though things aren’t working out like you planned or thought they would, though deadly snakes slither through your yard (and sometimes your living room), though mozzies are sucking your blood and potentially giving you lifelong diseases, though allergies seem to attack relentlessly, the kids are coming down with various strange, and persistent tropical afflictions (worms, lice, staph, etc), though homeschooling is much more difficult, and generally everything seems foreign and not quite comfortable, God calls us to walk in faith and not in fear.

The things which are:

Currently, I’m writing this update from Bend, Oregon where we’ve been preparing to attend a wedding of a dear friend. It’s been about a month since we’ve flown into Los Angeles and we’ve been staying with friends and family in L.A., San Diego, and even attended both the week long National Calvary Chapel Pastors’ Conference and two day’s of lectures at the Murrieta Conference Center’s church planting symposium called “Fit for the Field”. From there we headed up to Lemoore, Ca. and then on up to Mariposa for a few days to visit a friend and for Cameron’s induction into the “Grizzly Hall of Fame” for her many undefeated seasons playing volleyball at the local high school. Next, it was up to Redding for a quick overnight and then on up to Bend, Oregon for the wedding. Throughout our trip the Lord has been opening doors of ministry both with those who’re putting us up (or putting up with us, as the case may be) and with random people who He brings along our path to encourage, pray for, or just to tell our story to. It’s awesome to see that we’re as much missionaries here and now as we were overseas. Having driven this trip many times we’re beginning to make a list of sights that we really want to see and this time it is Crater Lake National Park. Though I had doubts about the van’s ability to make the journey successfully, it powered up the hill without any problems but to our dismay the clouds had socked in the mountain making it impossible to see anything but the aged snow on either side of the road. Not to worry though, we’ll be backtracking on our way to our family reunion near Grants Pass and will probably see the Park in all its splendor on Sunday. We’re looking forward to next week’s reunion on the Rogue River and then traveling north to Washington State. Once there, we intend to visit family and friends while at the same time giving updates at various churches that have been faithfully supporting us or new ones who’ve shown some interest in our mission and would like us to share our vision for Australia.

The things which shall be hereafter:

The future is bright for our family as we have many options before us to pray over and choose. Ultimately, I’m certain that it’s not about what looks like the best and most beneficial option, but what God is leading us to. We’re convinced that He’s got more work for us Down Under and we are positioning ourselves to be ready to answer that call as soon as the visa is secured and plane tickets bought. When that is exactly remains to be seen and is the topic of much conversation and mind space. We’re in contact with various Calvary Chapel ministry leaders both in the States and in Australia and are trying to be creative so as to be open to any possible way into the country but so far we haven’t come up with anything specific. This is where our family is focusing our attention through prayer, study, and generally seeking the Lord while waiting on and trusting in Him for direction and provision…He is faithful and will show us the next step.

PRAYER POINTS:

Safe travels for the remainder of our road trip

Clear direction to secure a visa

Direction for what to do in the mean time

Continued persistence in home schooling

Jeremy’s Mom’s health

Praises…too many to list!

A wonderful send off from our loving friends in Townsville

Safe and easy travel overseas

Great times spent with family and friends

Taxes completed!

Van and trailer gifted back to us

Family’s healthy, God’s provided perfectly…We’re so blessed!

The Next Step

It's been a while since our last update but that certainly does not mean that things around here have been uneventful. Quite the opposite is the case as we enjoyed a wonderful time with Cameron's Mom, Lois who stayed with us for a wonderful six weeks! I have begun to do a verse by verse Bible study through Paul's letter to the Colossians on Sunday nights at Townsville Central City Mission (TCCM), and we are preparing for our next step in the Botkin Family missions journey, our trip back to the States and God's leading from there.

We'll start with Lois' visit:
Lois braved the long and multiple flights to blessed us with her unyielding joy and servants' heart. We were all ecstatic to see and spend time with her and couldn't wait to show her around the YWAM base and the territory surrounding it. Within her first week we went sight seeing all over town, including up Castle Hill for an arial view of the city. We visited Magnetic Island, located just off the coast of Townsville and had a blast playing in the warm waters and took in some of the sights. Though it was a bit of a blustery day, we made the best of it by staying active and replaced all of the calories we burned while playing and walking with a huge Mexican food dinner at one of the local island restaurants. There were many highlights to the Townsville visit, including my meager attempt to explain Rugby League footie as we watched two matches back to back well into the night, but I think what we all enjoyed the most was going down to the waterfront of Townsville (the Strand) for fish and chips and a swim. This time of year the jellyfish (stingers) are really out and dangerous so the lifesavers have strung nets out in the water for safe swimming and we took full advantage of them, the kids practicing their swimming and body surfing skills and refusing to come out even when it was time to eat. Many of our friends found meeting Lois a huge blessing and had some truly meaningful times of fellowship and home cooked meals. It was tough to see her leave but we were encouraged that it will only be a few weeks until we are reunited at the Rogue River in Oregon.

Teaching at TCCM:
Having had some time freed up with the conclusion of the Oct. DTS, Cameron and I decided it would be an opportune time to become more active at our local fellowship. I discussed the possibility of teaching through a book of the Bible with our good friend, Donna Emery (the overseer of Sunday night service) and Rev. Craig and was happy to receive their support and the green light to go for it. After some thought and prayer I settled on Paul's letter to the Colossians and began studying and preparing. Currently, we're three chapters and three weeks into the study and the feedback has been very encouraging and discussions lively and meaningful. We've been blessed with some of the current YWAM DTS students volunteering to do childcare and also have seen some interest from other YWAMers about attending. With only one more chapter and weekend to go, I pray that someone in the church will get a calling from God to continue the work. It's always such a joy to see the growth, interest, and excitement that comes from presenting an in-depth verse by verse expository teaching and I'm certain that great fruit will come out of the service and congregation if it could become part of the general ministry of the church. It's been great to get back into teaching and leading worship again and I look forward to the next step as I'm hopeful that God will place us in a position to use our gifts openly.

The Next Step:
We've really enjoyed our time over this last year in Townsville, serving with Youth With A Mission and attending TCCM, but with our return flights booked and our visa coming to an end, this stage of the journey is complete. We feel certain that God has more for us in Australia and will reveal more steps as we walk in obedience but for now, we are preparing once again to head overseas. This comes at a time when visiting family is really important, Cameron's Grandmother recently passed away, and reconnecting with those who've faithfully supported us; various churches, families , and individuals is a huge priority. It's with a mix of sadness and eager expectation that we conclude our time here in North Queensland. Sadness in that we've made some really great friendships and seen some wonderfully beautiful land and have been used by the Lord to touch many lives. Yet, we are eager to see where God will plant us and what He has next. The call to the Great South Land is still firmly within our hearts but for now we are resigned to follow God's path wherever and whenever He directs us.

Please continue to pray for our patience and spiritual sensitivity to possible open doors of ministry for the future, for God's provision and protection through the move back to the States, and for our family to be flexible and resilient with all the changes that are afoot. Once again thank you for your prayers, financial support, and words of encouragement over this last year and on into the future as the journey continues.
Jeremy and the rest of the Botkin Family

North Queensland Outreach

The destruction became increasingly worse as we drove north up the Bruce Highway toward Mossman. As we drove through historic Ingham the signs of the devastating category 5 cyclone “Yasi” were apparent, flatten banana plantations, sheds that had been ripped apart and strewn all over the place, roofs of houses and siding torn off, and trees in all sorts of condition, many blown over, some standing or leaning as if they had withstood a prolonged artillery borage. What was most noticeable was the overall lack of leaves on any of the trees and bushes. The highway through the small waterfront town of Cardwell was limited to one lane with sand covering the other and workers busily moving about clearing and repairing in the stifling heat. Having spent the first week of our Aussie Outreach in Townsville cleaning hundreds rural and residential yards, we could relate to their sunburn, exhaustion, and unquenchable thirst. Our next stop after Cardwell was Tully, strategically located with acceptable public bathrooms, good coffee it was also ground zero for the cyclone. After a quick pit-stop, we made a tour of the town taking in the dire situation of most of the residents. The houses and businesses were in varying degrees of ruin not one was immune. Along the edge of the streets were stacked tons and tons of building debris and residents’ belongings. Apparently, most of the town had been evacuated just before the storm thus, upon their return they were greeted to all their belongings soaked with water beyond saving. Our hearts longed to stay and help out as we had in Townsville but we already had firm appointments in Mossman and Cairns that couldn’t be broken.

It’s a solid five hour plus drive from Townsville to Cairns through amazing land sometimes resembling Hawaii and other times the rolling hills and farmland of central Oregon. Once we reached the city of Cairns and made our way north our views drastically changed as the highway paralleled the shoreline of the Pacific for about 20 miles. This part of the drive was breathtaking and Cameron and I began immediately to brainstorm how we might be able to come back as a family and enjoy this near paradise. Once the road parted from the waterfront and the views went back to cane fields, we made a short supply stop at a Port Douglas grocery store and then quickly drove the rest of the way to our host church, Mossman Assembly of God. This is a large building with an expansive open-air sanctuary filled with cushioned pews and a small tidy kitchen adjoining. Next to the kitchen is a covered patio for dining and general fellowship and men’s and women’s bathrooms with showers and even a washing machine! By moving the pews around and dividing the guys from the girls and our family, we were able to make this facility really comfortable for us, especially in comparison to our experiences in PNG.

Throughout the next couple of days the team visited a number of different local primary schools and Mossman’s state high school. The programs were adapted to the schools’ normal “Religious Education” period and our hosts were very accommodating and the students gracious and predominantly eager to meet us and learn about God and the various ministries of YWAM Townsville. In the primary schools our programs generally consisted of an introduction of the team, at least one testimony of a team member of how God had worked in their lives, a fun game like “banana, hunter, gorilla” (a variation of rock, paper, scissors), a humorous skit depicting a Bible story like David and Goliath or one teaching a good lesson like the importance of teamwork and God’s value of every individual. Toward the end would be a question and answer period followed by a conclusion and farewell. In the high schools the program changed to include a video about YWAM’s involvement in Papua New Guinea and the skits were replaced by more serious dramas about the dangerous temptations that young adults face everyday. We visited a couple of church youth groups and took part in two Sunday morning church services. We also had the opportunity to drive up to the Table Lands above Mossman to the farming town of Atherton where we visited three schools. This was a two hour drive of breathtakingly wonderful landscapes and cute but rugged towns. It’s apparent that this is amazingly rich soil for farming and the Aussies have taken full advantage of its bountiful blessings as we drove by farm after farm on our journey. Thankfully, there were a number of roadside produce stands with various kinds of tropical fruit offered including pineapple, mangoes, papaya, bananas, avocados, sugarcane, corn, and much more that we stocked up on and enjoyed throughout our stay.

On a day off, we drove back into the precipitous hills west of the church, past an aboriginal settlement, along a narrow road into the tropical forest to Mossman Gorge. It was a short drive to the car park where we gathered our family and swim gear and walked a quarter mile along a metal suspended pathway to the swimming hole. This was certainly one of the most beautiful places on our travels in Australia so far. Resembling the Sol Duc River near Forks it is created by the drainage of the constant deluge of water that rains down on the thick green rainforest blanketing the mountains on either side of the steep valley. The water was clear and cool though not cold, and full of small fish that resembled striped perch. I’m told the river is prone to dangerous flash floods from the thunderstorms prevalent this time of year, but this afternoon the waters were gently swift though it would have been nice to have a life-vest just to be safe.

Two real highlights for me were celebrating Cameron and my fifteenth wedding anniversary by leaving the kids with our teammates while we had afternoon tea with a very interesting and spiritually mature couple who live out in the bush above Mossman and then feasting on a very tasty dinner later in the evening in town. Second, was being asked to visit Julatten, a small village just twenty minutes up a windy road reaching the steep hills above Mossman. Being very rural and isolated many of the locals go to church down in Mossman, Port Douglas, or even all the way back to Cairns. But, an elderly family felt a calling to plant a church in the small community to meet the spiritual need and from that were born a couple weekly men’s and women’s fellowships. Julatten Family Church invited me and another student to attend the men’s group on a Friday night and then our family and some other students to visit their Sunday service as well. On Friday night we enjoyed a massive BBQ feast and great conversation with the guys, I also brought my guitar and some song sheets and led out in worship and then gave a short devotional Bible teaching. On Sunday our Family and two female DTS students piled in the van to attend the quaint service held in an out building in the middle of a field surrounded by lush vegetation and majestic tropical mountains veiled by rain clouds that loudly dropped their liquid contents on our non-insulated tin roof throughout the service. If it wasn’t deafeningly raining then the sun was out and cooked us like we’re in an oven. The students and Cameron were able to share a brief testimony of how God helped them through fearful times and then I followed up with a message on Psalm 56 in which David expresses his reliance on God through his dreadful times in the wilderness being hotly pursued by the belligerent King Saul. The small family church of about twenty five or so were very blessed by our visit and our lunch and fellowship time was rich. Preaching in that setting really reminded me of our early years in Washington planting Calvary Chapel Forks and I earnestly felt a fire in my heart to persist in our calling to bring the word of God to Australians. The congregation blessed us greatly and sent us off with a strong sense of appreciation and acceptance. The joy that is found in fellowship among the family of God (Rom. 8: 14-17) throughout the world never ceases to amaze me, we were truly blessed and it was an honor to serve.

We left Sunday afternoon for our next destination, the touristy city of Cairns. We were hosted by the very generous and hospitable congregation of the Cairns Baptist Church. Arriving just in time to attend their evening service, we were honored to share our PNG recap video and a couple of students’ testimonies. Right away we felt at home and embraced by the congregation and leadership which really made our stay comfortable for the final days of our outreach. We had two school programs to attend during our stay. The first up was a large Lutheran K-12 school in an newly built gigantic auditorium which was filled three times nearly to capacity with groups of children, probably close to five hundred in all. Since each group contained different ages and grades of students, we had to change things up to make the presentation relevant. For the younger audiences we shared a similar program as we with the primary schools in Mossman and Atherton and likewise with the older students, we matured the program to communicate more effectively. It was during the presentation to the older students that one of our guys gave his testimony of how he had been challenged in his faith while in PNG when asked to pray for an afflicted elderly man on a house visit. This was particularly difficult for this DTS student since his mom had passed away of cancer five years previous even though his family had earnestly prayed for her healing. Nonetheless, he felt compelled to go and found the man sitting on a mat under a tree in his yard. The man’s body was obviously stiff; his joints and muscles in great pain from years of being jolted while he worked as a heavy machinery operator. When he heard that Jordan and his team wanted to pray for him, he slowly rose to his feet and with great difficulty and effort made his way to his hut and allowed them to pray for him in a more dignified environment. The team laid their hands on him and Jordan began to pray for his healing. Once he had said, “Amen” one of the team members mentioned feeling something in the man’s back snap into place and directly afterward the man’s countenance drastically changed. He rose to his feet with a smile on his face and began to dance and move freely. He had been healed and was now able to visit family and friends having been physically unable for years. Jordan and the team were ecstatic as you can imagine and found the man the next day in the same rejuvenated condition and getting ready to leave to see family. This story touched many in the audience but none more than a young PNG girl who came up with her friends afterward to meet us and share a special truth that took our breath away…she was from Gabagaba, the same village that we visited and the man that was healed was her grandfather! Our joy was immeasurable and we all marveled at the wisdom and power of God who connected all of these people and events together for His purpose and His glory, what a privilege to be apart of it all. The second school that we visited was a Catholic K-12 that was located just a few miles south of Cairns. This time the team spoke before the grade 10 class and shared in much the same manner as in previous high schools. I don’t have a lot to chronicle in this instance since I spent much of the presentation in the van racing back to the Baptist church to retrieve a box full of pamphlets and buttons to hand out to the students at the end of the program, I made it just in time. I will say though, that in each of the programs, Cameron and our kids integrated right into the mix. Ryan would often take part in the skits or give his testimony. Aubry would help with the games. Sean and Kay mostly mingled with the school children and helped to hand out YWAM paraphernalia and Cameron would do a little of everything. I tried to free her up as much as I could to take more of an active role in the Aussie outreach since I got to experience PNG. It was fabulous outreach; difficult at times, but worth every minute and every sacrifice. Our trip came to an end quickly and we were glad to be back in Townsville and in familiar surroundings.

The DTS is now over with the students graduated and mostly all back home. In some ways it’s hard to believe that it’s over so soon (it’s amazing that it’s been nearly six months already since we started the school!) but in other ways we were ready for it to be completed so that we can move on to the next step in God’s plan…That’s another exciting and developing story that will be posted in about a week, so stay tuned.