Down Under

In June, I posted about how God had closed a door in my life; I had applied to go out to The Gambia and, to my surprise, it never happened. I was assured at the time, after much prayer and seeking God, that God was in it and so I was trusting Him to show me where He needed me to be instead. Well, my faithful God did not let me down. Recently, I discovered where He had planned for me to go.

I will begin this story at the beginning...
A few years ago I applied to go to something called a 'Taste of Australia' at a Christian campsite in Australia (not surprisingly). The campsite is called Attunga and it's in New South Wales; 100 miles south-west of Sydney. It was a 10 day retreat around Christmas time, on the camp; reading God's Word, praying, working on the campsite, watching sunsets and making new friends. It sounded so wonderful that I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to apply. Well I managed to get a place but, unfortunately, I could not go. Understandably my church decided they could not let me take the time off so close to Christmas (I was working as youth and children's worker at the time) as it's such a busy time of year. However, the people who run the camp, as well as I, felt that God wanted me to be there. It had never developed into anything, however, and I never got to go.

The following year the camp got in touch with me, asking if I was able to go that year, since God had clearly been speaking about it the previous Christmas. Still working for the church, this was not possible. But when my plans for going to The Gambia in Africa fell through, I prayed about what God wanted for me next (having thought it was Africa, clearly I was wrong); very quickly Attunga came to mind. It seemed that God had wanted me there but I had never been able to go. It was like an open door I'd never walked through, an opportunity I'd never taken. Was now the right moment? I went to the website and read more about the internships that I had briefly read about before. These internships were longer term, 18 weeks/5 months, and were obviously more in-depth than the short tastes at Christmas. They involve a three fold ministry on the camp; studying, life skills and focus areas. Having read about the internship in more detail, I applied online and awaited the next step.

A little while later I heard from Chris (the leader of the campsite) asking when I would be free to have a phone interview and a week or so later we had a chat on the phone for over 2 hours. This interview stage is not quite the same as you would imagine of a job interview, for example, but more of an informal chat to find out more about me. Chris asked plenty of questions about what I am like as a person, how I would find various aspects of the program (such as being in the middle of nowhere for 5 months, away from shopping and big cities...), etc. Chris informed me that he and the team would be praying about whether God wanted me to be at Attunga, and that confirmation always seemed to happen through a sense of peace. That if, within the team, there was a doubt or lack of peace about a particular person, then they knew that was God saying no; and vice versa. He said it could take anywhere from two days to two weeks so I would find out in due time; this phone call happened on the 3rd July.

Well, at the end of July (over 3 weeks after the call) I headed to WEC camp. By this point I had not heard back from Chris about whether I had a place or not. I was concerned that it was taking so long for God to confirm that He wanted me there (by this point I was almost certain that God wanted me at Attunga, I was just waiting for Him to assure it through Chris and the team). At camp, I had an amazing time, as usual; God spoke to me really powerfully about His grace and I had a chance to talk to a few fellow leaders about Australia. Through all this I was becoming more and more sure that God wanted me at Attunga, but I still had not had any confirmation from them.

Looking back now, I know that God was teaching me to trust in Him, rely on Him and have faith that, in all things, He was working for my good (Romans 8:28). I am not a patient person, apart from in the classroom, so I know that God was teaching me through this delay and finally, by the end of camp I had got to the point where I said "God, I trust you, I don't know where you're going to lead me or what you want me to do, but that's OK. I want to go to Attunga, but if that's not where you want me then I'm willing to accept that and go somewhere else. Or even stay in the UK if you have a plan for me here. My life is in your hands."

Well, on the 12th August, 2 days after I returned from camp, I got a message from Chris saying "We've come to a decision on our side & I believe God is in this so we'd like to formally offer you a place in the January '14 semester as an intern at Attunga." God had blessed my willingness to follow Him, surrender to Him and also given me the desire of my heart. Even though I had been fairly certain this is where God wanted me, I was still pleasantly surprised :) I still feel surprised and blessed when I think about it now!

 

So January of next year, sees me jetting off to Australia for my semester as an intern. If you would like to know more about the Attunga internship, click on the picture below and it will take you to a pdf brochure online which describes it in more detail, but let me sum up those three areas for you that I mentioned before...

 

 

Studying: During the semester, I will study for a 'Certificate IV in Christian Ministry and Theology'. This is a nationally recognised qualification (in Australia). Units of study will focus on God's Word, which I will read all the way through whilst there. They provide training in sharing my faith, standing strong in the face of common areas of temptation and living a life that seeks God's blessing. 

Life Skills: This area is designed to develop a servant heart within each intern. It is basically practical service on the camp through cooking, kitchen clean up, cleaning the cabins/bathrooms/common areas, gardening and ground care (the camp is set within 300 acres of native Australian gardens and forest), cleaning the pools and spa/jacuzzi, as well as opportunities to work in the local rural area (Canyonleigh); working with students in local high schools and youth groups. There may also be inner-city missions in Sydney or other urban areas.

Focus Areas: I'm not sure whether I will have to pick one focus area, or whether all interns get involved in as many as they are capable of, but there are 3 areas of special focus. These are horses & animals; training the horses, grooming and caring for them, developing horsemanship as well as leading groups who visit the campsite, on trails in the surrounding bush. The second is site development; clearing new bush walking tracks or horse riding trails, building an outdoor chapel or other permanent buildings, developing new activities, and generally making a lasting contribution to the camp. The third and final area is music and creative arts; forming a worship band with fellow musical interns, playing/singing during camp and ministry events, leading worship or performing for visiting guests, and using other creative areas such as drama to share the gospel and/or develop skits for and with campers.

 

 

It's strange that when I look back to applying to The Gambia, I had felt - at the time - that it was God's will. I consider it now and how it never turned out exactly as I had thought it would; I wonder what God's lesson was through it. I know that I learnt a lot through the application, as well going on the orientation weekend I attended in Leeds. When I think about how I felt about that opportunity, I realise that, while I was excited at the prospect of finally going to Africa where I have felt called for a long time, I was never truly at peace about it. Not in the way I am about Attunga.

 

I am really looking forward to heading off to Australia in the New Year. I'm excited about making new friends, travelling to a new place, learning new skills, developing my gifts, diving into God's Word, getting time and space to serve God and hear from Him, being refreshed, being challenged, being surprised, and allowing God to do a new work in me... whatever that might be. I know that He goes before me, preparing the way even now. I know that this is where God wants and needs me to be, but I also know that the devil hates it when we follow God's will and so will be trying his hardest to distract me. Please pray with me; that God will prepare my heart, mind and spirit for all that He wants to teach me and do in me while I'm there. Also pray for protection in the run up; that the devil will not be allowed to distract me, tempt me away, or put doubt in my heart about God's will for me.

 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take."

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)