This past week, we road-tripped to Byron Bay for a week of outreach with the organization Red Frogs. In Australia, when students graduate from high school, they have what they call "schoolies". They travel to a location (Byron Bay in this case) and drink, party, do drugs etc for an entire week. Similar to spring break in the States, but with 17 and 18 year olds, not university students. Eighteen is the legal drinking age in Australia, and you can drink and be drunk in public. Its kind of crazy. Working with Red Frogs meant hanging out with students, visiting them in their hotels, doing walk-homes if they were intoxicated or not wanting to walk home alone. Assisting them as they threw up, accompanying them to the ER if necessary (unfortunately, it was). It was a crazy week. But through it all, it was so much fun, and an amazing time. Red Frogs is a Christian organization. They believe in taking Jesus out into the streets, to people, serving them and loving them as Jesus does. We had so many good conversations with the schoolies, many people were able to pray with them.
Our mornings were spent going to their homes, hotels or apartments and making them pancakes just to serve them and show the love of Christ. It was amazing how receptive and grateful they were. It was a hard, long week. It started it with a crazy thunderstorm on the beach and torrential rain, and ended in much the same way. There were late nights and a lack of sleep. Sleeping on a church floor with a ton of people and cold showers. But there were also crazy dance parties on the beach (so much fun! Friends, I danced like an idiot all week with the schoolies and my team and LOVED it. I'm a new person!) Free time spent on the beach and walking around the artsy/beachy town of Byron Bay. Lots of pizza and Coca-Cola consumed. So much laughter with friends. Our YWAM team grew so close during this time. It was a great week, and makes me super excited for our week of outreach coming up over New Year's… and then Japan in February.
I have so many photos to share! We visited a lighthouse, the beach… the town was so pretty! I'll be posting more soon!
Its back to normal here in Brisbane- lectures and classes. Work duties, sleeping in our bunks again (gosh the mattresses feel so comfy now!) We have a few weeks of Christmas, then, over our Christmas holiday, I'm traveling to Sydney with two girlfriends to spend a few days traveling there! Excited to see the opera house, visit Hillsong, and lots of beautiful beaches.
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