This past week was such an adventure! It was a really long and stressful week, but I know that God used that to shape me even more than he already has. We had the opportunity to take a 17 hour drive (over a 2 day period) to Airlie Beach, just up the coast, for an event called Schoolies.
So, what is schoolies?
Seniors who just graduated from high school pay to come to Airlie Beach and some other beaches along the coast for a week of partying. It's a registered event, so it's like a government-run senior week with more kids, more parties and tons more alcohol because the drinking age is 18. There are tons of fights, sex, drugs, rape and even suicides that happen every year at schoolies.
What did our YWAM team do?
We had a tent set up on the beach- we call it the Chai Tent. Our locations is right beside the Red Frogs stand- which is a group who runs large dance parties that are alcohol free. They also help any kids who need it or who are too drunk to know what they need. When kids get too hot over at the party or too tired, they like to come to us. We give them free Chai and slushies. Our tent is really cool- we set up a small kitchen and stage and we have a huge carpet in the center of the room with tables and candles with pillows for them to sit with on the floor. Kids can get their drink and just chill. We have different crews. It changes every night. But we have Tent Welcome, Tent Floor, and Tent Kitchen. Welcome: basically security for the tent, checking IDs to make sure they are schoolies and not backpackers or toolies (older kids or backpackers who come back to take advantage of drunk kids). Floor: hanging out with kids, talking and hopefully, eventually sharing God with them. Kitchen: making the drinks and welcoming the kids into the tent.
My week:
The drive was long and it was hot and sticky. Our bus was packed with no A/C... our first outreach experiences! We finally got there and it was a raining, muddy mess. My attitude was off and my heart was in the wrong place. We stayed at the Whitsundays YWAM base. They had such a beautiful house but unfortunately, their school of 4 students couldn't accommodate 50 extra kids, so the majority of us slept in tents that were either set up in the garage or out in the back yard. Almost all of the boys slept inside and a few of the girls and staff were able to be inside as well. I was in the tent out in the backyard... which I would've been more open to if they wouldn't had just told us about the poisonous frogs, snakes and spiders that they had seen around base. I was a little bitter about that but I did an attitude check and was much better after that. We slept and woke up to rain pounding over the tent.
We spent the first day just setting up and that night, started off with worship and prayer over the Chai Tent. It was a really good time for me to get my heart right. Things weren't completely ready for the event, so the next day I helped from 8:30-5:30 setting up. After dinner, we had a short time of worship before we opened the tent at 8. I was on the floor the first night and it was so nerve-racking! I was terrified to just walk up to a random stranger and make small talk and then possibly plunge into a deep and meaningful talk! But it was the first night, so kids were crazy and just ready to get in and out so it was a night of small talk.
Throughout the week, we kept in prayer. There was a room at the house for prayer and worship. Each team was scheduled for it- some from 2am-8am, so there was 24hr prayer and worship the entire week. Prayer was so essential throughout the week and the teams that were in the prayer room the most were key to the success that we had! I had the opportunity to be in there 3 days in the week in the morning and then be at the tent ever night on either floor, welcome or kitchen.
The one night, I was in my tent with Lisa, a girl on my team, and we were just talking and then started discussing spiritual warfare. After a few minutes of the conversation, we were both completely filled with fear and anxiousness. We were considering just trying to sleep but there was no chance that we'd actually fall asleep- I don't remember the last time I was that terrified. We grabbed my flashlight and sprinted out of the tent to the prayer room. The team prayed for us for 30 minutes (which felt like 5) and we walked back to our tent completely filled with joy and security, surrounded by God's presence. I don't remember ever sleeping so well in my life! Prayer is so powerful!
One last small story: The one night, we were at the Tent and all the sudden, it was pouring and so windy. The tent was going crazy! Then the power went out and we had to ask all the kids to leave until we could get things up and running again. As the men frantically worked outside with the tent and the electricity, the girls huddled up in the back room of the tent and prayed. One of our leaders, Olivia, came running to the back room yelling about seeing angles out by the poles in the middles of the room. We all hurried out and walked around the room, praying and singing out. It was such a moving time! The lights came back on and the spiritual heaviness of the room was gone! Ahhh what an experience!
I know this is a long post- sorry! There's just so much to tell about! Long story short, it was an intense week but God was so there! So many kids would comment on the feeling and mood of the tent- it had a totally different atmosphere and God was the reason. I struggled a lot with the fear of man but I asked God to help me through that and even though it was a challenge, I overcame it and was able to sit and talk with kids. It was such a blessing to have the opportunity to go and bless those kids!
We're back at the base now and just starting a new lecture phase: Relationships :)
Your prayers have meant so much! God is really working in me and I'm so excited about how He is using me :)
ps. I was also privileged with the opportunity to take a boat out to see the coral reef! Oh, God is so good and His creation is breathtaking! I was just blown away by the beauty of his artwork :)
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