WEEK 8.
wow...this week was intense...but it was so good!! I'll start at the beginning...on Saturday morning I heard from God that i was to start fasting. I didn't know why i was fasting until Saturday night or Sunday morning--I don't really remember. I've never done a real fast before so i was sure that this was bound to be interesting. ;) The only reason i got for why i was fasting was for "group unity". I prayed with Christina, one of my friends here, and we felt like there were some problems with the unity of our DTS that God was trying to show our group through me. I didn't get very much other information about my fast--only to keep fasting.

On Monday morning God taught me something through the fast--during base worship (the whole YWAM base is together in worship on Mon a.m.'s) i got very thirsty and weak. Instead of getting a drink, i stuck it out and i felt God reveal to me that this thirst is the type of thirst i should have for Him and for His Word. It was pretty powerful. I also felt like because i was weak, Satan was really trying to pull me away from worship and distract me with my own weariness--I recognized it and fought through. It was a good lesson/experience to have for outreach because there will definitely be some times in which i will be worn out and exhausted...and that's when the devil is most likely to attack--when we're weak. That taught me, though, that i need to continually persevere and lean in toward God because my weakness can then be replaced with His strength.

I continued to fast through the week and on Thursday night...finally!! :)...i was released to end my 6-day fast. It was a great experience. The thing that shocked me the most was that I wasn't ever really hungry. Sure, there would be times that i would begin to feel hungry but i simply drank some water and that feeling was gone...completely. Those of you who know me very well know that i love to eat...so it was amazing to see and feel God completely provide for me!

It's crazy to think that I'm leaving Perth in less than a week...September 6! I don't feel like i've been here for long enough! ha. I'm excited for outreach, though...this week i was feeling a lot of spiritual blockage from Satan--trouble hearing God's voice, etc. and i know that God is going to do amazing things through me and my team during outreach. If anyone has forgotten, my team is going to Cape Town, South Africa for 5 weeks, Swaziland for 3 weeks, Malaysia for 3 weeks, and Bangkok, Thailand for the final 3 weeks. We'll be doing things like working with kids at risk, organizing sports for kids, street evangelism, performing skits and speaking in churches. It will definitely be a new experience but i can't wait to reach out to people.

Now onto this week's topic...i'll try to keep it short! ha! The topic was the Father Heart of God with Mike Oman. He was an incredible speaker!! His stories and experiences are so amazing!! He actually wrote a book The Father Heart of God--little promotion item! :D I'm getting ready to start reading it--he said a lot of the book is what we got in lectures this week-which was very good so i would definitely recommend the book! Anyway...he really emphasized how God is like an earthly father--he loves to comfort and protect us--with no questions or prerequisites of any kind! He'll take us with our baggage, our weaknesses, our sins...He doesn't want us to be perfect before we run to Him, He wants to help clean us up! That's one thing i really struggled with before this week--i felt like before i could run and jump into my Father's arms, i had to be clean and free of sin. Mike explained it very well with an analogy--his grandson got a new backpack and wouldn't take it off, but he wanted a hug and to sit on Mike's lap. Mike didn't care about the extra baggage--both the bag and his grandson still fit easily into his arms. That's exactly how God feels toward His children! Such a great revelation! :D

Another great point Mike made was that works don't impress God. Nothing we can do or make is worth anything to God--it's like a child making an airplane for his dad--the dad will appreciate it and love it because of who made it, but he won't have any use for it...he doesn't need it. What an earthly father--and our heavenly Father--really wants is to spend time with his kids-quality hang-out time. Key: God wants me...not my efforts. He can't live through my efforts...only through a life surrendered to Him.

There were countless other teachings, illustrations and explanations and i'm sure many are in his book. I can't wait to read it! :D This was such a powerful week of teaching for me...learning to trust God more--that He will provide for me no matter what because He loves me so much!

Please continue to keep me in your prayers this week as my team and i prepare for outreach. Pray that i will receive God's heart for the people of the nations we'll be ministering in, that the rest of my school's $12,000 AUD debt comes in, and that God will prepare me for the things i'll encounter and experience. Thank you all so much for your support...i love you all!!

Rach