Less than 3 weeks till outreach!!!

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Ok so I'm a bit late in writing this blog so the chance are you will get 2 blogs this week but don't worry...the next one probably won't be done till sunday!

So a lot has happened since i last did a blog. The topic of last week was Authority and Submission and when I read that I was just like 'Ok I'm pretty okay with that topic but I can't wait for a few people on this course to get this revelation so there can be a bit more order and less complaining'...obviously NOT the best attitude to have going in and I was completely wrong...I learnt LOADS. Probably one of the weeks where I just learnt more and more and more.
I've grown up with a strong emphasis on following the rules, being obedient, listening to authority and I actually have quite a lot of fear towards leaders especially when it comes to doing something wrong so I thought I was pretty sorted when it came to being submissive to authority but the more the week went on, the more i realised that this really isn't the case. Submitting to authority is about honouring people in authority/leadership positions. This may be your boss, parents, teacher, government, police/law, pastor/youth leader etc. To honour someone in authority you do not just obey what they say but you do it with a loving attitude towards them, not grumbling, not complaining, not questioning their authority or character. Honouring someone in authority also means standing with them if they are struggling and when things are going less than perfect, not just standing by and watching them fall. It is about building a relationship with them and letting them know you and you getting to know them.
Of course there are times where leadership may act in a destructive way and in these times you are to lovingly talk to them about it...and this means going to them with a loving heart not out of wanting to be right or wanting them to realise any damage they have caused you but to help them come back into behaviour which is appropriate of a leader. If there are still problems then you are to go to their leader, but the heart attitude must always be one of love. God has annointed the position of leadership but may not have annointed the leaders who get into the positions of power (one of those consequences of giving us choice...people who are not meant to become leaders get into some very powerful roles). Our speaker went through the story of Saul and David where David continued to honour and respect Saul from the moment he met him until right after he died. David did not bad-mouth Saul when Saul tried to kill him twice and David did not kill Saul even though he was given at least 2 opportunties and Saul was trying to kill him. Even after Saul died David mourned over Saul and he sentenced the person to death who killed him. David had tremendous respect for Saul and honoured him even when he acted unrighteously and tried to kill him. That just blows my mind!!
I have always seen leaders as these people who I should respect by distancing myself from (because for some reason I thought by socialising with them it would take their authority away and they would no longer be above me) and obeying. I would never think to stand with them in things, although I may have challeneged people if they were saying less than nice things about them. To actually hold them up and stand with them in things is such an alien thing to me and to actually have a close personal relationship with them just seems a little crazy...although looking back on my life right now I think there have been small glimpses of that like with my dissertation tutor and leaders within CU.
But yer authority and submission week was mind blowing and I definitely need to look over my notes again and just reflect on it all. I think the first real test of how much i really learnt will be outreach and I CANNOT WAIT!!!!

Speaking of outreach...
So this weekend I wrote quite a few support letters to people asking for them to not only support me in prayer but to partner with me financially. The more I wrote the support letters the more excited I got and at the end of writing them I was literally bouncing off the walls and then to top it off the outreach teams from the people who started their DTSs and other schools in October came back so there is a whole bunch of 'old-new' people who have crazy stories about their outreach on base and IT IS JUST SUPER EXCITING!!!! The more I wrote the emails, the more real it all became and the more excited I got about connecting with people again as a lot of people who I emailed have been a significant part of my life at some point whether it was church or uni or school and to be able to email them and ask them how they are and to give them an opportunity to be part of something which is going to be so significant and so mind-blowing on some many different levels just gave me so much excitement and joy. I don't think I have ever felt that excited in my life. At some points the level of excitement felt painful because it was so intense and so unnatural for me!
Quite a few people responded whether it was to tell me what they thought about the outreach or to let me know about their lives and quite a few people have given to me which I really really really really appreciate! I think over the weekend I saw $650ish come in which is just great! For all those who gave I really really really do appreciate it! For those who didn't and replied to my emails I really appreciated hearing about what is going on in your life and for those who didn't reply but read it thank you!
Tomorrow (Wedneday 16th) is the base deadline for finances and the amount I need in is $5710 of which I now have about $1400. If the full amount doesn't come in by tomorrow I don't think it is the end of the world as I've heard that some people wait in faith and get it all in an hour before they take off for outreach! I do however need a minimum $3000 to pay for flights...I'm not really sure what will happen if I don't get it but until that happens I am not going to waste my time worrying about it. God is good and He does provide through others and through crazy ways.
If you want to give money towards outreach please visit: https://www.ywamperth.org.au/007/payonline.asp
and enter 'Rachel Patterson' as the recipient's name, Discipleship Training School - Young People's as the school payment and select Outreach fees.

So yer this weeks main news consists of learning sooooo much on authority and submission, getting super excited about outreach and really enjoying sending out support letters and hearing back from various different people, meeting people who have just been on outreach and hearing about their stories and just generally feeling closer to the school and feel like I'm growing more in God.

The more I am here the more I realise I really wouldn't be anywhere else right now in my life. I LOVE IT. I love learning about God, I love having time to spend with God, I love being around people who are seeking God and growing in Him and I love being in Australia. I LOVE IT!!!!

I miss you all though and I am sorry about my lack of personal communication with you all.

Lots of love and blessings,
Rachel

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