A photo Journal of what Ayden's been doing lately

First of all, I can't believe that it's 2020. I have a feeling that 2020 is going to be big one for the kingdom of God. On another note, I leave for outreach in about 3 weeks. My team will first spend 10 days in Port Macquarie (6 hr drive south of Brisbane) and then we will fly out to Osaka, Japan where we will spend the remaining 6 weeks of our outreach/mission trip. Youth With A Mission Brisbane is trying to pioneer a base/campus there, so we will spend most of our time making connections, serving at churches, and basically serving where ever we are needed.

I've really felt blessed by all of the messages, prayer, and support I've been getting. I can't thank you all enough. My mission is totally dependent and rooted by your support, financial gifts, and prayers .

Here is a little photo journal where you can watch and read about what I've been up to lately. You can tap through each photo album/slideshow and read my brief caption that follows.

"Bethlehem Live" in Bundaberg.

Our whole school drove to Bundaberg to help set up, participate in, and tear down the Christmas festival! Bethlehem Live is set up every year to resemble the city of Bethlehem 2000 years ago. Locals can walk through the festival and engage in the interactive market stalls and watch the nativity scene. I dressed up as and acted as a roaming traveller and I also helped out in the costume room. I had the privilege of meeting this family from Iran that now lives in Bundaberg. I met them on the first night and I was able to encourage them and speak identity into them. It was really a testimony of how God isn't restricted by language barriers or age differences, and how our hearts can understand and communicate far more than the amount of words that are exchanged. She asked for my number, so I hope we'll stay in touch! Overall it was a super fun experience in Bundaberg and a cool way for us to visualize what life was like near the time of Jesus' birth!

Leading Worship + Performing

I've been able to step out in leading worship and being on a worship team. I've loved being able to minister to God through music and to really dig deeper into the heart of worship. Since I am staffing a creative school, I have lots of opportunities to help the students in songwriting and to mentor them in what it looks like to use our talents to their potential and for God's glory. Here are some photos of me practising for worship and performing at the Christmas concert and open mic night. I have also been busy finishing up a few of my original songs for a potential future album.

Local Outreach in Goondiwindi

Last weekend Team Japan packed up and drove 4 hours and passed about 100 dead kangaroos (a few alive ones as well!) to get to the small country town of Goondiwindi. We worked with two different churches, ran multiple creative workshops for people from the community (worship, dance, baking, and art), and we also tidied up a lady's backyard for her. I helped run a worship workshop for some ladies at church and also helped lead worship at church on Sunday. It was really eye opening to see the effects of the drought and the fires. The sky was red and filled with dust and smoke.

On Saturday afternoon we were glad to see some rain until we realized that the rain was actually falling from a cloud of dirt so the droplets were really just droplets of mud. We were shocked when they told us that they expect to be completely out of water by July, It made me realize how much we take things like fresh air and running water for granted! It was a sweet time of growing closer as a team and connecting with the people of Goondiwindi. We came and served but truly felt blessed by how they welcomed us into their homes and churches and took care of us throughout our stay.

However, it's been a week since our time in Goondiwindi and over the past few days it has been raining pretty consistently in Brisbane and some of the affected areas. God really does answer prayers!

I mentor these 4 lovely ladies!

Meet Lauren, Samantha, Rose, and Sarah! My precious one on ones!

YWAM has thing thing called "One on Ones" which basically means that every student has a staff member who is their personal "one on one", a mentor who will be there for their pastoral care and just to help them process what they've been learning, and somebody to hold them accountable to their goals! As I staff this DTS (discipleship training school) I get to play this role for these 4 ladies! We share meals together, we pray together, have coffee together, it's really good fellowship and a lot of fun! It has been encouraging for me to get a birds eye view into what God is doing in their lives. I am so proud to see how much God has been growing them and nudging them to step into the fullness of who He's created them to be; bold women of God! These ladies all carry a gentle and kind spirit and I am blessed for God's timing in bringing them to me.

Fellowship with friends

I'm so thankful for the friends God has given me in this season of my life. It's like He knows that living half way across the world from my family isn't always easy, so He gave me a YWAM family! Never have I been surrounded by such a loving and intentional group of friends who are also here to grow and to serve, We choose each other and push each other to grow more and more like Jesus. Here's a few pictures of some of our get togethers.. Sunday afternoons after church, Christmas morning breakfast at my house, Thanksgiving picnic, Friday night pizza in the park, and dinner by the water.

Learning to rest. Camping on Stradbroke Island

We had 5 days off over the Christmas break and we were struggling to make some last minute plans within our missionary budgets (haha). A group of my friends and I took the ferry to the island to camp for 2 nights. A summary of our trip would be heavy bags, long walks, lots of rain, lots of peaches, cold brew coffee in plastic water bottles, and ocean views.

That's all for now! Feel free to message me if you have any questions about my time volunteering as a full time missionary with YWAM Brisbane or my upcoming mission trip that I'm leading to Japan, or if you just want to catch up:)

If you are interested in giving to me monthly please send me a message and I can send you more information!

Also, if there is any way that I could be praying for you please let me know!

Blessings,

Ayden