Easterfest and etc

My friend Kelsi put it so well in her blog. "How do I debreif the craziest month EVER huh?!? Everytime I kinda feel like writing, I get over whelmed because there's SO much to tell! When friends and family ask me how I'm doing, its so difficult to explain what I'm feeling, and how I'm doing without giving a broad statment like "Yeah I'm good". When in reality it's so much more complicated than that." I couldn't have said it better! There really is so much going on non stop, and I'm constantly learning and growing and finding more of my identity in Christ. I guess I will just start from this last week and go backwards.
This past week our lectures were on "Relationships" with family, friends, and the oposite sex. I promise I'm not going to copy all of Kelsi's blog on here, but I really feel how she said it was perfect in explaining it. " We we're learning about God's heart concerning all these types of relationships. And when you think about it, our relationships in life either make or break us in the future. Bad relationships mess people up, and you can really begin to see the domino affect of how past hurt and unforgiveness determine the character of a person. Generally bad relationships with others make us very hard people, which are scared, angry, and most often unloving, unless delt with properly. Laying all these kinds of things at the cross and letting God take them for good, was so freeing for me! There's such a lightness within myself and the others on my team, because God has taken those broken realationships and burdens away from us. It doesn't mean that our relationships from this point on will be perfect, but that God wants to have a place in our heart and a purpose for all of them. John 13:34-35, 1 Cor 13:1-3, and Ephe5:28-33." This week was definately a freeing and heeling week for me! And also a week where I grew closer to many people, because we discovered that we all have struggled with some of the same things.
The week before, we spent in a town called Toowoomba, helping out with Easterfest (Australia's largest Christian concert venue, for those of you that are familiar with Creation, it's the same deal). Each day we had work duties, some of which including setting up pro-floor (big lego pieces basically, to protect the grass), and when the event started (over Easter weekend), security duties. I had security duty at one of the gates to the family camping area each night, which ended up being one my favorite times during Easterfest because we turned it into a fun place to be!Overall, it was sweet to be able to interact with some of the local teens and tell them about YWAM, and just have fun with them. I was also able to go to some awesome concerts, and found some new fav bands, including Article One, New Empire, and Plajerise. I also got to see Newsboys, Sanctus Real, (I missed Hawk Nelson because I had a shift :( ) KJ52 (which apparently is from the States, but I've never heard of him before), and Superchick. Disciple and As I Lay Dying were also there, but I had a shift during their shows also. I also got to see the Watoto Children's Choir from Uganda and talk to a few of the kids afterwards (which I absolutely love, because I love Africa! haha).
It was really cool to see God work through everyone in YWAM during the festival; some of the "carnies" noticed a difference in our behavior/attitude and were witnessed to because we sparked an interest in them! HOW SWEET IS THAT?! Another awesome thing happened to me the last night we were there, in which God built my faith up even more! One of Easterfest's crew (I thought he was on security duty with us every night, but later found out he was just there hanging with us after his other shifts because we were fun! haha) came up to me and was like "Hey Jess, I was praying today and God told me I should give you this," and he handed me $30. It's not like a mind blowing amount, but it was so cool to see God work! I was blown away that this had happened; I've heard stories about it, but it actually happened to me! He had no idea of my money situation for outreach, it was all God! ( I then did tell him that he wasn't crazy, but God really was spot on, and told him that I needed money for outreach.) It was so encouraging, and I know that God is going to provide, in ways I'm not prepared for!
Speaking of provision.... A few days before leaving for Easterfest, we had a lecture on "Faith and Finances." Before the lectures began, I had been spending time with God and just admiring His omnipotence, and His ability to do anything He wanted. During the lecture it was awesome, because that was alot of the things Caleb talked about. I love how God prepares my heart for things I don't even know are to come, I can't even tell you how often He does this!! The lecture was really encouraging, and my faith was built even stronger in God that in Him, nothing at all is impossible. At the end, we had what we call "ministry time" (a term we use for kind of a practice application/ seeing God work), and everyone that still needed funds was called to the front. We were given monopoly money for the amount of money we needed still, and then we prayed and thanked God that He was going to provide that money that was needed. The people who were still sitting prayed and asked God if He wanted them to give money to us in the front, and when they felt God tell them something, they were to write the amount on a paper and then give it to us. Wow, did God move! I don't know how much some of the others in the front were blessed with, but God sent $2050 my way!! Now since I had to use my school money for the plane ticket, that money has to go towards paying off my school fees before I can start putting money for my outreach fees; but I'm THAT much closer to having all the money in! God is so good!!
So throughout these last 2 weeks, outreach teams from the October schools have been coming back from outreach. WOW there are so many people around all the time now!!! I've been used to having like 40 students on base, tops; half the time the Beach2Bush team was on the road and it was just like 20 Forts students. There has been at least 80 students around base now, and it is slightly overwhelming! (also because we don't know them.) The MAD (music, art, and dance),Sports, and B2B teams from the October schools have been coming and going, so we only get to see them for a few days at a time. (They are going in groups to Hervey Bay for debrief.) Nonethess, it has been sweet to get to know a few of them from each of the schools. It's possible to make friends with people even when they're only around for a few days!
As I put in my update email, if you guys could keep my outreach team in your prayers I would appreciate it! We still need around $9000, and can't get our plane tickets or apply for some visas until we get it all in. This morning we helped with a kids triathalon and got around $500 towards the goal; also this Saturday we are having a fundraiser dinner, but I am not sure how much that is going to bring in. It is so crazy, but we leave for outreach in less than a month! We leave on May 8th. Also if you could keep me in your prayers, as this coming week is going to be overwhelmingly busy; outreach simulation for 2 days, normal lectures, homework, a book report, getting things ready for the dinner on Saturday, and getting a sermon ready for outreach are all things that will be filling my schedule! Next week we will be leaving for a 2 week roadtrip, and when we get back we will only be in Brisbane for about 3 or 4 days before we leave for outreach! Time is FLYING by!
Thank you guys again so much for all of your support!!! I am so blessed by it!!

Oh yeah! and I turned 19 this last week! :D My friends here were so sweet and gave me little 'coupons', redeamable for train tickets, backrubs, and ice creams to name a few. And thanks to everyone who recorded on my birthday tape message; I love it!! :D