SO. THIS IS IT.

So this is it! I’m standing at the door of our hollowed out 3 bedroom rental in Tasmania.
Keys in hand and the last of our belongings piled up to the roof inside our white Toyota Corolla.

I close and lock the front door for the last time.

James is smiling ear to ear.  He has lawn clippings on his clothes and smells of cleaning product from scrubbing the floors! I look at him and sigh in relief.  The last few months preparing for our 6-month adventure has been full on. Stopping to reflect on what we are actually doing has stirred up excitement and reminds me that the early mornings and late nights packing, sorting and planning have all been more than worth it!

James and I have been accepted to one of the world’s most renowned missionary schools, in Africa, Mozambique.
It’s run by a global organisation called Iris, founded by Dr Rolland and Heidi Baker.
250+ students travel from over 30 nations to immerse themselves in a new culture, serving and learning from the poor. Only 2 schools run a year, 3 months at a time. The application process is extensive and hundreds apply.
We’re completely blown away that we have been accepted!

The desire to apply for this school actually started 4 years ago, when I was starting to become a Christian.
2 years later, when James discovered Jesus for himself, we both started dreaming together.

Before living in our rental, we lived in a modern, three bedroom house, next to a golf course, which we built when I was 22. Not long after building it, our desire to travel and seek God became nearly unbearable and our priorities changed dramatically. I would dream at night of rugged landscapes and hugging street kids. Often finding myself daydreaming with God about the “what if’s”?
We would have packed up and gone straight away if we had the finances! Now looking back, I see that God was preparing our hearts.

It was early 2015 that I felt the sudden urge to sort out my passport despite the fact we had no extra spending money to travel. Because I know God talks in these, “gut feeling” promptings, I followed through with the instinct. Later that week my passport was on its way!

That Sunday at church James and I were approached and told an anonymous couple wanted to pay for us to go to India on a mission trip – the opportunity was worth over $8,000!

Blown away we both cried there on the spot, in awe of God’s goodness and undeserved generosity!
Before flying to India, James felt prompted to put the house on the market, so we did.

That April in 2015 we spent two weeks in India and four days in Nepal. We missed the earthquakes by one day and once we got home, our house sold! We had to wait another 12 months before jet setting off,
so rented the small unit in the meantime and started preparing to see our dreams become reality!

Today It’s only 3 more sleeps until our international flight. Even better now we have two other friends coming with us! We will be doing the 3 months in Africa together before saying goodbye, as James and I continue onto Nepal for a further 3 months of volunteer work.

Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us,
to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. – Ephesians 3:20