“One of the things God showed me that year [in Australia] was how effective He makes us when we pour our heart into the work He’s given. As we invested ourselves in the work and lives around us, God opened Australian hearts to us and His message in us.”

—Andrew Harper

“Serving in Australia for 6 months was one of the most memorable and growing times of my life! Being with other Christians who earnestly love the Lord with their whole heart really motivated me to strengthen my relationship with God in a deeper way.

“The Lord worked in awesome ways, especially during the last few months that I was there. He opened up the way for us to teach local home schooling families the Commands of Christ Series. We started teaching one command every two weeks, and the families got so excited about coming in and learning. It also really challenged us as staff members, because we had to prepare lessons, skits, crafts, work projects, and activities for the families. The families loved the ‘Family Days’ and the kids couldn’t wait to come back.

“Also during my time in Australia, I had the chance to teach my first Children’s Institute. Although it was pretty stressful at times, it was one of the best weeks of my life, because I could see the Lord answering prayer in the lives of the kids on my team. One family on my team, whose dad had stopped following the Lord, asked us to pray for him. Throughout the week, we prayed for this man, that God would change his heart. Now, he has started to pray with each of his children, and is taking more of an interest in their lives.

“Getting to know the Aussie people and the Aussie families was also one of the best highlights of my time there. The Australian people were so generous and friendly. I got to know some awesome people that really took me under their wings.”

—Margaret Noland