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well it has been almost a month since my last post but I just kept getting caught up when I would think to update this. Well since then the World Cup has ended, Spain is the new world champs. I have been home for a couple weeks and I dont think a day has gone by that I havent thought at least something about Australia. In the last week we were there a few of us went to help at the soup kitchen again while others went around town to try and jsut talk to people about the church plant we were attending. We found it hard to talk as many people either just didnt care or they were in such a hurry they didnt give the time of day. We also did a little shopping so we could bring stuff back for friends and family. The last night we were there we went to the SOW pancake night. There were obviously lots of pancakes and lots of friends. All of the people involved with SOW plus us and those who had been connected over the trip were there. People with musical talents performed and it was great to see everyone one last time before we had to head home. I learned so much while being over there more so about myself then about missions or evangelism. Although I feel like I didnt do A whole lot while I was there I know that God used me and the team in so many ways that we will never know. I want to thank all of my supporters again because without your help and faithfulness I would not have been able to make it. I hope that you feel like you were a part of the team because like I said without you it would not of been possible. I would love to talk more about it but I just dont know what all to write so if you would like to know more either facebook me or email me at b.land.ato@Gmail.com.
Brandon

Well this last week has been a seemingly long one. Well Friday morning we woke up and drove up to the blue mountains. We went straight to the hiking area and hiked for about 3 and 1/2 hrs. It was incredible! The view was amazing and I love to be out in the mountains/woods just walking around so it was great. Then after we grabbed a bite to eat we went and checked into out hostel for the night, The Flying Fox. Well being winter here and being more inland in the mountains it was quite chilly that night. The place wasnt very well insulated so it was pretty cold in there as well. The common room was warm as there was a fire and lots of people hanging out reading, playing cards, putting together a puzzle or just enjoying company. The next morning we drove back and on the way we stopped at the featherdale zoo. It was nice. It was fairly small for a zoo but it was perfect for what we wanted. Aussie animals! We got to pet and feed kangaroos and wallabees as they just roamed freely. We got to pet koalas too! several other native animals and some more common ones. It was great to see outside the city and more of the countryside as well as some of the animals. So all in all it was a great trip. Then that night we all went to Darling harbour where the FIFA fanfest is set up and watched Korea beat Greece 2-0 with all of our new Korean friends. It was great to get in the spirit and cheer on their team and learn some of their chants! That was at 930 so after that and a quick stop to Macca's(McDonalds) we went to the apartment for a quick nap as it was 1230 and had to wake up at 345 to come cheer on the USA against England which we drew 1-1. We painted our faces and sprayed blue hairspray in our hair. Came back went back to sleep then woke up for church at 12(luckily we have a late church haha). Then that night we went to Hillsong church. It was a bit different than Im used to and I felt as though I was judging the whole time because it was not what I was used to. Later realized it and changed my mind as so many people worship and pray differently but if its to God and sincere from the heart who are we to judge. I was glad that we went as God shows me and the team more and more about our sinful selfs every day.
Well Sunday night Matt, Haley, Ramsey, and I went to Dan and Theresa's Apartment to sleep and then wake up at 430 and watch Australia lose to Germany 4-0 with a bunch of students at one of the Uni's. The girls went back but Matt and I took a nap back at Dan's then went back to Macquarie Univeristy to give it a look around and see if it would be good to come back for more investigation. Well since it was the Queen's Birthday it was a holiday and everything was closed so we just lookedat the layout of it and saw a few students studying and left.
Tuesday and Wednesday we went and worked at Newtown Mission, which is a church that runs a soup kitchen for the poor. It was really great just to meet some of them and serve them food. I got to talk with this man on tuesday named Michael who has only about 8 friends in the world. As we were talking made me greatful for all God has provided me with as I am here and have twice as many friends just here in Sydney. So again God showing me sin just as we always want more but God provides us with everything we need yet we always want more. He told the same stories over and over as he doesnt have much to talk about as well as being depressed. Met another guy Greg who had been in prison for awhile and he was nice as he was surprised as we really wanted to listen to what he wanted to say as he was not used to that from prison. Like I said it was really great just to help out there and serve the community. We went back Thursday night and went to their chapel service and then helped with their Thursday night sit-down style dinner. Today we talked with the leader of a ministry at University of Sydney Paddy Benn. He talked with us about post-modernism and evangelism. We then skyped with Summer Beach Project to give them an update about our summer and things like that. It was great to see a lot of familiar faces and ones we will be seeing in person in about 8 days. We then went on a ferry ride over to Manly to walk around and just to experience a ferry ride. It was cool to see the bay and the city from the water. Tonight USA plays Slovenia at midnight so we are about to head to that.
B

Well Its been awhile since my last post but Its been a great week and a half since then. Last week at UNSW was a good one for the guys. We met a good amount of guys and so that was encouraging. Tuesday was my first chance to see the University of Sydney because we all went there for the Gospel night(which was the last meeting of the semester for the SOW ministry). Well we went there but I didnt get to walk all around and see all of the campus because I had a meeting with Matt. Anywho Wednesday we went to UTS and passed out flyers for their Gospel night that was actually this week because they have a different schedule. It was funny as many students would just walk by and then when I mentioned free food they turned around and were suddenly interested lol. Well we had just a regular meeting but after the talk we broke off into small discussion groups and I had Pastor Jim and then a guy named Hiep who is an atheist. We got into a good discussion with him and I think he is really close to becoming a Christian. God just seems to be doing so much in his life that he has to be close. Well the other Brandon had lunch with him today and had a good talk with him today about spiritual things for a couple hours today which was great. So please be praying for him! Today was our last day on campus and it was a great one. We decided to come to campus and give students free coffee and tea as they are studying hard for their exams coming up. At first they seemed skeptical and asking what group we were promoting or why we were doing it. We told them we were here to serve the students and so since we didnt have much to do and they were studying hard we would give them a break and by the time we ran out of cups more and more people heard about us so we are going to do it again! I think it was a great success and will be a great way to reach the students. Tonight the guys went to University of Sydney to meet with a guy named Andrew who lives in St Andrews college(which are like our dorms). He is a strong christian and we went out to eat with him and got to know how it is like in them and ministry things like that. Well the time has finally arrived! Tomorrow night at midnight the World Cup officially kicks off!!! Even though we will be in the mountains for the first couple games we will be back sat night for the Korea Greece game. Which we will get to watch it with all the SOW students that are all Korean lol. The Harbour has set up screens out in the water and there is a whole fanfest park setup www.fanfest.com.au It is gonna be really amazing to view the games there and be around all sorts of people! Well USA England game is at 430am on sunday morning and yes We are waking up to watch it :)! well we are heading to the zoo and the mountains tomorrow so more to update when I return!
God Bless

Well first off my apologies to such a length between posts but here we go. The first week and a half was quite a busy one, as we had orientation on Thursday and Friday the 20th and 21st. That was great as we got to know a little bit about Australia as a whole and then more specifically about Sydney. We got to meet Rich who is the head of Campus Outreach Australia, which is located in Brisbane. The reason for this trip is to branch out of just Brisbane to other cities such as Sydney and Armidale. So it was great to get their perspective of the nation. We also met Pastor Jim and Dan and Theresa who are the main leaders of the SOW ministry which is who we are teamed up with in Sydney. SOW stands for Student Outreach to the World. We are greatful to be teaming up with them as it gives us a chance to serve and encourage them as an already existing campus ministry as well as an in to the campuses to investigate and experience a different culture.
On the first Saturday we were here SOW had the first ever SOW Mayfair which was a big barbie to bring the 3 campuses(U of Sydney, U of New South Wales, and U of Technology Sydney) together and also a sort of welcome/introduction to the Campus Outreach CCP team. It was really great to meet so many students even though all of them are either from Asia or were born in Australia but their parents are from Asia, mainly Korean. Well we had a pretty traditional and simple Australian barbie with Sausages on bread with carmelized onions and BBQ sauce. It was simple but quite delicious. Also meeting the students and interacting with them through volleyball, soccer, or even the mingling games we played. Also there was a tug-o-war contest between the schools and a chicken fight contest. Chicken fights are different over here as they were not in the water nor on one's shoulders. You hop on one foot and try to make it to the other side without either falling on your own or being knocked off balance by someone from the other team. We were pretty wiped after that.
Sunday we went to the Church plant that Pastor Jim has started and we doubled the size with our team. Which for the time we are here makes it feel a lot more welcoming and richer as Pastor Jim feels. It was great to worship the same God and same Bible and same songs even, on the other side of the world! After church we all went out to eat and were introduced to Kebabs. Which here are kind of like a gyro except it is wrapped like a burrito. It was so delicious! Australia is kind of similar to America as far as food, there is no real label of a certain type of food like Mexican, Chinese, or Thai(which is really good here too) but there is a great mix of lots of different types. There is even Mcdonalds aka Macca's here as well as other american fast foods.
On Monday we had our first day on Campuses which my teamKyle Kehoe, Beth Graham, Haley Vernard, Rachel Bond, and myself were given the campus of New South Wales for the summer. It is a fairly modern campus with very many steps and about 45000 students. I try to not look like a tourist to the students so I havent taken any photos of the campus yet but have taken a few of the city which you can find on my Facebook page. The first day was a little overwhelming for me as I am used to a smaller student body as well as knowing most people on the campus so a bit different. Well Mondays were given to us on our own to meet do more investigation of the campus and meet students but Tuesday and Thursdays are given to being with the SOW students most of the day. On Wednesdays we are all together at UTS and the other 6 people are at U of Sydney the days my team is at UNSW. We had done a little bit of research online before going to campus so we saw that there was a Campus Bible Study on monday afternoons so we went to that and then met and talked with the staff for awhile which that is the biggest ministry on campus there. So it was great to meet them and hear all they do and offer. Everything in Sydney cost money, even if you are just going to church, Either paying a toll to drive across the bridge or taking the train or a bus. The food on campus is set up like a food court in fact thats exactly what they call it. So there are no meal plans other than meeting up with friends to go eat haha.
Well after the first week we went to Bondi Beach on Friday. When we stepped off the bus we were like little kids at Christmas as it was a massive and Beautiful beach. We didnt actually stay on the beach because there was a trail that followed along the shore as you can see from my pictures it was quite the sight! The guys got off the trail a bit and followed along on the rocks near the shore and was really fun since I really liking climbing. After going to the end and back we had dinner. It was probably the Best burger I have ever had. It was from Hurricane grill and bar on the strip by the beach. I had the Breakfast Burger which had cheese, bacon, egg, lettuce and thousand island all on top of the beef. It was great. Well then Saturday was our Sabbath Day and we all did our own thing except a few of the guys listened to Mark Driscoll's 18 points of Australian Anglican Christians. It was pretty on point from what weve heard and if you know Mark Driscoll you know he's not scared to tell it like it is! Then I rested a bit and got a good workout in and re-energized for this week.
Yesterday was a long day as well. We went to church which was on prayer and we all realized we need to be doing more of it! Then we decided to walk across the bridge to get that experience which was neat but long and tiring. That night we had to come back to North Sydney for the monthly Uchap with SOW which is like a worship service for all the SOW students from the campuses to come together. Matt White, leader of our CCP team gave the talk on being fishers of men. Matthew 4:19, "Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Which if you know me youve seen my Georgia Tech hats and you may have noticed the Fish hook as well. I wear it to be a daily reminder of what Jesus has called us to be. It was a great talk and very challenging to all in the room.
Well I know that this is a very long post and probably could of been split into about 2 or 3 posts I think its fairly good detail of the trip thus far. I will try to update again this weekend.
Please be in prayer for both teams as this is the last week of Lectures for the students and next week is dead week so they dont have to be on campus and will be focused on studying for exams. So pray that we are able to make great connections this week and meet up with students next week as well. Also that our hearts are in the right place to truly serve this city over the next 4 weeks. Thanks
B

G'Day Mates!

Well we finally made it to Sydney after about 30 hrs of traveling. I speak for the whole team when I say we are glad to finally of made it. The Time difference is quite different as it is 5pm Wednesday evening and it is 3 am Tuesday night(well Wednesday morning but you get it) so it is a bit crazy. Should be fine after tomorrow though. First meal we had in town was at a Thai restaurant called Don Don's. Then we went to the grocery store and Sydney is definitely expensive. I was informed by one of the girls that it is the 16th most expensive cities in the world. So we are going to have to manage our money very well and fully rely on God to provide as with our essentials just as He already has provided so much. My battery is dying and I do not have the right converter that I thought I had so I will have to update later in the week when I get a chance to recharge my computer(and myself). It is going to be a busy trip but a thrilling and adventures one as well. I am looking forward to getting in a routine here and get going on the campuses and stuff. (On a roommates computer now)We are getting settled into our apartments and they are very accommodating. Not glamourous but all the guys have our own beds. all the kitchen supplies are provided. Sheets and towels are also provided. Internet is paid for however until I can get a three prong converter my laptop is dead so I will hopefully get one soon to keep updates coming. We got to go to the Opera House and see the bridge/Harbor today and it is quite amazing. There are a few parks around so plenty of places to go for a run or enjoy some leisure in the city. So for being here less than 7 hours it seems pretty sweet so far. We wont be going to any of the campuses until monday but tomorrow and friday we will be having orientation. This city is expensive and when we have about 21 dollars a/day for food when a avg meal is 9 bucks it will be big for us to stretch the dollar! I am relieved to be here and ready to start but we all need to stay reliant on God for everything! Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you"

-B

A short final update of support before I leave tomorrow. The Lord has been gracious enough to provide all the support for my goal of $6000!! That is a huge blessing and weight off my shoulders! This summer we were asked to develop a personal development plan. I chose to set up my plan to learn more about the importance of Integrity in all aspects in life. So I ask for your prayers that I grow abundantly in that area. Again I ask for prayers for safe travel. thanks and I look forward to posting from Sydney!

-B

Less than a week

I can not believe how close it is til time to leave. These past months have really flown by and not really sure where the time went. With only 4 full days to pack and get final preparations out of the way, I am only about 300 dollars short of the 6000 dollar goal. On a bigger scale though my team from the last update I received just 3 days ago was we are roughly 10,000 short. Im sure it is less than that now as I have received a little support since then but there is still a need of support as a team. So I ask for prayers as we leave that most of the support comes in but that with in the first week or 2 that all funds are submitted to Campus Outreach and we can fulfill our mission as budgeted! The Lord has been so gracious in providing so much to me these past few years and especially these past few months, its hard not to want to praise Him daily, but as human nature comes there are days I struggle to spend alone with the Lord. I ask for prayers all summer that I consume myself and heart with the Lord and less of my own desires. I am extremely excited to get to Sydney and check the place out. I hope and pray that we will be able to have great interaction with the Aussie's and have great conversations. I am very interested in just seeing how different the way they think and live compared to the American Society does. As for the weather it does not seem like it gets all that cold during the winter so I am thankful that the weather should be quite pleasant while we are there! The average high is about 68 and the average low is about 45 of the time we will be there. So for some that may be a little chilly but I find that to be the perfect weather!
During some personal development time that is allotted while in Sydney I will be focusing on Integrity and why it is so important to leadership but also just in general. I pray that as a team we see 10 people come to know the Lord. I know that may be fairly low but we were told to be faithful to the Lord but to have low expectations. I know nothing is impossible with the Lord so I know I will be blown away with what God does this summer. With talking to a few teammates here recently I know we are all really excited to be getting there and we could all use your prayers so I ask that just for the whole trip from now until we leave May 17 and until our return June 25th that we are all in your prayers. Also there are 2 other teams one heading to Armidale and another to Brisbane. Both of those teams are fairly short of support as well so keep those teams in your prayers as well.

For those of you who know me, know I play soccer and with it being 2010 it is the year for the World Cup which is in South Africa, but I hope to catch some games on TV and hopefully will be a great way to meet Aussies and minister to them through that!

one of my favorite Bible verses is Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." I think it is very important to keep in our minds constantly as well as Matthew 6:33 "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you." These 2 verses are two that I think will keep my heart in the right place this summer as for the reason I am in Australia and to overcome fears in the forthcoming weeks.

The internet in Australia is slightly different to here in the U.S. but there are internet cafe's so I hope to have this blog updated at least once a week but bare with me if the internet is rather pricey when we get there.

Thanks and God Bless

P.S. if you click on the picture of Sydney at the top of the page it will take you to the daily news paper in Sydney so that you can keep up with the current events in Australia