Australia is definitely more laid back than America. People are less on edge, compared to Los Angeles. In Los Angeles I feel like people are high on something, always nervous…or maybe that’s just how I was. Especially when I was working. My back doesn’t even hurt anymore!
Super cute kids – Sydney Opera House
Well, not exactly, because I still had to buy a drink to use their internet. I’m staying at this hostel in Sydney…quite dirty compared to the ones I’ve been to.
This is my journal entry from yesterday….enjoy!
September 11, 2011
Landed in Australia around 6:30 AM. Total culture shock because I was so f%cking impatient to get to the shuttle and the concierge was taking so long. Plus my monthly had come on the plane, so my trip started with lots of hormones.
Not going to lie, but this hostel kitchen smells like fart. I hate how when people see me, they see an Asian face, not a live person. I’m so tired though, been walking around since early morning until 6am. I’ve been non-stop alive for 12 hours after a 15 hours flight. I’m dead as a cockroach. Dead. Dead. Dead meat.
I was walking by the bathroom and I was startled because I saw this FINE David back, like muscled and toned staring at my face. I passed by and said “well, hello”. Of course non of the stalls had bathrooms so I went back and bumped into David, or so I call him.
I walked around the city, went to 2 backpacker flight stores, and felt totally ripped off. Of course I didn’t book anything because whose going to pay 600 bucks (AUS) for 4 tours. Rip off!! I also went to Vodaphone and got a sim card for 30 AUS. The guy was from Malaysia and had been in Australia for 7 years. I wonder how selling phones can be interesting, but then I find many things unworthy of my time.
I’m sitting in this dim room of computers, the only place I can find any kind of well, peace. It’s here with this 18 year old English boy from Nottingham, he’s quite something. I thought he was Australian because he had his pants sagged. I find this hostel quite dirty, more dirty than any I’ve seen. Thinking back, the san diego one was seriously clean.
Anyways, I met 2 aussie males at the university. Met up with the lady from Project Futures, and then met a german girl. For some reason, everyone seems to look at me weird, like I fell from planet Mars. Seriously, just because I have red hair and black slanty eyes…don’t mean you can’t make friends with me.
By the way, I noticed a lot of people are scared to meet other folks, it’s like they are scared other cultures will absorb them and that they’ll lose a part of themselves. My new German friend told me that Germans like to stick together even if they travel together. This god damn cough will not leave me, GOD HELP ME!!
Australians are quite polite, as blunt as they are. They are kind of aloof, shy? They are definitely a lot more polite than people from Los Angeles. Anyways, haven’t really met someone I completely clicked with besides that university mate.
Today’s entry-
Craziest day of my life. Yesterday I started the night by writing and reading. I was drinking a beer and just having a grand time on my own. Then Joe and Matt comes in and we start talking about my pending book to come and how it’s about my life, etc. We start having these crazy conversations about life, love, and random cultural differences such as English slang and LA slang. We decide to hit a pub and I swear, I totally put my cup down onto nothing, yes….YES nothing! I wasn’t looking!! So my beer was totally wasted. It was such a sad sight!
So the pub had a 3rd floor dance floor. They were literally playing the radio but somehow the radio had good music on. There were folks in suits, some young people, but more so the older crowd. The were very innocent in the ways that they danced, compared to Los Angeles. They were kind of cutesy if you know what I mean.
We then go to another bar and this one had a live band singing songs from Lady Gaga and even David Guetta. They had long blonde hair that they threw their sweat at people with. Good thing I wasn’t in the front. Yes this all happened in one day, the day I landed…
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Yesterday….was so fun!!
Fashion Night Out- Denim Event/GQ Mag- September 8, 2011 @ Saks Fifth Ave
My buddies and I!
Dressing Up for Thumbtheater.com thumb books!
“I’ve never felt more peace now that I have so little in the bank account, more peace than when I had money saved!”- I said.
My last day of work was July 29th, today is September 8. It’s been more than a month since I last worked. Miraculously I still have enough thanks for all those that helped me with my trip. But I’ve never been happier!!!
The past month, I learned Baby Love. I learned how to be loved as a helpless baby. God has shown his faithful providence and protection over me. I’ve seen Jesus as superman caring and carrying me through the tough times. Now that I’ve let go of all earthly security, I’ve never had more peace in my life. As a child of God, God takes care of you and you need not worry.
“better the little that the righteous have than the wealth of many wicked; for the power of the wicked will be broken, but the Lord upholds the righteous”- psalm 37:39 (righteous by faith in Jesus Christ, not by works)
My landlady’s baby!
So I made a few bucks on Ebay and thought, I have to get this much needed massage before I leave for Australia.
I go right and pray “please Jesus guide me to the BEST masseuse there who can get my knots out”.
The one I usually go to was not there, so this other lady named Linda gave me a massage.
She said there was something very wrong with my spine, I have “career disease” because I sat too long in front of the computer. She continued to push this really PAINFUL place in my neck and I started feeling woozy.
The next hour of massaging was like….giving birth, it was so painful yet for some reason, when I got up, all the colors of the earth seemed clear, brighter!
She was like, you need to stop using the computer for so long! I remember I have a curved spine and was thinking, “I’m 23, and I already have so many problems! I need to start eating right so I can live long!”
A goat I saw in Taiwan. “OUCH that massage hurt like giving birth!!! I’m ready to give birth!”
Exactly 18 days ago, I sent out a fundraising letter on email and on Facebook.
Just when I thought God was going to work a certain way….
First: my roommate offered to buy me groceries- omg I have food in the fridge now!!!
Second: my awesome friend gave me a check for $600. Yep, only a spirit filled friend with the love of God would do such a thing. And also
Third: I finally feel reassured that God TRULY IS PROVIDING! 🙂 I can say now I can eat full meals and more than that, that GOD truly is a provider an the perfect Father!!! Several angels have spoke to people to donate to my trip. I’m so blessed! Thank you for your generosity! You will receive 10 fold what you gave!
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.
Yesterday I saw a vision of myself with Jesus, me as a little girl at Disneyland. He bought me one of those mickey mouse hats and asked me what I wanted. We went go karting and also went on a ride. Jesus was all having fun with His hands up in the air. He wants to give all the desires of my heart. He asked me what I want to do with my life, I kept listing things. And He said “It’s done!”
It’s crazy how I know God says who He is- but I still doubt at many times of the day. I am developing a cough- need prayer for this infirmity.
I’m a royal mess. The thought of trying to raise the money makes me cry everyday.
I hate this.
September 1, the beginning of new things.
The launching happened in August, September is the opening of presents.
Lots of presents, there will be lots of presents, only for those that have kept the faith.
And spoken truth in times of trouble.
I just had a massive encounter with God.
I was crying out to God, looking at my current situation and seeing that there was no way out but to see God speak a miracle.
I lay in my bed, listening to Misty Edwards’ song- “you won’t relent until you have it all”. As I lay there, I knew God was stripping me of all the things I held so dearly for security…Whether that is the need to have a savings or material possession… Whether that is the need to know what I will be doing when I come back from Australia.
In the moment, I encountered Jesus in a way I cannot describe in writing.
I saw Jesus open His arms and beckoning for my hand. We danced and I suddenly saw a ballerina, the image that my friend had prophesied for me. I was a ballerina, beautiful before God’s eyes, dancing with God. We were dancing the future into being. We were creating the future together.
I suddenly felt tears welling up, I started sobbing in desperation for God. I saw Jesus next to me while I twirled in my dress as a girl. He looked at me with pride, He said “wow, that’s my girl, you are so beautiful”. I was praying in heaven language. I saw myself with wings, stepping onto rainbows. I was spewing colors with my wings. Everywhere I went, people looked up in awe and the blind were healed.
My faith has been expanding, strengthened beyond imagination. God wants it all, the Refuge wants me to LET go of all my worldly securities and be a FIRE of God. I saw so much fire, burning, passion of love spewing into the world. I saw a stage, I saw myself fully relinquished to God, thrown, adopted, burning for the LOVE and only the LOVE of Jesus. I felt the tears, the desperation of children that are human trafficked, the lepers on the street, the homeless, the abandoned, the widowed, the abused, I felt deep yearning and compassion for justice.
Right after, my friend messages me and tells me he wants to treat me to boba because I can’t spend money before I go to Australia. God has sent 10,000 angels to pave the way and fight for me. It’s funny how God knows the desire of my heart, even as specific as boba.
I started laughing. God is so funny.
So I finally sat down and did some calculations.
I have to raise or somehow God will rain down at least $1,672.57 by September 11. So I can pay my bills and September and October rent before I go to Australia. I already pulled out my money for Australia.
I’m struggling between having faith, waiting on God and doing everything I can to sell everything I have to earn some money.
I have a lot of clothes I can sell, but it’s hard to list all of them in that time span. I can sell my laptop, but my laptop is my life work.
So this leaves me thinking, well, it’s got to be God or else I don’t see how anything is possible. I wrote this down in my journal “He will not fail you or forsake you”. It’s scary to be in a place of need, perhaps, even shameful- as obnoxious as that word is, but it leaves me in utmost need of God and His grace to rain even more heavily. When the miracle comes, as last minute as it is, I’ll show the world that God is really that real. For now, I’m going to pray fervently, having patience and believing all that I have believed about my God.
Rebekka Lien 