Sarah Atwell: Fred Rogs

I feel I should begin by informing you that I am currently listening to Christmas music in shorts and a tank top, dripping sweat. That's different. Now on to the important stuff....
This past week was one like I have never experienced before. Schoolies. This is a week long graduation party for all the "school leavers", all up and down the coast of Australia. It is pure insanity. The schoolies rent out huge party houses or campsites and go on a week long drinking binge. A group of us YWAMers hit the road and ended up in Byron Bay. It is a small, ultra hippie, super spiritual, beach town. Oh and it is crawling with schoolies, ages 14-19. We partnered with an organization called Red Frogs(commonly mispronounced by drunken sillies as FRED ROGS). These guys are slowly making their way around the world. So, as a part of this group we went out every night and walked drunk kids home, held hair while they vomited, handed out candy, set up a pancake and water station, broke up fights, chat with the kids about Jesus if we got the opportunity, and basically did any grunt work that needed doing. Needless to say it was a challenge but such a blast. So at night we would work on just loving on these kids and building relationships then we would have them book an appointment for the next morning and we would go to their hotel rooms or houses or tents and make them pancakes and clean up around their place some when they are too hungover to even function. This is where the real ministry would happen. We got such awesome opportunities to share Jesus' love with kids who were just begging for it.
Our group also got to partner with the YWAM base in Byron Bay and host a barbecue in the park for backpackers. We were able to dance and sing some for some really neat people from all over the world. Just so you get an idea of what Byron is like, I encountered an older lady who had fallen out of the tree (odd) and when I went to go check on her she was talking to the spirits in the tree. Then she told me the tree told her what "us people" were doing there and she bolted away. It was such a bizarre moment in my life. Funny. But so strange.
Anyways, although I slept on a roach infested floor every night, probably stepped countless piles of throw up, and went without a shower for the entire week it was one of the most rewarding weeks yet. Sorry is this post is a little dodgy. I am pretty wiped. Looking forward to a new week, however!

Here are a few photos for your enjoyment :)