Byron Bay

Well, we had another powerful week at Byron Bay.
Let me explain Byron Bay.

Byron Bay is a beautiful place-- nice ocean, great weather, it has a lighthouse with a great mountainous view (small mountains), and is probably one of the most concentrated forms of Post-modernism and New Age practices in all of Australia, and possibly in the Southern Hemisphere.

1.75 million backpackers and travelers pass through Byron Bay each year and most become captivated by the environment.. A place where a person comes to 'seek the truth' or to 'find enlightenment.' Almost every known cult has some sort of representation in and around Byron Bay because of it's nature. It is a place to go for a good time-- drugs, pubs, good conversations, with people accepting of all and every idea.
It is truly a remarkable place.

Every time we send a team of YWAMers to this place, there is a wave of oppression that hits the group. Some get tired and annoyed, some get very cutting with their comments, some become lazy and some feel absolutely depressed. Without fail, every time we come to this place we have to do some level of spiritual warfare, declaring Jesus as Lord and choosing to walk in love, patience and faithfulness. It was the same this time.

I sat down to pray with my outreach team and we talked vaguely about things we wanted to see and pray about.. And then someone came out with this: "I don't really have anything to share about outreach right now.. But I feel like I need to tell you guys that I feel really depressed to the point that I don't want to go on with this DTS anymore. I just want to go home."
I felt a shift in what the Lord wanted to address in this time of prayer. I asked if anyone else felt similarly and each and every one of my team shared similar feels of depression, anger, and heaviness. After I let each share, I told them the reality of what was going on.. Something the Lord had shared with me in a morning quiet time: "All conflict will be heightened by the powers of darkness in the area." We stood and grabbed hands and each of us let out the prayer of our hearts-- a cry for freedom, a cry for a breakout of God's love to come into Byron and into our DTS. And as we begin to pray, each of us felt the Spirit moving so strongly! God began to work in each of us and start to take away the heaviness we had been feeling.
Then the verse came to mind, "Freely you have received, now freely give." And with that we began interceding for our whole school. Praying specifically for them to become overcomers in Christ-- to let Byron Bay be the training ground for the outreach we are all about to embark on.

That night we went into the city for evangelism. We gave out free pancakes and played some music and tons of us had incredible conversations. I spoke to man about the Lord-- He was a lukewarm christian to say the least. But after hearing his heart and where he was at, I encouraged him and following the leading of the Holy Spirit I prophesied to him.. Immediately after, I saw so much hope inspired into him and he received it so openly.

Praise the Lord! He is on the move in Byron Bay, and we were able to be apart of it with him.