Volume 1, Issue 9
News From Australia
December 8, 2010
Praises and Prayer:
 Praise God for an amazing Sum-
mer Project in Lorne
 Praise God for the 6 students
who signed the MB agreement.
Pray that their relationship with
God would grow over the sum-
mer.
 Pray for the missionary team
over the summer as we transition
into a new team come January
 Pray for my time back in the US
Dec 10-Jan 8 that it would be
restful and productive
 Ask God to continue to provide
financially for my 2nd year in
Australia.
Aussie-isms
“Buck’s Party”: Bachelor’s Party
“Tomato Sauce”: Ketchup
“Fair go”: A chance
“Knock back”: Refusal
“Prezzy”: Gift
Missionaries and Students at
Lorne Summer Project 2010
Schedule while in US
Dec 19: Speaking at Lustre Men-
nonite Brethren Church
January 3: Speaking at Lustre
Christian High School Chapel
January 8: Fly back to Australia
grady.toews@gmail.com
gradyt.blogspot.com
Grady Toews in the land of Oz
Schoolies
I spent the last 2 weeks down
in Lorne, Victoria with other
missionaries and students
from Newcastle and the Syd-
ney Metro area ministering to
Aussie high school graduates
(school-leavers—Schoolies).
The best way I could describe
a Schoolies celebration would
be akin to that of a US college
student on spring break down
in Daytona Beach or Cancun. I
can’t speak from experience
but that is just to give you a
little bit of a picture of what
goes on during a Schoolies
week. Our purpose was to
provide services to the School-
ies in the form of free food,
alcohol free entertainment, a
free late night shuttle bus, etc.
In the midst of our services we
boldly spoke with the School-
ies we met about spiritual
Team Transitions
Sadly we are saying goodbye to
three wonderful people on our
team. Paul was married on Nov
6 to an Aussie and has left Stu-
dent Life to pursue other jobs.
Paul was a good roommate,
friend, and teammate but I will
see him this next year as he
and Liz will still be in Newcastle.
Shawn, Heather, and Evie will
be heading back to the States
in late January as their 2 years
here in Australia have come to
things and the Gospel. My
prayer for the Schoolies was
that their week of partying
would leave them completely
dissatisfied and longing for
meaning and purpose. We had
so many great spiritual con-
versations with them night
after night. The students that
came with us (11 in all, 1 from
Newcastle, 10 from Sydney
Metro) were very bold. It was
encouraging to see how Aus-
tralian students let God use
them. They stepped out in
faith everyday in very difficult
situations night after night.
One day I pray that students
from Newcastle will catch this
vision and boldness.
During the first week of
Schoolies, Shawn met a guy
named Josh during a barbe-
an end. They have been such a
huge part of the ministry here in
Newcastle leading the first
Summer Project in 2007 and
the first STINT team in 2009.
They have been a great model
husband and wife for our team
and two of the most hospitable
people I have ever met. They
will be missed greatly. Next
year’s team will be led by Nick
and Stacey. They need a lot of
prayer this summer and next
-que one afternoon. Josh
shared about how his dad had
died 3 weeks earlier. The next
night I met Josh (he was a
little inebriated that night),
and he came to me sobbing his
heart out. We had several in-
teractions with Josh, some
while he was sober, some
while he was not so sober. But
I know God used our conver-
sations and the several times
we shared the Gospel with
him to plant a seed in his
heart. Please pray for God to
use this event in Josh’s life to
bring him and his family to
Christ.
There were so many other
conversations I and others on
my team had this past two
weeks. Please ask God to con-
tinue seeking these Schoolies.
year as they transition into lead-
ership. Please also pray for
Kara and I as we adjust to the-
se changes and see our peers
become our leaders. Ryan and
Bridget will be two new single
STINTERs joining us next year,
so please also be praying for
their adjustment to living in
Australia come January. Last I
heard, Bridget still had a ways
to go on her support raising.
Thanks so much for all your
prayers this year!