Divine Providence

On Thursday I finally got the long awaited call from NET (National Evangelization Team in Australia). For 3 weeks I have carried my mobile with me, jumped anytime the home phone rang and nervously watched the computer screen as my emails downloaded; but alas the call came. I was at work that night and my phone vibrated and showed a message from a close, holy friend of mine. The message simply stated: I GOT INTO NET ... take special note of the very large capital letters. At that same moment my phone started to ring, incoming call from +61... (+61 being an Australian number) At last the long hours of carrying my phone with me 24/7, jumping when the home phone rings and anxiously watching my emails download are over! I rushed out of the view of customers to answer my phone. The caller was the same women who had conducted my NET interview, an awesome and creative women who has also had the privilege of attending NET for 3 years and is now an important part in the running of the whole program. She started talking to me all very nice and well, I was being polite back and asking her how I was. On the outside I was all calm, cool and collected whilst on the inside I was a screaming, crumbling mess. "STOP WITH THE NICE TALK I JUST WANT TO KNOW!" Here goes, "Katrina, I wanted you to know that..." beep beep beep ...in all the years that I have had a phone I have never wanted to destroy one more in my life, any other time for my phone to break a call, just not now. I stood looking at my phone, tears welling up in my eyes. Fortunately they rang back and gave me the news that I have wanted to hear for the past, slow 3 weeks. " ... we would love to have you join us on the NET team next year." 

I also will be travelling with my two best friends to Australia for the best year of my life where I get to share the joy and love that the Lord Jesus Christ has for every single person. I am looking forward to this opportunity so much that not even the thought of having to raise $7000 for not only me but four other people as well. Most dioceses in New Zealand don't send a single youth to NET but five from one parish! All together we will be raising $35000 for all five of us to go. My Parish Priest gave an awesome homily today on Divine Providence and how it can change lives where it is unexpected. Generosity is the main theme running through Divine Providence and something that with be given back not only one hundredfold here on earth but also in our heavenly home. A simpler way to put Divine Providence ... 'God's will, God's bill.' I hoping that this is the case, with the five young men and women giving a year of their lives to the spreading of the word of God, that all funds needed to get us there and support us through the year will be found. Divine Providence comes in all shapes, sizes and unexpected places.

God gave Himself to you: give yourself to God. -- Blessed Robert Southwell