Christian Exchange - Experiencing it is priceless...!!!!

Hey people!!

I'm sorry for this long time not writing in this blog!
I'm really passionate about writing! You can see more experiences I've shared and words from God in my personal blog (vivibuzzo.blogspot.com).
But this blog has another intention: Talking about the Christian exchange experience!!

I've been here in Sydney for 7 months now! It has happened so many things already to share.
Many people struggle with the decision whether or not to live this experience, they think of missing home, missing friends, missing people that you loved, and they loved you back...and you are taking a risk when leaving all behind to find new people that will be your family abroad...or maybe not finding anyone...
On the other hand, many people of my own circle of friendship or church back in Brazil have another idea. That living abroad is VERY good and that you are ALWAYS happy meeting different places and people. Maybe they even think this is so awesome that we don't even think of going back...that we have found a paradise and are enjoying its fullness without never crying or feeling down.
What a lie! Who has already lived this experience can afirm this with me! It is so great to live abroad, what you learn and grow is immeasurable and worth it for sure. But if you want to live this experience of LIVING abroad, be aware that you are going to shed many tears, feel intense loneliness and insecurity, feel lost in the world and far from everyone that could save you. You are going to suffer the separation of friends that you just made in a few weeks, and that you felt it was going to be forever, but all of a sudden they are gone...
There is the possibility of losing them forever as well...and just having the pictures and the memories...that sometimes will make you cry again...

I dont wish that when you finish reading this you are caught with the feeling of fear or thinking of giving up...because of what I just told you are going to face...Instead, I want you to open up your eyes and ears for what is going to happen inside of you...and for the GREATNESS of God in teaching and leading you through each step of this experience...You are going to see and feel God in a different way...as the Potter of your life...Read Jeremiah 18 to understand it better.
He does this in us when we are far from everyone else that "offered" us a protection. And it is so necessary to forsake everything in order to bring glory to Him...
He is totally faithful to fulfill our needs and to heal our wounds made in this process. He doesnt choose everyone. If you are willing, He chooses you! If God is bringing an opportunity like that to your mind, please answer YES to Him! Yes to His plan for your life!

As I read in a book yesterday, please pay attention to these words:

"It is fear that keeps from changing the world. It is fear that keeps our mouths shut when we know we need to speak. It is fear that keeps us sitting when we know we need to stand. And it is fear that keeps us from giving everything when we wonder if we will ever get it back. We fear what might happen, we fear what might not happen, we fear what people think, and even fear what we think. We are locked withing a cage of trepidation, but our Prince provides us with the key that finally frees us from the tyranny of social approval, the despotism of evil foreboding, and the dictatorship of insecurity - He provides us with Himself.

[...]

As set-apart ones, our sole passion in every moment of every day is delightning in our Prince. The moon could turn to blood and the mountains could crumble into the sea, but nothing can separate us from the One who loves us. The world may fear, but we always rest in the knowledge that even our death is a doorway into His presence."

Book: Authentic Beauty - -Leslie Ludy - page 213 - Editor: Multnomah Books 2007.

So, be encouraged!!!

Let this fire start burning in your heart!! Leave all you love and consider important behind!

You're gonna be overwhelmed by how much you are going to grow!!

God and the World is waiting!!

Love,

Vivi Buzzo

CESE Australia Intern.

Introducing me...

Hello dear!
Many already know me, but I am a student here in Australia and responsible for talking a little about how the experience is going here! Any questions or comments, please comment right here on the blog and / or leave a message with the email to contact me!

Good, but here go the news ... hehe I was enjoying a time of "break" from college, we had a 3-week "vacation" and now this Tuesday restart, 4 more weeks holiday and then it is really holidays ... whew ... but at the same time gives me a heartache because I think it has already gone the first half of this wonderful experience ... and that I'll just have 6 months left ... but as I can not give up thinking that it will end, I wanna enjoy sooooo much these 8 months left that actually I have ... and that is God's perfect timing! I do not want to think in our memories and the memories that I'm gonna leave in this place! Especially because there will be a lot!

How much I love this place! People and moments that I loved to know and live! There are pictures in them and super special moments ... there was an event last month called Big Exo Day, I was volunteering for the college I'm studying here (Alphacrucis)! It was a great experience, seeing many young people here to receive Christ! But these days .. what God has spoken to me through the experiences I'm having here is on obedience and surrender!

These are things that have no way to escape, there will come a time where God will test our response to what He shows us and tells us, and sometimes also things and people that we have learned to love too! But it never comes to our evil, it hurts in the beginning or it appears to be what we want to be. Our desire is to submit to it, and in the future we'll know why!!

The verse I wanted to share is what God spoke to me: Hosea 2:14-16 (New International Version)
14 "Therefore I am now going to allure her; I will lead her into the desert and speak tenderly to her.
15 There I will give her back her vineyards, and will make the Valley of Achor a door of hope. There she will sing as in the days of her youth, as in the day she came up out of Egypt.
16 "In that day," declares the LORD, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master.

I meant that God is doing wonderful things even when I'm in a desert! God is opening a door of hope for me and my little problems will see that I have a great God!
I like a phrase that says "The desert is not my destiny, even if I am going through it." I'm so missing all of Brazil, but I am following the direction God gave me to come here, I ask you to pray for my lessons, which is now finishing the semester, some of my friends will graduate, and will be missed ... and also how the end of term assessments are more complicated and I need the wisdom to manage to do them in English and well ... hehe

In this meanwhile, I'm joining the church of Brazilians here and I am joining the worship team, longing to sing and serve the Lord more with my voice, as I was singing just in college in those 3 months I'm here! God bless y'all a loooot!!! Miss you all!! Love you all!! Kisses!!! Vivi.

Me apresentando!!

Olá queridos!

Muitos ja me conhecem, mas sou estudante aqui na Austrália e responsável por falar um pouco de como está sendo a experiencia aqui!!! Qualquer dúvida, ou comentário, por favor comentem por aqui mesmo no blog e/ou deixem uma mensagem com o emai para eu contatar!!!

Bom, mas ai vai as últimas...hehe

Estive curtindo um tempo de "break" da faculdade, tivemos 3 semanas de "férias", e agora nessa terça reinicia, mais 4 semanas e ai é férias mesmo...ufa...mas ao mesmo tempo me dá uma dor no coração, pois penso que já passou rápido o primeiro semestre dessa experiencia maravilhosa...e que dai só terei mais 6 meses...mas como não dá pra viver pensando no que ainda vai acabar, vou aproveitar muuuito mais esses 8 meses na verdade que tenho...e que é o tempo perfeito de Deus!Não quero pensar nas saudades e nas lembranças que vou deixar desse lugar!! Até porque vão ser muitas! Como estou amando esse lugar!Pessoas e momentos que eu amei conhecer e viver!! Ali nas fotos são essas pessoas e momentos super especiais...teve um evento o mes passado de jovens chamado Big Exo Day, eu fui voluntária pela faculdade que estou cursando aqui (Alphacrucis)! Foi uma ótima experiencia, vendo muitos jovens cristãos aqui receberem a Cristo!Mas nesses últimos dias..o que Deus tem falado comigo através das experiencias que estou tendo aqui, é sobre obediencia e renúncia! São coisas que não tem jeito de fugir, uma hora Deus vai provar nossa resposta ao que Ele nos mostra e nos diz, e as vezes também coisas e pessoas que aprendemos a amar muito! Mas nunca pro nosso mal, por mais que doa no começo ou que pareça não ser aquilo que queremos que seja. A nossa vontade tem que se submeter a dele, e lá na frente nós vamos saber o porquê!!O versículo que queria compartilhar que foi o que Deus falou comigo ontem é em Oséias 2:14-16 - "Portanto, eis que eu a atrairei, e a levarei para o deserto, e lehe falarei ao coração e lhe darei as Suas vinhas dali, e o vale de Acor, por porta de esperança; e ali cantará, como nos dias de sua mocidade e, como no dia em que subiu da terra do Egito. E naquele dia, diz o Senhor, tu me chamarás: Meu marido e não mais me chamarás: Meu Senhor."Queria dizer com isso que Deus está fazendo coisas maravilhosas mesmo que estou num deserto! Deus está abrindo uma porta de esperança pra mim, e os meus pequenos problemas verão que eu tenho um grande Deus!!Gosto de uma frase que diz "O deserto não é o meu destino, mesmo que eu esteja passando por ele."Estou com muita saudade de todos no Brasil, mas estou seguindo a direção que Deus me deu de vir pra cá, peço que orem por mim pelas aulas, que agora está acabando o semestre, alguns amigos meus vão se formar, e a saudade vai ficar...e também como é final de semestre os assessments ficam mais complicados e preciso de sabedoria para conseguir faze-los em ingles e bem...heheNesse meio tempo, me firmei na igreja de brasileiros aqui e estou entrando no grupo de louvor, saudades de cantar e servir ao Senhor mais com a minha voz, so estava cantando lá na faculdade nesses 3 meses que estou aqui!!Que Deus abençõe muuito todos vcs!!! Saudades!! Amo toooodos!! Beijos!!Vivi.