...We are BACK!
- hassellba
- Mar 4
- 7 min read
Updated: May 14
The start of the year has flown by so quickly that I’m already behind on an update! Life has been full, stretching, and at times overwhelming, but also marked by God’s sustaining grace and kindness. So here is a long-overdue reflection on the past couple of months.
Christmas Travels
November 24th 2024 marked the start of an epic trip around the world.
I left Sydney for the states and spent a wonderful cold week with my sister and brother-in-law in Rhode Island. From there I went home to Bermuda. Many of you will know that December was a hard time for us as a family as we navigated life after my brother's serious motorcycle accident. Thank you to all who have been praying for Jonah and my family. He is doing very well, and by God's grace, we are enjoying the blessing of Jonah's full recovery. My extended family really came through during this difficult time. I am so thankful to my cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents and all who sat with me in waiting rooms, prayed with me and my family, brought us breakfast and snacks, cooked us meals and gave us reasons to smile. God blessed me greatly through the love of my family.
Over the Christmas season, we as a family and church community suffered a great loss as my very dear and close friend went home to be with the Lord. Please be praying for her young family as they navigate life without a wife, mom, daughter, or sister.
December was low. But 2 things can be true: the Lord reminded me of his faithful love, filling me simultaneously with great hope and joy even in the depths of grief and sorrow. I miss my friend. I am sad that Christmas was clouded by such grief. I lament the hours spent in an ICU ward praying for my brother to wake up, to walk, to speak again. But I am also thankful that one day, because of the hope in Christ, I can see my friend again in heaven as we worship our God together. And because of God's great mercy, I could leave Bermuda in January after seeing my brother make a miraculous recovery. Two things can be true: though there is great grief, there is also great hope. I returned to the UK in January and spent nearly 3 weeks with my Bristol friends and family. What a blessing that was! Hugging all the babies. Laughing and catching up on everyone's news. Gathering together on Sunday in praise to our great God! It was such a sweet time of fellowship, yet again laced with sorrow as I was also saying goodbye to dear friends for the foreseeable future in this move back to Sydney. Two things can be true: great joy and great sorrow. Thank you to everyone who made time to see me over this time. I am so sorry to those I could not meet with while I was back!
Please praise God and thank him for the friends who housed me, fed me, drove me around, and even now, continue to help me sell and ship all my belongings to Australia! They have been a HUGE blessing as they show their love and care for me in practical ways!
Back to Sydney and the Greek Exam Journey
I arrived back in Sydney in early February, eager to dive into Year 2 at Moore College and to sit my Greek 2 entrance exam. However, after a fairly traumatic Christmas break, my Greek wasn’t where it needed to be, and I was unable to take the exam at that time. It was a tough and humbling realization. But in the midst of that disappointment, I praise God for His provision of a generous and gracious extension. Now, my aim is to sit the exam on March 31st.
Since returning, I’ve been studying hard for Greek in my spare time while also taking on new subjects for Year 2. It has been challenging but rewarding. I would really appreciate your prayers in this season. Please pray that I would strive to honour God as a student of His Word, doing all that I can within my time constraints and my own limitations to prepare well for the exam. Passing this exam would make the next two years of study considerably easier, so please also pray for diligence, clarity of mind, and perseverance in study. In all this, God's will would set my perspective for the future.
Year 2 Studies and Hebrew Beginnings
Despite the intensity of Greek revision, I have been really enjoying our Old Testament studies this year. It has been wonderful to wrestle with the intricacies of Old Testament narrative. We are studying 1 and 2 Samuel, in particular, this year and looking deeply at storytelling and the role it plays in understanding Old Testament narrative. As part of our Tools for Old Testament Exegesis (TOTE) class, I have also had to take up a bit of Hebrew. As a linguist, I find it fascinating, but that doesn't change the fact that it is challenging and stretching me in all the best ways.
Stepping Back to Move Forward
With the high pressure at the start of the year, I have had to step back from some other responsibilities temporarily. This means a break from teaching Scripture for the time being (sad) and stepping back from Chapel Band roles (also sad). This was a difficult decision, as I love being involved in various ministries, but I realized that my capacity for other things has been low this past month. The weight of processing some of the significant and traumatic events from Christmas, combined with the demands of study (especially Greek!), has stretched me in ways I am not used to. It has been a foreign emotional terrain for me. I am making sure to talk with counsellors and chaplains as I figure out how to navigate these new experiences and emotions.
Please pray that I will keep my eyes fixed on Christ in this struggle. Pray that I would resist looking within myself for strength and instead lift my eyes to God—my help, comfort, and strength in all things.
The Gift of Friendship
Amidst the challenges, I am so thankful for the incredible friends God has placed in my life here. The friendships established last year are flourishing in this new season. Each of them has been a source of support and encouragement on my lowest days. They feed me, make me laugh, help me study, answer my endless questions, gently point out my sins, and are quick to pray with and for me. Their presence has been a tangible reminder of God’s kindness, and I do not take that for granted.
Student Ministry with EMU Music
This year, I also started student ministry with EMU Music—and in summary: SO MUCH FUN! I have loved being in a teaching space again. So far, I have helped run a Training Day for a church music team in Carlingford, supported a Music Workshop in Panania, and sung at and observed teaching at a Word in Song Conference in Newcastle. And there is still so much ahead! Our biggest Word in Song Conference for Sydney is coming up on March 22nd. Please pray for this event—that it would be a time of rich encouragement, training, and equipping for church musicians and congregations.
If you would like to partner with EMU or receive updates on the ministry I am involved in, you can sign up to be a prayer partner on their website: emumusic.com.
Making Time for Joy
Even with the fullness of college life, I have been able to squeeze in some adventures with friends, which has been so good for my mental health. It has been refreshing to have moments that fill my cup again. Nich took me hiking in the Blue Mountains, tracking down several beautiful waterfalls. We’ve also celebrated birthdays with the girls over delicious cheese boards and games, shared rooftop movie nights at Chappo House to get to know the new first-years, and soaked up the sun on beach days. A wedding of one our 2nd year girls added to the joy this past weekend, and soon we’ll be heading off for our year group weekend away—another opportunity to rest, connect, and enjoy God’s good gifts together. These moments have been little pockets of joy in the midst of a demanding season, and I’m grateful for them.
Preparing for Mission in Lakemba
Looking ahead, my chaplaincy group will be preparing for ministry to a predominantly Muslim community in Sydney. Right now, it is Ramadan, an important religious festival for Muslims. During this time, a ministry that opens up space for Christians to share stories of peace about Jesus.
At the end of Ramadan, our group will be partnering with this ministry to support their ongoing relationship-building and evangelism efforts in the area. Please be praying for us:
That we would go with open hearts and keen ears, listening well and loving people as Christ loves us.
That we would be ready to learn about ministry to the Muslim community.
That we would speak the truth in love when the opportunity arises.
Thank You for Your Prayers!
I am so thankful for those who continue to pray for and support me, even from afar. It means the world to know that I am not walking this journey alone.
If you could keep the following things in prayer over the next month, I would be so grateful:
Greek Exam (March 31st): That I would prepare well and pass, making study easier going forward.
EMU Music Conference (March 22nd): That it would be a fruitful time of equipping and encouragement for those that attend.
Mission Week: That our group would love well, listen well, and boldly share the hope of Jesus.
Personal Resilience: That in all things, I would keep my eyes on Christ, seeking His strength and not my own.
Thank you for journeying with me in this season. Your prayers, messages, and encouragements are a precious gift. May we all continue to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.
In Christ Alone,
Brittany
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