FAITH FOLLOWS SPRING 2018 | ISSUE 1
SYDNEY New, life, new journey, same God
Editorial
I know what you may be thinking: “Is this a magazine? Does he not have time for a phone call, a text or even a Facetime?” The answer to those hypothetical questions is yes, I do, but I wanted to paint a more in depth picture of everything that is going on in my life here in Sydney. I plan to issue this magazine as a PDF which you can share with anyone via text message or email. My hope is to release an issue every few months. What can you expect from this magazine? An in depth account of what I have encountered thus far, the lessons I have learned, the things I have been taught and the amazing people I continue to meet. It’s essentially a highlight reel of what is going on in my life and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I have enjoyed creating it.
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days, what a journey, what a story. It’s been four months since I left the United States for Sydney. What I have discovered about this school and about myself has been nothing short of amazing. For those of you confused about why I made the decision to move to Sydney and study at a bible college, don’t worry, I was confused as well. Here’s how the story started, or at least the decisions that lead up to the move... For those of you who know me well, I have been passionate about my Christian faith for over 10 years. I was involved in the youth ministry organization Young Life throughout high school and college and had volunteered at youth summer camps. I interned at churches and had been heavily involved with my church (Hillsong Los Angeles) for the past four years. Last year in 2017 I met with my campus pastors individually to talk about what I wanted to do with my life. I told them three things, I still wanted to write and direct films, but I also had this desire to preach the Gospel and pastor people. They both asked if I ever thought about going to Hillsong College in Sydney. I laughed when they asked me that because I never thought about going to Australia or even to a bible college. I had entertained the idea of getting my masters in business or potentially going to Fuller Seminary after I graduated from college but I let go of those aspirations years ago. Things looked a lot different now. I had already been living in Los Angeles for six years, I had a life, a home, a job, good friends and a good church. Why would I leave everything and go to a foreign country to study again? Last October a friend at church asked me what I wanted to do with my life and I told her the same thing I told my campus pastors. She asked me if I ever thought about going to college. At this point, I thought it was a little strange that she asked me this question because now three different people, at three different times had asked me the same question. I prayed about it and after some thought, I told God “If you want me to go, I’ll go, but you will have to make a way because I can’t afford to go a college and pay $20,000 out of pocket.” Word to the wise, never pray this prayer unless you are serious about doing what God wants! Within a couple weeks I received a letter in the mail with a check for $1,100. I didn’t think too much about it until my sister sent me a text saying there was another check that was coming for me in the amount of $2,300. I don’t know about you, but I don’t normally receive random money I didn’t work for so this was a bit shocking to me. At this time, I was still confused and unsure of what I wanted to do. Around last Thanksgiving my friend asked me if I wanted to stay in his room while he traveled to Australia to visit his girlfriend for two months. He told me he paid $700 for his room in his house but would only charge me $350 each month. I thought it seemed pretty fair and I would be saving a considerable amount.
“ If you want me to go [God], I’ll go, but you have to make a way
”
So I made the move in December and that same month, I applied to Hillsong College. I thought applying was the right thing to do and immediately after, I bought a ticket to Sydney. At this point I had no idea what I was doing. One of my best friends from high school had reached out to me in November to shoot videos for Young Life in Philadelphia. He wanted to fly me out in the beginning of January. By this point, I only knew four things: I was going to be in Philadelphia from January 6-14, my flight to Sydney was on January 21, school was starting the following week on January 28 and my friend was coming back to Los Angeles on January 24. While I was in Philadelphia my friend saw how hard I worked and decided to pay almost double of what was in the contract. I got back to Los Angeles on January 14 and had seven days left to decide if I wanted to leave everything behind and go to Sydney. Crazy enough, I was accepted but I did not bother to apply for my student visa. I was stressed out the whole week and was really confused about whether I should go or stay. At this point, I thought the logical thing to do was to make a list. Under one column I had “Stay in LA” and in the other column I had “Go to Sydney.” The list for staying in Los Angeles was about fifteen or so reasons and going to Sydney was a mere four or five reasons. Logically, it made every bit of sense
“ It didn’t make
any sense but there was a peace beyond all understanding
”
to stay in Los Angeles but for some reason, I had so much peace about going to Sydney, it was a peace beyond all understanding that I couldn’t ignore. I called my friend Peter Blaha that Thursday which meant it was Friday in Sydney (17 hour time difference) and mind you my flight was on Sunday. I met my friend Peter in film school at Azusa Pacific University and Peter’s story was very interesting. After college he had a job in London working for Scott Free Productions, one of the biggest film productions in the world. He left all that to come back to the states because he knew it wasn’t right and felt he had a bigger purpose. If there was anyone I was going to call about leaving something big, it was Peter. I told Peter my story and after he listened, he told me that it was evident and clear what God wanted for my life. He emphasized that if I didn’t go to Sydney it would be a shame. I then realized how many doors were opened for me to actually go. To mention a few, I had about half of what I needed for tuition and living expenses, I had already found an apartment in Sydney, but there
was just one thing stopping me from going: a visa. I had been putting off applying for the student visa because it was $450 and I didn’t want to pay the application fee if I wasn’t going to go. Australia is very strict with its travel laws and if you don’t have a visa, you cannot board your flight. I applied for my visa while on the phone with Peter and we prayed. After our phone call I checked my email. Immediately after I received two emails, both from the Australian government. The first email was at 4:58pm and said my visa was received from the government. The second email was sent at 4:59pm and and within a minute, my visa had been granted. For most Americans, it takes about a couple of days, sometimes a month. I heard from friends it takes Brazilians about a month or so. For some South Africans it takes 6-8 weeks but generally a week for everyone. I knew that very moment, God’s hand was in this and I had to go. It seemed crazy leaving everything behind but I knew in my heart it was what I needed to do. I packed everything I owned, left some boxes at my house and drove the next morning to San Francisco where my brother Tsegazeab lives. We got to hang out for a day, I left him my car and I flew back the next day to Los Angeles. My parents so happened to be in the city for my last two days and I said my goodbyes to my family and friends and just like that, I was on a plane to Sydney.
“I knew that very moment God’s hand was in this and I had to go”
Photography by Alondra Olivas
HIGHLIGHTS Key words that have been spoken to me: Oak tree, lion among cubs, do not be afraid, you are annointed, man of God, no more waiting, God knows yours sacrifice
So you may be asking, “What has happened since you have been here Hayet?” I have met many students and have learned from people from Brazil to Sweden, all the way to Taiwan, South Korea, Germany and countries all over Europe. Our “core tutorial” is a lab class for our larger lectures that consists of the same eighteen students all year long and I‘m only one of three native English speakers in our group! It’s fascinating to gain such unique perspectives from cultures I have only read about and people who speak English as a second language. I didn’t know what to expect going to a college over 7,000 miles away but I am having the time of my life. On the first day of orientation, our principal was speaking in chapel and she came down the aisle and saw me, spoke over my life and said that I needed to be open to the process. She said that I was here for a reason and that I need to put behind what I have learned and re-learn from scratch. Since then, many of our teachers and students have prophesied over my life and have spoken such positive words. So what does all this mean? Prophesies? People speaking over my life? I think it means that God is watching over my steps. He knows exactly who to send and the exact words to use to direct me towards where I need to be. Today I find myself leading a marathon team, a continuation of our original ‘I AM THE ONE’ marathon team from last year. We filmed last year’s marathon
training and it was included in our “Vision Sunday” video (that highlights the vision for Hillsong Church and is shown across all our churches globally). My classmates were curious about the marathon and were inspired because we ran for a little girl with a rare disease. Some of my peers wanted to start a running group and now we’re currently training for a half marathon. It’s amazing being able to run with a new team, of which many of these students are six to eight years younger than myself. It’s amazing because I have been given so many opportunities that I have not asked for, yet God has entrusted me with them, which makes them all the more special. For the first time ever, I feel like I am rising to the leadership potential I have felt all my life. All my experiences have brought me to this point, every lesson, every low point, high point, it’s all brought me here and I’m very thankful and look forward to whatever happens next.
BECAUSE oF FRIENDS Key people who have impacted me
Photography by Various Artists
Stephany Pantoja Tijuana, Mexico
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tephany, Stephany, Stephany. I first remember meeting her in the shopping mall in our neighborhood. She said she was from San Diego to which this day she still denies. If I had to describe her in one word it would be ‘fierce.’ When I met Stephany, I had no idea she would become my best friend. Our second interaction was at school when I went to give her a high five and she dissed me and moved her hand out of the way. When we would hang out with other friends, I noticed that there was something quite different about her. She was bold, could speak so wisely and had wisdom beyond her years. We had many conversations on our walks home from school and late night chats at the playground by her apartment. What I love about Stephany is the boldness that she carries while still being innocent in her child like manner. We might seem like an odd pair but our friendship has taken on a brotherly, sisterly love and she is quickly becoming like the little sister I never had. Stephany was born in Tijuana, Mexico to parents in the medical field. After her father received kidnapping and death threats, he moved his family across the border to San Diego where she grew up in an affluent neighborhood. Two years before her high school graduation the U.S. Government accused Stephany’s father of money laundering and they lost everything they had built. They had their citizenship taken away and were deported back to Mexico. Despite the humbling setback, she has progressed in her faith, maturity and is slowly becoming a difference maker here at college. She has enormous potential and I cannot wait to see her achieve everything she is more than capable of.
PICTURE OF STEPH & I Pucture of Steph & I
Daniel Matthew (left)
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Daniel Mathew Sydney, Australia
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mooth. I first met Daniel whose nickname is “D” at a midweek gathering during the Spring of 2014 before we launched Hillsong LA. I noticed immediately how inclusive D was with whatever was going on. He quickly plugged me in with all the team at church and invited to play basketball whenever the men played during that spring and summer. Always with a smile on his face, D is engaging, inviting and a natural entertainer. He is a singer/songwriter and has a passion for the church, for music and for people. D was born in Brisbane, Australia and his family eventually moved to Sydney where he has lived for a majority of his life. D’s mother is an international charity and ministry speaker and was born in Jerusalem before she immigrated to Melbourne where she met D’s father, an Indian immigrant in full-time ministry and aspiring businessmen. D is one of four children and has a twin sister named Cherisse. What I love most about D is that he is personal and treats everyone like family. He’s highly intellectual and we often spend hours talking about politics, governments, the church and the men we want to become in the future. He’s a man of the people who loves anyone he comes into contact with and having a great friend like him and a familiar face from LA here in Sydney has been the biggest of blessings.
Pictured left to right: Alan, Rudy, Cuppy, Alondra, Hayet *Not pictured: Alex
Alan, Alex, Alondra, Cuppy, Rudy Arizona, USA
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ho you do life with is very important, and I consider it a blessing to do life with these very fine people. Let’s track back to how I came to live with these folks. It was January 3rd and I was looking for an apartment next to our church in the city. I came across a Facebook post in the Hillsong College Community group about a spot that was open in an apartment. Alan, my now roommate made the post on Facebook. I had never met Alan or any of his roommates but the rent seemed very reasonable and the pictures of the apartment were beautiful. At this time, I was still unsure if I even wanted to go to Hillsong College. I wasn’t certain if I wanted to study at the city campus in Sydney or at the hills campus in the Baulkham Hills. So I did what any logical person would do and I looked for housing at both campuses. My search for housing at the hills campus didn’t merit any results and the only person who replied back to me and said there was an available spot for me was Alan. So the only door that opened for me was Alan’s apartment near the city campus, and that’s exactly where I went. I remember coming from the airport in the Uber and the apartment was 0.2 kilometers away. I looked around and all the buildings were brand new, beautiful and I was ecstatic that I would be living in this neighborhood. For some reason I expected this neighborhood to be old and rundown but it was quite the opposite. Alondra was there with her sister to greet me and she asked why I came to Hillsong College and I told them my story and they were both amazed that I was here. One by one I began to meet my roommates; Alex later that night, then Rudy and his wife Cuppy a couple of days later and finally Alan two weeks later. Every time a classmate asks where I live I tell them who I live with and they say “you’re blessed” or “that’s a good flat to be in” and I can honestly say I am blessed to be here. My roommates are perhaps the
best roommates I have ever lived with. Besides keeping the place very clean and tidy, the atmosphere of this apartment just feels like a real home and not just another place I happen to be living at. What’s amazing is that I thoroughly enjoy spending time with my new friends and getting to know them more. We frequent the nearby grocery store Cole’s and cook dinners together. We love watching movies, and going out for the occasional coffee. What’s exciting is that I live with extremely talented and creative individuals. Alex graduated last July from Hillsong College where she was a worship student, and currently manages Herschel Supply Co. in the city center. When I met her I had no idea that she was a talented singer/songwriter and upon listening to her music I can honestly say she is going places and I cannot wait for her to release her music to the world. Cuppy is a force to be reckoned with. While she may seem short and small, Cuppy is a preacher, a powerhouse singer and dabbles in the prophetic from time to time. Rudy is an ultra talented guitarist who can pretty much play any song. I thought I was a decent cook until I saw the food Rudy would make for himself and Cuppy and I was definitely put in my place. Alondra is a multi-talented creative and is perhaps the most organized person I know. She’s hilarious and has a great sense of humor. Lastly we have Alan who is part of the songwriting stream and although he’s not around too often because of work, I’ve come to see his talents through the songs he writes and his penchant for cooking when he has the time. From an outside perspective it may seem like I’m the odd one out since all of my roommates met years ago at the same church in Arizona, but I feel just as part of the family as anyone else. This is home.
CULTURAL the difference between Aussies and Americans
DIFFERENCES
s
ydney is over 7,000 miles from the United States and it’s quite understandable that their traditions and customs would be different from Americans. Here are some of the differences I have noticed between both countries in my short time in Australia.
• Population: 24.13 million • 10% of Australia is habitable • Capital is Canberra • Winter: June-Aug • Spring: Sep-Nov • Summer: Dec-Feb • Fall: Mar-June • AFL (Australian Football League) is the nation’s most watched sport • Cars have right of way • Traffic drives on the left side • Australian abbreviate words like afternoon to “arvo” or avocado to avo • Eating Kangaroo is normal • Taxi passengers sit in the front • Vegemite, and Australian favorite is made from left over yeast and is a popuar spread for bread and toast • The Aboriginal people were the first ethnic group in Australia
• Population: 325.7 million • 40% of America is habitable • Capital is Washington D.C. • Winter: Dec-Mar • Spring: Mar-June • Summer: June-Sep • Fall: Sep-Dec • NFL (National Football League) is the nation’s most watched sport • Pedistrians have right of way • Traffic drives on the right side • Average Americans tend to speak more traditonal English • Good luck trying to eat an Eagle • Taxi passengers sit in the backseat • The American equivilant to Vegemite would be eating salty dirt with mineral oil • Native Americans were the first ethnic group in America
WHAT’S What to expect in the coming weeks and month
NEXT
Photography by Anthony Tyrrell & Paul Carmona
I’m a part of our new creative team for our Frontline City ministry which is the ministry for our 25-35 year old age group at church. I’ll be overseeing our campaigns, videos and social media and creatively telling the stories of people within our community while building our team. It’s something I never expected or wanted to do, but I’m excited about working with so many talented individuals. I’m also very excited for the half-marathon this month. We’re running the Sydney Half-Herald Marathon on May 20th and it will be very
rewarding to see all our hard work pay off. Physically, I’m in the best shape I have been in since 2011 and I’m aiming to have a time around 1:45:00 (one hour and forty five minutes). I think the most rewarding aspect will be the feeling of seeing my teammates cross the finish line. Its been amazing to see their progress and journey and knowing that I had a small hand in coaching and helping them achieve their fitness goals is a great feeling. Well that’s it for now, until next time! Love, Hayet Gessese
Please pray for... Pride (know it all attitude) Wandering Eyes (so many beautiful women here!) Focus (discipline in my studies, reading, schedule, exercise/health, friendships) Freelance Video Work/Part-Time Job (starting my own company)
KEEP IN TOUCH Thank you for reading this magazine and being a part of my life! If you would like to support me in this journey with a financial based donation or would like to send a letter or postcard, my address is: 221/3 Bindon Place, Zetland, NSW 2017 Australia
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