final kangaroo sighting

(written on July 31st, before I left Kiah Ridge Conference Center, an hour outside of Sydney, Australia)

 The past couple of weeks have been a blur of activity. It’s been a fitting end to a wonderful journey. However, as I sit at the conference center where we are finishing up our final tasks, I remember a few highlights that stick out to me as important events that I want to remember in the future…

Tuesday, 24 July – Adelaide Gaol

The Adelaide Gaol is an old stone jail that was built in the 1880s to hold the criminals and repeat offenders in South Australia. (Believe it or not, SA is the only section of Australia that was not originally part of the penal colony. It was initially intended to be a business port and an area of immigrant villages…no convicts around.) The Gaol was in continuous use until the 1980s, at which time it was converted into a heritage site and museum. Due to its long use, the Gaol itself is an interesting blend of old construction and new technology; it has security video cameras right next to loose bricks stacked on the tops of walls (they would fall and make noise if someone tried to escape). It is also the site where 56 convicts were executed—murderers and conspirators, most of them hanged. They are all buried on site, so the Gaol is rumored to be haunted. I don’t exactly believe in that kind of stuff, but I’m not gonna lie—it was a creepy place. It’s rather rundown, so a lot of the light sensors don’t work until you’re already full in a room; there are random manikins that are meant to depict certain people or prison uniforms; there are many partially furnished cells that have scary-looking lighting; and you never quite know which doors are going to be unlocked and which ones are supposed to be locked. But it was really interesting to see a different way of life and take time to absorb the process in Australia over the years.

Funny story about this day: I was staying at Mark and Karen’s house in Norwood, which is closer to the city. (They were away in Greece.) I got on the bus going in one direction when really I should have been going the other way. An hour later, I finally got on the correct bus and in the city, but it was a different bus than the one I needed to get back to Norwood. So, when I tried to return to Norwood later in the day, I got on a bus that two gift shop owners and a bus driver told me was the correct bus (it wasn’t). For the second time that day, I spent over an hour on the wrong bus and finally got to a street close enough to the house that I could walk within ten minutes. (Mark won’t let me forget it.)

Sunday, 29 July – Last day at Soul Food

I showed up for my last shift at the cafe a half hour early, and they were so busy that I started early and we didn’t stop until closing. I didn’t slow down enough to really think about the fact that it was my last day until we were already done. I went home and started the long process of packing up—figuring out what could fit where, what I needed to leave, and how to pack my souvenirs. I wound up with space to spare and evenly distributed weight in my luggage, so I’m in good shape for the flight home!

In the evening, Flick had organized a farewell party at the café for me so that I could say goodbye to everyone at once. Nearly everyone that I knew in Adelaide came and I had a great evening of fellowship, farewells, and great memories. They gave me thank you gifts and I feel like it was a fitting send-off. It helped the church also, because they could see their immediate group that they are impacting and the strength of fellowship in the group. (I had to re-pack some stuff and leave a couple more shirts, but it’s all worth it!)

Monday, 30 July – Goodbye Adelaide, hello Sydney!

I got up super-early and Flick drove me to the airport. It was a beautiful day to fly, and I had a smooth flight over to Sydney. Mark and Karen were in baggage claim to get our bags, and it was really neat to reconnect with the other four American students who came over to Australia—Ashton, Maggie, and Taylor from Melbourne, and Mac from Perth. Mandy (an Aussie from Brisbane who is taking over Mark and Karen’s position next year) took us to Circular Quay in Sydney. It was a fun subway ride to the city, and we were talking 90 miles a minute! We spent a few hours exploring the Rocks (the first neighborhood in Sydney and the true birthplace of the penal colony), taking pictures of the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, and riding the Manly Ferry across the Harbour (where we got a fantastic view of the skyline, Opera House, and Harbour Bridge). It was SO COOL to see the world-famous landmarks that I’ve always dreamed of seeing, and it only served to make me want to come back and spend days in the city, exploring the history of the region and learning the vibe of Sydney.

I also had one of the coolest things happen to me in my entire life…Sydney is a large city of over 4 million people. It’s a massive area with literally hundreds of things to do. I had a friend from my Walt Disney World days (Colton) that was touring Australia for fun. We had joked about meeting in Sydney because we would be there on the same day. Unfortunately, because of my time schedule and not having a cell phone, we figured out that it would be nearly impossible to meet up, so we just resigned ourselves to talking about it later. On this day, as my group (the 5 Americans and Mandy) were walking away from the Opera House to head to the train to return to the airport, I look up…and who should be walking towards me on the street, than MY FRIEND COLTON!!! In a huge city with millions of people and thousands of things to do, I run into the one person I know in the entire Southern Hemisphere! We freaked for a minute and took a picture to prove it to ourselves later, and the people in our groups couldn’t believe it. It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever had happen!

We headed back to the Kiah Ridge Conference Center about an hour outside of the city, the place where it all began, so long ago…

Tuesday, July 31 – Debriefing

We have spent the entire day thinking back over our time in Australia, our impacts, our highlights and downtimes, mountaintops and valleys, our memories and our lessons. It has been a low-key day that we all needed to evaluate our time here and our future starting tomorrow. It’s been a day for us to process everything that has happened to us here, and a day to say goodbye to Australia. We’ve been evaluated by our supervisors at our mission sites; we’ve had discussions with Mark, Karen, and Mandy; we’ve had time to talk amongst ourselves about our experiences; and we’ve had time to just be still. This is a quiet moment inbetween the craziness of saying goodbye to our mission groups and the chaos of returning home. It’s been a day of laughter, of fellowship, of tears, and of brotherhood. I couldn’t have hand-picked a better way to end a 9-week trip that has changed the way I see foreign missions and the way I think of and pray for Australia.

fifty shades of australian adventure

Saturday, 28 July, 2012 - 8:20 pm

As I sit here and listen to the Olympics with Aussie commentators, I realize I haven't written in my blog in quite some time. I'm pretty terrible at keeping up with things like this, so I'm going to try to catch up with the main events without boring you too badly. ;)


July 14 - Victor Harbor

 I went to Victor Harbor with Ella, one of the girls with whom I've connected during my time here. It's about an hour's drive from the Adelaide area, and it was pouring down rain by the time we got there. Unfazed, we popped our umbrellas and meandered around a farmer's market, where we tasted local jams and bread. We wandered around the downtown streets and worried that the rain wouldn't end. We stopped in at a small cafe for tea and by the time we were done, the rain was gone! We walked the half-kilometer causeway bridge to Granite Island, a small rock island that is home to beautiful views of the ocean (including a sighting of a whale in the harbor!) and a tiny colony of Fairy Penguins, the smallest penguins in the world. Unfortunately, we didn't see any wild penguins, but we did get some amazing views and even got to hold some bearded lizards! We came home and made some tasty salads for tea and watched "Singin' in the Rain."


July 15 - Kangaroo Island

I have been using my American phone as an alarm; this day, the one day I really need it to wake me up, is the one day it decides to run its battery dead in the middle of the night. Fortunately, Flick is a wonderful person and wakes me up just in time to leave the house. She drives me over to the Adelaide Central Bus Station, where I catch a bus south to Port Jervis. I then spend the day on a day tour with a tour company; we drive all over Kangaroo Island, the third largest island off the coast of Australia. It's known for having pristine natural environments and populations of rare seals and sea lions. The ferry ride crossing the channel between the mainland and KI was pretty rough; the water was really choppy and the boat rocked and rolled its way through the 45-minute trip. After landing on KI, we hopped on the tour bus--it was over 35 of us, most of the group being a large Asian family on holiday. However, I did meet an American couple who was from Texas and a few Parisians on the trip. We spent the day driving the red dirt roads of the island, stopping at the Emu River Eucalyptus Oil Factory (the only one in South Australia), a nature preserve where we had lunch in the visitors' center, Seal Bay (where we had a guided tour down to the beach and saw wild Australian seals firsthand), a eucalyptus grove (complete with a close-up encounter with an echidna and koalas in the trees), and Flinders Chase (a massive national park). At FC we saw Remarkable Rocks, a colossal set of granite boulders that are perched on a cliff overlooking the ocean; a breeding colony of New Zealand fur seals; a still-operational lighthouse; a couple of small wave-beaten islands; and Admiral's Arch, a huge archway that contains fossilized tree roots. It was the farthest south that I had ever been (3000 miles from the South Pole) and a day full of marveling at God's creation.


July 16 - Murray Bridge/Mannum

I met up with Paula (one of the ladies who volunteers at the cafe) and we drove about an hour to the little town of Murray Bridge, a small town situated on the Murray River, the largest river in Australia. It wasn't much to see, but at least I've been there! I learned about the Bunyip (the aboriginal equivalent of a river troll) and visited the small town of Mannum, another one that sits on the Murray. (We got fussed at by a grumpy busybody who was upset that we were throwing leftover fries to the birds on the river.)  On the way home, we stopped at a small park that was in the middle of farmlands. There's one group of hills in the area that are not connected with the Adelaide Hills range; this small group holds a beautiful granite canyon that is named Waterfall Gully. Lucky for us, it's been raining, so the water was gushing down the ravine. It was a picturesque sight and made me feel the natural heartbeat of the land called Australia.


July 17 - Norwood

Since Mark and Karen (our IMB coordinators who live in Adelaide) were out of the country for a few days, they offered their home in the lovely suburb of Norwood to me for a change of scenery. Kate Z came over for dinner, and we enjoyed watching television and making a fancy garlic and mushroom pasta dinner.

July 23 - Barossa Valley

 One of the older couples in the church (Pete and Marg) offered to take me around the Barossa Valley, an area about an hour from Adelaide that is the state's largest wine-producing region. It's also home to a few unique villages begun by immigrants to Australia in the 19th century--the Germans to the village of Tununda and the British to the township of Elizabeth. It was a day full of architectural history, walking through the free section of a winery (the tour was over $65 per person, so we decided to pass), and a beautiful overlook of the entire valley.

July 24 - Adelaide Gaol and Rundle Mall

I had a final day off where I decided to go into the City center one last time. I went to the Adelaide Gaol, the main jail of South Australia from the 1880s until the 1980s. Over 50 people were executed there and are interred on the grounds, and the place has an extensive history of discipline and law enforcement. I went to Rundle Mall for the final time, where I purchased souvenirs and items off of my wish list to bring home. I also happened to get on the wrong bus not once, but twice during the day. It's surprisingly difficult to figure out the Adelaide Metro when you're trying to get to Norwood. My Facebook status for the day:
"Sleep in.
Have a morning on the computer prepping to come home.
Get on the right bus in the wrong direction and take an hour to make a 10-minute trip to the City.
Go to the Adelaide Gaol and creep myself out a little.
Have an Aussie burger for lunch.
Spend ALOT of money on souvenirs.
AGAIN get on the right bus in the wrong direction and take an hour and 15 minutes to make a 10-minute trip (but have a lovely conversation with the bus driver).
Go grocery shopping and find out that Aussies have a limited choice of hot spices and sausages (but they have Tabasco!).
Make the most horrible red beans and rice I've ever made.
Sortof save it by boiling it down and adding a bit of Louisiana Hot Sauce.
Watch Monsters, Inc.
Email the theater at home with my availability (can't wait to get back to work!).
Get ready to settle down with another movie and some of Maggie Beer's burnt fig, honeycomb, and caramel ice cream (it was on sale).
Realize I've only got 5 days left in Adelaide.
Smile. Life is good. :)" 
Update: this evening I admitted defeat and chucked the horrible awful red beans and started over; I made a pretty decent chicken gumbo, despite the absence of okra in Australia.


July 27 - Tea Tree Plaza


For my final day off, I went to Tea Tree Plaza (the big shopping mall where I first had an opportunity to people-watch in Australia). I did some final shopping and got my supplies for packing and went to see a movie. It was a fitting farewell to the major shopping center in the area where I've spent a few happy days. In the evening, I went to my final footy game, the Norwood Redlegs vs. Port Adelaide Magpies. It was rainy and very cold, but it was a great farewell to a game that I've come to love. (Also it helped that one of the players gave me a team scarf. Smiley!)

running and not catching up

5:45 pm - Wednesday, 11 June 2012

Oh boy, have these last couple of weeks been crazy-busy. Looking back on it, I can't believe I've done so much in a short period of time. However, the past couple of days have been sick days, and I'm writing this blog post inbetween naps. (I've been in bed trying to recover from a nasty stomach bug I had on Monday.) I'll try to sum up so as not to write a 1000-page novel that nobody will ever read. So, just the highlights:



25 June
I went to the Adelaide Botanical Gardens and spent a couple of hours just enjoying God's creativity through plants. (I also heard a real kookaburra call for the first time! Actually, there were two wild kookaburras and they were calling back and forth in the eucalyptus trees. I almost got weak-kneed because I couldn't believe I was hearing the real deal, something I've always dreamed about.) Even though I've known God for over 15 years, I'm still gob-smacked by His creativity and sense of humor.

After the Gardens, I walked around nearly the entire city center of Adelaide. I didn't realize how big it was...it's a square kilometer, which doesn't seem like much until you walk around the four sides of it.

27 June
We Christians in the United States have no idea how well resourced we are. If you're having a tough time with being single, you just go to the Christian bookstore and you can find 50 books on how to be a Christian single. If you're struggling with the American church, it's easy to go to any bookstore and pick up a book from a well-known Christian author or theologian that examines the problems and benefits of the modern church. If you need a spiritual pick-me-up, you can choose from thousands of Christian artists in every imaginable genre of music. The latest book from Francis Chan or music from Chris Tomlin is right at your fingertips. We take our Christian leaders, speakers, conferences, radio stations, and filmmakers for granted because they've always been there.

However, here in Australia, it's a different story. Sure, they have heard of "the greats" such as Billy Graham, Rich Mullins, and C.S. Lewis, but they don't know our "new breed" of pastors, authors, and music artists. Because I have been overly blessed in my fundraising to come here, I prayed about it and decided to use some of the extra money to purchase some of my favorite Christian books for the community here. I'm hoping that the books and authors who have helped me so much in my personal life can also encourage and strengthen the people here. (And it may not be any help at all, but it's the thought that counts, hey?)

I picked out the following books:
Crazy Love, by Francis Chan
Forgotten God, by Francis Chan
Erasing Hell, by Francis Chan (okay, fine, so I love Francis Chan, ok?)
Discipleship Essentials, by Greg Ogden
Wild at Heart, by John Eldredge
Captivating, by John and Stasi Eldredge
Indescribable, by Louie Giglio
They should arrive at my host home on 18 July.


28 June
One of the girls with whom I've really connected here is Ella. She's about my age and is fun-loving and always up for an adventure. I had mentioned that I wanted to go see the movie Brave (the summer 2012 offering from Disney*Pixar), and she agreed with me. We went out to eat dinner and went to the late show. (Of course, what would a trip to the movies be like without first stopping at a nearby candy shop? Locally known as "lollies.") Because Ella knew the girl who worked in the box office, we got the senior citizen discount and we didn't have to pay for 3D glasses (you have to pay to get a pair, but you can bring them again and not pay the upcharge). However, even though it should have been over $25 per person, it was STILL $16.50! To my American mind, that's ridiculous. Those are IMAX prices!

Along the way, I noticed alot of differences and many similarities between this Aussie theater and the typical American cinema. Some of them were from the operational side (they assign seating to you within the theater, the bathrooms were hard to find, they operate their ticket-tearing podium a little differently), and some of them were from a normal moviegoer's perspective. We sat in the top row of the auditorium, and from where we were, the auditorium looked like it was very long and narrow (which made the screen look like it was a tiny end of a shoebox). Also we had a slight echo, but most of the movie was so quick-moving that it didn't make much of a difference. It was a great movie with a terrific story and fantastic moral, and it delivered it in a way that was both poetic and realistic. It isn't quite up to snuff with the previous Pixar films in terms of explosive originality, but it's a heckuva lot better than their last outing (which, in its own way, was better than most of the other animated films of 2011--but I digress).


1 July
After church, I went to the Gibson's home. They're a family who is closely connected with the Soul Food family, including volunteering at the cafe once in a while. The family is made up of Steve, a home builder who loves food and has a nearly unhealthy obsession with footy; Paula, a precious lady who gives selflessly but isn't afraid to poke fun at people; Erin, who moved out of the house but still does things with the family once in a while; Clare, a recently-graduated nurse; and Adele, one of the funniest people I think I've met here. (Clare and Adele both date guys named Dan. It's kindof funny sometimes.) Their family is what I've always thought of as the typical Australian people; they love being outside, are fiercely patriotic (even when they don't agree with anything the government is doing), and deeply committed to family and community.


2 July
We rolled out of bed and warmed up around the woodburning stove before venturing outside. Clare walked the trail ascending Mount Lofty, the highest hill surrounding Adelaide. This trail is notoriously difficult, so I opted out of it--it was WAY too cold! Instead, Paula and I took the curvy drive up to the lookout plaza, where we enjoyed chatting with the gift shop employees (who taught us a new way to tie a scarf) and a hot cappuccino with a view.

We picked up Clare at the base of the trail and drove up to Hahndorf, the little German village in the Adelaide hills. There, I got my first chance to try a meal that I've been wanting to taste: Kangaroo steak. I know it sounds awful that I ate a cute little kangaroo, but my goodness was it good! It was juicy, tender, and full of meaty flavor. Before you lambast me as a horrible joey-killer, please understand that kangaroos are to Aussies what deer are to Americans. They think it's awful that we would eat Bambi, but truly it's just a creative way to exercise population control over a species that would otherwise be an ecological pest. The biggest difference: Bambi isn't one of our national icons.


3 July
Adele, Dan, and I walked to the Gorge Wildlife Park near the Gibson's home. It's a family-owned park that houses hundreds of Australian animal species, and many of them are in open pens where visitors can interact freely with them. I got to pet kangaroos and wallabies, hold a koala, and feed a wombat! (Funny story, I thought wombats were the size of guinea pigs. Imagine my surprise when I turn a corner and see a wombat the size of a pig!) Also spotted were the kookaburra (also WAY bigger than I imagined!), goana, little penguin, Tasmanian devil, multiple kinds of cockatoos and lorakeets, and dingoes. Let's just say my bucket list is much shorter now!

After our visit to the park, they drove me back to Flick and Glenn's house.

4 July
My American Independence Day wasn't much to write home about, besides the increasing homesickness. My red/white/blue ribbons in my hair sparked conversations with customers, and it helped me realize just how far away from home I really am. I don't know how people move away from their families. (They must not have as much fun with theirs as I do with mine.) No fireworks, no barbeque, no gathering with friends and family. Just a normal day in a normal place. It was the first July 4th that I've ever had away from the U.S.


6 July

L-R: Ella, Kara, Kate Z, and a crazy American

After work, I went out to a pool hall in Norwood with some of the girls my age. We had a jolly old time cracking the billiards around, laughing at each other, and enjoying the night. Turns out I'm better at billiards than I thought (won 3 out of my 4 games, one of which was a comeback from 6 balls down). Stayed at Flick and Glenn's.



7 July
 After work, I headed over to the Johnson's, where I spent a couple of hours with the family before Michelle and I headed out to the AFL game. It was the annual Showdown game between the Adelaide Crows and the Port Adelaide Power. These two teams have a deep-seated rivalry, and twice every year they play against each other. It's interesting, because they share the same home stadium; one game is a Crows home, the other is a Power home (this was a Power). It's also one of the best-attended games of the season, so if I were to get a good footy experience, this would be it. The stadium was filled with people (over 38,000), and it was funny when I realized that it was a predominantly female crowd. It's like women's volleyball in the States; women watch it, but it's mostly watched by men. Same thing here. I have never seen such male athleticism as that in footy. I'm sorry, but compared to these guys, our American football "athletes" pale in comparison. These guys are running constantly over a 2-hour game (I've heard that the forwards run an estimated 8-10 miles per game), and the entire time they're smacking into each other, tripping, tackling, shoving, kicking, etc. It's incredible--these guys are at the top physical condition that is possible for the human body. Who wouldn't want to watch that, hey? I also have seen American football crowds that are involved in the game, but these fans put them to shame (with the exception of the Saints fans, because we're more awesome than everyone else). They were literally roaring the entire time, and nobody moved during the quarters. It was full attention from every person in the stadium. The Crows spanked the Power in a landslide win--so much so that the audience in the middle of the 4th quarter started doing the wave. (which was WAY cool looking) However, there was only friendly rivalry and jibing, and everyone was in good spirits (even the Power fans).

I stayed at the Johnson's.


8 July
I had the morning off from Soul Food so that I could go to Glen Osmond Baptist Church. GOBC is the church that officially "owns" Soul Food Espresso, and they are the "mother church" from which Soul Food Community was sprung. However, there's not much connection beyond that between the two communities. I went to the Sunday Morning service and had some interesting conversations with some of the congregation. It was very much a family feel, but not quite as casual as Soul Food. It was an older congregation, and there were only about 20 people there. For a church that is as influential as GOBC, I really expected it to be larger in numbers; but it was a good lesson to me that a church can have a deep impact in their community regardless of size or resources. You just need a select few who are dedicated to Christ and devoted to spreading the gospel in their community.

After church, I went to the first half of the SANFL game in Norwood with Steve G and Mark Ray (AFL is the pro football league, SANFL is the minor league). It was yet another deep rivalry game between the Norwood Redlegs and the Central Adelaide Bulldogs. (It was strange to be rooting against bulldogs...) From what we saw, it was a rough game that could have gone either way. We had to leave at halftime to get to Soul Food Church, but Steve told us later that Norwood won. So I'm on a lucky streak!

I stayed with Mark and Karen.


9 July
 I woke up not feeling well. Somewhere in the night, I picked up a nasty little stomach bug that was wreaking havoc on me. But I decided to muscle through it and I went ahead with our plans for the day. Mark and Karen know a family in Port Augusta (which is a town about 3 hours north of Adelaide) who moved there to plant a church a while ago. They wanted to visit with them and connect with them, and they invited me and Adele G to go along for the ride.

On the way up, we drove through the hills and the Clare Valley, part of the Barossa wine region. It was beautiful country, with multiple small towns that have been there for generations. It was overcast and rainy, but every so often we would be able to see the bigger hills with low-lying clouds hanging over them. I wish I could have enjoyed it more, but if you know me, you know how I get with stomach bugs...

When we got to Port Augusta, we met with the planters at the Australian Arid Lands Botanical Gardens. It's a park area that is devoted to the flora of the region, and it's right at the foot of the Flinders Range region. Flinders is at the southern edge of the outback, and it's probably about as close as I'm going to get to it this time around. The cafe where we were had a beautiful panoramic view of the hills.

On the way back down, we took the freeway, which offered beautiful views of the hills and the plain between the hills and the ocean. We also were given a breathtaking sunset with stunning clouds.

They dropped me off at the Johnson's, where I was supposed to keep the kids along with Kate Z (Evan and Michelle were out of town on a well-deserved getaway). Unfortunately, I was not much help, but Kate had it all under control and the kids were well-behaved. We had a good ol' time and I enjoyed getting to know Kate more.


10 July
I woke up at nearly 11, Kate left at 1, and the kids' grandfather (Noel) came to get the kids at 2:45. I was so weary from the day before and had such a headache that I decided to just stay at the Johnson's on my own for the evening. I slept on and off, and I didn't feel much better for most of the day.

11 July
Okay, now we're all caught up! I woke up this morning and tried to go to work at the cafe, but I just wasn't up to it. Thankfully, Flick saw that I was having trouble and decided to send me home for rest. I've been in bed sleeping off and on all day, and I'm hoping a good night's rest tonight will help me feel better. (I'm at Flick and Glenn's.)

I also realized earlier that I am only here in Australia for 3 more weeks. That's not much time at all! I feel like I've been here for a long time, and I'm homesick for sure--I miss my friends, my family, spicy seafood, my dog, and my job. But I'm also seeing my window of experiences getting smaller. It's not much longer before I'll be waving this beautiful place with its beautiful people goodbye and heading back to the normal everyday haul. This place that is my temporary home won't be available to me much longer, and I need to make the most of every moment that I have. So I'm pushing the homesickness aside, and I'm just going to keep moving forward, expectant that God has come before me and that I'll leave here with no regrets!

retaliation

9:45 pm - Monday, 25 June 2012

First off, WOW I cannot believe I've already been here for over a month! That means that my halfway point is very quickly approaching. I'm going to have to take a survey of what I've done so far and what I still need to do.

Now, to the real meat of the day...heads up, I'm still chewing over this and it's not fun for me to think about, although I think it's important to revisit from time to time.

In church yesterday, we approached the subject of retaliation. We're reading through Matthew, working our way through the Sermon on the Mount. We picked up the passage in chapter 5, verses 38-42:

"You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you." (ESV)

Along with the passage, we read an editorial article from the local newspaper remarking on the prevalence of quick tempers and the tendency of people to retaliate quickly when provoked. (For example, at a footy game, road rage, or just plain whenever one feels like it.) It asked the question, "What the h*** is wrong with us?!"

We batted the topic and the question back and forth. The main points we reached were as follows:

Jesus was speaking in this way to Jews, who knew the law and had been raised with a thorough understanding of everything it said. He also knew that it was nearly impossible for the Jews of His day to separate the actual desire of God from the twisted and convoluted traditions that accompanied it. We need to stay in context when reading this passage. They (like us) had become a society of litigation, where people were sue-happy and they had no qualms about bringing the tiniest little matters to a courtroom and demanding their restitution.

However, the people had twisted the original meaning and purpose of the law. If you read in Numbers and Deuteronomy, you quickly see that the "eye for an eye" principle was in answer to the question, "What happens when someone is wronged?" It was God's desire that people seek out justice for the victim, and the proper repayment was to give just what had been taken. If a man killed another man's animal, he repaid the man or replaced the animal. It was the social judiciary policy that created a sense of justice and restitution in the culture.

There was one major problem: There were people involved. As anyone in ministry can tell you, that's the one minute that everything starts getting all messed up. The aspect of "justice" became a type of revenge. Instead of seeking what was the right thing and the desire of God, people had turned it into an 'I'm going to get what I deserve' party that put the victim's own right and agenda as the main goal. Rather than causing the person in the wrong to do the right thing and repay the victim, it became a prideful way to backhand the one responsible into doing far more than God required. It became a situation where social justice became social injustice, and it was applauded and encouraged by the people.

Jesus was not disagreeing with what God had said, nor is He rewriting the book on justice. He is speaking to a specific group of people about a specific problem that needed to be addressed because it involved the attitude of the heart and obedience. He is urging the group of self-serving religious people to put aside their own agenda and what they claim as their "right" so that they can make their priority something of eternal significance.

This is important: Jesus was not saying to never defend yourself, nor was He saying never defend the victims. We are definitely not called to be doormats for everyone else to walk upon, and we are most definitely called to stand up to defend the weak and helpless. He was clarifying God's intent and giving us an avenue by which we can separate ourselves from what the world does and showing ourselves as people of grace who follow a loving God. I may have every right to retaliate or get even--the world even goes so far as to tell me that seeking revenge is the right thing to do--but I am choosing to obey what Christ desires and be obedient to the standard which He sets for me. I should be choosing to forgive for the sake of peace, not retaliate for my own personal pride. If someone doesn't stop the cycle of retribution and revenge, it will swallow everyone involved.

Besides, in Romans 12:17-21, Paul writes that God will have the justice. "If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the LORD.'..for by so doing you will heap burning (or fiery) coals on his head." (vs. 18-19, 20b, ESV)  Basically, God says, "Be still and let Me handle it."I hate this idea, because it goes against everything in me, but I recognize that it is truly the right thing to do'; it is no longer an issue of "Do I get what I deserve?", but rather "Am I doing what God desires me to do?" I don't like thinking about it and I am most definitely still learning how to even think about it properly (much less begin to do it), but it's nice to know I'm not the only one on the journey.

we say to-MAY-to, they say to-MAH-to

3:00 pm - Saturday, 23 June 2012

I have alot of random thoughts running around in my head; for some reason I've gotten this creative streak in the past few days that is just driving me CRAZY. So I'm going to just spit out what I've been scribbling on assorted pieces of paper and hope it makes sense to you all. (If you don't like disconnected ideas or nice tidy thought packages all wrapped up in constructed paragraphs...I apologize for what's about to happen.)

begin transmission

~ There's an older guy who comes into the shop every weekday to get coffee and breakfast. He always gets the same thing, and he always gets a second cup. And when he does, he always tells the same joke: "You did so well on the first one, I think I'll have another go-around." BUT, this week we must've messed something up, because he didn't get a second cup.

~Yesterday was only the second time since I got here where I was truly wondering if a person was speaking to me in English. His accent was so strong that I couldn't understand a word he was saying.

~Then later yesterday, a younger guy came in with one of the most beautiful Australian accents I've heard. It was the makes-you-go-weak-at-the-knees kind of accent, the kind of accent that made me smile just because he was talking.

~Mark asked me if I needed sugar for my coffee, and I replied with, "Nope, don't need it. I AM sugar." He retorted, "Oh, wow, I think I threw up in my mouth a little."

~It has been cold and rainy for most of this week. Yesterday there was even sleet in the city center. YIKES.

~That racehorse Black Caviar is beautiful. I hope she wins her race in England tomorrow/tonight. And I think it's adorable how her handler got her a stablemate who is an 8-year-old gelding and she's "fallen in love with him, they're nearly inseparable."

~I read a newspaper article yesterday about the Australia Census that mentioned some statistics about things like religion that were fascinating. In the 2011 census, 4.8 million people (22%) claim that they have no religion (up from 18.7% in 2006). In South Australia (the state where I am), the numbers are even worse: 28% claim no religion. Another interesting statistic was on marriages; gay or straight, 3 out of 4 marriages are civil ceremonies rather than religious.

~Doppleganger: a stupid-sounding word with a weird idea behind it. I've been kicking around a screenplay idea for the past few weeks about a person besought with mistaken identity that isn't entirely mistaken; since the idea has come to me, I've had three different people in three different environments refer to me as a "doppleganger" for somebody they know. ODD. Am I really a doppleganger for multiple people? Is this...dopplegangerception?

~What IS ministry burnout? How do we get it and why? Is it failure to do God's will? A result of attempting to do something on your own power without God's help or the assistance of others? Is it continuing a ministry that God doesn't want to continue but we're too married to the idea of it and simply can't let it go? Is it a result of pressure and/or attacks from enemies or the devil? Is ministry burnout something to be endured, or something to be listened to and used as a tool for growth, or is it a symptom of a bigger problem, or should it be ignored?

~I finally reached a decision on my host home situation. I've gathered counsel from multiple people, and everyone comes back with the same reply. (I'll write about it when it's settled down.) Please pray that I will say the right things and do what's right for everyone involved. Thank God for His provision that I've got options and choices when it comes to my housing situation here.

~I've already been away from home for a month. I miss home alot; I miss my family, familiar food, spicy food, seafood, (okay fine enough about food), my dog, my room, clothes dryers, watching movies with my family/friends, going to the movie theater, working at the movie theater, my coworkers, my youth group and young adult group, playing Ultimate Frisbee with my coworkers, building relationships with friends that I've recently gotten close to, DRIVING, my car, Nintendo Wii, using my own cell phone, my church family, summer, wearing my Chacos, Netflix, New Orleans, Greek yogurt, the word "center" not being spelled "centre," and even knowing that I'm on the same sleep/daytime schedule as most of my family and friends.

~I miss seeing redheads. At home I have quite a few redhead friends (my "ginger posse"); here I've only seen two redheads the entire time I've been here, and I'm pretty sure neither of them were natural-born.

~They say alot of words really differently.
tomato    We say "to-MAY-to," they say "to-MAH-to".
scone       Us: "scone" (rhymes with "phone") Them: "sconn" (rhymes with "on")
mocha     Us. "MOE-kah" (rhymes with "loca") Them: "MOCK-ah"
tangelo    Us: "TAN-gel-oh" Them: "tan-GEL-oh"
nasty        Us: "NAH-stee" (rhymes with "plasty") Them: "NOH-stee" (rhymes with "costy")

~They use alot of different words.
sweatshirt -- They say, "jumper"
trunk of car -- They say, "boot"
French Fries -- They say, "chips"
football -- They say, "American Football," then they have Aussie rules "footy"
candy -- They say, "lolly"

~I love Australia. I love the people, the accent, the different culture, my friends I'm acquiring here, the way you can turn electrical outlets on/off, Wheat Bix, Tim Tams, MasterChef, Hamish and Andy, shortening every word (like "arvo" and "lolly"), the style of humor, the combination of Old World feel with modern-day cosmopolitan/European influences, the history behind everything, and the excitement when I see a koala or kangaroo in the wild.


end transmission

I miss you all and hope to hear from you soon! Keep the prayers of encouragement for Soul Food coming!

bogan

6:00 pm - Wednesday, 20 June 2012

First, before I get into my "deeper thoughts," a little local culture for you all...

This one here calls HIMSELF a bogan. Something about "bogan pride."

In the big news here, the word "bogan" was inducted into the Oxford English Dictionary. Wikipedia states that a bogan is "Someone whose idea of a good time is meat pies, beer, cigarettes and playing the poker machines at the local football club." The guy interviewed in the Adelaide Advertiser stated that being called a bogan is "not flattering, but I'm proud of it...I've grown up with a love of beer, footy, and rock n' roll."

Basically, a bogan is pretty close to what we in the States call "redneck" or "trailer park trash." Problem is, Australia doesn't have trailer parks, so they make do with what they have. Beer, cigs, mullets, acid jeans, "flannos" (open flannel shirts over a t-shirt), AC/DC, etc. But today, bogans are finally recognized by the rest of English-speaking people as their own sub-species.

And yet they're somehow familiar...

Okay, back to the real deal.

Tuesday

I spent my morning editing photos and in general enjoying the quiet (well, with the exception of the family of screaming magpies outside--they have one of the funkiest songs I've ever heard). A college-age girl named Yanni from Glen Osmond Baptist came and picked me up and we drove to Glenelg Beach, one of the more beautiful beaches around. Obviously, it was too cold to be in the water, so we had lunch before she had to head on home. I wandered around the small town, but most of the shops were closed because the town thrives on summer tourism. One of the older men who was fishing off of the pier talked to me for a few minutes; he was fishing for squid but wasn't having much luck.

I rode the tram back to the city center and then the bus from there to Tea Tree, and then I walked the rest of the way home. I was enjoying the beautiful weather, watching the sun set and listening to the birds settling down for the evening. I walked up to my host home and realized that I had left the house keys on the dining room table. (It's been years since I locked myself out.) So I sat on the front porch, expecting my host family to be home in a little while. (This was at 4:30.)

I read my Australian Geographic magazine for a bit--yeah, I WOULD be the person to find it. You know National Geographic? Australia has their own localized version of it that is focused on Australia (and building up international tourism to places like Thailand, Bali, and China). But it was FASCINATING. There's an article in the journal (I bought the January/February one for $5) about this couple that is taking the "Big Lap" around Australia on Highway One. H1 runs all the way around the perimeter of the continent, tracing the coast and visiting nearly every major city in Australia. This couple is taking about a year to do it, and their photojournal about the first leg of their trip is amazing. How many of us would drop everything to take a year-long roadtrip around the entire Australian continent?!

It started to get dark because the sun had set. It eventually got so dark that I couldn't read anymore, so I put the mag down and looked at the time. (6:00 pm.) My host family still wasn't home, and Flick doesn't have a cell phone; Glenn doesn't get off work until 7 at least. I just pulled up my sweatshirt ("jumper") hood and curled up.

It gave me time to think about all the things that have happened to me in the past 3 weeks. I've been in Australia for 3 1/2 weeks already, and I'm just now beginning to feel like I'm learning the people and the culture. I'm just now beginning to get relationships with people to where we're talking about more than just culture differences, Hugh Jackman, and how weird bogans are. I'm having conversations with people about church, God's place in their lives, and the future of cultural morality. I'm in that weird spot where I'm surprised that I've already been here for 3 weeks, but I feel like I've been here forever.

By this time, it was 6:30, and it was starting to get really cold. Finally Flick drove up and I prepared myself for the inevitable commentary. Haha great. The ONE time I leave my keys in the house...



In other news...

Please be in prayer for the people of Melbourne, who just experienced a 5.5 magnitude earthquake yesterday. No significant damage was done, and as far as the authorities know, nobody was injured, but alot of people are really rattled and frightened. I praise God for His provision and protection, but I also pray that this experience opens doors for the local churches to minister to peoples' lives--particularly through Maggie, Taylor, and Ashton (the three girls with whom I came). They're in the area and they have already posted on Facebook about it. Please pray that this minor quake will open doors and allow people to let their guard down long enough that Taylor, Ashton, and Maggie might have opportunities to speak into their lives and show the love of Christ in an uncertain time.

fruit from the vine

10:50 am - Wednesday, 20 June 2012

Sunday

At the cafe in the morning, our sister church (Glen Osmond Baptist) came and produced a children's activity. It was simple, really--coloring sheets, craft activities, and a short Bible lesson--but it brought in a crowd of people, some of them from the community around Soul Food. It provided many opportunities to converse with people in an intentional way, and many new relationships were built. It caused the Soul Food group to consider putting on similar activities once a month, because it was so successful. (It was also REALLY busy; it took us over an hour to clean up and shut the place down.)

At our service in the evening, I shared part of my testimony. I also told them that there are people in the United States who, as a result of me being part of Soul Food, are now aware of some of the situation and are praying for this little group. They were very thankful and couldn't believe that churches around the world in America were concerned about them and were praying for them. (They said to say thank you, that your prayers are very encouraging.)

Our service turned into a very thick discussion about John 15 (the Vine and the Branches, producing fruit in ministry). One of the members brought up the question, "What is fruit? What is this thing we're looking for? Is it producing converts, multiplying members, growing our congregation, discipling, putting on a good ministry, being accepted as a legitimate church, doing what God wants, or none of the above?"

Obviously, people have their opinions about it, but when it comes down to it, really, what IS "fruit?" What do we as churches or groups of believers strive towards? Is it about production, multiplication, and growth? Or is it about simply doing what God wants, even if the results are not what we expect?

Look at Jeremiah; his ministry was decades-long, and he was clearly doing exactly what God wanted him to do; yet he saw no converts in his entire ministry, no results of his preaching, no life-changes or drastic movements. Was Jeremiah a failure?

We so quickly say, "NO! He was not!", and yet we live our lives and serve in our churches as if he was. In the back of our minds, we secretly pray that our lives would not be as Jeremiah's. Some would make the case that this is human nature and thus unavoidable; I believe that it is possible to live one's life as if God's will is the only fruit we are seeking. There are stories of missionaries who trained for years to go on the field, and are killed the minute they set foot there. Do we look sadly on their lives as wasted, as lost potential? Or is it possible we can look at their time on the earth and praise God for their obedience, even if the results are not as we would have them?

Enough about that; I'm uncomfortable just thinking about it, even though I know I need to wrestle through it.

Monday

 Flick drove me to Tea Tree Plaza (the biggest shopping center here; I tend to spend alot of time there) and I got on a bus to the city center. It wasn't the prettiest of days, but I had some sights I wanted to go see!

First, I walked to North Adelaide (probably a good kilometer or so) to the St. Peter's Cathedral. (See pictures on Facebook, it's GORGEOUS!) The history of the cathedral is interesting; initially building began in the 1860s, but it had to be completed in pieces as the money was available. It took over 100 years to finish the cathedral, so there is mismatched woodwork, different styles of stained glass, and differently colored stonework. I was half expecting a modernized cathedral, but this was the old-style church--high stone arches, soaring ceilings, a massive and ornately carved wooden altar, and multiple smaller prayer rooms and chapels contained within the main building. I was probably in there for an hour, just staring at the craftsmanship and thinking about the people who are immortalized in the glass, stone, and wood.

When I left the cathedral to walk back to the city center, it had decided to rain. This made everything wet and cold, but it also provided alot of beautiful views. Being wet and nasty as it was (btw, apparently "nasty" is considered an "American" word?), I decided to go to the South Australian Museum which is a block away from Rundle Mall (the main shopping center). Entry is free, so I wasn't expecting much.

What I got was an education in fossils, opals, aboriginal life, and expeditions into Australia's interior in the early 1900s. The building itself is beautiful, a combination of brick and steel/glass. There are exhibits varying from a life-size giant squid model, to a skeleton gallery, to an entire hall of ancient Aboriginal tools of life, to the different minerals found in Australia.

Although it was heavily biased, I learned alot from the exhibits featuring Aboriginals, the original inhabitants of Australia. Having a bit of Native American in my ancestry and a lifelong fascination with American history, I am familiar with the struggles of the indigenous population in America against explorers, pioneers, and settlers. The situation in Australia is drastically different, and it's an issue that affects life even today. The first European settlers in Australia assumed that the land, though inhabited, had no claims on its property. They believed that God had given them this land to claim and take control of. (Sounds familiar so far.) When they first landed, they brought European diseases like smallpox and measles, as well as invasive species such as rabbits and rats. The Aboriginals rarely fought for their rights to the land; they usually just moved on and watched sadly as their ancestral grounds and sacred familial communities were destroyed in the path of European superiority.

As time went on, the European settlers began to notice that there were other people on the continent, and missionaries started their push into the indigenous communities. Just as in other parts of the word, the missionaries to the Aboriginal communities insisted on forcing the people to conform to "white" traditions and customs in order to be considered "saved" or employable. Today, the situation is almost as dismal, with the majority of the Aboriginal remnants living in rundown communities, fully dependent on the government for financial handouts, education, and means of survival (alcohol, drugs, etc.). The majority of people of Aboriginal descent now struggle against a system that is highly discriminatory, forcing them out of jobs, away from education, and giving them a life that destines them for failure. It's depressing, but that is the unfortunate foundation for much of the racism that is alive and well in Australia.

I left there and headed home, where I got to talk to my family via videochat for over two hours. It was good, because I got to see them, but in a way it was sortof not good, because it started me thinking that I've been here for 3 weeks already (away from home for 3 1/2). In a way it feels like I just got here; and in a way it feels like I've been here forever.

an american flag day in an australian land

11:30 pm - Thursday, 14 June 2012

As my alarm went off this morning, it also came with a note that today was Flag Day (USA), a day that we Americans set aside to honor and pay tribute to our flag, a banner of our country. (Australia's is Sept. 3.) A flag is a symbol of one's allegiance to a particular country or cause, and it increases in significance when flown during a time of war or residence abroad. It serves as a reminder to the displaced citizen of their home country/cause, and it becomes a beacon of purpose to those in the surrounding region that immediately identifies who its adherents are. Flags are a thing of sentimental value, an emotional connection with a place or an idea.

All day I've been thinking about the differences between Australia and my home country of the United States of America, but I've been focusing on the differences in church culture that I've already perceived. Because I'm here on a mission trip with a Christian group, I need to focus in on my purpose in being here and what I want to accomplish. (Further considerations will be posted later this week, as I will be staying in a different host  home and will have more time to think about such things and less time on the floor putting together Winnie the Pooh puzzles with a 6-year-old. :(

When I first got here, I wondered what I would be actually doing that could classify this trip as a "mission." To me, this isn't your typical mission trip. It even sounds like a borderline extended vacation, with the notable difference of volunteering five days a week in a nonprofit cafe. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that I'm here with the purpose of watching God work, even if it's not in the way I expect Him to.

At first, my mother helped me come up with the idea that I was doing a "Martha" mission--basically, I see a need, and I have the time/energy/resources to fill that need, so I go. It's focused on the physical needs of other people serving in the ministry, a focus on how I can free them up to be able to do other things. Although I still kindof think that I'm definitely here to physically help, my view has expanded (and will continue to grow as time moves--after all, I still have 6 weeks in Adelaide).

Then, I got the idea that I'm here to learn--to be a sponge, soaking up the culture and the church environment of the area. I felt that I needed to see firsthand the Aussie church, to hear the frustrations and the success stories, to know the pulse of the local church and hear opinions from those on the "front lines" in the community. I also wanted to learn the differences between the American Church where I grew up and which I understand, and the Australian Church which is entrenched in a very different war and fighting with drastically different weapons. I desire to learn the advantages and disadvantages of both, to find out what the different approaches are, and to bring back the "word from the field" to the U.S. so that we may know better how to equip, invigorate, and encourage our brothers and sisters around the world. So often we in America think that we're the only ones who have answers, we're the only ones going through this war, we're the only ones dealing with issues of complacency, apathy, isolation, or an aggressive culture. Already I have seen firsthand that we are definitely NOT the only ones struggling in this battle of "intellectual religion" and ethical fluidity.

The overwhelming feeling that I'm getting (the more I think about this, the stronger it gets) is that I'm here to provide support and encouragement to a church that is discouraged and getting worn out. Over the past couple of weeks, I've gotten the sense that the small Christian community in this area is being worn thin. Their ideas aren't working, and they're not seeing the fruit they expected from their ministry. (And not just Soul Food--other ministries, as well.) So far, my impression is that the Australian Church is fighting a new battle with old weapons that are outmoded and ineffective. The Australian Church is having to learn the difficult way how to go out and reach out to the community, rather than waiting for it to come to them and their programs. This is not a new struggle--I think the global Church is constantly having to figure it out--but it's a very real, very prevalent daily war that the Aussie Christians are fighting. And they need reassurance that what they're doing is not in vain.

Which brings me back to Flag Day. For a couple of months this year, I am learning what it's like to literally be a stranger in a foreign land. I'm completely out of my element, totally without the comfort of my family and friends, and devoid of the level of independence to which I've been accustomed for years. I'm without my church family, and I'm minus a paying job. I'm not used to the culture, I don't understand most of the popular references, and I still don't get the television advertisements (then again, not many people do--Aussies make some weird TV commercials). It's been a long, LONG time since I didn't get a joke. I have allegiances and roots in a completely different part of the world, something that's going to become blatantly apparent next month during the 2012 Olympic Games. I'm going to be proudly cheering my country on, despite being surrounded by people who are supportive of one of our competitors.

But isn't that what it's like to be a Christian on Planet Earth? After one becomes a follower of Christ, s/he exists in a world that becomes completely foreign to them. Their allegiance and fealty is sworn to a different place, one that is in constant struggle with the place where they actually physically live. A follower of Christ on Planet Earth is surrounded by people who do not agree with them and actually sometimes go on the attack against them. Even sometimes a follower of Christ loses the support of their family and friends, simply on the grounds that they are now from different worlds and "cheer" for different teams. To be an alien in a foreign land is the daily life of a devoted follower of Christ.

But our life is found in Christ. We cheer on God the Father. And our banner is the Holy Spirit.

For the next few days, if I happen to cross your mind, or if you chance to think about Australia and what God is doing here, please pray for your brothers and sisters here. They desperately need your support and encouragement (and if you feel led to do so, I can pass along notes of encouragement to some of them). They are tired, worn thin, and out of ideas. The older generation is watching sadly as their system of life and way of living is deteriorating; the middle generation is caught inbetween an outdated way of doing ministry and a new problem of assimilation; and the younger generation is facing an increasingly complicated tangle of how to follow Christ in a world rife with situational ethics and universal salvation theology. They need you, their fellow adherents to the Way and followers of the banner of Christ, to remember them and pray for them.

More on this topic in the coming weeks. God is showing me some crazy big stuff...

have I already been here two weeks?

 4:23 pm - Tuesday, 12 July 2012
Adelaide, SA, Australia
 (Somehoe my Blogger is refusing to put the correct time on this entry...hmmm)

Yesterday was the Queen's birthday--yes, the Queen of England. Because Australia is still a Commonwealth of the United Kingdom, the Queen's birthday is a federal/national holiday. Kids were out of school and people were off work. The Johnsons wanted to take me on a family outing, which if you know me, I'm ALWAYS up for one!

We got up later than usual (which was fine with me, this cold weather just makes me want to sleep) and left the house at around 10am. We headed for the Adelaide Hills and took a scenic drive around. On the way, we passed flocks of sheep, a mob or two of kangaroos, and a tree full of cockatoos! (All while listening to Van Halen. It's an awesome driving soundtrack, once you think about it.)

Our first stop was Gumeracha (pronounced "gum-err-OCK-uh"), the home of the largest rocking horse in the world! Yes, someone really did build a huge steel rocking horse and made it into one of the biggest tourist attractions of the region. We climbed to the top of it and looked around at the hills, but the horse is not in the most scenic of places.

Right next door to the horse is a wooden toy factory. We went in and walked around the shop. You can't actually go into the working area, but there is a window where you can see in. All of their toys are truly handmade, and it was almost like being in Gepetto's shop (I half expected to see Pinocchio hop up on a shelf).

Melba's Chocolate Factory

Our next destination was in the town of Woodside--Melba's Chocolate Factory. YES, a FACTORY of chocolate! Located in an old Farmer's Union building that has been restored, the factory is a step back in time. There is a main shopping area, and around this area are several rooms where the candy is made. There is a mixing room, a coating room, a fudgery, a cooling room, and a packing room. For the most part, I recognized the candies (Aussies call them "lollies") and chocolates, but there were a few that I had no idea what they were. (For example, Aussies call raisins "sultanas." So when I saw a bag of "dark chocolate covered sultanas," I was understandably confused until someone told me what it was.) I bought a bag of dark-chocolate-covered coffee beans, but my REAL prize was a set of Mustache cookie cutters. FOR THE WIN! There are five different shapes of mustachios (Aussies call them "mo's"--they like shortening everything): the Baron, the Imperial, the Walrus, the Woolford, and the Bristle Brush. Should I? Did I? Heck yes.

In another restored building right next door to Melba's is a local cheese making shop. I have never seen so many fancy cheeses in my life! Goat cheese, cow cheese, goat AND cow cheese, aged cheese and fresh cheese, Camembert, truffle-infused, grape-leaf wrapped, flavored, unflavored, salted...and every single one was good! The cheese maker is known for her gourmet touch, and it definitely lived up to the hype (as well as the high price tag expected!).

We hopped back in the car and took off on another beautiful drive to the town of Hahndorf. Now wait, you think, that sounds German! You'd be right. Hahndorf is a small community of German settlers high in the Adelaide Hills who were seeking religious freedom from the oppressive Church of England. Their descendants still live and farm there, and many of the original buildings are still standing (some of them dating back to the 1850s).

Hahndorf is uber-popular, and because it was a public holiday, the streets were bustling with people. Now me, I enjoy crowds and (being used to New Orleans-style Mardi Gras) I'm used to them. The kids weren't, and we had a rough time of it finding a place to eat lunch. Because of the busy-ness of the town, we unfortunately did not get to go into any of the small shops (such as the leather, alpaca, German Christmas shops, etc), so I'm definitely going to try to get back to Hahndorf sometime.

Our drive back was beautiful and extremely peaceful because the day had worn the kids completely out. They all slept almost the entire way back home, and the three adults enjoyed the views.

Me and my buddy, Bethany!

I was only home for a couple of hours before Ella came to pick me up for an evening out in Adelaide. Ella is a little bit younger than I, but she is one of the people with whom I've really connected while I've been here. We went to Chinatown in the city center for dinner, and then to Glenelg Beach for coffee/hot chocolate. We had some fantastic conversation about dating, God's plan for mankind, how screwed up America's politics are, the presence of racism in Australia, and our drastically different journeys to becoming Christians. It was absolutely fantastic to spend time with her and I'm already looking forward to the next time!

This morning I actually slept through the mayhem of school preparation and didn't get out of bed until 8am. I had a leisurely breakfast, did my laundry (which included hanging it outside on the clothesline because the Johnsons don't have a dryer--apparently not many Aussies do! It was probably only the third time in my life I've ever done that), read Robinson Crusoe, and gradually got ready to go out.

I had a nice 20-minute walk to the nearest shopping center named Tea Tree Plaza, where I spent the afternoon wandering through shops and checking out the local people. For some reason, my favorite people-watching (in this order) is at a theme park, at the beach, and at a mall. I find that I get alot of understanding of local culture whenever I do that. Over lunch, I watched people walking by and figured out that Adelaidians are extremely fashion-minded--but not in the posh, snooty way that big-city people are. And they aren't vain, they just pay attention to how they dress. Sure, you see the occasional sweatpants and Uggs, but most of the people are well-dressed, walk with a purpose, and are observant of their environment.

I bought a few random things that I've been needing. I also FINALLY found the book on Australian history for which I've been looking! I'm excited to read it and begin learning the history of this fascinating country. I also picked up a book about Aussie money and why there are certain people and symbols on their currency. Finally, I found out that there's a MOVIE THEATER in Tea Tree Plaza! WOOT! Although movies cost ALOT more money than at home, at least now I know where I can go to see Brave/The Dark Knight Rises/Abraham Lincoln/Spider-Man!

Today has been a very peaceful and restful day, a time where I've been able to just be quiet and enjoy my surroundings. The kids just got home and they're excitedly beating down the door to play, so I gotta go. Surely we'll play another round of a board game, for which I'm re-discovering my love!

freezing is not an option

The past few days have been relatively similar. I walk to work, the cafe is relatively busy, then someone gives me a lift home. It's been cold (around 35-45 degrees F), but it only rains at night. The birds calling still sound weird to me (I hope to get a recording of one soon, they sound crazy). Sometimes I watch TV in the evenings with Michelle (including Australia's Got Talent, which had an immensely entertaining yodeling drag queen); sometimes I watch part of a movie with the kids (including the classic stinker Superman III); sometimes I just go to bed.

Saturday and Sunday, however, were different.

Saturday was a full day! I had a video chat with my family (minus Scott--work sucks, don't it?) and got to chat with them for a few minutes. Soon, my family had to leave (they went to see Snow White and the Huntsman). But it was good to see them for a few minutes and be able to talk with them "face" to "face".

By the way, movie tickets here in Australia are ridiculously expensive. I'm not so sure I want to spend $23 on a movie ticket. After not paying for my movies for the past 2 1/2 years, I guess I have some time to make up. No wonder the movies make so much money overseas, the ticket prices are higher!

Anyway, back to Saturday...I went to the shop and actually got to work on the espresso machine. Yep, that's right--after years of no working on a machine, I picked it back up again and it was as easy as riding a bike. There are a few differences, though: their cappuccinos are only about 2-4 cm of foam on top, where the typical American cappuccino has around 1/3 foam, 2/3 drink. The biggest difference, however, is the fact that they don't have "brewed" coffee like we do; instead, they have "long blacks" and "flat whites" (a long black is a shot of espresso with water to fill the cup; a flat white is a shot of espresso with warm milk to the top but NOT foamed milk because that's a latte). But I picked it up pretty quickly. BONUS: My hands smelled like coffee all day. :)

After closing the shop, some of the older men from the group were going to a local "footy" game. ("Footy" is "football," but it's Aussie rules, not American football and it's completely different.) This was the local state league, so it was kindof like a AAA league from baseball. The entire thing was more family-oriented, with the fans going on the field between quarters to try their hand at playing footy. The two teams were the Norwood Red Legs (whom we were cheering for and were undefeated) and the North Adelaide Roosters (the home team). Unfortunately, the previously undefeated Red Legs lost 71-72, and I was informed that I was never allowed to come to another game again because I was the jinx. ;)

Although it seems so on the surface, Aussie rules football is nothing like rugby. It really is alot more like soccer. They can't throw/toss the ball, they have to "handball" it (which is kinda like punching it so it moves) or they can kick it. If it goes out of bounds for any reason it gets tossed back in by the ref. If a player is tackled on top of the ball it gets tossed by a ref. The players can't block around the neck or in the back. There are four goal posts; if the ball goes in between the middle two, it's a 6-point "goal"; if it hits the bars or goes in between the outer two, it's a 1-point "point". If a player catches the ball and it had traveled for more than 15 meters without anyone else touching it, it's a "mark" and he has 30 seconds to throw/kick it, in which time nobody can touch him. The field is huge, the hits are huge, and it's constant movement and adrenaline the entire time. I've never seen so many FIT guys on the same field before, these guys are unbelievable athletes. Rugby looks like wrestling in comparison.

On Sunday, I slept in as much as I could with the kids playing music in the computer room next door. These walls are really thin and the floors are all hardwood on a hollow foundation, so every noise in the house is transmitted throughout the place. So I heard "Gummy Bear", "I Can't Wait (To See You Again)", and 1Direction over and over and over before I finally decided to get up. I'm not used to having kids in the house, but it's really fun. (It also means I sleep really well at night and I'm in bed by 10pm, which makes me feel like a little old lady!) I had a beautiful walk to the cafe, where I had a great shift with some awesome girls.

When I got home, I fully intended to write this blog post. I came in my room with my tea and settled down...and Zac and Bethany decided they wanted to come in and see what I was doing. It very quickly turned into them wanting to watch America's Funniest Home Videos to see if it is the same as Australia's Funniest Home Videos (newsflash: IT IS. Stupidity is universal) and I didn't get any of my blog writing done, but I did get some really good laughing out of it.

Church this week was a bit different as we met here at the Johnson's house. It was a lot cozier and people opened up more. I started to see how this is a good idea. Fellowship and good conversation afterwards made for a thoroughly enjoyable evening.

Today is the Queen's Birthday (Queen Elizabeth of England, that is--remember that Commonwealth thing?), so the kids have off school. The family is taking me up to the Adelaide Hills and into a small German community called Hahndorf. Apparently there is some awesome chocolate and strudel in store for today. I'm down with that!

on a hike today I met a boring koala

This morning, Kate P picked me up from the Johnson's home. She asked me where I wanted to go, and I shrugged. (As if I know where stuff is.) She said, "Alright then, I'll take you to one of my favorite places ever."

We took a beautiful scenic half hour drive through some of the most gorgeous hills I've seen since California. Deep gorges covered by tall bushy gum trees, a winding road flanked by tall rock faces on one side, and some beautiful overlooks combined to make me a very happy person...and that was just the drive up! We drove through a small town (I forget the name of it) that is a decently-sized Italian community--apparently they all live together in one town--and pulled off the road to a small-looking park named Morialta (Kate pronounced it "more-ee-aht-uh"). She showed me the map of the place, and it was definitely not small!

Even though Adelaide is a city of about 1.5 million people, the government has mandated where the city limits are and they protect the wilderness that juts up next to it. Basically, you have the ocean and a small strip of beach/wetlands. Then a long, narrow plain where the city and surrounding suburbs are. Then a long line of interconnecting hills that are carefully preserved as wilderness treasures. Then the back country, which is borderline outback. It makes for some really clear and definite lines where city ends and country starts.

Morialta, although it's less than a kilometer from a decently-sized suburb of Adelaide, is a completely wild strip of land that is carefully kept up so that it's a local treasure that is easily accessible to everyone. Kate goes up there all the time. She said it's where she met God for the first time, and after walking around it with her today, I can definitely see how she calls it God's house. It's very peaceful and serene, and definitely not what I think about when I think of Australian landscapes.

The first thing I noticed is that Morialta has alot of wildlife, particularly birds. I saw galahs (a bright pink and grey parrot that is apparently really loud and annoying) as well as several other brightly colored parrots; there are singing frogs along the banks of the creek; and I got cross one animal off my bucket list.

YES, I SAW A WILD KOALA. Two, actually.

It was interesting, we were walking along and all of a sudden Kate looks up and goes, "Oh, there's a koala," and keeps walking. I, of course, being the crazy American I am, stop to take pictures and I start gushing, "Awww he's so cute, wow he has claws, he looks so soft and cuddly!" So there. I've seen the two animals in the wild that I set out to see: kangaroos, and koalas. Everything else is just icing on the cake.

We walked along wide gravel trails for a bit to get to the waterfalls. There are three waterfalls in Morialta, imaginatively named after the order in which you encounter them: First Falls, Second Falls, and Third Falls. The walk up to First Falls wasn't that difficult, and it actually had alot of water rushing down it, so it was a pretty magnificent sight. It was maybe 35 feet high, and if you know me you know that I love waterfalls.

The walk up to the Second Falls very quickly became a clike (halfway between a hike and a climb--and no, that's not an Aussie term, that's Ashley slang). It was super-steep and really difficult. Halfway up there was a bench with a scenic overlook that was blocked perfectly by a huge dead tree. Kate says there must be some spiritual significance to that tree, but God hasn't told her what it is yet. I dunno what she means by that, I just saw a dead tree. ;)

However, the hike up to the Second Falls also showed a different landscape. The really tall gum trees became fewer and farther between, and the path got rockier. When we finally got to the Second Falls, it was pretty amazing how far we'd come in such a short time.

On the way, Kate and I had some really good conversation about her life, her past, and the situation with the churches in Adelaide with which she has been involved. Apparently, most of the churches in the area are dealing with some serious problems, not the least of which is the problem of being outmoded. She feels that alot of churches are stuck in outdated, old ways of doing ministry that don't work anymore, but they're not sure how to bridge the gap between their old-fashioned faith and the new way of adapting to (without conforming to) the newer generations. Their other big problem is not having energetic leaders who are solid in their faith--apparently there's no shortage of people who are self-proclaimed "pastors" but are actually not that strong in their faith and are susceptible to being assimilated into society or borderline false teaching.

The hike to the Third Falls was much easier, although muddier. The landscape changed again, but this time to grassy, blackberry-vine-covered rocks. Although the trail was more narrow, it was in a wider creekbed and wasn't nearly as steep. The Third Falls were the smallest of the three, but I think I liked them best. It is a path not often traveled because people assume the trails continue to get harder the higher up you go, so it's more secluded and less crowded.

We took the other side of the valley on the way back, and we got some breathtaking scenic overviews and passed by a red cave in the side of the hill. When we passed by our koala friend on our way out, he hadn't moved an inch. An hour and a half later, and he was still sound asleep in a tree about 20 feet off the ground. Lazy bum.

Kate and I went out for lunch and then she took me on an hour and a half long drive through parts of Adelaide. We drove by the beach, through some small towns that have recently been assimilated into Adelaide's suburbs, and past some of the industrial areas in Port Adelaide. She told me all about the way Adelaide is designed and how it works, and we drove the scenic backroads route to the Johnsons. We had a merry old time, and I think next time we're going to hike the harder, steeper trails around Morialty...or maybe we'll just go to the nicer south end of the beach.

When I got back to the house, I was nearly tackled by the kids. We had a good time reading books and doing puzzles until dinner time. Ella, another one of the 20-something girls in the area, came by for dinner, and she, Michelle, Evan, and I had a rousing conversation about American politics vs. Australian politics and how the Church needs to be more community-focused. I told them about the Paul-Barnabas-Timothy model of discipleship, and they all really enjoyed hearing how that has been put into practice at Trinity (my home church). The entire time, the CD of Louisiana music that I gave the Johnsons was playing in the other room, and it was a little taste of home for me. :)

the king of pop in the backseat

This morning I got up early and went with the family to drop off Zac and Bethany to school. The three of them (Georgia was with us but she was sick so she didn't have to go to school) were in the back seat of the van, Evan was driving, and I was in the front seat. On the way, the kids insisted that Evan play "the Michael CD," which I found out was Michael Jackson's album, Bad.

I couldn't help but laugh when they all started singing Smooth Criminal. Every last word. BY HEART. All three of them. It was hysterically funny to hear three little kid voices with Australian accents singing along with Michael Jackson. Bethany finally stopped and looked at me, saying, "Whaaaaat? We like to sing!"
And I said, "I know, and I like listening."
"Then why are you laughing at us?"
"Because it's funny!"
"No it's not. We just like singing."
Apparently it's like that every morning on the way to school. I just thought it was precious. Evan's sick of the CD.

We dropped the two of them off, and Evan, Georgia, and I drove to the city center of Adelaide. Evan gave me a quick driving tour of the city, and then he dropped me off near the main shopping center called Rundle Mall. Basically, even though the city of Adelaide contains around 1.5 million people, the actual city center is only about 1 square km. It's laid out in a nice tidy grid that is surrounded by a ring of green park area, called the Terrace. When the first settlers came to Adelaide, they put a huge emphasis on building an orderly European-style city. Funny enough, several times I felt like I was in a European city. The architecture is a beautiful blend of old French Renaissance, English Parliamentary style, and a contemporary steel-and-glass design. Brand new skyscrapers might be sandwiched by squat stone buildings that bear plates on them proudly proclaiming, "Est. 1885" or the like.

I barely scratched the surface of things to do. I basically wandered around Rundle Mall for a few hours and then started looking at the bus routes to get home. There's a really nifty thing called the O-Bahn (apparently supposed to resemble the expressway on Europe's Autobahn?), which is a direct bus route from the center of town to a major transportation center near Redwood Park named Teatree Plaza. The O-Bahn is a separate track for buses only, and it allows them to go 80kph without having to deal with pesky things like traffic or stoplights.

A really cool thing: Teatree Plaza is not far from where the Johnsons' home is. I picked up another bus that dropped me off literally three blocks from home and I walked the rest of the way. Talk about another boost to the Empowerment Meter! Now I know how to get to the center of the city, where there is awesome shopping and some really cool walking trails that I want to do.

Today I also got back into the 21st Century. I got my Aussie cell phone. :)
Mark and Karen have had a prepaid cell phone on hand to lend to the American students who come to the area in the past. They passed it on to me and now I am within reach of anybody in the area. (Also of my mother if she needed to get in touch with me. I know she'll be glad to know that.)

Tomorrow is a big day, I'm getting picked up by one of the girls and I think we're going hiking or driving or something. Either way, I'm going to get to see more of Australia and I am excited about that!