The Questions You Will Ask

Hi friends,

It has been my experience that when people go away for a time and come back to where they were before, people are wont to ask questions. Whether "away" means to the kitchen or to Borneo, there will be questions - is there any dessert left? or what's the strangest thing you saw in Borneo? Having gone away and come back several times, I have an idea about what kinds of questions you're asking right now, or will ask at Christmas. Let me put your wondering minds at ease with a few answers. If I've overlooked any questions in my mindreading, feel free to comment or ask me on Facebook.

How was Australia?

While this is a valid question, it's a little bit silly. I'm not equipped to comment on the state of the nation of Australia.

Where are you in Australia?

South of Melbourne.

What's the weather like?

Melbourne is famous for its fickle weather. We hear things like "four seasons in a day" or "if you don't like the weather now, just wait thirty minutes" all the time. Right now we're making the transition from winter to spring (the Southern Hemisphere's seasons are opposite the Northern's) which is marked by the blooming of iris, wisteria, and roses.

How's SG?

She's doing well. She loves that they drink tea probably four times a day, and there are so many great places to run. She's a pro with the kids and moms in playgroup. She's got a gentleness that really connects with pre-k kids. Today, she has her first day of training at a local restaurant! There are occasions when we don't get along as well as we'd like, but that's a learning process too, and we're trusting God to help us work together and become better communicators this year.

Have you seen kangaroos?

Yes! We saw some this week! In the wild! AHHHHHHHHH! They're similar to North American deer, in that they gather in herds and stick to forested and meadow areas.

How's the church?

Welcoming. Gracious. Different from any I've ever been to. It's a classic dark wood, stained glass, pews church. The denomination is Uniting, which is a combo deal of Presbyterian/Methodist/Congregational. It's more liturgical and formal than I'm used to, but it's growing on me. The people here are incredibly generous and kind to us. We always have invitations for tea or trips to gardens, etc. We now have heaps of extra grandparents, as the church is mostly older people. The most active and ambitious older people I've ever met, I might add.

What's a normal day look like?

Wake up around 7:30, run, breakfast, walk to church, playgroups/breakfast club/office time, walk home for lunch, meetings with Mr. M or free time to read, dinner, homework for my grad school class, hang out with our host couple/ work, to bed around 11.

What kinds of things do you eat?

You can see a lot of British influences in the food over here, although there is also a lot of Asian influence because of geography and US influence because we're big and have big marketing schemes. A classic Australian dish is the meat pie. They also eat a lot of roasts, chops, chutneys, and on occasion, fruit cakes and puddings. If you're willing to pay the exorbitant restaurant prices, you can get whatever kind of food you want - Italian, Thai, Mexican, whatever.

What was your purpose for being in Australia?

My official title is youth intern. As we only have two teenagers that attend the church at present, my goal has been to get to know them and their family and eventually start discipling them and equipping their parents to do the same. I'm also helping out with the prolific pre-k play groups the church runs, going to various church events, and working at a local Mexican restaurant. Overall, the purpose is to know Jesus my King better and serve this church in whatever way I'm able, while enjoying the cultural and geographical differences of living in another country.

Who are you hanging out with if most of the congregation is older?

Older people, of course! Our grandma and grandpa friends are hilarious and buckets of fun. They love taking us places and showing us around. We've also made some wonderful friends through working at the high school with breakfast club. Most of them go to the local Baptist church and have invited us to join their fortnightly (every two weeks) small group. They're a little crazy - they go cliff jumping into the ocean, surf, and watch Flight of the Concords (that's for you, TJ) - but we like them a lot. They are a combination of youth pastors (TJ ), school chaplains (Cat, Sam, Joel), university and Bible college students(Jake, Cherie, Will) and pastry chefs (Reese). They took us on as friends, knowing that they'd have to give us rides to places and not knowing what sort of people we were. I have never felt more welcome in a new place than I have in Australia. I feel like we have a huge team of people who love and support us, even though we've only been here 8 weeks!

If I have been completely inaccurate in my mindreading, post your questions and I will search high and low for answers.

Much love from Oz (which is what they call Australia here)

Little Miss Sunshine