Be Still, My Soul

The weekend before final exams has arrived. Everyone on campus at Cedarville is madly rushing to finish papers and projects, decorating for Campus Christmas, and bustling from Rinnova to the computer lab to their dorm room and back again. OneVoice ensemble has taken the weekend off; we are in Cleveland this weekend to perform at Parkside Church's Christmas concerts. We left yesterday (Thursday) afternoon and will be here until after the final concert on Sunday night. At first, I was disappointed to miss out on all the campus events - Christmas open dorms, story time with Dr. Brown, and the annual Elf party that my friends and I started freshman year. Part of me still wishes that I were there on campus, participating in all the hub and bustle. But not all of me. Here's why.

As a college student, noise is inescapable. There are people everywhere - in the dorms, in campus buildings, in the cafeteria. The opportunity to sit and enjoy stillness is marred by the constant noise, cramped space, and busy schedules. Don't misunderstand; I love to have fun. And so far on this trip, we have had a lot of fun. We've sung at the top of our lungs, laughed until our stomachs hurt, danced like morons, and may have even pulled a prank or two. But right now, I am sitting in a quiet house curled up in a cozy armchair enjoying peace and quiet for the first time in a long time. And it feels so good. 

As with nearly all aspects of life, balance is key. A time to mourn, a time to laugh, a time to speak, and a time to stay silent, says Solomon in Ecclesiastes. We need both. And we live in a culture that takes pride in busyness and scorns rest. We must be constantly doing, constantly being entertained. Rest is equated with laziness; silence is seen as boring. 

In Scripture, God commanded his people to take a Sabbath every week. The Sabbath provided them with day to focus on the Lord and refresh their mind and body for the week ahead. We have forgotten the concept of Sabbath and replaced it with a need to do more, see more, experience more. But is more always better, or is better better? I challenge you to take a day to rest, reflect, and refresh. Learn how to enjoy silence without becoming restless. Because in those still, quiet moments... God shows up.

"Be still, and know that I am God." -YHWH, Psalm 46:10.

Be still, my soul.

Too Much: A Story Of Americans & Their Politics

Okay, okay. I know what most of you are thinking. Why is Michelle writing a post about politics? She doesn't know anything about politics! And you may be right. Government and economics were not my strongest high school subjects, and I would much rather watch Monday night football than a Monday night presidential debate. I have limited the time I spend immersed in politics because, frankly, they have never affected me. Please do not misunderstand me; my family felt the stretch of the falling economy just like everyone else. For my entire senior year of high school, my dad worked at an office three hours away from our home because his in-town company went bankrupt. My mom, brother, and I were left by ourselves for days at a time. My mom went back to work, so my grandparents had to pick us up from school. We started buying generic brand Honey Nut Cheerios and Big K soda instead of Coca-cola. Despite all the drama surrounding the last few presidential elections (remember the "If Obama gets elected, I'm moving to Canada" proclamations?) But lo and behold, the time has already rolled around for the next election and I'm doing just fine. Life has been a little tougher. But I'm still breathing. I still have my family, and there is still food on the kitchen table. I'm over halfway finished with my college education. And before you object, ("But Michelle, not everyone still has those things! Some people have lost their houses and can't find work. Some people's lives have been turned upside-down!")… Yes, I know. I told you I would share my personal explanation for my lackadaisical feelings about politics. But another reason that I avoid politics is because the manipulation, deceit, and drama wrapped up in American politics frustrates and irritates me. We worship a presidential candidate, realize he’s made some pretty outrageous mistakes (or just things that we don’t like), and begin to tear him apart and wonder why we ever thought he was the good guy. Why? Is it because every man that America elects is a selfish jerk with a hidden agenda? Give Americans a little more credit than that. I would like to explore the possibility that perhaps the reason for out dissatisfaction and dramatics surrounding American politics lies at a deeper level. Maybe our senators, Congressmen, and President are not the entire problem. Maybe it's us.

Nothing annoys me more than to read countless news stories about bills "designed to fail" or the Republicans' and Democrats' umpteenth refusal to compromise. Honestly, aren't we all fighting for the same side? Let's step back a little bit and look at what actually fighting for. The United States already has benefits than many countries around the globe only dream of. We have freedom of speech, press, and religion built right into our Constitutional structure. Most Americans wake up every morning in a warm bed and flip a switch to turn on the light and another one to turn on the faucet. They walk downstairs and can choose whether to throw down a bowl of cereal or be ambitious and make Belgian waffles with a ham and cheese omelet on the side. And if something goes wrong in the morning, no worries; they will just stop at one of the six Starbucks they pass on their way to work for a muffin and venti macchiato. But I digress. Essentially, American politics are all about preserving these benefits, right? But what about the Americans who work hard for a minimum wage labor paycheck seven days a week and come home to their trailer with a sore back, craving a good meal but finding only Spaghettios and half a jar of peanut butter in the cupboard? What about the Americans who sleep in a cold dark alley because the police kicked them out of the deserted playground with the plastic tubing (perfect for breaking the wind and taking the edge off of the cold). How do those people fit in our picture of "preserving the American dream"?

The point I am trying to make is that Americans (myself included) are addicted to things. Stuff. Money. Goods. We’re a bunch of flaming materialists, if you will. We are also addicted to success. Power. Being number one. Feeling good about ourselves. If either of these things are taken away, we fall apart. We freak out. And we vote for the next politician who promises us more money, more success, and more power. The common excuse – ahem, reason – given is, "I just want to provide a good life for my family." All right, fine. Let's examine a good life. According to American values, a good life promises financial security. We don't all have to be "filthy rich," we say. We just want enough to get by comfortably. The problem is that the bar labeled "getting by comfortably" rises with each pay increase. Worn, out-of-style clothes from Goodwill (or the clearance rack at Target) are enough for low-income families to "get by comfortably." But for a CEO, only designer suits are enough. For a low-income family, a track phone from Wal-mart with pay-as-you-go minutes is enough to "get by comfortably." But richer families pay up to $100 every month for smart phones with email, weather, Facebook, Twitter, GPS, and everything else imaginable (There's an app for that! ...). Having a good life used to be defined by happiness through helping others and developing meaningful relationships. I’m pretty sure there’s no app for that.

Like I said, I'm not a politician (nor do I ever plan to be). But what I observe in the political ring are Americans stepping on top of other Americans to get to the top. I see a Republican senator refusing to vote in favor of a bill because (heaven forbid) a Democrat proposed it. I see another congressman voting against a bill that will save millions of lives simply because it will hurt his chances of reelection. American politicians, just like American voters, are addicted to power and money. As a result, voters worry about which candidate can do the best for them rather than thinking of Americans living on the other side of the American dream. I don't remember the concept of "loving your neighbor" including a clause that says "as long as I maintain my [social status] [financial security] [power].” Whatever happened to "one nation, under God, indivisible: with liberty and justice for all"? Americans have too much and are drawn to politicians who also have too much. We like to have too much. Because when we have too much, we don't even have to think about those who have too little.

Ignorance Is Bliss: The Women of the Streets

The other night, I had dinner with some urbanite friends (for non-Cedarvillians... other students who have/are taking Intro to Urban Ministry here at CU). The instructions for the dinner were simple - reflect on a video we had watched in class that day about prostituation and trafficking of young girls in our nation's capital, Washington D.C. To provide the most basic background and clear up many inaccurate assumptions made by many Americans, I will tell you that most prostitutes are not women hitting the streets on their own accord to make a pretty penny after hours. Even if a woman's journey begins this way, she will quickly become prey to the streets. She will become the property of a pimp. Pimps do not stay holed up in their houses and wait for their girls to come home; many prowl the streets in order to keep one eye on their girls and the other on new "prospects for the business." If you drive down the track (a term referring to a block known specifically for prostitution) in downtown Washington, D.C. during the early morning hours (by the way, the D.C. track is located only six blocks from the White House), you will see the women working. Sporting short skirts and high heels, you can watch them approach a car and often get inside a few moments later. "Dirty prostitutes," you might think. Think again. There are rules for this game, and the women do not make them.

If you stay just a little longer and look just a little closer, you will realize that much more is taking place on this block than meets the eye. The parked cars along the street are all occupied, either by pimps watching their girls or by Johns "window shopping" for their next buy. You may notice that the women choose to walk on the street rather than the sidewalk. This is one of the rules of the game; if a pimp is close by, the women are not permitted to walk on the sidewalk. They are forced into the street, giving them nowhere to hide if an danger (or a police car) happens upon them. If you look a little closer at the women, you will notice girls hidden among them. Girls, a few as young as eleven or twelve years old, don sparkly pants and heavy makeup and "work." Would you say that they work the streets by choice? No. They started off wanting someone to love them and protect them, and a pimp manipulated them into their current circumstance. So let me ask you; what do you think of these women now?

Back to the dinner table. The question on our minds was, "How can the church help?" An obvious precursory question was, "Why isn't the church helping already?" Is it because we have become too afraid that "those sinners" will "pull us down to their level"? Since we have the Holy Spirit (the ultimate victor) guiding our choices, this argument becomes invalid. What about "We just didn't know"? I would sincerely like to question Why not?? Why is the church not readily involved in rescuing these women? Why are we not leading the charge in saving these girls from a life of exploitation and abuse? At the risk of either rambling and losing your attention, or asking too many questions and making you feel guilty, I'll move on. But realize that this issue (and others like it) are not just going to go away. And when we face the God of the Heavens on judgment day, I would be ashamed to say, "I'm sorry, Lord. I just didn't know."

OV @ Grove City

Since most of my blog posts are all about OneVoice, it only seemed fitting to write one about our trip today (and also about life in general). Today, the OneVoice ensemble and the band (#OVEAB, of course) drove to Grove City. Not Grove City, Pennsylvania. Grove City High School. And not the one from Princess Diaries. Grove City Christian School in Grove City, Ohio. After driving 50 minutes in a completely full 12 passenger van, successfully avoiding the flooded portions of the country roads, and driving around the building for another 10 minutes trying to find the right entrance, we made it. Being there reminded me of my high school days, with the facilities kicked up about six notches. Grove City is an average sized Christian school attached to a fancy-schmancy church that looks more like a museum than a church in certain places. Talking to the students brought back tons of my own private Christian school memories... wearing uniforms, hanging out in the hallways, and being really excited to get to college but sad about leaving high school friends behind. I really like high schoolers, which is probably good, since I'm working on a high school teaching degree. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about where God will take me after I finish at Cedarville... because right now, I have absolutely no idea. But I know that I miss hanging out with teenagers. They're pretty cool sometimes :)

Urban Muse

This past semester, I have learned things (like how to calculate the probability of your cousin's twin boys being colorblind), and experienced things (like the delectable taste of a frozen pumpkin spice chai). But none have impacted me as much as the lessons and experiences regarding urban ministry. I have always pictured myself ministering to middle class academia, showing both teenagers and adults thinking they have everything together a much more fruitful way of living. But seeing urban ministry explained and urban ministry in action has changed my thought process about the impoverished and the oppressed. Experiencing the opposite end of urban ministry completely reversed my perspective and opened my mind to a whole new world. And now I find myself burdened for two separate groups of people. Clarity is elusive; the future remains unclear. But I know that I cannot spare even one minute without remembrance; time is short. The harvest is ripe, yet the laborers are few.

33 Minutes.

www.180movie.com

Watch this. It is worth your time.

Homeless.

In less than nine hours, I will be homeless in the city for the weekend. No money, no car; just me, a backpack with a blanket and some snacks, and my classmates – maybe. I don’t know what to expect from Poverty Weekend, a period of 48 hours living in a homeless person’s shoes. Many students have gone before me, but Dr. Cook mandates that they only discuss their experiences with one another. To the rest of us, it is a big mystery.

To be perfectly honest, I’m a weird mixture of excited and terrified. Terrified because I’m dreading being out in the cold for hours (it’s supposed to drop below 50 tonight and tomorrow night), and I’m worried that I’ll somehow be separated from my friends who will also be on the weekend. I’m saddened that I’m missing a second weekend in a row on campus, unable to socialize or work on homework. But I’m excited because everyone who has experienced Poverty Weekend practically leaps out of their chair with excitement when they find out I’m going. Because everyone has told me it will change my life.

So here's to a weekend of joy and doubts. Of prayer and trials. Of God.

Psalm 121:7-8 “The LORD will keep you from all harm - He will watch over your life. Yahweh will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”

A Day Without Shoes

It all started when someone invited Palmer Chinchen, author of True Religion, to speak in chapel at Cedarville University. Palmer is known for his compassion for the poor across the globe, and once hosted a "Barefoot Sunday" at his home church. On Barefoot Sunday, church members were encouraged to leave their shoes at the alter (to be given to those living in poverty with no shoes at all) and go the rest of the day without wearing shoes. Cedarville's current freshman class dreamed big, and held what was called Barefoot Thursday on the day that Palmer spoke - Spetember 8, 2011.

The goal of Barefoot Thursday is twofold. Firstly, to collect pairs of shoes for those in need. Secondly, to help those of us living in comfortable middle-class America empathize with the poverty-stricken population. Today was unusually cold and rainy (but it's Ohio - really, nothing is unusual), making it an inconvenient day to trek around campus barefoot. Along with many others, I made the decision to not only donate a few pairs of shoes that I knew I no longer needed, but spend the day without shoes.

The wet sidewalks were cold; and when your feet are cold, your whole body is cold. But at the end of the day, I had lost nothing from my day without shoes. Is going without shoes really that big of a deal? Maybe not for people who only spend a few minutes outside in the cold before going indoors to warm up. And shoes don't matter when you walk only on soft grass or smooth sidewalk. But soft grass, warm buildings, and clean sidewalks are also middle class luxuries. Imagine going a day without shoes in poverty-stricken Africa. Imagine having no shoes while you search for food or shelter amidst ground covered with trash or broken glass. Imagine that you have a cut on your foot with no antiseptics or bandages to help it heal. A day without shoes in poverty is different than a day without shoes in suburbia.

Cedarville students gave 3,276 pairs of shoes today. Thanks to the passion of a single college freshman with a bright idea, over three thousand people will receive a pair of shoes connected to the gospel message. Don't ever believe that you can't make a difference; you can. Just act.

Australia Reflections: Passion

Hello everyone. As the dates suggest, I've been home from Australia for three weeks now. In seventeen short days, summer will come to a close and life at Cedarville will resume. I've been spending most of my time reading all seven Harry Potter books and sorting through countless stacks of clothes. I've had a lot of time to think about Australia - what I learned, what I miss, and how the trip changed me.

The one word that sums up my experience with OneVoice Australia 2011? Passion. To quote Kim Walker of Jesus Culture:

I’m alive to bring glory to You, King
God of victory, You are my passion
It’s in the way You are, You don’t change at all
Great and humble God, You are my passion

My strength in life is I am Yours
My soul delights because I am Yours

Your will on earth is all I’m living for

Jesus, I glorify; Jesus, my love is Yours
You are my heart’s desire; I live to know You more

Passion - for the Lord God, in the name of Jesus Christ, and by the power of the Holy Spirit - consumed this trip. Passion gave each team member the faith that provided $3000 to fund the trip. Passion provided patience on long bus rides and longer flights. Passion gave us energy when we had three concerts in a single day after sleeping only a few hours the night before. Passion provided the love shared among team members, and the joy expressed through dance and raised hands. Passion is the reason that a smile spreads across my face every time I look at pictures of those precious memories. Passion is the reason that I have the urge to raise my hands and sing at the top of my lungs when I hear a song that we sang. And passion is the reason that I will seek the opportunity to do it all over again. 

Mark 12:28-29, The Message: The religious scholar put in his question, "Which is most important of all the commandments?" Jesus said, "Love the Lord God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence and energy."

Hillsong Days 3-4... and Ciao, Australia! :(

It has finally come... the time to leave Australia and fly home to the good ol' US of A. It's a bittersweet moment - I'm excited to go home, relax, and see my friends and family. But simply put, I love Australia and I love what the Lord has done here. Over the past two days, I have worshiped in ways that I never have before. I have felt the presence of God in ways that I cannot explain. I have heard the Scriptures spoken about in ways I have never thought about before. God has been good, and He will continue to be good. I fly home tomorrow, making July 9, 2011 officially the longest day of my life. I leave and arrive home on the same day, but it takes me 25 actual hours to travel 11 hours forward time. Trippy, eh? No worries, though, mate - I'll make it all right. I'll blog more when I'm less exhausted and post a few more pictures from the wonderful awesomeness that is Australia. Love you all!

Hillsong Conference: Day 2

Interesting. Today, according to some moments, was a terrible day. But other moments were wonderful.. Basically, it was conference ALL day long - we walked to the conference center at 8 this morning for the morning session. Priscilla Shirer spoke passionately about truly feeling the presence of the Holy Spirit. How Jesus Christ is all that anyone needs at any time. How ministry is simply pointing others to Jesus and nothing more. She consecutively named every book of the Bible in order paired with a phrase describing the identity and role of God in that particular book. Her message was phenomenal, totally and completely from the Lord.

Fact: Everyone who works at Hillsong thinks we're more important than we actually are. Our phrase of the day? "Uhmm, choir." As long as we clarify that we're with the choir, we can do whatever we want. So far, we have been allowed into sessions early to save seats and received VIP passes to the JAM (youth) session at Luna Park this afternoon. We took a bus to Luna Park and wandered around for a little while before setting in the picnic area to read our books. The session itself was in the "Big Top" and was one of the most lively youth rallies I have ever witnessed. The speaker, Jentezen Franklin, used the story of David's army fighting Absalom to tell Christians to stay out of the woods. The passage says that more of Absalom's men died from the woods than the sword; just choosing the wrong environment killed them. Franklin stretched the metaphor to Absalom himself, who found himself swinging from an oak tree caught by his hair, helpless as Joab tortured him before he finally was put to death. Jesus also died hanging on a tree - He did so that we might not have to. 

Remember how I said that everyone working at Hillsong thinks we're more important than we actually are? And remember how I said that some parts of today weren't so great? Well, here's what I mean. We were standing in crowds literally all afternoon. Before the morning session, on the way to Luna Park, at Luna Park, while leaving Luna Park, etc. Our feet were sore, our backs were achy. But in the midst of this, we sang with the Hillsong choir on the stage behind Darlene Zschech and Israel Houghton at the session tonight. Yeah. I know. SO cool. The downside of that was missing most of the session because we were being escorted around (still standing, still in a crowd). On the up side again, we got volunteer t-shirts (even though we're not really volunteers) and VIP badges that pretty much let us go anywhere we want (how and why do we have those? no idea, but we'll take it!). But on the downside, today was such a weird and hectic day that I didn't eat until after the session tonight, making a total of 13 hours with no food for Michelle. Oh well; Allie and Charmaine and I stopped at Subway on the way back from the session (and after watching a bit of rugby on the big screen in the conference center). All in all, it's been a fun day. It hasn't really been an experience I would like to repeat any time soon, but it's cool to say that I sang on stage at the Hillsong conference. They asked us if we wanted to come sing again tomorrow morning... but sound check is at 6:45. That's probably not going to happen. :)

Hillsong Conference: Day 1

Today, as you can tell from the title and the countless other times I’ve mentioned it, marked the first day of the Hillsong conference. Charmaine, Allie, Debby, and I walked down to the Entertainment Centre this morning at 10AM to pick up our registration wristbands from Justin. Twenty minutes later, Justin arrived. We waited over an hour at a table outside Macca’s while Justin and Jordan waited in line, but finally we got our wristbands and ate lunch at a Chinese place in the Market City food court.

After a Coles run and a relaxing nap and coffee back at the hotel, we walked back to the conference. Our buddy from when we sang at Hillsong church, Alex, hooked us up with sweet seats near the front. We didn’t even have to wait until the doors officially opened. It pays to have connections! The opening rally itself was phenomenal, as expected. Joel Houston and Darlene Zschech led worship that sounded just like a Hillsong CD cranked up about five thousand times regular volume. 

John Maxwell, a former pastor in the U.S. preached a powerful message on leadership taken from Paul and his letters to the Corinthians. John Maxwell’s first point: Your identity comes from Christ, not from the people you are leading. If I concern myself with acceptance or approval, my motivations are wrong. All that matters is that I honor Jesus Christ and His purpose. Maxwell’s second point: Godly leadership uses God’s perspective – you see more, and you see it first. Lead yourself before you try to lead others; if you wouldn’t follow you, why should others? I learned that leadership is work, and it is hard. It is a constant pouring of yourself into others in order to better them, not yourself.

After an invitation and the chorus of Forever Reign, the rally was over; but there was still more to come. Jesus Culture gave a late-night worship concert open to the public. Between Kim Walker’s ad libs and the sheer masses of believers all raising their hands to glorify the King, the experience was literally heavenly. Justin has mentioned on several occasions that none of us here in Australia are here by accident; God has a specific reason for me to be here. Until now, I didn’t know what it was. I’m sure I still don’t know everything. But Kim said something, something that I repeated in praise but then was struck by my statement: I am here to know you more. My purpose is to know Him more. The reason that I am in Australia is to get to know Jesus more. The final song, Show Me Your Glory, hit me hard. I have always struggled with pride, but this song (along with the message) broke down walls. God is so holy, so holy. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God! Compared to the holy glory of Jesus Christ, I am nothing. Literally invisible.

And after a late dinner stop at Hungry Jack’s, it’s back to the hotel and ready for day two early tomorrow. See you then!

Vacation Down Under!

Today was the bittersweet day where we had to say goodbye to our wonderful host families and hello to the Marriott. We feel like real adults, out on our own with all of Sydney at our beck and call. Well, not really, because the Hillsong conference will take up almost all of our time over the next few days. But today was basically a free day.

Debby, more than almost anyone, knows how to work employees and walk out with the best deal possible. We were able to check into our rooms hours before actual check-in time, get free wi-fi for all of our computers, and even ended up in three rooms instead of two. Around noon, I went out with Allie, Lisa, and Brittany to find some food and explore the area immediately surrounding our hotel. We're located right next to Hyde Park, giving us an area to come outside and read and relax. Today, though, we walked downtown a few blocks to a mall with a Coles, where we stocked up on muffins for breakfast and some other munchies. On the walk back, we stopped at a place that sold delicious chicken and chips. There was actually some sort of fire across the street, so we spent most of our lunch watching the firemen drag hoses across the busy street. 

After arriving back at the hotel and taking a quick nap, Aaron and I left for the Opera House. We had tickets to see Flinders String Quartet with Karin Schaupp, guest guitarist. It was easier than we thought it would be to get there; the harbour is just two train stops away. We picked up our tickets and then walked around for a bit to find some dinner. We decided to go the safe and cheap route and go to Maccas, but instead of eating inside, we found a spot by the water. Just a side note - it is incredibly beautiful there at night. Then, we were off to the opera house. Rather than the main concert hall, our performance was in the Utzon Room; it was much smaller than we expected and had no assigned seats. The room was amazing though, with windows behind the stage overlooking the water and the ceiling was the raw curved stone of the building. And then the quartet. Oh my GOODNESS. Words cannot express how beautiful that music was, so I won't even begin to try. But I can tell you the chocolate gelato we ate afterwards was beyond delicious, and that the cute little animal we saw in Hyde Park on our way back was absolutely adorable. We googled it; it was a brush tail possum. We were hoping for a more exciting name, but that'll have to do.

Anyway, today has been a long but wonderful day. It's the first July 4 in a long time that I haven't watched fireworks or eaten hamburgers, but I'll gladly swap for a fantastic cellist and a bowl full of gelato. Happy Independence Day, America. I'll see you again in five days!

Great and Mighty

So, the OneVoice Australia mission trip is officially over. You would think that we all fly home in the morning, but actually... most of us still have another five days! That's right - we're staying for the 25th annual Hillsong conference. We could NOT be more exciting. Being evangelical Christians from the USA between the ages or 15 and 30, we are naturally Hillsong fanatics. Don't worry, we're only freaking out a little bit.

Let's just focus on today - our last day of official ministry, and also the day that we said goodbye to six of our team members who fly out tomorrow morning. It has been one of our longest days yet, beginning with a traditional Anglican service in a stone church building about the size of my living room. Although reading prayers from a book, going forward to take Communion, and singing all six verses of a hymn I had never heard before are not experiences readily familiar to me, I truly appreciate the diversity in worship styles found among God's people. One of the major lessons God has taught me on this trip is that He is not only the God of conservative evangelical churches in America. Jesus Christ transcends ethnicity, denominational divisions, music preferences, age, and geographical location. His church is all part of one family, no questions asked, and I have loved worshiping with other believers despite initial differences.

Our next gig was at the same church - St. Jude's - but in their larger Sunday service. A little less traditional Anglican, but still different from what most of us are used to. After morning tea and chatting with church members, I headed back to our host home with Lisa and Ali where we relaxed for a little while, packed our suitcases, and sat down outdoors to a beautiful Sunday lunch of grilled chicken and onions, rolls, charred potatoes, and salad with red peppers and avocado. Then it was time for our final performance - a full length concert at St. Jude's open to the church and the nearby community. The place was packed, and it was (in my opinion) one of our best concerts. 

But the best part was after the concert. While we wrapped cords and packed speakers and microphones into the trailer one last time, we were able to talk to even more of the guests at the concert. Many of the friends we made the previous week in Sydney attended, and we have also gotten to know many St. Jude members fairly well. And (surprise) they served us afternoon tea as well. Then, our team of nineteen gathered together in a room made for ten for a final powwow. We have been sharing our testimonies over the past few months during our meetings, and the last four people gave their today. I won't give you all the details that were spoken, but have you ever had a moment where you just can't stay silent about what God has done? Join OneVoice, and you will find it a common sight. Because God has been good!!! Because of Jesus' sacrifice, God does not see our ugliness and sin when He looks at us; He sees the perfect, holy, and broken Jesus instead. Hallelujah! We ended our meeting by singing Great And Mighty, the song that broke everyone down in rehearsal before we even left the country. Now, nearly a month later, it means so much more. Even some of the guys worshiped with misty eyes. We presented Justin with a thank-you gift: An illustrated history to gospel music that Debby found at Koorong, which we all signed year-book style in the front pages. After teary goodbyes and a million and one hugs for the people leaving tomorrow, we departed for the last time to our host homes.

Tonight, Allie and Lisa and I watched Father of the Bride 2 with our family and ate chicken burritos in front of the television. They are truly a remarkable family, and I'm going to miss them. Tomorrow we go to our hotel... we'll see what happens from there!

The Final Countdown

I have sad news – tomorrow is our last day of concerts, and nearly half of our group flies home on Monday. Seriously, I can’t believe the trip is almost over already! Time is flying by in one of those weird paradoxical moments where it feels like you’ve been here a week, yet more has happened in the past month than the six months before. This morning, we sang at a Seventh Day Adventist church. I didn’t know very much about their beliefs beforehand, and for some reason I was expecting a quiet service with women in long skirts. I could not have been more wrong. Israel Houghton was playing over the speakers when we walked in the door, and the people in the congregation were energetic and extremely personable. Although the church itself was fairly small, the room was completely filled and the atmosphere felt just like that of a family.

After the service, we had a few hours to relax back at our host homes. Allie, Lisa, and I poured ourselves cups of French press or tea, and curled up on the couch immersed in our books. I just started reading The Shack, upon the recommendations of several friends, and am enjoying it so far. Our host family also taught us how to make Lamingtons, a dessert made of yellow cake coated in chocolate and coconut. Allie and I each ate three – no need for them to go to waste, of course.

Tonight, we went to a barbecue and bonfire at Kenthurst – a branch of St. Jude’s Anglican church. After chowing down on the traditional Aussie version of a hot-dog (a sausage on a slice of bread with butter, grilled onions, and barbecue sauce) and a cup of coffee, our so-called “impromptu and relaxed” performance turned into a full forty minute concert. Then there was a bonfire – the biggest bonfire I’ve ever stood around. The heat was intense, and the skewers handed out to roast marshmallows were quickly replaced with tree branches taller than me. That takes us back to the house, where I’m currently sitting on my bed – well, my mattress on the floor. Pray for energy tomorrow – OneVoice Australia 2011 is going out with a bang.

Australia... you get me every time.

So, it's Friday night. How do I begin to tell you what has happened in the past few days? I'll start with an overview of events... and then I have to tell you what God has been doing. As usual, it's incredible.

Our only concert on Thursday was for the seniors at St. Jude's (the church that we are ministering through this week). Although we did our slow set of songs, the women I was able to talk to afterwards were some of the most energetic and spunky elderly people I have ever met. I met a woman named Gwen who fell of the stage last time the OneVoice group visited Australia; I'll have to see if I can find someone who remembers that! Other than the concert in the afternoon, we didn't do TOO much. We ate lunch at Pie In The Sky - a restaurant off by itself in the middle of the mountains that sells nothing but all different kinds of meat pies and delicious wedges with sour cream and sweet chili sauce. Deliciously Australian. Speaking of delicious, our only other activity that day was a potluck dinner at the Guthrie's. We spent the evening hanging out, talking, eating, and looking at pictures of Africa in a giant photography book. Debby had even bought a birthday cake for Taylor, who turns 20 tomorrow. Happy birthday Swayze!

Today was a free day, except for our concert with St. Jude's youth group this evening. We arrived at the church in the morning, set up our equipment, and left for Koorong - the largest Christian bookstore in Australia. I can't tell you what happened there - at least not yet - but let me tell you that God is doing INCREDIBLE things. And we all stocked up on a few good books made sweeter by a 15% discount. Once we left the bookstore, we went to Bondi beach - the famous beach written across the front of every sweatshirt in the tourist shops. Unfortunately the weather was gloomy, by instead we perused through different shops located next to the beach and stopped for coffee (of course). From there, we drove an hour across Sydney to Hillsong church to visit their bookstore and just explore the church a little. While we were there, the band (Joel Houston; you know him? The Hillsong worship leader on all the CDs? That guy) came out and saw some of our group. Apparently the conversation went something like this, "Are you the singers from Cedarville??? We're so excited to meet you!! You all are singing at the conference, right?" Justin's reponse: "Uh... well... we can? Maybe?" So who knows if that will happen; if not, they have told us that we will at least be able to meet the artists and sing on stage with the choir. Am I kidding? Nope. So we'll see what happens; it's all up in the air right now. But really... LOOK AT GOD.

To top off all the wonderful things that continue to happen, Justin told us that the DJ of Club Central, the nightclub/casino where we performed the other night, plans on coming to church. His exact words were, "If that's what church is like, I want to find out what it's about!" And I repeat... LOOK AT GOD!!! He is able to do great and mighty things that we do not know, that we do not ask for, and that we do not even imagine. Let that be an encouragement to you; God is ABLE.

Oh, and I can't sign off without telling your about our one casualty that happened today... the youth concert was pretty hyped tonight. We sang for about 45 minutes, then ate snacks and played a game, and then sang another set. But during our fourth or fifth song, Darris got a little too excited and swung his arm backwards... straight into Jon's hand holding his microphone... which when straight to his mouth... and chipped one of his teeth. Thankfully it's on the bottom, so it's not noticeable when he smiles, but he's still in a little bit of pain. It was one of those things that's funny initially - until you realize what actually happened. I'm sure we'll laugh about it again later.

That's all for now... it's 12:30 am. Time to sleep!

Dear Wifi...

Dear Wifi.... it's SO nice to have you back again. The last host home I was staying in had no wifi, so here are (essentially) summaries and thoughts of what we've been up to for the last week or so. I apologize as there are no exciting pictures and few funny stories, but all this just needs to be posted. I'm getting too far behind!!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Welcome to Sydney! We flew into Sydney this morning with problems, which was a blessing – as of 3 this afternoon, all flights are grounded due to the ash cloud from the volcanic eruption in Fiji. Lisa had a doctor’s appointment scheduled for later this afternoon and was going to fly in tonight; if they had not canceled her appointment, Lisa would be stranded in Melbourne. God is good!

Saying goodbye to everyone at the church this morning was hard. I’m going to miss Saralisa and Zoe! The flight was quick; once we landed, Danny picked us up from the airport with the smallest bus ever crowded with all our luggage. We drove to Pizza Hut for lunch, which turned out to be just a take-away place, so we ate on the side of the hill next to the parking lot. Then we drove to Tracy’s house, which was amazing. God is working! She has just enough space to house the nine boys upstairs and six girls downstairs. The other five of us – Ali, Lisa, Debby, Brittany, and I are staying at her friend Leslie’s house. We just hung out at Tracy’s house all afternoon and watched Tyler Perry movies and Harry Potter amidst gummy candies and a delicious dinner of curried chicken and rice, and bolognaise. The rest of the group went to an indoor soccer game, but we went to Leslie’s house and drank coffee and hung out for a little while; Ali and I are planning on watching a movie and eating Tim Tams all night long. Tomorrow is a sightseeing day; so excited!!!

Yesterday, our last day in Melbourne, was amazing. It was a little hectic at first, because Sarah and I woke up early to do our dirty laundry and it wouldn’t work correctly. The washer left soap on our clothes, and whatever we tried, our clothes refused to dry (We had stayed late at the Loftis’ house the night before singing Disney songs and playing Catchphrase, so we didn’t do our laundry Sunday night). But I still wanted to go out, so I did. AB was giving us a tour of the city. Jon, Darris, Charmaine, Aaron and I all piled into Hannah’s car and went drove to PT’s house. We met AB, exchanged Shaun for Jon, and walked to the train station to head into the city. We just ended up walking around all the high-end shops and eating Kababs – the most delicious lamb and veggie pita wraps with garlic butter sauce. They were AMAZING. We caught the train and made it back just in time to pack our luggage and get it to PT’s house on time. Then, Sarah and I made a good American dinner for our Aussie family – fried chicken, mac’n’cheese, corn, and biscuits and gravy. Somehow, it turned into a formal dinner with candles, low lighting, and non-alcoholic wine. I actually liked the wine, which worries me because I was counting on hating all alcoholic beverages. Oh well – I’ll figure that out later. But it was a lot of fun.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Today was a sight-seeing day. We walked along the Sydney Harbor Bridge and saw the opera house, which together took all day long. The most exciting part of the day was definitely getting stuck inside the bridge elevator with Brandon, Justin, Ali, Allie, Brittany, Wayne, Darris, Debby, Sarah, and Charmaine. It all started when Debby was talking about how she was afraid of elevators, and Justin decided to motion everyone to jump. Not everyone did, but it was enough to stop the elevator. We hung there for at least 45 minutes; meanwhile, Justin blamed the whole thing on Brandon and we watched the maintenance men and police scratch their heads below us. Once we got out, it was dinner time; Brandon, Lisa, Hope, Charmaine, and I got a half-chicken and chips (with chicken salt) to eat, and everything was delicious. Tomorrow is another sight-seeing day, but we sing at a nightclub at the end of day… good luck to us!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Back from the club! Today was an amazing day, but my feet hurt so bad. This morning Ali and I woke up bright and early to Debby’s cheerful greeting and went to the other house to eat breakfast. After downing a few pieces of raisin toast, we drove to the Blue Mountains. Although the top of the peaks were cold and windy, hiking warmed us up. We climbed down 800 of the steepest, curviest “steps” you have ever seen, walked 2km across the gap, and rode the world’s steepest incline train up the other side. We also may have taken a detour or two to climb some rocks. After a lunch of sandwiches, chips, and fruit up above the posh café that wouldn’t let us eat at their tables, we headed back to the house. Then we crashed for a few hours and watched Friends while drinking coffee and eating biscuits (the Aussie term for cookies). Then our night began. We got ready for the club, ate leftover ziti from Tuesday night, and hopped into the bus. After an hour drive, we arrived at the club – and it was classy, not trashy. We set up our mics and instruments, hung around for a while, sound checked, and then picked up lattes and kababs at the mall across the street. Justin, Aaron, Hope and I split a box of mini cinnamon doughnuts too, and they were delicious. We crossed back over to the club at nine, and our set began at 9:30. Meanwhile, we danced – Allie was tearing up the dance floor. I’d say they also enjoyed our music – I know we had fun. The soprano section was barely audible, as usual, but no biggie. Then we danced, danced, sat, and danced some more. Even Taylor and Aaron got on the floor. Right now, I’m exhausted – but it was a fun night. Who says you can’t go to a club and enjoy yourself without alcohol? It’s totally possible.

Friday, June 24, 2011

BEST DAY EVER. Ali and I decided that the last 24 hours have been the best. This morning, we sang at an all-girls school as a part of their multi-cultural celebration week. It was sort of a talent show where the girls sang and danced – a few did an African dance, and a girl from Iran did a dance with a bangles around her waist. Another group sang a Maroon 5 song, and another Bruno Mars. We started off with Whip My Hair, and then sang a few more of our songs. They were screaming the entire time – and we had been afraid they were going to boo us! (We heard them boo a girl earlier when she was rehearsing.) To quote Taylor, “I recognize that OneVoice is supposed to be a ministry… but today has just made me feel like a rock star.” They loved us – we hung out afterwards and gave out high fives and t-shirts. We danced around with them a little bit, and got to enjoy “multicultural” food that they had prepared. All those girls were such a blessing to us, and I pray that we blessed them as well. We went back to Tracy’s house – and slept the entire way there. After enjoying coffee, an apple, and some biscuits… it was off to our next gig.

So tonight. AHHH. We were invited to sing at Hillsong’s youth service out in the Hills! We were singing one song for the senior high group, right after the offertory. We arrived as their band was finishing their sound check; they sounded just like the Hillsong CD. A little intimidated, we took the stage for our sound check; it was a little rough at first. After the fastest McDonald’s break ever, we checked again; it was a little better. Then the service began, and it was incredible. Loud, energetic, and wonderful. Then it was our turn to sing; we went up on the stage and sang Sold Out. And then what happened? The kids started chanting “USA! USA!” …and we sang You Are Good. The energy was incredible; we were all jumping around and having a great time. Then at the end, they asked us to come up again! And we got to sing Take It All – a Hillsong song – WITH Hillsong! And then we closed the service out with Call to the Nations. Charmaine killed it, as she usually does – but this time, she killed it at Hillsong. We spent the next half hour talking to some of the youth, convinced that this had been the best night EVER. And then we got on the bus… and discovered that they loved us even more than we thought. Justin told us that the youth pastor told him that (a long shot, but still) he would ask if we could sing… AT the conference!! He also gave us an open invitation to sing at Hillsong wherever whenever, and told us that the youth hadn’t responded that way since Israel Houghton had visited Hillsong! Ali and I are convinced that Jesus did a little something to the sound waves in between the speakers and the audience, because we couldn’t have been THAT good. But God is just that good. He is amazing, awesome, incredible, and is doing great things – especially on this week that we had nothing planned for. I guess that’s just how God works.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

We got to sleep in today – which was wonderful – and went over to Tracey’s house for breakfast at ten. After Justin’s fabulous pancakes and eggs, we had some team time. And we prayed and cried. It’s amazing how people so often complain about little things, or about their own lives, when in reality everyone is constantly dealing with pain. That’s just how life works; it’s just up to you to choose joy in every situation. That has been the theme of our trip – “press your joy button.”

Later that afternoon, we went shopping at the markets down in Sydney. Everything there was cheap, which is our favorite word. And there were at least five of us who bought more luggage in order to have enough space to bring everything home. I’m hoping my credit card bill isn’t TOO outrageous when I arrive back home…

After shopping, we had a late lunch of kebabs and pizza and then went to the grocery store. As usual, everyone headed straight for the Tim Tam aisle, and you could hear us from a mile away. The last event on our agenda was a concert at a church downtown. It was a warehouse church, small and plain, but full of energy and passion. We did a full concert set, and had an amazing time.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Oh, today!! Today was also amazing. I haven’t taken any pictures in two days – totally unlike me – but all we have done is concerts. We had two concerts today, both in very charismatic Polynesian churches. Darris called them the “black Christians of Australia.” A lot of the same people were at both concerts, and we hung out with them all afternoon. After the first concert, we just hung out in their “sanctuary” – both churches were just single rooms in industrial parks – and they were so wonderful. They fed us delicious food, and then we napped on the floor. They brought blankets and pillows and everything, and Wayne, Justin, and Darris spent the entire time playing soft gospel music on the keyboard. Then they fed us barbecue – so so good! At the second concert, we used choir mics, which was different. But once again, it was amazing. The Spirit led that entire service – a man was saved at the very beginning, which had Brittany’s praise legs going. Darris extended You Are Good to about twice its normal length, Lisa blew How He Loves out of the water, and Shaun SANG his part on Something About the Name. It was an amazing concert. We ate a quick dinner at Tracy’s, and now Ali and I are about to finish a movie before bed. Good day, good day.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Another sight-seeing day! Today, we took the ferry to the harbor and made three different stops. The ferry was nice – big, with cozy seats – or you could stand outside. First, we went to Manly Beach. It was by far the most beautiful beach I have ever seen; the water was so clear that you could see the shadows of the bubbles on the sand below. It looked like it had been poured out from God’s water bottle. Hope, Aaron, and I went to 7-11 and bought slushies and then ran onto the beach. There was about a quarter mile strip of shops that you had to walk through to get to the beach, but we went straight through to the water – and we were so glad. The three of us also found some amazing shells, and Hope and I are planning on making some of them into jewelry. They were everywhere! And then it was lunch time – the fish and chips that Aaron and I ate were the best fish and chips I’ve ever had. Hope ate a kebab from Manly Kebab, and “made friends” with the guys that she bought them from – i.e. they gave her a discount on cheese and sour cream for her kebab when she complained that it was extra. The seagulls around there were insane made them swarm around me by throwing crumbs at my feet. During lunch, Aaron figured out that they would jump if he pretended to throw a chip at them. He also found a pigeon who only had one foot and made a new friend.

After barely catching the ferry out of Manly Beach, we went to Luna Park. Luna Park is an old-fashioned carnival-like theme park, with a bunch of trippy painted clowns and colorful rides. It you’ve seen the Mary-Kate and Ashley movie where they go to Sydney, you’ve seen Luna Park. I didn’t ride anything, because just one ride costs a whopping $10, but Hope, Wayne, and I sat out by the water and chatted. Oh, and Wayne “braided” my hair. I’ll let you guess how that ended up. After Luna Park, we went to another wharf place and only stayed for a few minutes, but Hope and I found a sketchy restroom and then bought some delicious lattes. It was a good thing we had them, too, because we decided to stand outside on the next ferry. It was cold and windy, but the sunset was beautiful.

Straight from the ferry, we went to our Debby Dinner. Aka Dinner on the Prez, aka dinner on the board of trustees. I wish I could remember the name of the steakhouse we went to, because it was SO GOOD. I want to say Louie was in the name; and they had the coolest flame space heaters next to their outside tables. I had a New York strip with a potato and vegetable medley, and had both with sweet tomato chile sauce and Lisa’s lemon garlic cream sauce. It may have been the best steak I’ve ever eaten – and then Hope and I split crème brulee. And THEN we all went to the Chocolate Room on the way back to the bus – I didn’t get any, but they have THE best hot chocolate in the world. We decided we have to go back during the Hillsong conference.

And then, we were back at the house. We switch host homes tomorrow, which is sad – it’s been fun having almost everyone in the same house, and it’s honestly been nice not having the family around a whole lot because then we don’t bother them. And we’re not here much. But hey; things have to change sometime. I talked a lot with Lesley, our current host mom, a lot, and she’s really nice. But I could live without the ants in the bed.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Yesterday was Tuesday, and nothing too eventful happened – but we did leave Tracy’s house and move to our new host homes. It’s kind of nice not having 15 people all together in one house, but at the same time, it was fun being all together all the time. Allie, Lisa, and I are in the same host home now; the family we’re living with has four teenage daughters living at home. We watched Father of the Bride last night, and it was so much fun; we can already tell that it’s going to be awesome.

Today, we sang at St. Andrew’s Cathedral in downtown Sydney near Darling Harbour. We led the worship for St. Jude Anglican’s healing service, which is basically a prayer service where they worship, listen to a short message, and lay hands on people and pray. Most of the people in attendance looked like they had walked straight off the streets, and many were elderly; I met one lady who was 92 years old. All of them, however, seemed loving and enthusiastic about the Lord. We arrived at the church in the morning, and ended up doing nothing except climbing (technically illegally) into the bell tower – a very cool experience. The stairway leading up to it was TINY, and the spirals seemed to never end. 

Basically, we had the entire day to kill – we didn’t have to be back for sound check until 4:30 in the afternoon. Danny (our bus driver) took us to Darling Harbour, where there are lots of shops and a few museums. Aaron, Hope, and I just hung out in the mall all day – we read for a while, ate gelato, bought sweatshirts, and drank coffee. It was relaxing and fun. I already talked about the service, so I suppose I’m done talking about today… the only other thing that happened was that the church bought us pizza and we (like the vultures we are) scarfed it all down in about ten minutes.

So, we’re having a good time. Can’t believe it’s coming to an end soon! I’m intent on coming back here someday. But, it’ll be nice to home.

The Longest Australia Post Ever

The sad part about mission trips is that once exciting things start to happen, the time available to write about those events disappears. Since four days have gone by since I’ve written anything at all, and now six days have passed since I’ve posted, we’re going to resort to bullet points and photo captions to document experiences in no particular order. Enjoy!

First, I have to introduce you to my host family. Paul and Fiona have four kids – Tim is 17, Joel is 15, Keren is 13, and Alyssa is 10. Tim is a prankster, and always laughing; Joel is more quiet and is also a fantastic cook. Keren is sensible and girly, but her tomboy side shows itself every once in a while. Alyssa is so much fun – very generous and all-around cute. She reminds Sarah and I of Lucy from Chronicles of Narnia.

L to R: Tim, Keren, Alyssa, Fiona, Paul, and Sarah. Joel was working at the restaurant tonight.

I may have mentioned that food in Australia is expensive. Even though this is true, Sarah and I have discovered that it is often worth the money. The next several paragraphs are all about Australian food.. it pretty much puts America to shame. Paul and Fiona took us to a café for lunch earlier this week, and everything was delicious and surprisingly fancy. The table we sat at was outside, and would have been a little chilly had it not been for the heater suspended above our heads. This is a picture of our drinks… totally classy. Interesting fact - when you order coffee in Australia, you don't order just coffee. You choose between a latte, a cappuccino, etc; brewed coffee is not very popular.

Dampers. Dampers are rolls of dough that you wrap around a stick and hold over a campfire (or in our case, a woodstove) to bake it. After the bread is done, you put butter, honey, or jam into the hole where the stick was. Simple and delicious.

Believe it or not, pumpkin is a popular vegetable here in Australia, just like peppers, tomatoes, or zucchini. So far, my Aussie family has made pumpkin soup and a pasta with pumpkin sauce – similar in composition to a homemade marinara sauce. As Paul, my host dad, would say: “Scrumptious!”

Nomming my first Tim-Tam!!

Tim Tams: Australia’s Oreo. They’re chocolate covered “biscuits” (cookies) with a layer of chocolate fudge in the middle. Just like many Americans typically dunk our Oreos in milk, Aussies enjoy “snorting” Tim Tams. Just bite off two opposite corners and suck liquid through. I’ll let you imagine what happens next – it can get messy.

I’m considering moving to Australia for the carrot cake. It is extremely popular here, and is always SO GOOD.

Americans eat raisins; Australians eat raisins, sultanas and currents. All three are made from grapes, although my opinion is that raisins are the worst of the bunch. The other day, we were served muffins with sultanas inside. Yum.

McDonalds, called “Macky’s” by the locals, is so much classier than American McDonald’s. Just take a look. They also have food that American McDonald’s don’t have yet – like chicken McWings and McBites. Unfortunately, as I've said, food is expensive in Australia – it costs at least seven or eight dollars for even a small meal.

Aussie McDonalds

SO MUCH tea time. I'm pretty sure I have been on a constant caffeine high since arriving down under. We were offered tea and coffee three times on Monday - once at the school we sang at the the morning, once after lunch at the church, and once at the nursing home we visited later. I could get used to it.

__________________________________________________________

Now to talk about some of the other things we’ve done here in Australia. The Victoria markets in downtown Melbourne have EVERYTHING. You can find authentic (and not-so-authentic) boomerangs  and didgeridoos, homemade candy, t-shirts, jewelry, and even change purses made of kangaroo scrotum. No, I’m not kidding. They also have a section of fresh produce and a truck selling the most delicious hot jam doughnuts you have ever tasted.

Pucker your lips and give it a shot / Didgeri-didgeri-doo. For those of you didn’t catch the Cinderella reference and/or are unfamiliar with the didgeridoo, read on. A didgeridoo is an instrument fashioned from a tree branch with a tube in the middle that makes a low, mostly-singular-pitch drone sound when you vibrate your lips inside the hole. The tube in authentic didgeridoos is made by termites rather than with manmade tools, creating a more wholesome sound. Beginning players can only play a note for as long as they can hold their breath, but talented players who have been didgeridoo-ing for years have generally mastered the technique of circular breathing (in through the nose, out through the mouth) and can play one continuous tone. Aaron and Sarah both bought didgeridoos at the markets, and our host family owns one as well. It is harder to play than it looks; but hey – it’s fun.

Paul and Fiona took Sarah and I (along with Alyssa and her friend Trinity) to the Werribee Mansion. The mansion itself is an old, well, mansion decorated to its historical period and furnished just the way it was way back then. The grounds surrounding the mansion are beautiful; Paul and Fiona actually had their wedding there. After we went to the mansion, we went to a place called Serendip Sanctuary where Sarah and I saw our first kangaroo - exciting, even though it was from quite a distance. Little did we know that we would be hanging out with kangaroos later in the week...

The view from the top of Werribee Mansion

Allie and Ali’s host, Annisa, plays in a rec league for an Aussie sport called netball. Netball is essentially a cross between basketball and ultimate Frisbee; the goals are basketball hoops with no backboard, and you are not allowed to move while holding the ball. The players also wear short pleated skirts instead of shorts like an American basketball team would. Even though we weren’t sure of all the rules, we still had loads of fun cheering. GO PINK!

Have you ever felt like you’re living in a movie? The other night felt like that. The young adult ministry at Suburban is quite active, so we've made some good friends here in Melbourne. Five of us from the OneVoice group met a few of our Aussie friends and hung out in a jacuzzi on someone’s covered porch for a few hours. We almost froze when we got out, but the cold was so worth it. 

We sang at a nursing home earlier this week. I’m never quite sure what to do at nursing homes, because conversing with the elderly for long periods of time is not my cup of tea. I fumble through awkward silences and am never sure what to say, what they are saying, or how much of what I say they understand. But I LOVE singing for them. Most nursing home residents are familiar with old hymns – Darris sang a medley that totally blew me away – and any music coming out of our mouths brings a smile to their face. God always uses those situations to teach me that even little things can bring joy, despite initial discomfort.

Oh my goodness. Kangaroos. We went to a wildlife reserve to see some Australian animals – emus, koalas, wombats, kangaroos, and more. I expected a zoo setup, where the animals are behind a fence curled up sleeping as far away from the people zone as possible. This was not the case, particularly with the kangaroos. Kanga, Roo, and all their friends were roaming free around the park. You could pet them, feed them, and just hang out with them – which is exactly what we did.

Australian countryside is beautiful. The oldest boy in my host family, Tim, is on his way to receiving his pilot’s license. When we picked him up from the airfield one day this week, I could not believe how beautiful the sky looked. The sunset and the silhouettes of the trees looked like a screenshot straight out of Lion King.

Manual cars are popular here in Australia; I have met only a few who drive an automatic. One such car owner, Ab (one of the college students at Suburban Baptist) was kind enough to allow Aaron, Sarah, and I to drive his car and get “experience” driving on the left side of the road. Everything is mirrored, including the position of the windshield wipers and turn signal levers. Most roads have traffic circles instead of traffic lights or four-way stops, cutting down on traffic backups. Some Australian side streets also have “traffic islands,” arched medians which act as speed bumps by forcing you to drive in a tight curve. I’ll try to remember to take a picture of one.

Aaron driving Ab's car!

On Wednesday night, the OneVoice group helped out with Suburban Baptist’s childrens and youth programs. I was assigned to the kids, and had a blast. We played a game called “Indians-Tepees-Campfires” that involves teams of three and running in a circle. I was on Alyssa’s team, which was great fun. The OneVoicers who were there also led some songs – namely I Am A C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N, Father Abraham, and the Spongebob theme song. After that, we played an epic game in the gym (which doubles as their sanctuary); the lights were off and you had to crawl on the floor to retrieve items that got points for your team without being caught by the flashlights or hit with the huge glow-in-the-dark balls. Taylor, Wayne, and I all had sore knees and dusty clothes by the time it was over, but we had a good time. After that, the kids learned about the story of Noah over carrot sticks and cheese. They asked lots of good questions, and we all amazingly attentive. It was a good time.

Thursday afternoon, I went shopping at the High Point mall with Brittany, Charmaine, and our Aussie friend Natasha. One of the stores there is called Cotton On, where all their products – shirts, shoes, dresses, scarves, etc. – are all made of cotton. I found a jacket, which I’m quite excited about.

Thursday night, part of our group played basketball with some college students from the church hosting us. It was Olympic style – USA v. AU – and so much fun. It really reminded me of how much I miss playing. Some of the girls also played Pacman tag (line tag) on the other side of the gym; can we say flashbacks to fifth grade? Speaking of flashbacks to fifth grade, we had a few hours to kill and spent it playing on a playground by the beach area in South Werribee. Something about college students and playground equipment just clicks.

Friday was our day at the Great Ocean Road. The Great Ocean Road is essentially a scenic route along the Australian coastline with stopping points to get out and walk around. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves; I have never seen scenery so beautiful.

Friday night, Sarah and I went out with Brandon and Wayne to downtown Melbourne. Our original intent was to go to a jazz festival Wayne had heard about, but it cost a whopping $22 to get into the club. Brandon’s plan B was sushi; I had never had it before, so I was excited! We found a Japanese café, split two rolls of sushi, and followed up with coffee and chai at Starbucks. We found our way back to the train station, and after a little exploring and a run-in with a homeless women, we hopped on the train back to Werribee. Our first night out on the town in a foreign country: success.

Today (Saturday), we sang at Werribee Plaza (a mall). We arrived and set up all our equipment, only to be told as soon as we were finished to move everything to a different part of the mall. As Charmaine and I said, flexibility… flexibility. Lots of people stopped to watch; we were there all day long and performed three sets of music. It was a good time.

The students at one of the schools we sang at made cards for us!! This is my favorite one.

Saturday night, Justin encouraged us all to stay at our host homes to hang out and minister. Sarah and I decided it was time to bring a little taste of America into our Aussie household, so we bought the ingredients to make s’mores and made them over the woodstove. Australian grocery stores do not carry graham crackers or Hershey bars, but we found substitutes that tasted pretty close! And what can I say – they loved them.

Time to wrap it up... we found out that we are officially singing at Hillsong church next week when we are in Sydney. We also found out that all nineteen of us will likely be staying in the same house, at least for a few days. This trip is flying by so fast, and so much happens every single day. We only have one more day in Melbourne, yet it feels like we just arrived. God has been doing great things; please pray for his continued protection and guidance!

To round it off, here’s some Aussie slang for you…

• University = Uni
• Hoodie = Jumper
• Gasoline = Petrol
• Take-out / to go (food) = Take-away
• Napkin = Serviette