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.
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