I feel like I need to put this blog to rest...
I closed the Australia chapter of my life. But at the same time, it's pretty hard to let every part of that experience slide to the back of my mind. Today when I was unpacking/cleaning my room (which I've been doing for the past two weeks and am just now nearing the end of it,) I found my notebook from Australia. I usually don't keep a planner, so I just carry around a notebook that I scribble in whenever I need to remember something. It's full of to-do lists and phone numbers, dates, little memorabilia from places I've been, budgets, etc. It is basically my entire life stuffed in a notebook. In this case, it was a little green notebook, which is now outside stuffed in the overflowing "rubbish bin" on the curb. Adieu, adieu, adieu...
In other news, wedding planning is going well, I just finished registering for the classes I'll be taking in the fall, and I'm finally starting to settle in at home. My room is almost in livable condition, although it will be sad to part with the guest room bed...
I'm not working yet, but I'll start after labor day weekend. In the meantime, I'm playing House Elf, cooking and cleaning for my parents and basically being their personal slave. This month is really crazy for both of them at work, so I'm more than happy to help out. Perhaps the domestic goddess side of me will stick around for a while.
Well, theres my measly update, I'll write more soon - perhaps once I think of a new name for my blog.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Home and Away
I'm finally back in the states, and have been for about a week now.
Naturally I came home with a sinus infection and nasty cold, probably caused by the freezing cold New Zealand weather and the stress of coming home. This past week has gone by way too quickly. I was looking forward to relaxing and spending time catching up with friends and with Jon. Instead, I ended up spending way too much time wedding planning with my mother, that and sleeping. Obviously I needed the rest since I was sick, but I just saw the week slipping away and now it's Saturday and I'm leaving again for another week. I should be loading the car right about now, but I'm not even packed. The thought of putting my life in a suitcase again, even if it's only for a week, makes me want to cry. I'm not ready to travel again, I just want to be comfortable and home and with my family.
This week has been draining. Jon has been here and it's been a struggle learning how to allow him into my life again. I got so used to being completely independent. I'm not used to being hugged and cuddled and it's weird having that again so suddenly. I'm starting to get comfortable again, but I guess I was expecting my Australia barrier to be more emotional than physical, and it was in fact the opposite.
So today I'm heading to my cabin in Central Oregon, and then over to Black Butte tomorrow. I'll be there until Friday, then Jon and I will head back to the Portland area for a wedding. I'm really looking forward to vacation, although I'm a little stressed. It's really hard to let people cook for me, especially after all the issues I had with my host mom and food in Australia. I also don't know several of the couples who will be there, and as it turns out, I can be pretty shy when first meeting people. I would love to just stay home and rest, but I need a vacation as well. I love Black Butte so much and it will be wonderful just to enjoy nature and peace and quite for a week. I'm a little bummed that they don't allow fireworks though :(
Well, off to try and pack.
-Kristin
Naturally I came home with a sinus infection and nasty cold, probably caused by the freezing cold New Zealand weather and the stress of coming home. This past week has gone by way too quickly. I was looking forward to relaxing and spending time catching up with friends and with Jon. Instead, I ended up spending way too much time wedding planning with my mother, that and sleeping. Obviously I needed the rest since I was sick, but I just saw the week slipping away and now it's Saturday and I'm leaving again for another week. I should be loading the car right about now, but I'm not even packed. The thought of putting my life in a suitcase again, even if it's only for a week, makes me want to cry. I'm not ready to travel again, I just want to be comfortable and home and with my family.
This week has been draining. Jon has been here and it's been a struggle learning how to allow him into my life again. I got so used to being completely independent. I'm not used to being hugged and cuddled and it's weird having that again so suddenly. I'm starting to get comfortable again, but I guess I was expecting my Australia barrier to be more emotional than physical, and it was in fact the opposite.
So today I'm heading to my cabin in Central Oregon, and then over to Black Butte tomorrow. I'll be there until Friday, then Jon and I will head back to the Portland area for a wedding. I'm really looking forward to vacation, although I'm a little stressed. It's really hard to let people cook for me, especially after all the issues I had with my host mom and food in Australia. I also don't know several of the couples who will be there, and as it turns out, I can be pretty shy when first meeting people. I would love to just stay home and rest, but I need a vacation as well. I love Black Butte so much and it will be wonderful just to enjoy nature and peace and quite for a week. I'm a little bummed that they don't allow fireworks though :(
Well, off to try and pack.
-Kristin
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Lasts
Today was a day of lasts...
The last time I rode the bus. The last time I went to Pancakes. The last time I saw the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. The last time I got coffee at my favorite stand. The last time I went to Market City. The last time I saw Newtown. The last time I went out with Gail and Tinga. And the saddest part, it was the last night Sarah and I walked to Burwood and back. I'm going to miss her.
And now is the last time I will be sitting at this table... in this living room... at this apartment... it is my last night in Sydney and I'm heartbroken to be saying goodbye to all the things I have begun to love so dearly.
In less than 12 hours I will be leaving this city. Perhaps forever. It's so bittersweet.
The last time I rode the bus. The last time I went to Pancakes. The last time I saw the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. The last time I got coffee at my favorite stand. The last time I went to Market City. The last time I saw Newtown. The last time I went out with Gail and Tinga. And the saddest part, it was the last night Sarah and I walked to Burwood and back. I'm going to miss her.
And now is the last time I will be sitting at this table... in this living room... at this apartment... it is my last night in Sydney and I'm heartbroken to be saying goodbye to all the things I have begun to love so dearly.
In less than 12 hours I will be leaving this city. Perhaps forever. It's so bittersweet.
Sunday, June 03, 2007
How Have I Grown?
As part of our Australian Studies Program, I am required to write an 18-page critical reflection paper on what I've learned since I've been here. The paper is broken down in to two page sections, each in regards to a different unit we studied (ie - foreign policy, government and politics, hospitality, etc.). I've already started thinking about this paper, wondering what it is that I've learned, and I guess I wanted to write my own mini-reflection here to perhaps inspire my paper, as well as give myself the chance to really process how I've changed.
When I came to Australia, I expected to grow a lot closer to God.
I though I would be lonely, depressed to be away from friends and loved ones, and I'd end up spending a lot of time in the word and pursuing my relationship with God on perhaps a deeper level than I had been before this trip. My first couple weeks here, I did. I spent a lot of time reading my bible, in prayer, and just reflecting on my life and relationship with God. Then I made friends, and that faded into the background, perhaps more than it should have.
...Yet, I am leaving this place changed. Perhaps not externally, minus the few extra pounds I've packed on, but internally. The classes I've taken here have taught me more about God than I've learned in a lifetime of church. Perhaps I should have realized this earlier in my life, but the pursuance of knowledge is invaluable. To understand God in a historical, academic context lays the foundation for a stronger relationship with Him. This semester I did not grow close to God in the way I expected, but I learned an incredible amount about Him, knowledge that I will carry with me for a lifetime, and it will help me to understand the God I already love.
Anyway, that's my little blurb for the day.
Only 19 days until I'm home.
I can't believe this is almost over.
-Kristin
When I came to Australia, I expected to grow a lot closer to God.
I though I would be lonely, depressed to be away from friends and loved ones, and I'd end up spending a lot of time in the word and pursuing my relationship with God on perhaps a deeper level than I had been before this trip. My first couple weeks here, I did. I spent a lot of time reading my bible, in prayer, and just reflecting on my life and relationship with God. Then I made friends, and that faded into the background, perhaps more than it should have.
...Yet, I am leaving this place changed. Perhaps not externally, minus the few extra pounds I've packed on, but internally. The classes I've taken here have taught me more about God than I've learned in a lifetime of church. Perhaps I should have realized this earlier in my life, but the pursuance of knowledge is invaluable. To understand God in a historical, academic context lays the foundation for a stronger relationship with Him. This semester I did not grow close to God in the way I expected, but I learned an incredible amount about Him, knowledge that I will carry with me for a lifetime, and it will help me to understand the God I already love.
Anyway, that's my little blurb for the day.
Only 19 days until I'm home.
I can't believe this is almost over.
-Kristin
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
Longest Week Ever!
I have four papers due this week as well as a presentation.
Today I turned in the first two essays, one was 12 pages and the other was 6.
Tomorrow I have an 8 page paper due.
Wednesday I have a 4 pager paper due.
Friday is my presentation on Aboriginal sports.
I am so exhausted already. I haven't been sleeping much since I've been doing homework perpetually, plus I'm getting sick. Thankfully I have a caring roommate and host mum who are force feeding me orange juice and tea. Only two more days of paper writing, presentation writing on Thursday, then I'm (almost) home free!
I cannot wait to come back. I'll be on vacation for two weeks, just relaxing, catching up with friends and family, and eating lots of dark chocolate :)
Leaving here will be bittersweet, but I'm ready to go back. I only have 19 days left in Sydney, 5 days in New Zealand, and then I'LL BE HOME! I am so, so, so excited.
Today I turned in the first two essays, one was 12 pages and the other was 6.
Tomorrow I have an 8 page paper due.
Wednesday I have a 4 pager paper due.
Friday is my presentation on Aboriginal sports.
I am so exhausted already. I haven't been sleeping much since I've been doing homework perpetually, plus I'm getting sick. Thankfully I have a caring roommate and host mum who are force feeding me orange juice and tea. Only two more days of paper writing, presentation writing on Thursday, then I'm (almost) home free!
I cannot wait to come back. I'll be on vacation for two weeks, just relaxing, catching up with friends and family, and eating lots of dark chocolate :)
Leaving here will be bittersweet, but I'm ready to go back. I only have 19 days left in Sydney, 5 days in New Zealand, and then I'LL BE HOME! I am so, so, so excited.
Monday, May 21, 2007
It's been awhile...
Good Morning Friends,
I feel like I've failed miserably at blogging about my trip here. I've been busy, but that's not a great excuse for why I've been so horrible about emailing/calling/blogging/etc. I think it's just easier for me to keep a distance between myself and the people at home. It's so hard to be here and see everyone's lives continuing without me in them, so as long as I don't know what's going on, I don't feel so left out. Obviously that is such a lame excuse, and probably a bit unhealthy, but at this point I only have 32 days left here.
I'm not wishing myself home. I've made some great friendships here, and I've had a lot of amazing experiences. I know I'm going to miss Sydney a lot, and most of the people I've gotten to know while I've been here. My roommate and I have gotten really close, and I already can imagine how hard it will be to say goodbye to her. When I left home, I knew I would see everyone again when I got home. But for those friendships I've made here, I don't know when I'll see them next... pretty much everyone is from the midwest/east coast. Hopefully most of them will come to the wedding, or perhaps I'll be able to fly out there at some point next year.
Speaking of the wedding... it's so hard being across the world and wanting to plan a wedding. By the time I get home, I'll have less than 6 months to plan, which isn't impossible but it does add stress. I'm so thankful that my mother is taking her job as mother of the bride seriously. She's doing her research and without her I would be utterly clueless and a total disaster. So, thanks Ma!
Well, I have 4 papers, a presentation, and a video project due next week. So no more FUN for the next week. Wish me luck!
Love,
Kristin
Speaking of the wedding... it's so hard being across the world and wanting to plan a wedding. By the time I get home, I'll have less than 6 months to plan, which isn't impossible but it does add stress. I'm so thankful that my mother is taking her job as mother of the bride seriously. She's doing her research and without her I would be utterly clueless and a total disaster. So, thanks Ma!
Well, I have 4 papers, a presentation, and a video project due next week. So no more FUN for the next week. Wish me luck!
Love,
Kristin
Monday, May 07, 2007
I'm ENGAGED!
Hi Mom and Dad,
And whoever else is reading this :)
Jon flew across the world, to Australia, to surprise me and PROPOSE!
Here are the pictures of the magical moment, naturally I'm still freaking out a little bit. I'm getting married!
When he started to get all mushy...
Then he dropped to one knee...
Professed his undying love for me...
Asked me to spend the rest of my life with him...
And naturally I said YES! And cried for a little bit :)
Here is the ring... he picked it out with NO HELP!
I am so happy right now! My best friend just asked me to be his WIFE.
PLUS Jon is here for a week, so he gets to meet all my friends and see Sydney! I just hope I can get all my homework done!
And whoever else is reading this :)
Jon flew across the world, to Australia, to surprise me and PROPOSE!
Here are the pictures of the magical moment, naturally I'm still freaking out a little bit. I'm getting married!
When he started to get all mushy...
Then he dropped to one knee...
Professed his undying love for me...
Asked me to spend the rest of my life with him...
And naturally I said YES! And cried for a little bit :)
Here is the ring... he picked it out with NO HELP!
I am so happy right now! My best friend just asked me to be his WIFE.
PLUS Jon is here for a week, so he gets to meet all my friends and see Sydney! I just hope I can get all my homework done!
Friday, May 04, 2007
Monday, April 23, 2007
RAIN
I cannot begin to describe the rain here, I've never seen anything like it...
Imagine jumping under a waterfall everytime you step outside.
Now is when I wish I owned an umbrella...
Imagine jumping under a waterfall everytime you step outside.
Now is when I wish I owned an umbrella...
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Update
Well, I guess an update is due, as I haven't written a whole lot on here for the past couple weeks.
I left off with my trip to Cairns. I headed up there with 8 other ASC kids, where we rented this sweet apartment on the beach for the week. The two major things we did while in Cairns (pronounced Cans) were hike through the rain forest in Kuranda (and saw the Barron Falls), and snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef. Both things were just amazing testimonies to the beauty of God's creation.
The week after was the Bush Trip - which I already wrote a bit about and posted some photos, so no need to write more about that. Although I will say that my camera broke on that trip, so if you're wondering why there haven't been any pictures lately, thats why. I ended up buying a new one this week, as I know pictures from this trip will be so valuable to me later.
This week has been fairly uneventful. SAPC is here from the states, and they are basically reviewing our program and deciding if they want to continue accrediting it for the CCCU. SAPC is a group of administrators from different CCCU colleges throughout the US. While they are here they interview ASC students, professors, host parents, Wesley students, etc to get a general idea of what goes on here. Tonight the SAPC people came and talked to me at my service project, which was cool - although they got there right as dinner was being served, which is the busiest time for me. So I was running amok throughout the kitchen trying to get dinner out and let them interview me at the same time. Tomorrow night Sarah, Michelle, and I are talking a few of the SAPC people out to dinner, and then on Saturday morning they are coming over to our apartment to interview us and Gail and just see how our living conditions are. Perhaps I'll clean my room before then....
PS - Mom, thanks for the chocolate bunny. It's fantastic and I've missed dark chocolate.
Tomorrow in class we are having a panel of Aboriginal adults come in to talk about what their lives were like as part of the "stolen generation." Basically, aboriginal children were taken away from their parents between 1910-1970, put into camps, taught the ways of the white man, and then sold or adopted into white families, in hopes of eventually eliminating the aboriginal population. The idea behind it all was that aboriginals would have kids with white people, whose kids would have kids with whites, until eventually their aboriginal blood was compleltly diluted and they appeared to be "normal." Essentially, the stolen generation was a small holocaust, except most of the kids didn't die. They just suffered extreme identity loss, abuse, and were denied an education. Anyway, sorry for the random tangent, it's just really interesting/tragic and I'm looking forward to hearing some first hand experiences of what it was like growing up in that kind of environment.
Well, it's 9:15 here and I'm already exhausted. This morning I went to the beach, relaxed, and then booked it to Newtown. I spent 5 hours in the kitchen cooking dinner. It was so tiring, but as always, I enjoyed my time there.
I love you all and am looking forward to coming home. And in case you're wondering, it's 66 days away :)
Love,
Kristin
I left off with my trip to Cairns. I headed up there with 8 other ASC kids, where we rented this sweet apartment on the beach for the week. The two major things we did while in Cairns (pronounced Cans) were hike through the rain forest in Kuranda (and saw the Barron Falls), and snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef. Both things were just amazing testimonies to the beauty of God's creation.
The week after was the Bush Trip - which I already wrote a bit about and posted some photos, so no need to write more about that. Although I will say that my camera broke on that trip, so if you're wondering why there haven't been any pictures lately, thats why. I ended up buying a new one this week, as I know pictures from this trip will be so valuable to me later.
This week has been fairly uneventful. SAPC is here from the states, and they are basically reviewing our program and deciding if they want to continue accrediting it for the CCCU. SAPC is a group of administrators from different CCCU colleges throughout the US. While they are here they interview ASC students, professors, host parents, Wesley students, etc to get a general idea of what goes on here. Tonight the SAPC people came and talked to me at my service project, which was cool - although they got there right as dinner was being served, which is the busiest time for me. So I was running amok throughout the kitchen trying to get dinner out and let them interview me at the same time. Tomorrow night Sarah, Michelle, and I are talking a few of the SAPC people out to dinner, and then on Saturday morning they are coming over to our apartment to interview us and Gail and just see how our living conditions are. Perhaps I'll clean my room before then....
PS - Mom, thanks for the chocolate bunny. It's fantastic and I've missed dark chocolate.
Tomorrow in class we are having a panel of Aboriginal adults come in to talk about what their lives were like as part of the "stolen generation." Basically, aboriginal children were taken away from their parents between 1910-1970, put into camps, taught the ways of the white man, and then sold or adopted into white families, in hopes of eventually eliminating the aboriginal population. The idea behind it all was that aboriginals would have kids with white people, whose kids would have kids with whites, until eventually their aboriginal blood was compleltly diluted and they appeared to be "normal." Essentially, the stolen generation was a small holocaust, except most of the kids didn't die. They just suffered extreme identity loss, abuse, and were denied an education. Anyway, sorry for the random tangent, it's just really interesting/tragic and I'm looking forward to hearing some first hand experiences of what it was like growing up in that kind of environment.
Well, it's 9:15 here and I'm already exhausted. This morning I went to the beach, relaxed, and then booked it to Newtown. I spent 5 hours in the kitchen cooking dinner. It was so tiring, but as always, I enjoyed my time there.
I love you all and am looking forward to coming home. And in case you're wondering, it's 66 days away :)
Love,
Kristin
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Friday, April 13, 2007
The Bush
Well, I just spent the last four days at a camp in "The Bush," learning about Aboriginal culture and spirituality and whatnot.
Highlight: Painting my body and dancing around a fire while chanting.
I never wrote about Cairns - lame. But if you really want to know how amazing the Great Barrier Reef was, just ask me :)
Anyways, I just wanted to let everyone know I'm still alive and FINALLY back in Sydney for an extended amount of time. Perhaps I'll actually get some homework done now...
Highlight: Painting my body and dancing around a fire while chanting.
I never wrote about Cairns - lame. But if you really want to know how amazing the Great Barrier Reef was, just ask me :)
Anyways, I just wanted to let everyone know I'm still alive and FINALLY back in Sydney for an extended amount of time. Perhaps I'll actually get some homework done now...
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Back in Sydney!
So I'm finally back in Sydney! I just spend the last 8 days in Brisbane and Cairns, which was pretty amazing. Here is a brief summary of my trip:
Last Saturday we took a night train from Sydney to Brisbane. It was a 14 hour ride on a freezing cold and rather uncomfortable train, but we made it to Brisbane in one piece. Once we got to the transit center there, we waiting around for an hour because a shuttle from the hostel was supposed to pick us up. The shuttle never showed, so we piled into a cab and got to the hostel that way. Once at the hostel, we couldn't check in because it was too early, so we hopped in the showers, checked our bags into the office, and headed off to do our own things for the day. Most of the group went to the Australia Zoo, which is where Steve Irwin used to work. Derek and I decided to stay behind and explore Morton Bay (the area we were staying at) and just hang out for the day. We ended up having a fantastic time just relaxing, watching movies, making food, etc. Here is a picture of Derek and I in front of the boys room (each room in the hostel was music themed... I stayed in the Pop room.)
The next day we all headed to Surfers Paradise, which is supposed to be one of the best surfing beaches in Australia. It was really beautiful on the beach (although there was a tsunami warning when we were there). Here are a few pictures from Surfers Paradise....
The next day we flew from Brisbane to Cairns! But in order to avoid boring you to death, I will write about Cairns tomorrow.
Happy Easter!
Last Saturday we took a night train from Sydney to Brisbane. It was a 14 hour ride on a freezing cold and rather uncomfortable train, but we made it to Brisbane in one piece. Once we got to the transit center there, we waiting around for an hour because a shuttle from the hostel was supposed to pick us up. The shuttle never showed, so we piled into a cab and got to the hostel that way. Once at the hostel, we couldn't check in because it was too early, so we hopped in the showers, checked our bags into the office, and headed off to do our own things for the day. Most of the group went to the Australia Zoo, which is where Steve Irwin used to work. Derek and I decided to stay behind and explore Morton Bay (the area we were staying at) and just hang out for the day. We ended up having a fantastic time just relaxing, watching movies, making food, etc. Here is a picture of Derek and I in front of the boys room (each room in the hostel was music themed... I stayed in the Pop room.)
The next day we all headed to Surfers Paradise, which is supposed to be one of the best surfing beaches in Australia. It was really beautiful on the beach (although there was a tsunami warning when we were there). Here are a few pictures from Surfers Paradise....
The next day we flew from Brisbane to Cairns! But in order to avoid boring you to death, I will write about Cairns tomorrow.
Happy Easter!
Thursday, March 29, 2007
Late Night Homework Session
I have a debate due in 5 hours... ah!
Naturally, I've waited until the last second to finish writing/memorizing my parts, and now I'm in a total state of panic. Australia has not been good for my work ethic. Everyone here is so laid back about things, so I always procrastinate until the last possible moment. In this case, I'm staying up all night writing a debate I should have had ready weeks ago.
So what is this debate for? Our class is going to Parliament tomorrow for a tour and we have to speak there! Ah! My topic covers why the United States is responsible for bringing democracy to countries that are currently under dictatorships. Ugh.
Enough school talk, in less than 48 hours I will be boarding a train headed to Brisbane, and I won't be back for 8 days - so next week, don't expect any updates.
In the meantime, know that I am having an amazing time. I am absolutely homesick, but I'm making the best of my time here.
Love,
Kristin
Naturally, I've waited until the last second to finish writing/memorizing my parts, and now I'm in a total state of panic. Australia has not been good for my work ethic. Everyone here is so laid back about things, so I always procrastinate until the last possible moment. In this case, I'm staying up all night writing a debate I should have had ready weeks ago.
So what is this debate for? Our class is going to Parliament tomorrow for a tour and we have to speak there! Ah! My topic covers why the United States is responsible for bringing democracy to countries that are currently under dictatorships. Ugh.
Enough school talk, in less than 48 hours I will be boarding a train headed to Brisbane, and I won't be back for 8 days - so next week, don't expect any updates.
In the meantime, know that I am having an amazing time. I am absolutely homesick, but I'm making the best of my time here.
Love,
Kristin
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Easter!
Lori, Darin, Spencer and Brandon!
Hi Everyone! I just got your care package (unexpected I must add) yesterday. Thank you so much for thinking about me on easter! It was so sweet of you, and of course I love the candy.
Here is a picture of Julie and I having a bubble-blowing contest with the gum you sent! (I won.)
And for everyone else, I'll be gone in Cairns until Easter, so if I don't talk to you before then, HAPPY EASTER!
Hi Everyone! I just got your care package (unexpected I must add) yesterday. Thank you so much for thinking about me on easter! It was so sweet of you, and of course I love the candy.
Here is a picture of Julie and I having a bubble-blowing contest with the gum you sent! (I won.)
And for everyone else, I'll be gone in Cairns until Easter, so if I don't talk to you before then, HAPPY EASTER!
Monday, March 26, 2007
Travel
Big News!
This Saturday, I'm taking a train from Sydney to Brisbane (14 hours) with several close friends from the ASC group. We'll be there until Tuesday (stay in a hostel on the beach), then we hop a plane from Brisbane to CAIRNS where we'll spend another 5 days at the GREAT BARRIER REEF! We rented a sweet apartment on the beach, so we can cook for ourselves and have an awesome view. But basically, I am so excited.
Spring Break - here I come!
This Saturday, I'm taking a train from Sydney to Brisbane (14 hours) with several close friends from the ASC group. We'll be there until Tuesday (stay in a hostel on the beach), then we hop a plane from Brisbane to CAIRNS where we'll spend another 5 days at the GREAT BARRIER REEF! We rented a sweet apartment on the beach, so we can cook for ourselves and have an awesome view. But basically, I am so excited.
Spring Break - here I come!
Monday, March 19, 2007
I was talking to Jon today and he told me that my blog is lame because I only ever write about what I'm doing, and usually it's so outdated it is no longer relevant. I guess for people I talk to frequently, that's true, but what about everyone who I can't really get in contact with while I'm here? Anyways, I'll try and talk more about emotions in this entry, just so everyone can know what's really going during my time here. I'm beginning to realize it's about what you're learning from your experiences, not the experiences themselves.
Before I spill my guts... here are the links to some of my Australia photos.
The links are in order of most recent to the oldest. So, go check them out!
http://spu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019514&l=b6ee4&id=42900138
http://spu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019150&l=b6676&id=42900138
http://spu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2018825&l=5ab95&id=42900138
http://spu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2018607&l=14317&id=42900138
Now... some food for thought. I'm reading this book right now called The God of the Covenant. It's always cool to read scripture based books, as regardless of the topic of the book, you always can pull something out of it and apply it to your life. While reading this book tonight, something really stood out to me... "The ethical quality of life of the people of God is the vital link between their calling and their mission. There is no mission without ethics. "
The current discussion going on amongst the ASC group has been about integrity and ethical decisions that we all have to make. As Christians, we are asked to make the decision that will bring the most glory to God.
It has been really interesting being here, as I'm starting to realize how different Christianity looks to different people. All 25 of us are Christians, but we come from such different backgrounds. Our core beliefs line up, but the way we live our lives and the specific convictions we posess are all so unique. It's easy not to talk about our faith with one another, but I'm starting to realize that in order to have real Christian community, we need to be able to communicate openly with one another about our lives and the way we live it and why. There are a lot of people here from the Weslyan tradition - who aren't allowed to dance or gamble or even look at alcohol. I don't exactly know where I'm going with this point... basically, I'm just trying to say that I'm learning something here. Faith is personal to everyone, and to not discuss it takes away from the richness of friendships. It is too easy to assume that everyones Christianity looks like your own, and by doing that you are closing off the possibility of deep friendship and understanding of what makes up a person.
To try and wrap up my random train of thought... I guess I'm just starting to realize that people need to figure out their own ethics and own up to them. I think a lot of younger Christians have yet to discover the difference between their church's doctrine and scripture itself. For those that have grown up in the same church their whole lives, it is easy to know what is "right" for your church body, and assume that it is exactly what all Christianity should look like. I feel encouraged to explore the idea of Christian ethics, putting aside what I know about them already, and dig into the scripture to understand the way God wants us to live our lives. Like my book was talking about, without having a solid ethical background, it is much harder to hear God and to understand his calling for your life.
So... what a perfect time to seek God more wholly.
Anyway, I'm having a great time. I feel like I'm learning so much about God. But not only that, I'm getting to know my friends and myself on a much deeper level. Being on the other side of the world allows for an amazing oppertunity to open the lines of communication so much more. I miss everyone and only 96 days until I come home :)
I love you and please let me know how I can be praying for you!
Love,
Kristin
Before I spill my guts... here are the links to some of my Australia photos.
The links are in order of most recent to the oldest. So, go check them out!
http://spu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019514&l=b6ee4&id=42900138
http://spu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2019150&l=b6676&id=42900138
http://spu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2018825&l=5ab95&id=42900138
http://spu.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2018607&l=14317&id=42900138
Now... some food for thought. I'm reading this book right now called The God of the Covenant. It's always cool to read scripture based books, as regardless of the topic of the book, you always can pull something out of it and apply it to your life. While reading this book tonight, something really stood out to me... "The ethical quality of life of the people of God is the vital link between their calling and their mission. There is no mission without ethics. "
The current discussion going on amongst the ASC group has been about integrity and ethical decisions that we all have to make. As Christians, we are asked to make the decision that will bring the most glory to God.
It has been really interesting being here, as I'm starting to realize how different Christianity looks to different people. All 25 of us are Christians, but we come from such different backgrounds. Our core beliefs line up, but the way we live our lives and the specific convictions we posess are all so unique. It's easy not to talk about our faith with one another, but I'm starting to realize that in order to have real Christian community, we need to be able to communicate openly with one another about our lives and the way we live it and why. There are a lot of people here from the Weslyan tradition - who aren't allowed to dance or gamble or even look at alcohol. I don't exactly know where I'm going with this point... basically, I'm just trying to say that I'm learning something here. Faith is personal to everyone, and to not discuss it takes away from the richness of friendships. It is too easy to assume that everyones Christianity looks like your own, and by doing that you are closing off the possibility of deep friendship and understanding of what makes up a person.
To try and wrap up my random train of thought... I guess I'm just starting to realize that people need to figure out their own ethics and own up to them. I think a lot of younger Christians have yet to discover the difference between their church's doctrine and scripture itself. For those that have grown up in the same church their whole lives, it is easy to know what is "right" for your church body, and assume that it is exactly what all Christianity should look like. I feel encouraged to explore the idea of Christian ethics, putting aside what I know about them already, and dig into the scripture to understand the way God wants us to live our lives. Like my book was talking about, without having a solid ethical background, it is much harder to hear God and to understand his calling for your life.
So... what a perfect time to seek God more wholly.
Anyway, I'm having a great time. I feel like I'm learning so much about God. But not only that, I'm getting to know my friends and myself on a much deeper level. Being on the other side of the world allows for an amazing oppertunity to open the lines of communication so much more. I miss everyone and only 96 days until I come home :)
I love you and please let me know how I can be praying for you!
Love,
Kristin
Friday, March 16, 2007
Here are a few pictures.... I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've been running amok around the city. Tonight, I took a 4 hour nap and just relaxed and wow, I feel so much better. Things are starting to settle down here, I feel more at home, but it's hard being away from the people you love for so long. I really miss everyone :( But I am in Sydney, so that's cool.
This is Town Hall.
Yes, this is us doing homework on the steps of the Opera House.
Tyler, Sarah, and I at the bus stop.
I tripped down a step. My knee is currently swollen and bruised. This picture does it no justice. (But don't worry mom, I'm fine!)
This is Town Hall.
Yes, this is us doing homework on the steps of the Opera House.
Tyler, Sarah, and I at the bus stop.
I tripped down a step. My knee is currently swollen and bruised. This picture does it no justice. (But don't worry mom, I'm fine!)
Monday, March 12, 2007
PS
If you want to get in touch with me, but don't want/don't know how to post a comment on my blog, my e-mail address is kirkk@spu.edu.
That is all :)
That is all :)
Sunday, March 11, 2007
It's Business Time
I guess I haven't been very good about updating this week. It's been a little crazy, classes are starting to pick up quite a bit. And of course I've been frolicking about the city, not doing homework when I should...
So, the highlights of my week include, but are not limited to -
1.) Camping at Coogee beach. It's pretty much the most beautiful beach I've ever been to. We got there at about 8:00 on Wednesday night, and fell asleep on a grassy knoll around 1 am. Then at 5 AM we were rudely awakened by a torrential downpour. I guess next time I'll check the weather first... but it was a lot of fun! I've never really camped out under the stars, but since I've been here I've done it 4 times! At 5 we ran with our sleeping bags over our heads to a random gazebo and slept on picnic tables there until we could catch a bus back to the city.
2.) Newtown Mission. I love serving people. I was a little worried about being placed at a homeless mission, not knowing what to expect, but I'm starting to get to know the people I serve every week and they all have amazing stories! This past week Jess and I were appointed head chefs - so now we get to do all the cooking on Thursday nights :) That's pretty sweet if you ask me.
3.) Friday night. I went dancing with a few of the girls from our program. It was pretty fun, but I don't think the whole dancing thing is really my scene. I'd prefer to watch a movie and play cribbage :) The weekends here make me a little homesick. I used to always look forward to Saturdays because it was the time when Jon and I got to hang out.
Anyways, I wrote postcards this week, so I'm putting them in the mail tomorrow. I hope I didn't leave anyone off - Ingy, if you're reading this, I need your address!
You're prayers are always appreciated, and let me know if there is any way I can be praying for you as well.
Love,
Kristin
So, the highlights of my week include, but are not limited to -
1.) Camping at Coogee beach. It's pretty much the most beautiful beach I've ever been to. We got there at about 8:00 on Wednesday night, and fell asleep on a grassy knoll around 1 am. Then at 5 AM we were rudely awakened by a torrential downpour. I guess next time I'll check the weather first... but it was a lot of fun! I've never really camped out under the stars, but since I've been here I've done it 4 times! At 5 we ran with our sleeping bags over our heads to a random gazebo and slept on picnic tables there until we could catch a bus back to the city.
2.) Newtown Mission. I love serving people. I was a little worried about being placed at a homeless mission, not knowing what to expect, but I'm starting to get to know the people I serve every week and they all have amazing stories! This past week Jess and I were appointed head chefs - so now we get to do all the cooking on Thursday nights :) That's pretty sweet if you ask me.
3.) Friday night. I went dancing with a few of the girls from our program. It was pretty fun, but I don't think the whole dancing thing is really my scene. I'd prefer to watch a movie and play cribbage :) The weekends here make me a little homesick. I used to always look forward to Saturdays because it was the time when Jon and I got to hang out.
Anyways, I wrote postcards this week, so I'm putting them in the mail tomorrow. I hope I didn't leave anyone off - Ingy, if you're reading this, I need your address!
You're prayers are always appreciated, and let me know if there is any way I can be praying for you as well.
Love,
Kristin
Monday, March 05, 2007
I Survived The Outback
Well... I'm home from the Outback in one piece. Only a few minor bruises and mozzie (mosquito) bites... not to bad, eh?
So here are some things I'd like to share thus far about my Australia experience with their version of "English."
1.) I cannot understand what people are saying most of the time. They talk fast and have weird slang, so you must ask them to repeat themselves frequently. They have to use "proper English" when talking to Americans.
2.) Rhyming slang is weird. For example, they call Americans "septics" because septic tank rhymes with yank. More examples to come....
3.) If you ask where the restroom is, they will look at you funny. You must ask for the toilet.
4.) There is no such thing as a gas station, it is called a servo.
5.) Peppers do not exist. They are called capsicums. No one has ever heard of a "bell pepper."
6.) Everything here is abbreviated. It's like talking on instant messenger all of the time. Avo = Afternoon.
7.) There is no such thing as crayfish or crawdads. They are called yabbies. If you are going fishing for yabbies, it's called yabbying.
Now, on to my experience in the Outback.
We drove 8 hours west of Sydney, halfway across the state of New South Wales. Eventually we arrived at our destination, Euabalong West. We stayed on a 35,000 acre farm. Yes, that would be 35,000 acres. There were bunk houses, but most of us opted for sleeping outside under the stars. It was absolutely beautiful! The highlights of the trip included, but were not limited to...
A.) Kangaroo chasing. We took four wheel drive yutes (that would be a truck) across the property looking for 'roos. It was amazing! I think the group I went with spotted about 30 of them, and we didn't die, which was a plus as I was a bit worried about careening through a dark field at however many kilometers an hour.
B.) Sleeping under the stars. I honestly don't know if I've ever done that before... at least somewhere besides my backyard.
C.) Holding week old puppies. They were adorable and I'd never seen puppies that little before.
D.) I saw my first up close and alive cow. I've only ever driven past them at a distance. I also learned that cows come in many different colors and not all of them give milk.
E.) Seeing a sheep get sheared.
F.) The AMAZING sunsets! Here are my two favorite pictures...
The one major down fall of the trip were the crazy amount of flies! We all wore nets around to avoid getting flies in our mouths/ears/noses/etc. Here is a picture of Jennessa and I wearing our dorky fly nets!
Basically, I had a lot of new experiences this weekend, which was good. I feel a lot closer to the people on this trip. It's also sunk in that I will be living in this country for 4 months. I feel a little more at home, but I'm also beginning to realize that I eventually will get to go home to the states and back to the people I love.
Anyways, I miss all of you! My goal this week is to send out postcards - so if I didn't ask for your address before I left, and you'd like a letter from me... leave me a comment with your info :)
Talk to you soon!
Love,
Kristin
So here are some things I'd like to share thus far about my Australia experience with their version of "English."
1.) I cannot understand what people are saying most of the time. They talk fast and have weird slang, so you must ask them to repeat themselves frequently. They have to use "proper English" when talking to Americans.
2.) Rhyming slang is weird. For example, they call Americans "septics" because septic tank rhymes with yank. More examples to come....
3.) If you ask where the restroom is, they will look at you funny. You must ask for the toilet.
4.) There is no such thing as a gas station, it is called a servo.
5.) Peppers do not exist. They are called capsicums. No one has ever heard of a "bell pepper."
6.) Everything here is abbreviated. It's like talking on instant messenger all of the time. Avo = Afternoon.
7.) There is no such thing as crayfish or crawdads. They are called yabbies. If you are going fishing for yabbies, it's called yabbying.
Now, on to my experience in the Outback.
We drove 8 hours west of Sydney, halfway across the state of New South Wales. Eventually we arrived at our destination, Euabalong West. We stayed on a 35,000 acre farm. Yes, that would be 35,000 acres. There were bunk houses, but most of us opted for sleeping outside under the stars. It was absolutely beautiful! The highlights of the trip included, but were not limited to...
A.) Kangaroo chasing. We took four wheel drive yutes (that would be a truck) across the property looking for 'roos. It was amazing! I think the group I went with spotted about 30 of them, and we didn't die, which was a plus as I was a bit worried about careening through a dark field at however many kilometers an hour.
B.) Sleeping under the stars. I honestly don't know if I've ever done that before... at least somewhere besides my backyard.
C.) Holding week old puppies. They were adorable and I'd never seen puppies that little before.
D.) I saw my first up close and alive cow. I've only ever driven past them at a distance. I also learned that cows come in many different colors and not all of them give milk.
E.) Seeing a sheep get sheared.
F.) The AMAZING sunsets! Here are my two favorite pictures...
The one major down fall of the trip were the crazy amount of flies! We all wore nets around to avoid getting flies in our mouths/ears/noses/etc. Here is a picture of Jennessa and I wearing our dorky fly nets!
Basically, I had a lot of new experiences this weekend, which was good. I feel a lot closer to the people on this trip. It's also sunk in that I will be living in this country for 4 months. I feel a little more at home, but I'm also beginning to realize that I eventually will get to go home to the states and back to the people I love.
Anyways, I miss all of you! My goal this week is to send out postcards - so if I didn't ask for your address before I left, and you'd like a letter from me... leave me a comment with your info :)
Talk to you soon!
Love,
Kristin
Thursday, March 01, 2007
The Outback
I'm leaving for the Outback in 6 hours.
We're driving 8 hours west to see Kangaroos and learn more about the Aborigines.
I'll be back on Monday night with lots of cool pictures and crazy stories to tell.
Pray for our safety! And my sanity while being trapped on a bus all day...
We're driving 8 hours west to see Kangaroos and learn more about the Aborigines.
I'll be back on Monday night with lots of cool pictures and crazy stories to tell.
Pray for our safety! And my sanity while being trapped on a bus all day...
Saturday, February 24, 2007
Australia: Day 14
I can't believe I've been here for 14 days already, I feel like I just got here! I know I still have four whole months, but I'm afraid my time here is going to pass by so quickly and I'll miss out on a lot of experiences. Right now a bunch of us are looking into air fare so we can fly to the Great Barrier Reef to go snorkling. How sweet is that? We also might go to Tazmania! This weekend we are going to "The Outback." Really, we're going about 8 hours out of the city to camp and chase kangaroos and learn more about the Aboriginal culture. It's going to be a lot of fun and we'll be there for 4 days, but it's going to be dirty and hot. So here is what's gone on since my last update....
Friday:
We went to two different libraries in the city for class Friday. They wanted to us to learn how to use the resources around us since the library here at school is pretty small. On the way to the library in the morning we met some interesting people, namely the Owl and Koala who tried to convince us of the dangers of global warming. And then yelled at us for drinking coffee. We thought they were funny.
After class we went to Olympic park for the Bob Dylan tribute concert. Apparently a lot of the artists there were famous Aussie singes, but we didn't know any of them. Here is a picture of us on our picnic blanket.
Friday:
We went to two different libraries in the city for class Friday. They wanted to us to learn how to use the resources around us since the library here at school is pretty small. On the way to the library in the morning we met some interesting people, namely the Owl and Koala who tried to convince us of the dangers of global warming. And then yelled at us for drinking coffee. We thought they were funny.
After class we went to Olympic park for the Bob Dylan tribute concert. Apparently a lot of the artists there were famous Aussie singes, but we didn't know any of them. Here is a picture of us on our picnic blanket.
Saturday:
Saturday was pretty fun. It started to rain, which I've been craving! It has been so hot and humid here. Jon, Sarah, and I went down to The Rocks which is a historical district on the water. We wondered around and found a lot of cool shops, cafes, museums, bridges, and basically a lot of things to take pictures of. Here are a few of my favorites :)
Saturday was pretty fun. It started to rain, which I've been craving! It has been so hot and humid here. Jon, Sarah, and I went down to The Rocks which is a historical district on the water. We wondered around and found a lot of cool shops, cafes, museums, bridges, and basically a lot of things to take pictures of. Here are a few of my favorites :)
Sunday:
Sunday was wonderful! Sarah and I sat on the couch all day and watched movies/talked/ate and did a whole lot of nothing. Sunday night we went to church at Wesley Mission (which is the church that founded the school I'm at) but besides that, we relaxed. I know it wasn't the most exciting day but I have been so busy since I got here! Wesley Mission was a pretty intersting church, it's seriously in the MIDDLE of the city. I think the bulletin said they have about 50 different services there each week in 5 different languages. It's a Uniting/Methodist church, which I'm not entirely sure what that means, but I'll figure it out.
Yesterday was my ASC class and we had an interesting speaker named Keith. He's a crazy english man. I'll have to write more about him later. I have a feeling he's going to inspire a lot of funny things to write on here. Anyways, classes are going to be hard this week. Today I have Old Testament, Theological Foundations and Video Production. woo woo.
Love,
Kristin
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Update
I'm so proud of myself for updating this so soon! It's Friday here and horribly hot and humid outside, so I'm sitting on the living room floor wrapped in a wet towel, trying to cool off.
Yesterday I went to my service project for the first time. It's at a place called Newtown Mission, and it's similar to a soup kitchen, but much more Christian. My evening went a little something like this: I arrived at Newtown around 4:30 and went straight to the kitchen. I helped prepare the meal and around 5:30 all the volunteers got together to break into their "teams." Each time has a different job (like serving food, cleaning, prayer, etc). I was in the prayer group. So from 6:00 to 6:30 there was a church service for the people who come to Newtown (for food) and during the service the prayer team sits above the chapel (in a little room) and prays for the whole 30 min. It was a really cool experience. After chapel the prayer team goes and sits with the people who come for the food and just visit with them and connect. I talked to this amazing woman named Jayne, who had a pretty incredible story. After the kitchen closes and everyone has gone, the volunteers get together and pray for the people we talked to and just debrief about the night. I feel so good about this place. I really feel like I'm supposed to be there and God has something to teach me through these people.
After volunteering I went downtown with some of my new friends and we grabbed some food and listened to live music. It was a fantastic night, but I stayed out way too late. This morning I had to catch a 7:00 bus downtown with my roommates to meet up with the ASC kids for a library tour. Woo hoo.
Anyways, tonight I'm going to a Bob Dylan tribute concert. I'll try and take more pictures, I haven't been very good about that.
Also, my Aunt died yesterday, so if you could really just pray for my family, especially my mom, that would mean a lot to me.
Love,
Kristin
Yesterday I went to my service project for the first time. It's at a place called Newtown Mission, and it's similar to a soup kitchen, but much more Christian. My evening went a little something like this: I arrived at Newtown around 4:30 and went straight to the kitchen. I helped prepare the meal and around 5:30 all the volunteers got together to break into their "teams." Each time has a different job (like serving food, cleaning, prayer, etc). I was in the prayer group. So from 6:00 to 6:30 there was a church service for the people who come to Newtown (for food) and during the service the prayer team sits above the chapel (in a little room) and prays for the whole 30 min. It was a really cool experience. After chapel the prayer team goes and sits with the people who come for the food and just visit with them and connect. I talked to this amazing woman named Jayne, who had a pretty incredible story. After the kitchen closes and everyone has gone, the volunteers get together and pray for the people we talked to and just debrief about the night. I feel so good about this place. I really feel like I'm supposed to be there and God has something to teach me through these people.
After volunteering I went downtown with some of my new friends and we grabbed some food and listened to live music. It was a fantastic night, but I stayed out way too late. This morning I had to catch a 7:00 bus downtown with my roommates to meet up with the ASC kids for a library tour. Woo hoo.
Anyways, tonight I'm going to a Bob Dylan tribute concert. I'll try and take more pictures, I haven't been very good about that.
Also, my Aunt died yesterday, so if you could really just pray for my family, especially my mom, that would mean a lot to me.
Love,
Kristin
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Settling Down
Well, as of yesterday it has been a week since I first set foot on Aussie soil. I feel like I've already been here a lifetime, and yet at the same, I already know how hard it will be to leave.
Here is a group shot of the pasty white Americans (pre-sunburn) at Manly Beach. These are some of my new friends, although only about 1/2 of the ASC kids went to the beach. I'm sure I'll get a picture of EVERYONE soon enough.
So, I think the last update I had was over the weekend. So, let me tell you about my first week of classes. It was REALLY hard to get back into the swing of things, and to be honest, I have tons of reading that I really should be doing and keep putting it off until the weekend. I haven't had classes since the very beginning of December, so it's a big adjustment getting used to school again.
The Australia school system is totally different though. It's required by law to have 80% attendance, so teachers take it at the beginning of every class and submit their attendance records to the registrar's office at the end of every day. Assignments are submitted through the registrars office as well, not directly to the teacher. Most classes only have 1 or 2 assignments due throughout the entire semester, typically just papers. I think only one of my classes has a test. But moving on to my actual classes....
On Monday I have an Australian culture class taught by Kimberly who is the head of the ASC (if you're still wondering what that is, it's Australia Studies Center). All the American exchange students are in that class, and I can already tell it's going to be wonderful. And a lot of hard work.
On Tuesday I have Old Testament and Theological Foundations, both of which have amazing teachers or "lecturers" as they call them here. I had orignally signed up for two dance classes and I went to them and they were really fun. But, I decided that since a big part of my reason for coming to Australia was to learn more about God, I should pursue that completly in and out of the classroom. So hopefully between my two theology classes, I'll come away from this place with a deeper understanding of Scripture and the God that lives in those pages. I also have Video Production on Tuesday night, which is taugh by an English woman called Chloe. I think this class is going to be way too easy, but it will be fun none the less.
On Wednesday I have a class called "The Creative Christian" which is basically a Christian culture class about art and the community. Much like UCORE 1000. I think this class is going to be a little edgier and dive a bit deeper into the issues that surround modern day Christianity. The same teacher that I have for Old Testament is teaching this class, he is called Grenville Kent. Cool name eh?
And that's it. I don't have any classes on Thursday, just volunteering from 5-8 and on Fridays we take field trips with the ASC group. Tomorrow we are going to check out the different libraries in the area, and get a library card. Woo! Tomorrow night there is another free outdoor concert at Olympic Park, this time it's a Bob Dylan tribute and people like winners from Australian Idol are coming to sing. It will be fun, I hope.
I guess that's about all I have to write about currently. I'll write more about the people I'm meeting and that kind of thing once I get to know them a little better.
I love you all and if you ever want me to call, just send me an e-mail/facebook message/comment on my blog. I have a phone card, so I'm not completly disconnected (that goes for you too Ciara.)
Until my next update,
Kristin
Here is a group shot of the pasty white Americans (pre-sunburn) at Manly Beach. These are some of my new friends, although only about 1/2 of the ASC kids went to the beach. I'm sure I'll get a picture of EVERYONE soon enough.
So, I think the last update I had was over the weekend. So, let me tell you about my first week of classes. It was REALLY hard to get back into the swing of things, and to be honest, I have tons of reading that I really should be doing and keep putting it off until the weekend. I haven't had classes since the very beginning of December, so it's a big adjustment getting used to school again.
The Australia school system is totally different though. It's required by law to have 80% attendance, so teachers take it at the beginning of every class and submit their attendance records to the registrar's office at the end of every day. Assignments are submitted through the registrars office as well, not directly to the teacher. Most classes only have 1 or 2 assignments due throughout the entire semester, typically just papers. I think only one of my classes has a test. But moving on to my actual classes....
On Monday I have an Australian culture class taught by Kimberly who is the head of the ASC (if you're still wondering what that is, it's Australia Studies Center). All the American exchange students are in that class, and I can already tell it's going to be wonderful. And a lot of hard work.
On Tuesday I have Old Testament and Theological Foundations, both of which have amazing teachers or "lecturers" as they call them here. I had orignally signed up for two dance classes and I went to them and they were really fun. But, I decided that since a big part of my reason for coming to Australia was to learn more about God, I should pursue that completly in and out of the classroom. So hopefully between my two theology classes, I'll come away from this place with a deeper understanding of Scripture and the God that lives in those pages. I also have Video Production on Tuesday night, which is taugh by an English woman called Chloe. I think this class is going to be way too easy, but it will be fun none the less.
On Wednesday I have a class called "The Creative Christian" which is basically a Christian culture class about art and the community. Much like UCORE 1000. I think this class is going to be a little edgier and dive a bit deeper into the issues that surround modern day Christianity. The same teacher that I have for Old Testament is teaching this class, he is called Grenville Kent. Cool name eh?
And that's it. I don't have any classes on Thursday, just volunteering from 5-8 and on Fridays we take field trips with the ASC group. Tomorrow we are going to check out the different libraries in the area, and get a library card. Woo! Tomorrow night there is another free outdoor concert at Olympic Park, this time it's a Bob Dylan tribute and people like winners from Australian Idol are coming to sing. It will be fun, I hope.
I guess that's about all I have to write about currently. I'll write more about the people I'm meeting and that kind of thing once I get to know them a little better.
I love you all and if you ever want me to call, just send me an e-mail/facebook message/comment on my blog. I have a phone card, so I'm not completly disconnected (that goes for you too Ciara.)
Until my next update,
Kristin
Friday, February 16, 2007
Day 4
Welcome to Day 4.
This past week has been information overload. We've had orientation for classes every day since we got here, and to be honest, most of it has been fairly useless. It will be really interesting getting used to writing papers here though. Most classes don't have tests, just papers, and Australian writing styles are 100% different from American.
On Thursday we went on a cruise of Sydney Harbor and saw the Opera house and thousands of sailboats! It was so beautiful outside. Here are a couple pictures from that, but my camera card was filled up, so I didn't get to take very many.
Here is the Opera House - look how close we were!
Corrie and I by the Harbor Bridge - if you look closely, you can see people climbing it.
Roommate Sarah and I on the boat
So...
Friday we actually had class, but again it was more informational and less academic. We meet with our service project groups, and got to know more about where we will be working. I'm serving at a place called Newtown Mission - which is a soup kitchen type thing for homeless/mentally ill/etc. They have a church service and then serve food once a week, and then 3 other times a week it's just a drop in lunch. I think it's going to be good. Then on Friday night I went to an outdoor Opera with my roommate Sarah and Gail (our Aussie Mum). It was AMAZING! Tiff, if you're reading this, I promise I'll come watch Marcus when I get back in the states.
Yesterday I went to Manly Beach with about 13 ASC kids. It was so beautiful and fun! We spent most of the time in the ocean jumping waves. I'm so used to the Pacific Ocean but swimming here was really different. The waves are huge and there is a really strong undertow, so it takes a lot of effort. We all had buddies :) I had to leave the beach early with 2 other ASC kids so we could go down to Newtown for a volunteer meetings. We got a little lost on the way home, so we ended up having to take a cab back to our houses. Apparently cab drivers in this area don't really know the streets either. We got down to Newtown and met the pastor and quite of few of the other volunteers. The church there is wonderful and I'm actually going to their service this morning. It's pretty small, very missional, and a lot of the homeless people from the mission actually come to servies there. I think it will be a good place to get plugged in to. After our volunteer thing, New Friend Jon and New Friend Michelle and I decided to wonder around the Newtown (it's similar to Hawthorne in Portland or Capitol Hill in Seattle). We found a good thai place (there is TONS of thai food here, I am so happy!) and then took a bus into the city. Once in the city we walked to Darling Harbor for some nightlife. We ended up just laying on a dock looking at the stars, and then BOOM - there was a giant fireworks show right in the harbor! We were seriously 50 feet from this barge, it was amazing! After that we went into a bar to check out the "local scene," it was loud and not very exciting. We had water and this thing called "lemon-lime and bitters," which is a fancy non-alcoholic drink. Much like a Shirley Temple, but not cherry flavored. Anyways, we caught the train home around midnight and got home safe and sound.
Today I'm going to church and then to the Burwood Mall - hopefully to find a few staples I forgot when I came here. Thanks for reading my update! Once I get a computer here I will be able to write more often! I love you all and thank you for your continued prayers.
Love,
Kristin
This past week has been information overload. We've had orientation for classes every day since we got here, and to be honest, most of it has been fairly useless. It will be really interesting getting used to writing papers here though. Most classes don't have tests, just papers, and Australian writing styles are 100% different from American.
On Thursday we went on a cruise of Sydney Harbor and saw the Opera house and thousands of sailboats! It was so beautiful outside. Here are a couple pictures from that, but my camera card was filled up, so I didn't get to take very many.
Here is the Opera House - look how close we were!
Corrie and I by the Harbor Bridge - if you look closely, you can see people climbing it.
Roommate Sarah and I on the boat
So...
Friday we actually had class, but again it was more informational and less academic. We meet with our service project groups, and got to know more about where we will be working. I'm serving at a place called Newtown Mission - which is a soup kitchen type thing for homeless/mentally ill/etc. They have a church service and then serve food once a week, and then 3 other times a week it's just a drop in lunch. I think it's going to be good. Then on Friday night I went to an outdoor Opera with my roommate Sarah and Gail (our Aussie Mum). It was AMAZING! Tiff, if you're reading this, I promise I'll come watch Marcus when I get back in the states.
Yesterday I went to Manly Beach with about 13 ASC kids. It was so beautiful and fun! We spent most of the time in the ocean jumping waves. I'm so used to the Pacific Ocean but swimming here was really different. The waves are huge and there is a really strong undertow, so it takes a lot of effort. We all had buddies :) I had to leave the beach early with 2 other ASC kids so we could go down to Newtown for a volunteer meetings. We got a little lost on the way home, so we ended up having to take a cab back to our houses. Apparently cab drivers in this area don't really know the streets either. We got down to Newtown and met the pastor and quite of few of the other volunteers. The church there is wonderful and I'm actually going to their service this morning. It's pretty small, very missional, and a lot of the homeless people from the mission actually come to servies there. I think it will be a good place to get plugged in to. After our volunteer thing, New Friend Jon and New Friend Michelle and I decided to wonder around the Newtown (it's similar to Hawthorne in Portland or Capitol Hill in Seattle). We found a good thai place (there is TONS of thai food here, I am so happy!) and then took a bus into the city. Once in the city we walked to Darling Harbor for some nightlife. We ended up just laying on a dock looking at the stars, and then BOOM - there was a giant fireworks show right in the harbor! We were seriously 50 feet from this barge, it was amazing! After that we went into a bar to check out the "local scene," it was loud and not very exciting. We had water and this thing called "lemon-lime and bitters," which is a fancy non-alcoholic drink. Much like a Shirley Temple, but not cherry flavored. Anyways, we caught the train home around midnight and got home safe and sound.
Today I'm going to church and then to the Burwood Mall - hopefully to find a few staples I forgot when I came here. Thanks for reading my update! Once I get a computer here I will be able to write more often! I love you all and thank you for your continued prayers.
Love,
Kristin
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
I'm HERE!
Well... I'm HERE!
I feel horrible because it took me so long to get a post up here, but the past day has been so crazy! So, let me start from the beginning so you know what my trip has been like thus far!
I arrived at LAX at about 2pm on Monday. Over the next 2 and a half hours the rest of the ASC kids slowly filtered into the airport and we all started our awkward first meetings. Of course, most of these kids had already been traveling all day - so everyone was exhausted. We got on the plane at about 7pm and it took us almost 2 hours to actually leave the runway! I guess there was just a lot of traffic - but we almost missed our connecting flight from Auckland to Sydney! They held the plane for us since there were 25 of us missing. We ran through customs and made it onto the plane about 2 min before the scheduled departure time. There was a very angry man sitting in front of me who yelled at me for being late...
Once we got to Sydney, we hopped on a bus that took us to campus. We spent the ENTIRE day (at this point we'd been up for over 24 hours) playing games, going to teas, and having little class sessions about the library, homestays, etc. Finally around 5pm our host mother, Gail, picked us up and took us to her apartment. By us I mean me and my three roommates - Laura, Sarah, and Jess.
We met Gail, had pizza for dinner, went swimming, found our bus stops, and passed out in bed around 8:30pm our time.
Now it's 7 am and I'm using Laura's computer (mine crashed the day before I left!) and I believe she wants to use it now :)
I'll make sure to update as soon as I can! But know that I'm safe and sunburned and it's beautiful here!
Love,
Kristin
I feel horrible because it took me so long to get a post up here, but the past day has been so crazy! So, let me start from the beginning so you know what my trip has been like thus far!
I arrived at LAX at about 2pm on Monday. Over the next 2 and a half hours the rest of the ASC kids slowly filtered into the airport and we all started our awkward first meetings. Of course, most of these kids had already been traveling all day - so everyone was exhausted. We got on the plane at about 7pm and it took us almost 2 hours to actually leave the runway! I guess there was just a lot of traffic - but we almost missed our connecting flight from Auckland to Sydney! They held the plane for us since there were 25 of us missing. We ran through customs and made it onto the plane about 2 min before the scheduled departure time. There was a very angry man sitting in front of me who yelled at me for being late...
Once we got to Sydney, we hopped on a bus that took us to campus. We spent the ENTIRE day (at this point we'd been up for over 24 hours) playing games, going to teas, and having little class sessions about the library, homestays, etc. Finally around 5pm our host mother, Gail, picked us up and took us to her apartment. By us I mean me and my three roommates - Laura, Sarah, and Jess.
We met Gail, had pizza for dinner, went swimming, found our bus stops, and passed out in bed around 8:30pm our time.
Now it's 7 am and I'm using Laura's computer (mine crashed the day before I left!) and I believe she wants to use it now :)
I'll make sure to update as soon as I can! But know that I'm safe and sunburned and it's beautiful here!
Love,
Kristin
Tuesday, February 06, 2007
Housing and Service Placements!
Well, I leave for California on Friday morning... which means I have 2 days left to pack. Currently, I have two empty bags and a room full of dirty laundry, reminder notes, piles of things to pack, and a huge stack of those packing bags that are supposed to compress everything.
As of about 20 min ago I found out where I am living! I am living in a suburb of Sydney called Concord with 3 other ASC girls and a single woman named Gail. Gail is in the medical profession and has been a host parent since the program started 3 years ago, so it sounds like she knows what's going on.
I think this will be a good fit. At least I'm praying it will be. I know a lot of thought went in to where each and every one of us were placed, and I know there is a reason I was put where I was.
I also got my service placement today. I'll be working at a homeless shelter (I think) called Newton Mission as a kitchen slave, or making coffee or something along those lines. At least I'll be a little bit at home there.
Anyways, these next few days are going to fly by. I've been putting together the itinerary for California and I'm so excited! We're going to Disneyland. Sadly, my favorite ride (Splash Mountain) is closed for repairs. But I'm sure I'll be there again soon. Perhaps I'll stop there on my way back from Australia!
Your continued prayers are appriciated and I promise to keep everyone updated as much as I can! I won't have tons of access to a phone, but I will have internet access.
With Love,
Kristin
P.S - My mailing address is... so if you want to send me a letter now so it will be waiting for me when I get there, I'll have no objections :)
Regular mail
Kristin Kirk
ASC – Wesley Institute
P.O. Box
Drummoyne, NSW 1470 AUSTRALIA
As of about 20 min ago I found out where I am living! I am living in a suburb of Sydney called Concord with 3 other ASC girls and a single woman named Gail. Gail is in the medical profession and has been a host parent since the program started 3 years ago, so it sounds like she knows what's going on.
I think this will be a good fit. At least I'm praying it will be. I know a lot of thought went in to where each and every one of us were placed, and I know there is a reason I was put where I was.
I also got my service placement today. I'll be working at a homeless shelter (I think) called Newton Mission as a kitchen slave, or making coffee or something along those lines. At least I'll be a little bit at home there.
Anyways, these next few days are going to fly by. I've been putting together the itinerary for California and I'm so excited! We're going to Disneyland. Sadly, my favorite ride (Splash Mountain) is closed for repairs. But I'm sure I'll be there again soon. Perhaps I'll stop there on my way back from Australia!
Your continued prayers are appriciated and I promise to keep everyone updated as much as I can! I won't have tons of access to a phone, but I will have internet access.
With Love,
Kristin
P.S - My mailing address is... so if you want to send me a letter now so it will be waiting for me when I get there, I'll have no objections :)
Regular mail
Kristin Kirk
ASC – Wesley Institute
P.O. Box
Drummoyne, NSW 1470
Packages
Kristin Kirk
ASC – Wesley Institute
Drummoyne, NSW 2047
Monday, February 05, 2007
Waiting
I still don't know who I'll be living with... I'm starting to get nervous/impatient.
I'm leaving on Friday.
I'm leaving on Friday.
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Homestays
Well, it's official... I'm staying with a host family.
I'm a little freaked out about this whole host family thing. I have to go live in someone else's house, use their bathroom, eat their food, do chores, participate in family outings... the whole shebang.
Here are things I am worried about -
a.) I hope they don't have pets. I am allergic and I can't remember if I listed that as an allergy.
b.) I hope they don't have young children. Kids tend to love me and attach on to me like leeches and then I have to take them everywhere and they seduce me with their innocent eyes and then before I know it I find myself volunteering to babysit and make them dinner and suddenly I'm trapped in someones house playing super mom while the parents are out partying in the city I came to see! (eek).
c.) I also hope they don't have teenage boys. They are gross and smelly.
Ideally... my host family would be a workaholic married couple with no kids. Amen.
I'll find out more about THEM in a few days. Wish me luck!
And just so you know... I'm boarding a plane headed to Sydney in 11 days. 11 DAYS. That's less than 2 weeks! I am freaking out.
Love,
Kristin
I'm a little freaked out about this whole host family thing. I have to go live in someone else's house, use their bathroom, eat their food, do chores, participate in family outings... the whole shebang.
Here are things I am worried about -
a.) I hope they don't have pets. I am allergic and I can't remember if I listed that as an allergy.
b.) I hope they don't have young children. Kids tend to love me and attach on to me like leeches and then I have to take them everywhere and they seduce me with their innocent eyes and then before I know it I find myself volunteering to babysit and make them dinner and suddenly I'm trapped in someones house playing super mom while the parents are out partying in the city I came to see! (eek).
c.) I also hope they don't have teenage boys. They are gross and smelly.
Ideally... my host family would be a workaholic married couple with no kids. Amen.
I'll find out more about THEM in a few days. Wish me luck!
And just so you know... I'm boarding a plane headed to Sydney in 11 days. 11 DAYS. That's less than 2 weeks! I am freaking out.
Love,
Kristin
Monday, January 29, 2007
Vegetarian
I got an e-mail yesterday from my Australian housing coordinator in regards to my "vegetarian status." She asked me if I was opposed to living with people who eat meat.
At first I was rather offended by the question. What kind of person would be unwilling to live with someone else just because they have different beliefs about something like meat? But then I started to think about it, and in our society, people are used to being accommodated to. They are spoiled. If they don't want mustard on a McDonald's hamburger, they just ask for no mustard. If they want a smoking hotel room, boom, it's theirs. If they want a triple, grande, non-fat, no foam, one pump vanilla, one pump chocolate latte, their Starbucks barista makes it with a smile on their face (side note: no, that is not what kind of coffee I order).
People have gotten so caught up with the idea of being comfortable and having everything their way, the word compromise is becoming obsolete.
I don't mind living with people who eat meat. It wasn't that long ago that I myself was eating meat. If anything, I think non-vegetarians worry too much about accommodating to our needs, when in reality, vegetarians are the inconvenient ones. When I went home a few weeks ago, my parents stocked up on nuts, hummus, cheese, etc. in order to meet my needs. They keep trying to make me special vegetarian meals and were concerned with what restaurants we went to and if they had enough things on the menu I could eat. Now, I understand that parents are a little different, but the idea is the same. Vegetarians should realize that they are inconvenient to others. Meat has become such a staple of American cuisine that many people would be lost without it, and to expect others to change their meat filled lifestyle to match your meatless one is unreasonable.
I don't eat meat, and I won't for a very long time. But just because I made a personal choice to give up that part of my life does not mean I expect others to. Although I won't eat meat because it is more convenient for someone else, I also do not expect any one else to give up their love of meat to accommodate me. It is about finding a compromise, a happy medium, and working together so everyone can be satisfied with the outcome.
Now let's hope that the Australians feel the same way...
At first I was rather offended by the question. What kind of person would be unwilling to live with someone else just because they have different beliefs about something like meat? But then I started to think about it, and in our society, people are used to being accommodated to. They are spoiled. If they don't want mustard on a McDonald's hamburger, they just ask for no mustard. If they want a smoking hotel room, boom, it's theirs. If they want a triple, grande, non-fat, no foam, one pump vanilla, one pump chocolate latte, their Starbucks barista makes it with a smile on their face (side note: no, that is not what kind of coffee I order).
People have gotten so caught up with the idea of being comfortable and having everything their way, the word compromise is becoming obsolete.
I don't mind living with people who eat meat. It wasn't that long ago that I myself was eating meat. If anything, I think non-vegetarians worry too much about accommodating to our needs, when in reality, vegetarians are the inconvenient ones. When I went home a few weeks ago, my parents stocked up on nuts, hummus, cheese, etc. in order to meet my needs. They keep trying to make me special vegetarian meals and were concerned with what restaurants we went to and if they had enough things on the menu I could eat. Now, I understand that parents are a little different, but the idea is the same. Vegetarians should realize that they are inconvenient to others. Meat has become such a staple of American cuisine that many people would be lost without it, and to expect others to change their meat filled lifestyle to match your meatless one is unreasonable.
I don't eat meat, and I won't for a very long time. But just because I made a personal choice to give up that part of my life does not mean I expect others to. Although I won't eat meat because it is more convenient for someone else, I also do not expect any one else to give up their love of meat to accommodate me. It is about finding a compromise, a happy medium, and working together so everyone can be satisfied with the outcome.
Now let's hope that the Australians feel the same way...
Thursday, January 25, 2007
A few pictures
Today I actually went to the ASC (Australian Studies Center) website to look at pictures from previous sessions of the trip I'm going on. It was so exciting! Here are a few pictures to let you know what I'm getting myself into :)
You're probably not as excited as I am... but that's okay! I'm starting to feel ready to go, which is saying a lot. Your continued prayers are appreciated.
Love,
Kristin
You're probably not as excited as I am... but that's okay! I'm starting to feel ready to go, which is saying a lot. Your continued prayers are appreciated.
Love,
Kristin
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
16 Days and Counting...
Well... I leave for California in 16 days and straight to Australia from there. It's a weird feeling knowing that as soon as I leave, life goes on here and everything will change when I'm gone. Jon will be graduating, Tim and Carlee will be getting married, I'm missing every birthday in my immediate family, all of my roommates are turning 21, etc. Four, almost five months is a long time to be gone. It's 1/3 of a year.
I'm taking this trip to learn more about myself and more about God. Since I've been in college I've spent a lot of time struggling to know myself and to reach out to those around me. Being sent to a foreign country knowing no one is a good way to push me out of my comfort zone and help me learn to be dependent on God and a friend to strangers.
Obviously I'm nervous. I've never been away from Jon for more than a week. I've never been away from my family for more than a month. I've never been to Australia, let alone lived there. Basically, I'm a little freaked out. But I'm trying not to think about it too much. The more I think about what it's going to be like, the more nervous I will be to go. I feel confident that I will be forced to change, grow, and stretch in more ways I knew possible, and I have every intention to make the best of this once in a lifetime chance.
In the meantime, your prayers would mean a lot to me. I just need a little love and encouragement as I embark on this adventure.
Love,
Kristin
I'm taking this trip to learn more about myself and more about God. Since I've been in college I've spent a lot of time struggling to know myself and to reach out to those around me. Being sent to a foreign country knowing no one is a good way to push me out of my comfort zone and help me learn to be dependent on God and a friend to strangers.
Obviously I'm nervous. I've never been away from Jon for more than a week. I've never been away from my family for more than a month. I've never been to Australia, let alone lived there. Basically, I'm a little freaked out. But I'm trying not to think about it too much. The more I think about what it's going to be like, the more nervous I will be to go. I feel confident that I will be forced to change, grow, and stretch in more ways I knew possible, and I have every intention to make the best of this once in a lifetime chance.
In the meantime, your prayers would mean a lot to me. I just need a little love and encouragement as I embark on this adventure.
Love,
Kristin
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