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to Jon today and he told me that my blog is lame because I only ever write about what I'm doing, and usually it's so outdated it is no longer relevant.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