Experiences from Down Under

"Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find;  knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives,  and the one who seeks finds,  and to the one who knocks it will be opened."  - Matthew 7:7-8 Last night I went to Eat Street Market with Urbanest (my apartment), and we rode the ferry to [I don’t even know how to describe it. A carnival of food?] Eat Street Market. There were basically a lot of food stalls selling pretty much everything you can imagine, including, but not limited to: Pizza & Pasta, Seafood, Fish & Chips, Burgers, Sausages, Chinese, Mexican, Japanese, Middle Eastern, Korean, Peruvian, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Greek, and crazy, crazy dessert options: donut holes, ice cream, crepes, gelato, donuts, candy, canolis… the list goes on. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves, because I don’t know what words to use (and I’m at a point where I don’t know what accent to use. Should I sound America...

"Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" -Psalm 139:23-24 Typing away on a Wednesday night and only one more contact hour left this week. Yes, I have 3-day (Lucy claims it's pretty much four-day) weekends (see previous entry for picture of my schedule). This is a strange way to be in school. Almost every class has only one lecture a week, and the workshops/tutorials once a week. I had one workshop so far (the others start next week), and it’s basically an opportunity to work through problems with fellow students and ask for help from the lecturer (professor) or tutor (TA) (depending on who runs the workshop). Even just one week into uni, here are a few trends I’ve noticed: Lectures tend to start late and end early. Each lecture is recorded and posted online (so you really don’t have to go to class if you don’t want to), so the lecturer starts setting...

"A friend loves at all times,      and a brother is born for adversity." -Proverbs 17:17 Yikes classes are starting tomorrow! I just spent the past three hours doing readings, watching videos, and reviewing notes. The past four weeks have been all too amazing, and I’m not quite ready to be back in school mode. I just read my Post-Navajo Reflection entry again; it’s being shared during English service tomorrow, and I really don’t want this semester to be like the last. I have 14 contact hours this semester (versus the 27.5 hrs Spring Quarter. WOW only half as many?!) for my 4 units (classes), and no classes on Friday 😃 I’ll have time to practice piano, swim, cook, talk to people, hangout, and explore more! But of course I’ll also study and go to classes. After all, this is a study abroad…  My Units One of the classes I’m taking is called, “Smash the Act - Indigenous Australian Politics.” I just watched this video , and it created an ugly mix o...

"He has  made everything beautiful in its time.  Also, he has put eternity into man's heart,  yet so that he cannot  find out what God has  done from the beginning to the end." -Ecclesiastes 3:11 After two days (M, T) of school orientation, I spent the next two (W, Th) exploring my city.  [side ♪: below is a map of Brisbane. I live by the South Bank train station. The Gardens Point campus is on the other side of the river (Kelvin Grove is much farther north). I’ll be referring to many places throughout this post, and you can refer to the map to get a better picture of where everything is.] Brisbane Map On Wednesday, I went to the Farmer’s Market across the river at the Myer Centre Brisbane. On the way, I passed the Ferris wheel (The Wheel of Brisbane) and the hipster “Brisbane” sign (see below). I discovered that Macadamia nuts and sausages are very popular in Australia. There was also someone selling KANGAROO ...

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together  for good,   for  those who are called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28 I’ve been at uni(versity) the past two days for orientation and just exploring QUT (Queensland University of Technology) for the coming semester. There are two campuses: Gardens Point, a 15-minute walk from my apartment, and Kelvin Grove, a 10-minute bus ride from GP. The shuttle bus is free for everyone who has a QUT ID card (I got mine yesterday! My picture looks decent hehe). It’s O-week (O for orientation), and a lot of the clubs had stalls (booths) to advertise. As much as I wanted to have a different uni life from the one I had at SCU, I was still drawn to the music groups, Christian fellowships, and of course Ultimate (Frisbee)! I do, however, want to check out BigLift, a volunteer-based club that goes out to rural areas and help Aussies do work; EcoQUT, a club that promotes eco-friendliness on campus (QUT has onl...

"The steadfast love of the  Lord   never ceases;      his mercies never come to an end; 23  they are new  every morning;      great is your faithfulness." -Lamentations 3:22-23 So many firsts these past few days! It’s my first time… … in Brisbane! My home (?) for the next 4+ months. Brisbane City (view from South Bank) … experiencing winter in July. It still blows my mind that it’s winter here when it’s 23° C (73° F) and SUNNY and the sky is blue!  … moving in! I’ve always commuted to uni (university), so this was a first! But taking pictures of everything that was wrong with my room (chipped paint, stains, dents) was such a hassle. But to avoid fines, Gizmo said, “be anal about everything, and you’ll be fine” (no pun intended). My Room … having sushi train dinner since years ago. It’s my favourite! The sushi sits on a conveyor belt that slowly winds through the entire restaurant. You can take whatev...

"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?  And  not one of them is forgotten before God.   Why,  even the hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not;  you are of more value than many sparrows." -Luke 12: 6-7 Sitting in the Melbourne airport waiting to fly to Brisbane in a little bit! Melbourne (pronounced "MEL-ben”) is very nice; I love how walkable the city is and the free tram that runs through it. It also has so many tourists and feels safe at night.  Some things that reminded me of God’s love:  - On Wednesday when we (some girls and I) were getting sushi for lunch, a businessman came up to us and asked if we were visitors and wanted recommendations of places to see. We said yes, and he told us to go to 333 Collins St, saying that this building isn’t one you’d think to walk into, but it's gorgeous on the inside. After lunch the next day (we found The Soup Place! It’s Gizmo’s [one of the Arcadia staff] favourite lunch spo...

"The heart of man plans his way,      but  the  Lord  establishes his steps." Proverbs 16:9 After >24 hours of travelling, I'm finally in the land down under! Despite really stressful layovers and almost missing my flight from Brisbane to Melbourne, I have safely arrived and have spent almost two days in Australia's second largest city. And God always provides! 1) A personal escort from the janky American Eagle Regional Terminal to LAX's TB International Terminal, 2) Window seat on the 15 hr flight with an empty seat next to me, and 3) Travelling buddy! Because I landed after 9:30am, I had to find my own transportation to the hotel where we're having orientation. But as I boarded this last flight, I noticed someone in Santa Clara gear, so after we claimed our luggage I went up to him (Grant) and we ended getting a taxi together and splitting the cost. PTL :) And losing one luggage helped, because I don't think it would've all fit in the tru...

"God is our refuge   and strength,      an ever-present  help  in trouble. 2  Therefore we will not fear,  though the earth give way      and the mountains fall  into the heart of the sea."  -Psalm 46: 1-2 The earth isn't giving way and the mountains aren't falling into the sea; my flight just got delayed. But God is my refuge and strength! I was supposed to fly at 6:45PM, but due to an ATC delay in LAX, we are now scheduled to depart at 8:11PM. Ironically got rerouted to Brisbane to Melbourne (I'm studying abroad in Brisbane, but staying in Melbourne for a few days for orientation first), but God is still good! I can now eat dinner at 7PM instead of 9PM. I was the last person to board so I didn't even step on the plane when the captain rushed out and told me everyone is deplaning anyway, so the flight attendant person (who checked me in) helped me first (he even remember I was going to Australia!). I now h...

When one cries for an entire hour after saying goodbye to the St. Louis team at the airport, you know something special happened at Navajo. I walked into this trip with a lot of doubt, worry, and fear. Although this would be my fourth year on the mission trip, it was my first time being “VBS Oversight.” I had no idea what to expect, and I was anxious that I’d either have nothing to do or be overwhelmed with work during the trip. I was also a little bothered by the fact that my role did not involve direct interaction with the Navajo people. How would I be able to share God’s love with those that we’re going to minister to? I had also just finished spring quarter two weeks before and wasn’t fully recovered from a difficult, confusing, tiring, and turbulent school year. But as I learned last year, God always puts me in a place where He wishes to grow and mature me, so I prayed for peace, humility, love, strength, and opportunity, and expected great things.      ...