I've been in Australia for a little over a week now and it's already starting to feel like home. Of course there are unfamiliar things surrounding me all the time, but I am already so close with the people I've met here and I've mastered the bus and train routes that I have to take each day. It's still fairly daunting to realize I will be here for three and a half more months. It's even harder to accept the fact that I am in Australia right now. It's like a dream!

I've had a lot of really exciting experiences already, such as seeing the Opera House, taking the ferry to Manly Beach, visiting Hillsong city campus twice in one week, exploring the Rocks during a coffee festival, attending a BIble Conference at Macquarie Uni, enjoying a truckload of laughs over tea with some friends, taking the ferry at night and going under the Sydney Harbour bridge and seeing Luna Park all lit up, befriending three of my neighbors who are old italian ladies…the list goes on. Things aren't that different in Australia at first glance, but the more I interact with people and learn about different ideas, the more I realize there are many layers under the surface that make Australia the unique and interesting country that it is. In time I hope to discover these things and I am looking forward to being stretched and challenged in my worldview. More than that, I long to enrich my vocabulary of God and deepen my understanding of who He is and how He moves.

Hillsong was wonderful both times I have gone so far. The first was a regular evening service, and it was full of enthusiasm for Christ. The second was called The Gathering, which was a special service for young adults. There was a beautiful time of worship followed by a challenging and eye-opening session focused on the psychology of the mind and the process of understanding one's internal functions of emotion and reaction. I loved the Gathering. It was such an encouraging night and I was able to meet such sweet people from all over the globe. Plus, I am learning heaps of songs that have yet to be released, and I am loving it.

In classes we are also talking a lot about the mind and the heart and how culture is driven by what it loves and values over its belief systems. This is something that I had never thought about before, but it makes perfect sense. If you want to truly know me, you must understand what I love and long for. If that's difficult to figure out, perhaps you should look at what I once loved and what sort of events have caused my desires to be hidden, changed, or be replaced. The same goes for culture. Maybe a culture is described in a textbook by a series of facts corresponding with their government systems and national anthem, but a culture is truly known by what it values and emphasizes. When a culture is different from your own, you must ask yourself why the difference is there and what it reveals about what they love. For instance, the Australian Prime Minister is trying to find a date to set elections. He is having trouble because of the big rugby and footy games that are scheduled for the next couple of weeks. Not only does this reveal that Australia loves its sports, but that it is laid back enough to not have a set day for elections or an agreed upon system of reaching those sorts of decisions. That is just one example, and there will be many more that I will come across over the next few months.

Even the approach to the science portion of my psychosomatic education class is more holistic than what I am used to. We talked about how amazing the body is today and how we should embrace the times when our body is fighting us and wanting to get rid of all its waste because this is a sign that it's doing its job of reaching homeostasis. We also learned that reaching optimum health is based more so on the mind, because 90% of our body's reaction is due to our psychological state rather than our physical state. I loved the way the lecturer spoke about the body and the mind. She made the point that there is no such thing as a "connection" between the body and mind because it's all one--there is no separation. 

Needless to say, the complexities of the mind, body, and heart have been constant companions to me lately. There is so much to process and evaluate, and knowing the sort of mess I am underneath it all, it will be some time before I untangle my internal functions and understand what's going on within me. Hopefully the wise and creative people of Australia with teach me how in more than one way.

Well friends, that is what's going on here in Sydney. I hope my musings and reflections are interesting to you. Perhaps I will talk about what I am seeing and doing more in the future, and not just what I am thinking and processing. But knowing me, I wouldn't count on it.

Sydney, Australia is now a reality to me. I have seen it, tasted it, touched it, listened to it, traveled it, experienced it, and it will be a long time until I have thoroughly explored it. And let me tell you something, it was love at first sight.

I still get goosebumps when I think about the fact that I am standing in a country that is at the complete opposite corner from America on a map, and there are times when I have to pinch myself in order to remember that this is truly happening and it's not merely a dream! But boy oh boy does it feel like a dream. Everything is beautiful here. The ocean is the most perfect color blue, and even though it is by a huge city, it smells wonderfully and is incredibly clean. The city itself is full of charm, blending the romance of old english architecture with the innovation and creativity of modern design. The people are quirky, laid-back, and always willing to lend a hand or strike up a conversation. The city is breathtaking, yet reserved all at once. I am in love!

As far as my program (ASC) goes, I have a feeling it will be one of the best experiences I will ever have. I have absolutely no regrets about coming here, for it is strikingly obvious that for this time in my life, I am meant to be here. There will certainly be a fair share of difficulties along the way, but it is the challenges that are bound to come that will turn out to be the most beneficial. 

In fact, ASC prides itself in providing a challenging semester for students who desire to get out of their comfort zone and learn a new latitude. They have emphasized the importance of viewing this trip as a pilgrimage, as opposed to a vacation or simply an exchange. The journey is about discovering Australia at its deepest level, in order to appreciate the culture and develop a better understanding of the country's values and beliefs and the reasons behind them. Although this could be viewed as "my" best semester, ASC chooses to make it "our" best semester, because it is not about the fun things I get to see or the adventures I get to partake in. Instead it is about the process that our group will go through as we discover a new worldview and work to challenge our own values and beliefs in order to truly understand what we stand for, and why we stand for it. It is a "kenotic" experience, for it is a journey in which we pour ourselves out for the sake of being filled by what God wants to fill us with. It is only when we take off our blinders that "self" will be removed and the world will be clearly seen.

Does that sound good or what?

Australia.

A word found often upon my lips. A word so familiar, yet so unknown. A word I've been talking about, thinking about, and dreaming about for the past six months, but a word that is not yet a reality to me.

Tomorrow I will begin my journey towards making Australia a reality. I will be saying goodbye to a weeping mother, a smiling father, and all that is known to me and stepping onto an airplane that will carry me across the globe and eventually dump me in a brand new world.

Terrifying? Yes. Sensational? Absolutely.

I am out of my mind excited for this trip. I have dreamt of traveling abroad since middle school and I can't believe how blessed I am that my dream is coming true. I am so thankful for this privilege, as I know many people are unable to take part in a trip like this, and I pray that I will humbly take advantage of each and every moment.

In some ways I am running away. Running from the problems I have back here, running from the complexity of growing up, running from the undesirable drama of college, running from a multitude of memories that taunt me and remind me of the past. I must not let myself merely run away, I must push myself to run forward into the glorious and great unknown that the Lord has in store for me. I cannot run from Jesus. It is impossible to hide my face from him. No matter how far I travel Jesus will be there. He'll be sitting with me on the plane, helping me navigate through a strange new city, greeting me at my host family's house, teaching me wonderful lessons in my classes, and giving me the courage to dive deep into things I once feared.

I am going down under. I am getting swallowed up into the belly of the beast. And even when I'm being carried about in the sea, I know I'll be in good company, for Jesus will meet me there. He will call to me when things get dark. He will lead me to land when I am lost. He will provide shade when I am tired. He's got my back at all times, and if I'm lucky, he will use me to carry along his message with the boldness of a prophet.

I have nothing to be afraid of, not even the belly of the beast.

"In trouble, deep trouble, I prayed to God. He answered me. From the belly of the grave I cried, ‘Help!’ You heard my cry." -Jonah 2:2