There's a Bathroom on the Right...

For one of our classes we have to go to 4 different kinds of churches: Catholic, Anglican, Uniting, and Assemblies of God. I love and hate this assignment all at once because I feel like I'm intruding on the Catholics' mass or the Assemblies of God make me uncomfortable (I grew up in a church where we didn't pray out loud or sway to music). The Anglicans I love, but I haven't gotten around to visiting them yet.

Yesterday, however, I went with a larger group than I thought to a Catholic mass. Now, I know that you don't take Catholic mass unless you are Catholic (respect and all that jazz), but this large group I was with was unsure. So we walked in late to the service and sat in a front row (there were several sections to this gigantic church). Anyway, when the time came for mass, the little usher man was looking at me to get the line started, and I'm avoiding eye contact...I know, I'm mature. But as I sat there watching all these people take mass right next to me (in my bright green jacket), I was wondering what they thought of us. No one came to talk with us after the service, but do the Catholics feel like we're observing them, like monkeys? If so, then why do people insist we go to a Catholic mass? Is it the liturgical side of things? I don't know, but I feel like I'm intruding every time I go to a Catholic service (which has been all of twice in my life).

On the other hand, I do like to see what the differences are between Catholics and Anglicans. Such as the invocation of the Saints and Mary. One of the passages read during the service was from Hebrews and it said something about how our journey in life is being aided by saints (I tried to look up the passage, but couldn't find it...but it was in there). The whole sermon then was about how we ought to pray to the saints because that's where our help comes from. Um...I think not, but I was not about to stand up in mass and declare my Protestant beliefs...no. Then during a prayer they asked for God to remove faithful saints from Purgatory. I didn't say amen at the end of that one.

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but Australian Christians are in church because they truly believe in what they are there for. Unlike in America where you go because your family goes and that's just what we do. It's so much easier to find true Christians here than in the States, I can tell you that. But one thing we've been talking about in my View from Australia class is that Australians feel vulnerable (as a nation) and like having a protector state (currently the US). So if they feel vulnerable all the time and like having a big protector, then why is it so hard to talk with people about God here? Not just about God, but what He's done for us.

My director, Kimberly, has lived in Australia for 5 years and goes regularly to a Bible Study where nothing gets done. She said it's more like gossip time. But Australians are afraid to let you into their world and be completely raw and vulnerable to you. But then how do you learn from people? How do you see the goodness of God in people's lives? How do you mourn with you brother or sister or rejoice with those who rejoice? To me it seems like a very closed off society where no one would want to talk with you. But in actuality, Australians are the most friendly people on the planet (well, right next to Southerners). They smile, say hey, and always ask how you're doing. People here at Wesley really want to get to know "The Americans", but not in any deep/meaningful way. I don't know, seems contradictory to me.

Well, on that note, continued prayer for my stay here is quite welcome. If you could lift up my host family as well that would be amazing. Sue and Peter Bock are some of the nicest people who want to share with us and feed us chocolate bikkies until we puke, but Sue is the only Christian in the house. So, prayer that our lives would reflect positively on the Bock family and not discourage Peter, Oskar, and Carl (the two sons who live with us) from loving God as much as Sue does.

Oh, and mail is quite welcome here ;)!!

Fun Fact:

I actually learned that a "gone walkabout" is when something or someone gets lost. So you are looking for the TV remote and Dad says, "Oh, it's gone walkabout again." i.e. it's lost. But a walkabout is what Aboriginals do to get back to their roots. So they walkabout, they don't go walkabout. Get it? distinction made?

So shout out to Alyssa Fiske for helping me tell my Mom that I am lost...whoo hoo. (Which I've ironically done quite a few times...hehe).

No Drama...

Well, I think that I've finally begun to gather some slang words and I would like to share a few Aussie-must-knows with you.
1) Vegemite is actually made from what was left after they made beer. Now, Aussies love this black, salty jam put on toast with butter, but it can also be used to cure zits and cold sores. I'm skeptical and avoiding it at all costs.
2) Coffee: I like a long black. Some like white cows. Still others like it with sugar (I forgot how to say that). But the best kind of coffee is plunger coffee!! This is just French Press coffe under a cooler alias. I love calling it a plunger!
3) Everyone is your mate. Not just that bloke in your phone, but also the woman next to you on the train. "No worries, mate." is the most common phrase I have heard yet.
4) Attempting to look like an Aussie has yet to work for me. I even bought the leggings! (I keep getting people who ask me where to go though, which is funny becaus I was about to ask them the same thing!) So, here are some dresscode rules to live by: skinny jeans, long shirts or cut off shirts, but they have to be oversized, straight hair and with your makeup done at all times, boots or keds are acceptable but no tennis shoes (tourist you are), also wearing all black is not gothic or strange, but quite an acceptable norm, oh and being an American gets you a free pass from all of this!
5) There is no supper. My Grandma has breakfast, dinner, then supper. Here it's brekkie, dinner, then tea. And what do you drink at tea, but tea. I have had so much tea that I could float away from it! But you never tell your host parents that you'll be back for dinner because that's like 12 or 1, always tell them you'll be back for tea.
6) Everything here is super expensive! The AUD and USD are about the same right now, but for some reason everything is quite expensive. A candy bar from the vending machine was about $2.60, but at school it's less than $1. Going to a restaurant is quite the ordeal and costs more than you bargained for.
7) There are no koalas in the city.
8) I have spotted cockatoos and larikins in the trees. This place is tropical bird paradise. Go into the nearest pet store, find the brightest bird, and it lives near me. I walk around in contsant terror, but c'est la vie.
9) There is a difference between a Native Australian and an Aboriginie. Natives are simply people that were born here and refers to mostly the "white fellas" while Aboriginies are people (use your Latin skills!) who were here before time (ab: before; origin: time...maybe). So, having said that: 60% of Sydney is Asian immigrants. There are so many people here who barely speak English, but consider themselves Australian. And everyone here is from an immigrant family, except for the Aboriginies.
10) When Aussies are shocked that you have not eaten, drank, or seen something, rest assured that before the week is out you will have eaten, drank, or seen it.