Confident Expectation

Here is the Reader's Digest version of what my first week in Sydney looked like.



The weather was unpleasant as it shifted back and forth from light mist to torrential downpours all day.  I have never seen so much rain that wasn't a part of a hurricane or thunderstorm.  Eliane was out of town for the weekend, so Chris drove me around the different suburbs of Sydney.  I briefly saw the Harbour Bridge, Opera House, and Balmoral Beach.  Then we went to the mall in Chatswood.  It looked very similar to a shopping mall in the US, however most of the brands and stores I had never heard of before.  Enter Vodafone, where I successfully acquired a new cell phone (Nokia Lumia 720) and Australian phone number.  We had lunch in the food court, where I had a salad with red capsicum, pumpkin, roasted chicken, topped with honey lime coriander dressing.  Next stop was Woolworths (grocery store).  Quick note: it is amazing how much more organic and gluten free foods they have on the regular shelves.


I decided to walk over to the North Sydney suburb to find Office Works (like an Office Max or Staples) to pick up some office supplies.  They have their own mascot, Ollie the bear.  I then found the library, but was told I couldn't get a card until I had paperwork with my name and address on it.  So I went to NAB and opened a bank account.  On the way home I popped into a few of the local organic marts.  After an adventurous morning full of walking jet lag caught up with me, so I took an afternoon nap.  For dinner I cooked chicken and mushrooms in white wine sauce with roasted cauliflower for Chris & Eliane.

When two plus two is greater than four...

Before you freak out at the title of this post, let me reassure that you are not going to have to perform calculations in your head as you read along, or listen to me contradict something you have been taught is true since kindergarten.  Fear not, as this post really has very little to do with math.  Colton, I am sorry if this disappoints you.  The math is simply an analogy God gave me to express what I was feeling, because He knows I am a math and science nerd.

In the weeks leading up to my departure from the US everyone had been asking me "Are you excited about moving to Australia?"  To be honest the answer was never really 'yes' even though I likely gave some form of an affirmative reply.  Then again, the answer was definitely not 'no'.  Handing over responsibilities and tying up lose ends at a job I worked at for six years was my sole focus during the day, only to be followed by trying to find renters while cleaning and packing up my house in the evenings.  My brain spent almost all of my mental and emotional energy as it was busy processing all of the details that had to be done before I could board the plane.  My body never slowed down enough to let my heart reflect.  So now, here it goes.

While some people only learned of my move to Sydney a few weeks before I left, it was actually a nine month journey for me.  With the reality so far off for so long it never seemed quite real.  Dan and Robyn (the church plant's lead pastors) first presented the idea in June 2012.  I told my roommate that same night that I thought this is what God was prompting me to do, but I thought, prayed, and discussed the possibility with family over the next 5-6 months.  In December I realized it was time to commit one way or the other so I sent in my passport for renewal.  Once it came back I applied for my visa.  After that it was time to book plane tickets.  At each step I gave God the opportunity to close the door if this was not His will.  Instead it was green lights all the way as the paperwork was approved and returned much quicker than I anticipated and the tickets were on sale.

As my remaining weeks whittled away, I heard the auto-pilot response "...because I am moving to Australia" leave my mouth dozens of times only to have my brain catch up a moment later trying to process if this was the truth or just a memorized answer.  I felt like I was answering the teacher's questions "What is 2 + 2?"  I would answer "4" simply because that is how I have been trained to respond.  But then I started to question do I really know it to be true on a deeper level?  Quitting job + Renting out house + Leaving behind family = Moving to Australia?

The first glimpse of true excitement was like a door opening just a crack so you can start to see what awaits on the other side.  The joy came with the first major answered prayer.  A lovely couple, Chris and Eliane, graciously agreed to let me live in their guest bedroom.  While there was relief that I was not going to be homeless or have to hand over a large stack of cash for a hotel room, it was far more than that.  The hospitality and welcoming that came through the words in their emails made me want to cry.  I realized I felt cared for, safe, and had a sense of belonging.  It was then I knew that Sydney was going to be more than a cool place to live, it was going to be home.

God had been quietely whispering the word 'home' to my spirit before I left.  This brought His supernatural peace that truly surpassed any worldly understanding.  I know that moving to Sydney was His idea and I am walking in confident expectation that He will supply all my needs.  Additionally, I believe He has several surprises just waiting for me, because He loves me and He can.

My last Sunday morning at Catch the Fire Raleigh, my pastors and friends surrounded me with prayer as I was commissioned to go with their blessing.  This was the moment when it finally all caught up with me.  I had a clearer vision of the future and the full weight of my decision hit me.  I identified with the disciples when Jesus told them to leave everything behind and to follow Him.  While I did not sell everything, reducing my life to the bare necessities was not an easy task.  It made me carefully evaluate my priorities.  I left behind a lot of clothes and shoes so that I could bring my camera and photography equipment, dance shoes, and study Bible.

After one week here in Sydney I have already fallen in love with the city and the amazing people that God has placed as my community.  Chris and Eliane have been nothing but supportive and have gone out of their way to help me settle in.  Our personalities have really clicked.  They have even enthusiastically adapted the dinner menu to fit my dietary restrictions.  Tomorrow is the pre-launch service for Catch the Fire Sydney.  I'm excited to see what God has in store for our blossoming church.

The great news is two plus two not only equals four, it has proven to equal so much more.

Did you know that minus Alaska the United States and Australia are almost the same size?  Most people think Australia is a much smaller continent/country than it actually is.



The population in AUS is smaller since the majority of people live on the coasts, as the interior is primarily desert.

Although the population density is heaviest on the coastlines of the United States as well, it is true to a much lesser extent.  In the US the midland is still largely inhabitable and farmable.






If you have a friend who is currently living in Oz I would love to get in contact with them.  Please be aware that even if their city of residence looks relatively close to Sydney, it may still be a several hour drive away.  For instance, it is a 10 hour drive between Sydney and Brisbane.  It's about the equivalent of driving from Florida to North Carolina.

Today I am celebrating my first Australian Holiday, ANZAC Day.  What is ANZAC Day?  First of all, ANZAC is an abbreviation for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps.  Today is the anniversary of the landing of the troops from AUS and NZ on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Turkey during WWI.  The landing happened on April 25, 1915.  This holiday is similar to our Memorial Day or Veteran's Day as it is set aside to remember and commemorate all of the military personnel who were involved or died in this campaign.  Now every April 25th memorial services are held.  There is also a parade held in Hyde Park.  This also happens to overlap with students' April holiday.

Today is a public holiday so the library is closed.  Of course no memorial would be quite complete without having a drink (or several) in someone's honor.  Most people have the day off from work, so it is not uncommon to find patrons "paying their respects" at a local pub where there are many beer specials to be found.



Update: Here are some pictures taken on Friday (the day after ANZAC Day) in the city

I am staying with a wonderful couple, Christ & Eliane.  In just a few short days I already feel like they are family.  They have been a tremendous help in getting me oriented with our suburb, Cammeray.

They have gone out of their way to accomodate my dietary restrictions and drive me to where I need to go.  So far I have been able to get a new cell phone with an Australian mobile number, a new bank account, and a library card.  I have filed for my Tax File Number (TFN) which allows me to work and have my employer tax me correctly as a visitor here on a visa.  Hopefully that will arrive soon.  I have been to Office Works (like an Office Max or Staples) as well as Target and several grocery stores.  Office Works even has it's own mascot, Ollie the bear.

Target here is not nearly as large as the stores in NC, but it still carries a little bit of everything you would expect to find.  Overall everything here is slightly smaller.  The stores, the vehicles, the houses, and the food portions.  It has made me realize how much Americans love their super-sized everything, just because they can.

Let me pause a moment and tell you how amazingly easy it is to get gluten-free food here.  There is a wide selection in all of the grocery stores.  Nearly every restaurant has GF substitutions if not entire sections of their menu devoted to GF and vegetarian/vegan options.  It has been wonderful to got get strange looks.  Cashiers and waiters are very familiar with what a gluten allergy means and what items on their menu would not be safe to eat.  While I have been cooking and eating most of my meals at the apartment, I have not gotten sick at any of the restaurants or cafes from cross-contamination either.  Sunday night I had my first experience eating a kangaroo burger.  It was delicious and tasted a bit like a cross between turkey, ground beef, and venison.  Please excuse the messiness of the picture, we were hungry and cut into the burger before remembering to take a picture of it.  The red colour is from beetroot, not blood.

The weather here has been lovely.  Mostly sunny with highs in the mid to low 70s and lows around 55F.  We keep the windows open most of the day to let the fresh air inside.  I have been walking around in short-sleeve shirts because after NC's rather cold winter this feels quite warm.  The brisk walks also keep me warmer.  When I go into stores it has not been uncommon for a clerk to ask if I am cold without a jacket.  As I have looked around I realize that most people are starting to wear coats and scarves.  The tree leaves are just starting to show their colors.


This is Crows Nest, another suburb just west of where I'm living.  It has a lot of cute shops, restaurants, and all of the bank branches on these one-way streets that start to form mini strip malls.


Below is St. Leonards Park.  As you can see most of the trees are still green and lush.


The season is shifting into autumn here, so the Aussies are starting to feel cold after their warm summer.  I have been warned that most people do not have heaters for the winter.  They cope by wearing layered clothing and putting a few extra blankets on the beds because the temperature really doesn't ever drop that low.  Everyone is already commenting on how cool it is getting.  I guess it's all about perspective and what you are used to.

Today I tried the bus for the first time.  Except for the fact that I just missed the bus I needed, so I had to wait 30 minutes for the next one, it was a pleasant experience.  The drivers were friendly, the interior was clean, the stops were well-marked, and it literally dropped me off in front of the beach.

Chris drove me by Balmoral Beach on Saturday when it was pouring rain, so it was hard to see much other than the high tide.  Today it was sunny and warm, filled with many families taking advantage of the pleasant weather.






I saw a lot of children and teenagers at the beach.  Tomorrow is an Australian holiday (Anzac day) so I think a lot of people were getting a jump start on their holiday.

A quick summary of some observations I made while I was in Los Angeles.

People strictly adhere to crosswalk signs even if there are no cars coming, completely opposite of New York City.  Pedestrians also have the right-of-way, cars will stop if you are walking when you shouldn't, but as stated before I rarely saw anyone not wait for the signal to light up.

Southern hospitality does not apply in California.  While people are not necessarily rude, they do not go out of their way to offer help.  The bus drivers are very impatient and will look at you like you are stupid for not knowing that you need to be at the bus stop on the other side of the street to catch the same bus going in the opposite direction.  I literally had one bus close its doors right in my face as I was about to step on.  There was a line in front of me so I guess the driver did not see me; however, as soon as the person in front of me was on that first step inside the doors closed.  Like I just said: impatient.

The city is very clean.  I didn't see anyone littering, there was very little trash in the streets.

The public transportation system is fairly well-organized and on-time, but definitely not the fastest means of getting around.  The network of buses and metros got me where I needed to go, but I would definitely want a car if I was going to live there.

The seagulls are at least double the size of the ones on the NC coast.  I'm not sure what the tourists and/or locals are feeding them.  Or perhaps they are genetically-modified?  I'm not really sure what the advantages of a large seagull would be to the city though.

Overall it was an interesting place to visit but not somewhere I'm keen on living.