Muckadilla

So, The Outback. No, not the restaurant. I’m talking the real, honest, actual bush walking, kangaroo hunting, livestock raisin’, desert meets farming Aussie Outback. It was awesome. A totally different pace of life from what us city folk are used to. It was Geoff’s sister’s home and they live on 40,000 acres give or take just outside of ‘Muckadilla’ – could there be a better name for a town? They raise cattle, sheep and goats, but they also have wild goats, emu, and kangaroos. It’s his sister, her husband, and one hired man that run the whole thing. They were very kind and generous, drove us around the land and gave us an Australian Safari. It was fun seeing the Roos and Wallaby hopping about. Right now they are in the middle of a very difficult drought so there’s not much for their stock to eat. But they don’t complain much. They trust the good Lord for what they need, and live by sun up and sundown. It’s a simple but not easy way of life and I can see how it could be very rewarding. The first thing you notice is the quiet, followed by all the stars at night. It is always amazing to “be still and know”…

I (Jason) got up at 3:45 in the morning and climbed a local mountain with some of the “mates” from here. In the words of one of them, “A- maze- ing”. The views were incredible, and the climb was sketchy at best. But it was awesome to be out and about in God’s creation. We feel very at home here, because so much of the culture and terrain is similar to California. Geoff and Lyndal have been great friends to have here. So generous with their time and resources. God has surrounded us with wonderful people both home and abroad and we are thankful.

We leave on Tuesday to go up the northern coast so we may be out of internet for a while but we’re getting close to coming home, we miss everyone, we’re excited to see you soon, and Australia is “A- maze- ing”.

Aussie Land

Not gonna lie, we’re pretty stoked to be introduced to Aussie Land. Friends of Steve & Kris Smith have welcomed us in and made us feel right at home. We’ve indulged in the simple pleasures like carpeted floors, thick mattresses, and mosquito-free walks. We’re just outside of Brisbane, which has stunningly endless skies and many places to explore within 100 km. or less. Tonight I’m going to put my Thai cooking class to the test and tomorrow we’re heading to the Outback … yes, THE Outback … for a few days. Cheers!

asia in the rear-view mirror

Today we counted to figure out that we've spent 4-1/2 of the last 6+ months in Asia. That ends tonight. Wow. We're on our way to Australia now, which we're super excited to explore. We are so grateful for the "play time" the Father is giving us, not to mention the cushion of a cultural stepping stone.

I wonder what Asia will look like in our rear-view mirror. To be honest, we never would have chosen to come to Asia, so it's funny that it's dominated our trip. But we've loved so much of it and been introduced to an important side of the world that we couldn't really appreciate without our time here.

V-Tech, PBA & Norco

This year has placed me in positions where I’ve felt more vulnerable than ever before – between traffic insanities, diseases I can’t even pronounce carried by bugs of all shapes and sizes, political instability and loud protests, questionable standards or transportation, villages where people have been arrested and/or martyred for their faith – recently, and a passport from a country now known as a target. We’ve been in places where it wouldn’t be all that surprising to have something devastating happen, something even fatal – because it has, and it just so happens that it wasn’t to us. I’m not going to pretend it’s been easy to be in those situations because the spirit of fear takes possibilities and makes the thought of them nearly paralyzing were it not for the One who is stronger than fear. But a classroom on a Virginia Campus is what we see has claimed the lives of over 30 people? This is crazy-making. A classroom never ranked on my most-vulnerable list.

The U.S. Supreme Court just surprised a lot of Americans by maintaining a ban on a procedure that surprises most of the world. I remember sitting with several international friends when partial-birth abortion was being debated in the Supreme Court back in 2000. “Barbaric” was the term they used – most of them from ‘liberal’ countries, all working in human rights and thinking the U.S. has no right pointing fingers at other human rights abuses while we continue to allow such procedures. How an article can in the same paragraph describe the procedure of crushing a fetus’ head and articulate that it could be considered anything less than murder honestly baffles me.

Last night we were watching a movie called “Rapid Fire”, based on a bank robbery that turned into the most violent battle of U.S. Law Enforcement history. It took place in Norco. Here we are sitting in Asia, reflecting on weeks and months of vulnerability that the Father has taken us through, and the movie we’re watching of such desperate and purposeless violence is taking place in NORCO.

In just over a month we return to our indigenous roots. I had a dream the other night – I was going to a play, one where I had a role but hadn’t learned my lines or remembered my cues from my Acting Coach. Countries all around this world are hurting, and ours is not an exception. The evil and desperation that would lead a 23-year old to shoot people because he was teased by rich brats … the disconnection from logic in debating the killing of a living fetus … the violence brought on by a drive for nothing more than money. This is the set stage for the roles we all have to play. What are our lines? What are our cues? What has our Acting Coach been teaching us that we need to put into practice?

You just gotta see it

The last day of the Festival (Sunday) we made our way down to a local Starbucks that boasts a third story. From this vantage point we were able to capture these moments for you to get an idea of what we were trying to describe. We of course got drenched again on the way back, but it was a hot day, and even when you want to get mad when a bucket's dumped on you, those dang smiles keep you laughing.

Elephants!

Yay, I got to play with Elephants - a feisty one year old who liked to play tug of war and is STRONG. But stinking adorable!

Songkran = WET

Wow, Thais don't mess around when it comes to celebrating. Songkran, the Thai New Year, is celebrated for three full days ... and day number two is just starting. Yes, we're back in Thailand - up north in Chiang Mai this time. Which just so happens to be the main hub for celebrating Songkran. We're not talking party hats and noise makers, but all out water warfare - with a smile. Pretty much if you go out during the day you're going to get soaked ... and I mean SOAKED. We spent 11 hours on a boat in the Philippines (not the best idea we've ever had) which was basically Big Foot Rapids on steroids, but I think we got even more wet during our thirty-minute tuk-tuk (rickshaw taxi) ride yesterday. It's pretty amazing. People literally line the roads armed with buckets of all sizes and large bins full of water - some clean, some not so clean. Beds of pick-up trucks are converted into mobile water-launching machines when 5-10 Thais of all ages crowd in with squirt guns and buckets. But the absolute best part is the constant grins that you see everywhere you look. This is just a FUN festival. It's like a youth group event that the whole country joins in on for DAYS. Even when someone nails you with a bucket of ice-cold or river-warm water, once you wipe the water from your eyes and catch the smile, you can't help but smile back.

God - the Magnificent Artist

I read a quote the other day and I don't remember it exactly but I can fake it enough to get the point across ...

Nothing pleases the creater more than to have others explore his creation.

This has not hit so close to the heart as this past week. For some reason it is easy to believe that anything we enjoy is "selfishness" and not of our creator. Yet plainly we serve a God who delights in being delighted in. Swim his waters and see the myriads of colors and shapes. Walk his shores and see the rugged coast contrast with smooth perfectly white sand. Sit beneath his sky and watch the deep blue explode into pinks and yellows as the sun sets for the day. The attention to detail speaks of an artist who takes pride in the beauty of his craft. One who takes pleasure in the praise, awe, and wonderment of those who behold the work of his hand. During this easter week I didn't read much of his story written on paper, but I heard his witness shouted through a thosand voices of fish and island, rock and water, hue and scape. We have run along his canvas, swam in his aquariam, bathed in the beauty of his creativity.

Who can fathom the depth of our God? Our Magnificent artist?

Umm, yeah ...

Incommunicado

Just wanted to give everyone a heads up that we don't expect to have internet access for the next week or so. We're headed to Palawan - our bodies and minds are so ready for a week of pure and simple holiday ... well, it does include a 9-hour bus ride, so maybe simple isn't the right word ... well, we'll let you know next week!