FUZE Week 1

In the internship environment Berenice and I are working through and building as we go each week is given a theme. The theme is often just on word that we observe throughout the week. At the end of the week B and I sit down together and document our experiences and ideas on the theme and how we saw it manifested during the week. We are also looking for the how God is teaching us along our theme in ways we hadn't expected.

Each week I'll post my thoughts, observations, stories, pictures and other goodies here. Here is week 1, I posted week 9 last night. Being in week 10 now I have a lot of catching up to do, but please bare with me.

Week 1
After a late lunch at Little Creature’s, a popular local brewery, Steve, B and I headed to the beach. Being the good little land locked Midwesterner that I am the ocean has always been a bit frightening to me… it might be more accurate to say that I have a paralyzing fear of it, and the things that live in it, actually. You will all be proud to know that I was very brave and not only got into the water, but swam out a ways and bobbed in the waves. I did keep close to someone else in hopes that if a shark did see you he would find them tastier than I. I also began working on my tan, which had been lying dormant since 1997. Steve graciously made the observation that I was the only person he knew that could make the white sand beach look tan.



Everything done this week was in an attempt to adjust, to settle in, and to get my bearings in Australia. There was so much more to this that just recovering from jetlag and settling in was much more than unpacking. There were lots of cultural adjustments. I have had to learn local slang, water and electricity conservation techniques, and bus and train routes. Sunscreen has become a part of my daily routine, so has aloe vera after sun gel. And after multiple declines I have finally learned the proper way to use my American debit card here.


(Moore & Moore, cafe and art gallery in Freo)

Relationship building was also a big part my adjustment. The second day I was in Perth I attended a ladies Bible Study in the home of a churchfreo member. Here I met several girls who have become sweet friends to me. Including one of the girls I have been living with these first several weeks, Ana. Ana and I share more than a house, we share a bedroom (yes, going from a basement all to myself to sharing a bedroom was another big adjustment!). Ana is originally from Columbia, is working at one of the universities here, blesses me regularly with her amazing smile and cooking, and attends churchfreo. Our other housemate, Helma, also attends churchfreo, is a Chaplin in the school system, encourages me through her laugh and sarcasm, and is originally from Holland. We pretty much have the international kids club living in our house.


(Our little house on Elvira St)





Christopher, my MTW friend in Berlin encouraged me to take my time adjusting and to use this time to getting to know the culture. He told that it wouldn't be until I did those things that I could hope to start being effective within the community. Well, Christopher, you were right. Thanks for your insight.