As soon as the Coronavirus pandemic had settled down enough to allow international travel, I booked my tickets. On with my ministry and travel paths in Australia! Whereas in the past my focus was re-connecting with my church, family and school communities, this time a significant focus for me has been supporting my son Jon, his wife Angela and their daughter Evie as they move permanently to Australia.
Usually when in Sydney I’ve stayed in Baringa (pictured left) , the guest house/social centre/office of the Swedenborgian/New Church in Hurstville, NSW, and travelled an hour by train to help out in the other NCIA (New Church in Australia) congregation in Roseville, NSW. This time being in Bulli, I was an hour from Hurstville and two hours from Roseville.
What with wanting to help Jon and Angela and Evie make their geographic and emotional transition to living in Australia, the distance and time to travel to the church centres, and contracting Covid within a few days of arriving, I spent much less time than in previous ministry trips actually helping out in the churches in Sydney. I was able to contribute to an Open Discussion at the Swedenborg Centre, an outreach of the Roseville church, as well as participate in a Bible study (below.) For the Hurstville church, whose piano player has now retired after many years of service, I returned to my former music ministry to record 18 hymns and songs on piano for them to use during Christmas and regular worship services.
Connecting with friends from my faith and school communities in the Sydney area is always a blessing! The people and places from my early years have deep meaning, still providing healing for the “third culture kid” part of me (google it!) Walked the Como bridge with Murray and Lori Heldon, went to Sydney Harbour with Cliff Adamou, had lunch with school friends (no photo 🙁 ), saw a play with Lori and Jenn Beiswenger
Arriving as I did in mid November, it was Christmas time in summer in Australia! Seemed normal to me growing up in Sydney, but it took some re-adjusting for me after decades of winter Christmases. We entirely missed Thanksgiving, which isn’t celebrated in Australia anyway, except as a religious Harvest Thanksgiving at the end of summer. Jon had bought some turkey for the occasion, but he and I had Covid that week, and somehow in a summer setting I didn’t really miss it. On Christmas day I was able to check off a bucket list item: go to the beach on Christmas! We saw many families in their “Christmas tents” on the beach, complete with lights and decorations.
