Category: The Path in 2018

My ministry and visiting path ended with a few days in Denver, Colorado, USA, staying with my brother Jon, sister-in-law Lucie, and my teenage nephew and niece Brock and Ava. It took 29 hours of traveling to get there, including time to file a lost baggage claim, replenishing essentials at Target, and Starbucks coffee to keep me going till bedtime. Jon’s family lead very busy lives, with the parents both working full time and active in their community and childrens’ schools, and the kids both excelling in sports and their academic work in high school, as well as community activities. I had basically just announced to them that I would be visiting on my way back from Australia, without asking if the timing was OK. I repeatedly found myself reminding them of that as they apologised for being so busy and occupied during my stay. I really needed some relaxing time and time zone adjustment at the end of my journey, so it was all good.

Aeroplane window view of Sydney as we took off. I had left Adelaide beforehand in the dark of the early morning.

Sydney Harbour is breathtakingly beautiful. We didn’t fly over the Bridge and Opera House, which are east/left of this photo.

I’m pretty sure this aerial photo captures (in the centre right) Manly Beach, Miriam’s Manly and the Manly Wharf, of which land view photos are in previous blog posts.

 Seeing the Australian coast disappearing from sight wasn’t nearly as emotional for me as seeing it appearing in view a few weeks earlier. I know I will be returning next year with confidence in some form of ministry in the NCIA, and many possibilities between now and then. My plan for spending 5 months per year in Australia and 7 months in USA seems like a reality now, instead of a hope for the future. Now I know how I can be present and connected and useful in two countries simultaneously, or close to simultaneously. I’ve been able to stay in touch with my family in USA, and Home Church, and our monthly Saturday Brunch, for this whole month. Simultaneously,  I’ve been able to visit five NCIA centres in Australia and New Zealand, including helping out with five church events and four social events connected with NCIA activities. Modern technology might have its drawbacks, but it certainly has its blessings. For me, those blessings have added so much value to my ministry and travel and visiting path.

Yucca plants grow all over and are quite spiky if you brush up against them

Moose, my brother’s medium Labradoodle, happily came with me on a two hour walk around the bluff on my first full day in Denver.  He’s the same breed as my Arya, but looks very different even though his personality is similar. We couldn’t run because my running gear was still in my bag, which took almost two days to catch up with me. I was very blessed to have minimal jet lag and no altitude sickness. I’d taken several precautions to avoid both, like hydration, homeopathy, and staying mentally on Denver time from when I’d left Adelaide.

Behind my brother’s house is a bluff from which you can see the outskirts of Denver with the snow-capped Rocky Mountains behind them. It’s easier to see the Rockies to the West of Denver in this photo than in the pano above. The remainder of my time in Denver was pretty much the same: walks and runs with Moose, visiting with Jon’s family whenever we found some time together, watching movies together after dinner, and just relaxing without deadlines and road trips and errands and ministry activities! Some stellar visitors also showed up: Emilie (Suzanne’s niece with whom I’d stayed earlier in the week in Australia) with her three adorable boys, and Lucie’s parents. I thoroughly enjoyed playing surrogate Grandma with Emilie’s family as we played at the playground and went out for lunch. Ange and Wayne came for family dinner on my last evening before returning to Philadelphia, as well as Ava’s friend Sarah. Good times, good people, lots of laughter, family at its best. My last steps include the photos below, which I cannot convince Blogger to rearrange chronologically, nor to add captions. So I thank you for walking the path with me from Philadelphia to points West, then back again. To be continued next year, with ministry and adventures in Australia again!

Water fowl at the Oaklands Estate Reserve near the Adelaide church

For the last 2.5 days of the Aussie part of my path, I took a road trip to SE South Australia and Victoria at the bottom of the eastern part of Australia, and back to Adelaide. My day began with a run at the Reserve, then church and shared lunch as posted earlier, then on the road! First, a few more photos from my run through the Reserve. I ran there twice, and once on the beach, while in Adelaide.

“All the ducks are swimming in the water” – that’s for Chris and Zachary!

It has been a dry summer (as it usually is) so some ponds and streams in the Reserve are dry. But the birds can find what they need anyway.

Shaggy-bark gum trees.

Red river gums, seen around Adelaide, and my Mum’s favourite type of gum tree.

Blooming oleander, related to the Rhododendron that thrives in my Pennsylvania neighbourhood

In my “SA Rellies” post, I included some details about my visit in Tintinara, SA on Sunday and in Keith, SA on Monday morning. I forgot to mention how my Dad joined me for the beginning of my road trip. I turned on the radio to hear his favourite song, one which we played at his Memorial Service. As it was playing and I was crying, I noticed a vineyard sign that read “Arkana.” Swedenborg’s exhaustive Biblical commentary, which Dad studied and used extensively, is called “Arcana Coelestia.” The next piece I heard was a concerto by JS Bach that my parents played a lot in our home as I was growing up. Dad definitely wanted to come along to see Frank and the South Australian countryside he enjoyed as a young man! After visiting Uncle Frank, I set off for Victoria. These shots were precariously and no doubt illegally taken while driving through the Grampians, a mountain range in Victoria. Most mountains in Aus are very ancient, rounded and worn down by millenia of erosion.

Yes, I was correctly driving on the left side of the road. No worries at all.

This part of Victoria has adequate rainfall and the temperate climate to sustain tall trees in beautiful bushlands

I thought I was photographing a “Koala Crossing” sign but it was really a warning about the freight train line nearby. I did see a large koala high up in the fork of a tree, but not till I was almost under it, so couldn’t snap a photo. Instead, here’s one I took a few years ago in Portland, Victoria.

This is a “Wombat Crossing” sign, in the Wombat Forest in Victoria. Didn’t see any, though, digging or crossing!

By afternoon tea time my visiting and ministry path had taken me to Ballarat, Vic., where there is a group of Swedenborgian/New Church people who meet regularly for worship and Logopraxis (a spiritual growth programme developed in Australia). The “Pastor in Residence” in the Melbourne, Vic society is Rev. Glenn Alden, a retired General Church minister. He also ministers to the Ballarat group, which has been a daughter church to the Melbourne congregation for 40 years. Glenn and his wife Mary, lovely friends of mine from USA, had stayed on in Ballarat from the Sunday activities the day before, so that we could meet up with Len and Judy Robinson who are the pillars of the Ballarat group. We all had afternoon tea at the Robinsons while Glenn and Mary got me caught up on the details of their joint ministry in Melbourne. It’s wonderful to see how they work together, offering different things to the congregation. Glenn and Mary will be returning to the USA after Easter this year, after which there will not be a pastor in Melbourne or Ballarat. Sadly I omitted to get a photo from our time together on my camera, to celebrate the great time we had, albeit rather short.

I spent the night about an hour away from Ballarat, at the new house of my New Church/Swedenborgian long-time friend Suzanne Coutanceau. Suzanne’s Dad introduced my parents to each other in the late 1940s, thereby leading my Dad to the New Church/Swedenborgian Christianity, so I owe a lot to her family for several reasons! Suzanne is a talented gardener. In a few years her garden will be stunning, with many rare plants and lots of love.

The next day I drove 9 hours back to Adelaide via a slightly different route, then packed up in the evening to return back to the USA.

Didn’t see any wild kangaroos this time, but I found some later on in the day. See below!

The farmlands in Victoria have taller trees than in South Australia. But in both places the grass is dry and brown by the end of the hot summer. Green grass is a phenomenon of winter time. More or less the opposite of North America.

Beaufort, Vic is a typical country town that I stopped in for a coffee (a flat white to be exact)

The Grampians from a distance on the way back to Adelaide.

A totally unedited photo of “Green Lake” somewhere in Victoria, as I was at a standstill due to roadworks.

Most of the time the highway connecting these major cities is one lane each way. In this windscreen photo, oncoming traffic is visible in the right lane ahead. If you get stuck behind a slow-moving vehicle, you just have to wait for the next time there is an overtaking (passing) lane added to the right for a short distance, or take the risks of crossing into the oncoming lane to get past.

At Bordertown in South Australia, I caught a glimpse of a sign for “White Kangaroos” and took a quick detour, since I hadn’t seen any ‘roos yet and was leaving the country the next day. This time my path lead me to the Bordertown Wildlife Park, and finally some kangaroos – the wallaby sort. The small white kangaroo was more nervous than the wallabies, and hopped away as soon as I approached the fence. People are not allowed in the enclosure so I took photos through the fence.

They have plenty of peacocks, and a few full size kangaroos

The wallabies seemed more secure around visitors, and were openly curious about me.

This white kangaroo is full-size. They are not albinos, but have a rare white gene. I’ve never seen or heard of them before.

The road was actually flat, as is the field, but my driving photography skills are poorly developed! This photo shows the benefit of irrigation in South Australia, which is largely desertous, using water from the Murray River.

This photo, on the other hand, shows the downside: areas of “saltflats” where the water has been drained out, leaving salt deposits on the fields near the river.

Driving over the Murray River, a major if not only source of fresh water for South Australia and parts of Victoria, in Murray Bridge, SA

By the time you’re in South Australia, the roadside trees are “scrub gum” growing in sandy soil. No more tall, well watered trees as seen in  Victoria’s temperate bushlands.

Sometimes the highway is two lanes each way, for the purposes of full disclosure.

My path took an interesting turn when I decided to see my chiropractor on the way back to where I was staying in the Adelaide church, and before starting my 24 hours of flying. My sat nav (satellite navigation = GPS) directed me along the Tourist Drive through the scenic Adelaide Hills. Amazing! I was in heaven!

Another totally unedited shot while waiting at a red light after my chiro visit- this time of the ocean that is constantly in view for those who live in Hallett Cove – such as my chiro friend Shirley, and June Johnson the lay leader, and David Millar who runs the Australian New Church College where I have been receiving my theological training online for several years.

Another red light photo – trying to show the beach ahead that makes up part of Hallett Cove. I really enjoyed staying there last year for a month, including running several times a week along the boardwalk that extends for miles along the cove and headlands.

For those who need a translation of the title of this post, it means “Relatives in South Australia.” I’ve been traveling around SA visiting my Brock relatives, who are on my Mum’s side of the family. Some of them are members/associates of the Adelaide Christian New Church, but either their health or distance keeps than from attending. My Grandpa Rev. Doug Brock was the minister in the Adelaide church from 1931 – 1954, and then helped out in his retirement.

Uncle Ian Brock was hospitalised briefly while I was in Adelaide – all is well thankfully!

Lovely Auntie Shirley, married to Ian

My little hired Toyota Yaris got bogged down in the sandy driveway on cousin Garry Brock’s amazing off-grid compound on Hindmarch Island

Dot and Derrick (?) were visiting Brooke and Garry when I arrived. Coincidentally, Dot works with Sasha Brock, whose baby is pictured below. Garry has built every structure on his property, all powered by solar batteries, with well water. This is Brooke and Garry’s open air lounge/living room but it can be enclosed with a huge garage-type door if necessary.

Garry has recently built this vintage-style racing car

The welcome sign out at the road outside Garry’s place.

Baby Zoe was born the same day as my grandson Skyler, and they look alike as well. Twin cousins! Her Dad Jarrad Brock is partially in the photo. He’s my cousin David’s son.

Bro Stephen and Soula and I went out to dinner at an elegant Indian restaurant, not really named after my dog. I think it means “sun.”

Another night we met for drinks at the Warradale Hotel where Stephen has sometimes performed

Rev. David and Mandy Millar aren’t actually rellies, but they feel like family

Grandpa Brock is in the lower right corner. Rev. Percy Billings, top left of this photo, has several descendants in the clergy of the Swedenborgian Church of North America.

The road trip at the end of my stay in Adelaide (covered in another post) started with visiting my rellies in Tintinara, SA. Cousin Christine was up for a long weekend to help her Mum out. Life has been a bit complicated for Uncle Frank and Auntie Claire since Frank fell at home and has ended up as a resident in an Aged Care unit.

Uncle Frank has been a sheep and dairy farmer, as well developing other agriculture related businesses, for his whole adult life in Tintinara. Currently his farm is being managed by someone else, since my cousin David no longer is involved in running it.

David and Bernie Brock live in the original farmhouse, with chickens AKA chooks, budgerigars AKA budgies, cats, dog, probably other animals too.

David, Christine and Claire after dinner

I love running on the track between the farm and the railway line. The farm and tree photos are from my morning run before I drove to the next town to see Frank.

Galah’s up in a tree. I heard cockatoos but couldn’t photograph them.

Behind the trees you can just make out the cattle.

Uncle Frank and his family have contributed so much to their community of the years that they named a street after them.

Keith District Hospital where Uncle frank is now a resident

Uncle Frank…

…in his new digs

…loving having visitors

For those of you who are interested in my ministry path, here is an update about my ministry activities in the Adelaide Christian New Church. Last year I wanted to serve here for two months, and ended up staying only one month due to being called back to work in the USA. This year I wanted to stay for five months, but ended up again with a one month ministry trip. This time it was housing issues. This ministry trip, as you can see from previous posts, has involved visits to three NCIA (New Church in Australia) congregations, as well as family in other places. The result is only one week in Adelaide, but it has been a good one!

I’m staying in the church itself, which the congregation has adapted into a bit of a flat for a short stay. It has worked well from my perspective. It certainly made it easy for getting to church events, of which there were three this week. First was Bible study. Sam shared some research he had done about the (arch)angel Michael, as a result of a question that had come up the previous week. Then I shared the creation story in Gen 1 with commentary about correspondences in nature, as I had done in Hurstville.

Looks we had some enlightenment during our Bible study!

Sam, June, me and Heather was the photographer.

Two days later I gave a talk titled “About Angels.” Unbeknownst to me, I had picked the worst possible weekend to schedule an outreach talk in Adelaide. It was Adelaide’s Fringe Festival, the world’s second largest annual arts festival. Despite mailbox leaflets, newspaper notice and a Facebook event, we had the smallest attendance they’ve had for an outreach talk – and Swedenborgian/New Church events are small everywhere except in African countries! So it became a relaxed conversation about angels with a PowerPoint presentation to guide us. The visitor was my chiropractor friend Shirley, whom I had personally invited when I saw her earlier in the week for a treatment. She has since told me she felt uplifted after spending the afternoon with us.

Church service in Adelaide

The Holy Supper silver on the altar is the same set my Grandpa used to offer the sacrament in the Adelaide Church the day before he passed on.

 Due to technical issues/incompetence, I can’t get these photos lined up the way I want. They’re a mix of Angel talk and Sunday service. On Sunday, I basically lead the worship service and I was delighted how co-creational the service was. Almost half of the congregation participated, by opening the Word, welcoming and leading spoken scripture, reading, song leading, offertory. Because I’m still a lay person, I was asked to give an “interesting talk” rather than a sermon. The policy in the Adelaide congregation is that lay leaders read sermons written by Swedenborgian/New Church ministers.  So my talk was perhaps an acknowledgement that I’m almost an ordained minister. We weren’t able to schedule my final oral exam while I’m here so that will happen via Skype when I’m in USA. My ordination application is still under consideration with divided opinions on the details of women’s ordained ministries. My presence and leading in church activities in three congregations this trip will hopefully have an impact on the perception of what it is that women ministers bring to the ordained ministry in Australia and New Zealand.

“Shared lunch” after church on Sunday

Afternoon tea afterward the Angel talk, with Michael, Shirley, Heather and June

Angel talk all set up and ready to go.

Beach paths are some of my favourite paths! The weather in Adelaide has been quite conducive to beach time, which I’ve been able to fit in around ministry activities. First off was a long walk along the water’s edge from Seacliffe Beach to Brighton Beach with my brother Stephen, who lives in Adelaide. We had a summery lunch near the beach in Brighton, and I had a swim. Finally a beach that wasn’t all choppy from a cyclone!

Brighton Beach

Brighton Beach has a classic South Australian beach town look

Stephen with his military haircut, as he is a musician in the Army reserves, playing in several bands.

The next day was a bit overcast, but I ended up at Port Noarlunga after I saw my friendly chiropractor nearby. My back has held up quite well through all this traveling, for which I am grateful. At Noarlunga, at least one school was there for a field trip to the geological and ocean wonders there. And of course there were other people enjoying all the things people love to do at the beach.

School kids off to learn how to snorkel…

…getting brave enough to get into the water…

…and out snorkeling…

…in several groups!

Many people were out fishing off the Noarlunga Pier

Keeping them honest!

Port Noarlunga headland to the south of the pier

Port Noarlunga beach

A teacher let me join a group of high school students (mostly taller taller than me!). She showed us these shells that are alive on the rocks along the beach…

…and the rock layers telling the geological history…

…and the ochre pigment bleeding down the cliff, which is used in traditional Original Australian paintings.

Some dogs were playing with their people – so far every beach I’ve been on in Adelaide allows dogs, mostly on leashes.

Some seagulls were contemplating the ocean

Some people were enjoying lunch overlooking the sand and waves.

Today I went to a nearby laundromat close to Brighton Beach. While the washing machine was doing its work, I was able to spend some time on the beach. I can honestly say I’ve never had such a good time doing laundry!

A bit scary – Snakes Live Here. But I was having a good time doing laundry, nevertheless!

Working hard!

I love seeing dogs enjoying the beach

It was such a lovely hot day, I was able to fit in another trip to the beach in the late afternoon after working on my “About Angels” presentation for this weekend, and before going out to dinner with Soula and Stephen.