20 October 2010
Another Month!
Lots of stuff has gone down. Moving out of my asbestos-ridden home because the building complex is being bought out (really back). Only 8 weeks left of school. I’ve been around the state, even preaching for a youth rally in the NW. I’ve worked at a tween camp (but that may have been just before the last post) and had two spiritual emphasis weeks at the school. Soon I’ll be headed out to do a spiritual emphasis week for the school in the NW, followed by a youth retreat weekend while I’m up there.
Right now, the show weekend is on. The Royal Hobart Show is basically a huge state fair (here’s nostalgia for the Cocke County Fair) with horse races mixed in. Oh, and the show bags. The show bags are their way of getting heaps of money blown on…not much. Cheap toys and candy in bags—except for the really expensive ones. Gets are crazy for them. The rides and tickets are fairly expensive from my experience, too. But, everything is here.
I know you guys have been dying for anecdotes of Aussie life, so I’ll give you a couple that are fresh on my mind to day. Cotton candy is fairy floss. Community parks are called “reserves” and are all over the place—sometimes simply patches of grass with perhaps a bench, though some are fairly nice. Makes them sound so green! I’m certain many of you have already been made aware of boots and bonnets and bins, taking out the rubbish and having a go.
In a complete turn in direction and abrupt halt in flow, while at the show today, I went to the church’s health-screening station. Met the woman who brought CHIP to Australia. She’s from the mainland. After a nice long conversation with her, she wanted to give me a book (because I’d only checked interest in spiritual development—I didn’t want flyers in addition to the updates I’d already have to all the upcoming programs) which they’d run out of, so she was hoping I might return to the show this weekend. So I let her know it’s no worries, I’m with the church; I’m a volunteer from America. So she asked what part, and I told her I was from South Carolina, and (as you get used to doing) asked her if she knew where that was. Her response was surprising to me: “Of course, I’m from America!”
I was shocked. I struggled to analyze what she’d just said, disbelieving that she’d spoken with an American accent. Turns out she’s from Kansas (I hope I got that right…), and as she was telling me so, I realized she most certainly was full American. Whoa! I haven’t even been here 4 months, and I did not recognize an American when I heard one! And for intrigue’s sake, you ought to know that she had no idea I was American either. We just stop noticing! Crazy.
Oh! That’s what else has happened since the last entry: while I was away on that youth rally speaking, my bedroom window was smashed and my house was robbed. You can check out the photos of me heartbroken (insert sarcasm emoticon) on facebook. It is quite ironic though, considering my last entry. Well, they made me realize that I did own some of the stuff—like $1000 worth. Ironically, it was the things that were gifts that I was most hurt by losing. After all that blubbering. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know about it so I could tell you not to store up for yourselves treasures on Earth, where moth and rust destroy, and thieves break in and steal. Instead, store up treasure in Heaven, where moth can’t eat up, rust can’t corrode, and thieves will never break in and steal. I know my treasure; His name is Jesus. But I hope your heart can be added to the spoils.
~While we were still sinners, He endured the shame; how can I ever be ashamed?
-Colton J. Stollenmaier, M.I.A.
