Greetings from OZ

Saying goodbye from afar

2010-04-08T14:57:00.005+10:00

Today as I was moving data from one computer to another, I deleted an address from my computer address list and started to cry. No big deal you say, well it was the address for folks that I have known my whole life. Within a month my aunt and uncle have both died. Uncle Bill was 97, Aunt Betty was 86 and they were married 66 years. A good long life; ones well spent.

Since their youngest daughter was my age, and was in my class through high school, I spent hours/ days at their home and felt welcomed. Uncle Bill was a tease and Aunt Betty made mashed potatoes just for me. Sunday lunches, cookie baking before Christmas, holidays, and other times when I was young were spent with them at my grandmother's home (Aunt Betty's mother). Both of them made me feel like I was a favorite. I could tell many good stories about them.

The hardest part about living on the other side of the world is that I have to grieve alone. I am too far away to grieve with others who knew them well. I can't be there to hear and tell well worn or little known stories about them. I can't laugh and cry with extended family. I can send sympathy cards to my cousins, their daughters, but I can't give and receive the needed hugs.

Other family members have died while I have lived 'away' and it doesn't seem to settle into my mind until I return to PA and they are missing at family events.

Part of grieving is often regrets. Mine is that I spent weeks in the US in 2009 and didn't take time to go see them. When Mark and I would visit them, we were always fed well, enjoyed our conversations and delighted in Uncle Bill's paintings, Aunt Betty's quilts or whatever their present involvements. They always showed interest in our pursuits and adventures.

One of Uncle Bill's wooden ornaments hangs from the mirror in our car so that I can tell it from all the other white cars in a parking lot; I view it often. Like that ornament, I can take things and people for granted; see them but not really take time to notice and appreciate.

I will try to not to have regrets. I will try to not be so busy but take time for people who are important to me. I will try to notice and appreciate. God help me to be present and aware.

* Thanks to their grand-daughter's Facebook for the photo of Aunt Betty and Uncle Bill when they were first married.

A way forward

2010-03-18T19:32:00.008+11:00

As many of you know, technically we have been unemployed since November. Granted AAANZ (Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand) has continued to pay our rent and our supervisor at MMN (Mennonite Mission Network) has found extra money for us. But this was not sustainable.

I know that many of you have been praying for us and we thank you immensely.

Recently, one of our local Baptist Churches asked Moriah (our daughter who works as a pastor at a Baptist Church in Canberra) if she would be interested in a pastoral position. She was not but later asked us if she could give our name to the church. They contacted us, we met with the deacons, and we organised the service for them one Sunday.

While we were in New Zealand, the church unanimously decided to invite us to be their pastor. They have been without a pastor for 18 months, are a smallish group, and only wanted someone for two day a week to prepare the service each Sunday and do some pastoral care.

After talking to some friends, we decided to accept their offer.

One deacon spoke about it being a win-win for all of us. They welcome us using their building for workshops; so now we have a venue while the new building is constructed at the front of the 1643 property. We are already arranging a meeting at the church with Ron Sider when he is here in July.

Mark gets to study to teach each Sunday. We have a place to invite others to visit when they ask, "Where do you go to church?" Since it is just a suburb away and both of us are on the bus line, we can travel by bus. It will ground us in this area.

We are hopeful that the extra income on this end will relieve the pressure to reach the 80% support mark on our budget so that MMN will take us on as missionaries.

As of 21 March 2010, Mark will be employed part-time by Avalon Baptist Peace Memorial Church. [He told me that I would have to do the teaching if he wants to swim in another rough-water ocean swim.] Hummm...

Home Blessing/House Warming

2010-03-17T22:24:00.021+11:00

From the time we came back to Australia at the end of 2007 and moved to the house in Mona Vale, AAANZ and our friends, the Longleys have wanted to have a Blessing for this place, our work and the developing community at 1643 Pittwater Rd.

[Left-Mark taking balloons out to the mailbox to mark our house]

After much window washing, cleaning (Mark is a cleaning wonder), cooking, and planning, Saturday 13 March at 3:00 p.m. it happened.

Around 2:30, folks started to arrive for the 'ceremony' at 3. Approximately, thirty people arrived; AAANZ (Anabaptist Association of Australia and New Zealand) members, friends and family of the Longleys, neighbours, members of the Wellspring community, families who are part of the table fellowship and members of Avalon Baptist Church (ABC and that is another story - soon to come).

Left: Mary and our neighbour from down-stairs welcomed folks to tour the house. Our neighbour received Cilentro as a gift for her cooking.]

Both of our new large screen monitors scrolled through photos taken of the changes throughout the last two years - as the termites were expelled and their damage rebuilt, as the garage and the rest of the ground floor were changed into two flats, as the back room was removed and rebuilt by MMM (Mobile Mission Maintenance),

as trees and weeds were removed, and as gardens were weeded, mulched and replanted.

[Left: Our friends, Sally and Jim arriving with food.

Right: Everyone respectfully listens as our neighbour down-stairs speaks. The tall man next to her is a local Anglican Pastor, and next to him is the local member of state parliament. Next to him is one of our neighbours.]

MC, Jim Longley welcomed our guests and introduced the president of AAANZ, Doug Sewell who welcomed everyone again and explained AAANZ and then introduced Mark and Mary. We talked about our vision for our work and 1643. [Left: The yellow sheets were the blessing printed.]

The group moved from area to area around the house blessing the folks who live here, those who will visit and those in our neighbourhood.

[Right: Mary starts the blessing by lighting a candle acknowledging God as the light of the world.]

So many friends and neighbours brought food that we had a beautiful spread for afternoon tea.

[Right: Being a house of peace, Mark received a peace plant.]

The second Saturday of each month our table fellowship meets so we ended the day with that gathering. We were going to order out for pizza but so much good food was left from the home blessing that we just grazed on that. We even had more food to send home with our visitors and Mary put some in the freezer for later use.

During Table Fellowship, we explained some history and beliefs of Anabaptism, followed by discussion, prayer for each other and many conversations.

[The photo on the right was taken on our deck when we were blessing the neighbourhood.]

We felt appreciated, blessed and supported. [The man on the left is the builder who has redone much of our house. Yeah! Our friend, Sally is in the purple. Note the computer screen next to her shoulder showing photos of the house in various stages.]

I love my job

2010-03-17T16:06:00.029+11:00

PASSIONFEST 2010

Some days I just love what I do and get so excited about connecting to young adults who are passionate about their relationship with God and what they can do in the world. One such occasion was during our recent visit to Aotearoa New Zealand for Passionfest.

We were first in Wellington staying with hospitable and gracious Urban Vision (UV) folks who gave up their bed for us while they slept on mats on the floor. UV is an intentional Christian community doing amazing things whlie living and working with ‘the least of these’. Check out their website http://www.urbanvision.org.nz/.

For Passionfest, on the weekend we went to another site for UV at Ngatiawa Camp, Reikorangi Valley (Waikanae), 1hr from Wellington. It is a retreat centre in beautiful bush land. In Maori language, we had a 'Hui' or a meeting, conference or gathering.

For the 'Powhiri' ceremony, the children and women walked in front of the men, as we were sung onto the property with the 'karanga', and called to enter with a Maori welcome, 'Haere Mai! Haere Mai! Haere Mai!' or Welcome! Enter!

After a speech (Whaikorero) and song (Waiata) from the hosts and similar reply from the visitors, we were individually greeted.

As I passed through the welcome line, I was told that in a true Maori welcome both people lean in touching noses and foreheads and breathe each others' breath before pulling away. So I continued through the line that way, not extending a handshake, nor giving a kiss of peace but a Maori 'hongi, where the 'ha' or breath of life is exchanged and intermingled.

One evening we celebrated with a 'Hangi' or a delicious meal 'roasted' over hot rocks in a pit. The food used to be buried in leaves but now mesh bags in wire trays are used.

Unlike the rainy weather last year, the weather was gorgeous with blue skies days and clear starry nights. Many folks brought tents but our hosts prepared a room for Mark and me with a double bed and an extra doona (comforter) "for those Australians who can't cope with the NZ cold."

A huge 'marquee' tent was erected for the main gatherings. Since we arrived early, we helped set up a 15 ft. tall teepee, which drew on Mary's Girl Guide training since the directions 'went walk about'.

One workshop we offered was on Trauma and Forgiveness with the marquee as the venue.“Did Jesus Really Mean That?: Understanding

the gospels in their context” was the name of our other workshop. Even after we returned we received requests for resources on hearing the gospels with the ears of 1st century people.

Three times a day we were invited by a bell to the new chapel for prayer, songs, worship. It formed a calming rhythm to start and end each day with

a community in prayer.

Conversations between sessions were the best times.

Another reason for attending Passionfest was to meet with next year's organising committee. AAANZ's biannual conference will be held in conjunction with Passionfest but the few days before.

After Passionfest we returned to Wellington for a few days meeting with different UV teams. One night we talked about trauma healing for some of these folks will start fostering hard to place children. Many already work with refugees who have seen and experienced terrible things before coming to NZ.

Another organisation, Praxis, asked us to speak to their first year's students on entering a new neighbourhood looking for the positive and where God is already at work rather than searching out and starting to work on the problems. Praxis offers youth work diplomas using an experience/action then reflection method. check out Praxis at: http://www.praxis.org.nz/

Surprise discovery

2009-06-24T00:27:00.007+10:00

When we aren't working on some AAANZ thing, Mark and I do enjoy getting exercise in the garden.

The local council (government) has a vegetation pick-up 8 times a year.

Recently, we were cutting up some branches on our pile from clearing up the jungle around our house and tearing out the old fencing

(Top left: Mark clearing ivy from falling down fences in August 2008, right: part of 'the pile' including old fencing).

We would like to purchase a chipper with several neighbours but in the meantime we mulch leaves with the mower. We also pile the smaller branches for later mulching but palm branches are too stringy to chop well with a small chipper.

(Left: The palm in front of Mark usually holds onto its branches but recently, for some reason, it started to drop them. Right: Mark sawing branches from the pile last weekend.)

Mark used his long handled saw to hook a few of the falling palm branches and pull them down so they don't fall later on my flowers.

BUT in doing so Mark exposed our neighbourhood possum's sleeping spot. We didn't seem to bother his sleeping that day but the next day he must have found a new "bedroom".

I wasn't too sad since this is probably the possum that has been eating my cherry tomatoes.

Ocean swims

2009-06-21T18:07:00.008+10:00

Mark keeps himself healthy, in shape, and relaxed by swimming. He sets goals and works towards rough-water ocean swimming competitions.

I (Mary) go along sometimes, take photos, cheer on Mark, and hold his bag of clothes and towel. (above: Mark is stretching before the most recent swim and checking out the surf conditions.)
In spring, summer and autumn surf life saving clubs (SLSC) up and down the coast hold these swims to raise money to support the club.

June 21 was the latest in the season, the Mona Vale Cold Water Classic.

As we near the shortest day of the year for us, I was afraid it would be freezing cold but the water was 20 degrees Celsius (around 68 F).

The air was cooler, a mere 15 C (around 56F). For one swim at Bondi Beach this past summer, the water was 16C, which is cold swimming.

Often the SLSC holds a 'barbie' (bar-b-que) afterwards and sells snags (sausages) on slices of white bread with tomato sauce and grilled onions as a fund raiser.

This week, they offered the swimmers hot soup for free and hot showers knowing that it would be cool . Over 270 swimmers took the plunge today.

They often enter the water in waves by age or gender but this time they all charged in together.

There were four categories male naked*= green cap , female naked=yellow cap , male wettie**=blue cap, and female wettie=pink cap. Mark was a male naked. Each swimmer is numbered (this time on their upper arm) and has to check in before and after the swim to make sure everyone gets out. This was more a fun swim and one of the shorter ones at 1.2 km.

*(no wetsuit)

**(wetsuit-which are usually not allowed if the swimmer's time is counted but today was an exception.)

Surf Life Savers sit astride surf boards all along the course so that no one swims out to sea by mistake. They are also there for anyone who gets into trouble.

In one swim there were so many Blue Bottles (imagine a small transparent light blue tube of toothpaste with a 10 foot long tail with poison barbs its entire length-jellyfish type) the life savers were there to help folks until the rescue boats could remove the swimmers from the water to be treated for the stings.

This day started grey but turned sunny before the end of the swim and was beautiful. (We live near the coast and have had a run of rainy weather.)

The surf was a bit rough and the entry was a challenge.

The course is usually marked by buoys (pronounced 'boys' here).

Note the two yellow buoys that was the target entry gate. Then around several red buoys before heading back in.

I took some of these photo standing at the surf end of an ocean pool next to a rock slab like the photographer in the photo above.

The breakers were a bit high coming back in. The strong current towed the swimmers far past the exit point so many had to run up the beach to reach the timers.

No one was lost or got hurt and all seemed to have a good swim (I find it hard to believe that people enjoy entering cold water to swim in shark and blue bottle infested water, to be tossed feet over head by metre high crashing waves, but they do.)

Moriah's visit

2009-06-21T17:11:00.001+10:00

While Moriah was here for the tele-conversation we took advantage of a beautiful day and hiked around the west head of Pittwater Bay (northern bit of Sydney). (Check out Moriah's blog for more photos of that day. A link is on the right. Using your mouse you can touch any of the photos and see a larger view. The photo on Moriah's blog of red splatter hand print is ancient aboriginal art.)

This mound is the very end of the northern beaches peninsula called Barrenjoey Head. We love to hike with visitors to the lighthouse on the top of that headland. The near side is Pittwater Bay and the far side is the Pacific Ocean.

I love grass trees. They are unlike any tree I've seen in North America. (In a photo on Moriah's blog, I am tasting the nectar from a grass tree flower stem.)

We pause to read maps of the area. We are looking off West head across Broken Bay. The Hawksbury River flows from the left towards Broken Bay, past Pittwater Bay and on into the Pacific. It was gorgeous.

One New Years in the early nineteen-nineties, we joined friends on a houseboat in this area. It was one of the best New Years Eve we have ever had.

From the highest point in the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, we could see to the left across the end of Pittwater Bay and the northern beaches peninsula to the Pacific. (We live to the right just south of the peninsula.)

From that point we looked straight ahead into down-town Sydney.

Relaxing, enjoyable hike; come again Moriah.

Moriah speaks @ teleconversation

2009-06-21T16:32:00.000+10:00

AAANZ's 'members only tele-conversations' happen 3 to 4 times a year. Folks gather, often for a meal, and use a speaker phone to listen to a special speaker. 6 June Moriah was our speaker.

After 20 or 30 minutes we ask questions and initiate conversation on the topic. Moriah spoke about young adults and the church, what they are looking for and need.

One young AAANZ member from New Zealand also joined in with suggestion. It was one of our best discussions yet.

This time folks joined in from Melbourne, Wellington, Sydney, and Canberra.

After the call, discussion continued over the meal. The food was great as well.

Gifts and visitors

2009-02-11T21:40:00.000+11:00

Sometimes I am surprised by beauty, or by gifts from God in unusual places or by the enjoyment of hosting visitors.

Moriah treated Mark and me

(Mary) to breakfast at a local restaurant near the house where she is living. As we were leaving, I saw a pair of old cement wash tubs used as a planter for flowers in the outdoor dining area. The old wash tub taken out of our garage space was just killing grass so I now had a creative use for it. The lettuce plants keep us and our neighbour, on the lower level, supplied with salad greens. Hopefully there is enough growing weather left for the volunteer watermelon to develop down the front of the tubs.

After the back-room was demolished, we could see blooms that had been hidden at the back of the property. One was a two-toned, pink and yellow double hibiscus on a bush with mostly peach coloured (colored) flowers.

When the council (local government) representative surveyed the trees on our site for a possible new building on the front of the property, I asked about various trees that were a bother.

One was a cabbage palm that was just starting in our back garden. They are natives but self start all over the garden. Since one was

not very big, she said I could remove it. I sawed it off at the ground but it started to sprout from the root-ball. The new sprout was a beautiful green against the old brown stump.

One night as Mark was closing drapes and shutting windows, he noticed a visitor on our fence.

Even though it wobbled when he ran along it, the possum ran the length of our falling-down, side fence. He often makes so much racker jumping onto the tin roof over our back room and running to the front of the house. Even though he ate all my tomatoes on my deck forcing me to plant them in a bed out front and drape them with netting, it was still exciting to see him that night.

Regardless that the palms drop large quantities of flowers, seed and leaves all over and cause a mess, they also attract birds. One evening four Rainbow Lorikeets were hanging on this seed pod. Some were even upside-down. They are honey or nectar eaters.

Most of the potted plants that we had at our old apartment, Mary brought to the house. Wilamina, who lived downstairs wanted to block sound from the street by placing some of them in front of her lounge (living-room) door which used to be the area for the garage door. Due to the construction, we had to move many of them to make room for the rubbish skip-bin so we placed some next to our front door. They immediately started to bloom. We may leave some of them there. Mark thinks it looks like the entry into a plant shop.

We had friends (the Benders) from seminary days visit from Pennsylvania with their son and his wife. Driving visitor around, pointing out nice spots to see, draws our attention to the beauty that is around us all the time but often we are too busy to notice. Thank God that beauty is there even when we don't pause to appreciate it. The Bender's son gave us a hand-carved, wooden pie knife and server. It is so well formed and finished so smoothly that it is a pleasure to hold and touch. I love good wood and this piece is Maple.

Getting ahead of the termites

2009-02-11T21:07:00.000+11:00

Mobile Mission Maintenance are a God Send! [see MMM's website for their service to churches, missionaries and missions www.mmm.org.au ] Five retired tradesmen volunteered their time to help us with the final attack on the termite infestation. (To the right is the team and one of the many times they discussed what to do and how they could possibly do it.)

(To the left is what the back room looked like before the cocas palms were taken out and the room removed.

Right is what it looked like inside before the reconstruction.

Below is the view when it was used to store all our things when the rest of the house was redone.)

Our back room was an entry point for termites. It couldn't be quarantined from the rest of the house nor made available for visual checks so it had to be torn down and rebuilt.

February 3rd they started and made quick work of the demolition. Men and their toys tore out block walls. NOISE!

Mark joined the team and was the young run and fetch it guy.

He hauled the rubble to the rubbish skip bin and lugs timber, bags of concrete, old pavers, and sand.

16 February he started painting (again - but this time on the new outside of our back room).

Mary's job was to prepare and serve morning tea and lunch. Which means she shopped, baked, cooked, set the table, did dishes and started all over again several times a day.

She was glad her job isn't full time chief-cook and bottle-washer for she hates doing dishes and needs more ideas for cooking. (We had devotions together at morning tea each day and prayed for MMM teams around the world.)

The first week was so hot, Mary couldn't keep up with the need for ice water. The second week turned to winter weather so she made soup to warm the guys. The third week continued cool, damp, and very rainy.

(They were able to reuse many things like insulation, roofing tin, sliding glass doors, windows, and floating wooden floor.)

(The orange is the termite protection that cost a fortune but is garanteed for 50 years.

It was put in before the concrete was poured and laid by a specialist.)

Right, everyone, in their 'wellies', was in on pouring the concrete for the backroom.

Though these are retired men, they work quickly. One day when materials were not here in time, Mark engaged the MMM workers in other small jobs around the house that needed attention and a bit of skill.

A little extra concrete helped fix a 'tripping spot' outside the doorway that used to be the garage door but is now the entry to our downstairs neighbour's lounge.

An extra piece of roofing provided a small roof over the lower level entryway.

A broken and clogged downspout and tilted gutter were fixed and re-attached.

Since the garage is now a living-room or lounge, we needed a garden shed so the men are helping organize that. One day they brought a small cement mixer to pour a base for the shed.

Unfortunately it rained on and off all day and temporary shelters were erected to protect the concrete a bit. More left over concrete helped prevent the edge of the driveway washing down the slope to the street.

(Ant infestation, not termites, in one back walls)

Anabaptism and New Monasticism Conference

2009-02-11T20:00:00.000+11:00

As we were preparing for the bi-annual, bi-national AAANZ conference on Anabaptism and New Monasticism, we attended a house church gathering in the Blue Mountains of western Sydney. Several people shared about their heroes of the faith like Dorothy Day an C.S. Lewis.

They encouraged conversation about life choices and how we could live our lives. Does following Jesus in life impact the daily decisions we make? Does it give us a clear view of the world and motivate how we interact with folks and the creation around us?

We traveled to Canberra and after an evening with Moriah, she joined us driving to Melbourne for AAANZ's conference over the Australia Day long weekend. [See Moriah's blog]

The weather was a weekend of cool between two very hot weeks. We weren't prepared for the winter-like sleeping weather and were cold until Mark remembered the two wool blankets in the boot (trunk) of our car.

Mark and Mary started the first gathering for the weekend with a get to know each other activity. Usually folks know the two of us, if not anyone else, but there were so many new folks that we didn't know everyone either. The topic drew them.

Then we introduced Anabaptism and that the early Anabaptists were accused of starting a new monasticism. [see Mark's article about Anabaptism and New Monasticism at www.csu.edu.au/special/accc/worddocs/Papers%20&20Publications/AAMZ%20missions%20confernce/Hurst.pdf ]

Many of the new comers knew little, if any Anabaptist history and theology. During another session, we explained AAANZ's beginnings. For many sessions, Mary helped out with computer/ digital projector hook-ups and advancing PowerPoint programs.

Speakers from various intentional communities shared the hopes and struggles with living in communities that are committed to God and serving others. [see blurbs on several of the communities in the middle of the Frontline page on the AAANZ website www.anabaptist.asn.au ]

Gordon Preece spoke on 'Everyone a Monk' - Monasticism, Anabaptism & New Monasticism.

Paul Wallis from Jesus Generation told us about the history and development of Monasticism in England. His baby daughter was the youngest attending but slept through most of the talks.

Another group, The Community of the Transfiguration is a Baptist monastery outside of

Melbourne that has been together for thirty years. The Ephrata Cloisters greatly influenced their 'way' of being community. [Mark's folks live just a few miles from the Ephrata Cloister]

The first morning they led us in worship using an icon of the transfiguration created for them by the Bruderhof at Inverell. Two of their group also presented talks for two sessions.

Two years ago in Perth, I had been able to listen to a young woman as she contemplated joining the community. It was good to see her so settled and at home with the group.

Mark and I enjoyed meeting up with a man we met back in the early 1990's when he was part of the House of the Gentle Bunyip Community. I (Mary) am always amazed at how God leads and directs our lives into the places that are good for us.

Early on Australia Day, Ross Langmead led our morning worship.

Sunday morning we worked in four groups to organize a worship around hospitality. Using the gifts in the group and much creativity, a passage in Kings on hospitality offered to Elisha came alive.

Amy and Josh, friends who have often hosted us while in Perth, spoke about the daily life rhythms of the Peace Tree community.

Three folks from Urban Neighbourhoods of Hope also related the practices that sustain and encourage their work.

Marcus Curnow-Scott spoke of the work of Urban Seed in inner city Melbourne. [Mark and I spoke to the interns at Urban Seed the day after the conference.]

Though the program was packed, spaces in the afternoons were left for special groups to convene over issues or interests like CPT [Christian Peacemaking Teams]. Free time was allowed for exploring walking trails around the campsite, visiting the local chocolate store or getting to know others. One day Mary even had a nap to catch up on the sleepless might when she was too cold.

There was also time for conversations around meals or between organized gathering. Several folks played games of 500 or 'Irish Fish' into the wee hours of the morning.

The last afternoon was spent in brainstorming and small group discussion on directions ahead and suggested priorities for AAANZ.

The excitement around the issue of wedding a commitment to spiritual practice with service to others was contagious. I, Mary enjoyed watching older radical Christians connecting to young adults newly interested in following Jesus in all of life, in community, and in service to the 'least of these'.

One preoccupation lately

2009-02-11T15:27:00.000+11:00

In case you thought we had nothing to do lately...let me show you one of our preoccupations.
Since the back room couldn't be quarantined from the rest of the house or termite proofed, it has to be torn down. Before we could have the back room demolished and rebuild, a few trees had to come out. Before the trees came out we cut some of them down to size so that it didn't cost so much. Mark cut out many dead ones as well.
The 3 cocos palms [2 out back in photo above and one out front] were too big for us to fell and we didn't think we could control dropping things so close to the house.
A hand saw took too long for the thick trunks so we left them for the arborist [note two large trunks in the photo above]. But Mark did drop some huge trees.
On 16 January, with spiked boots and a sling harness, the arborist climbed the palms with two chainsaws hanging from his belt and dropped it piece by piece from above him.

This weed tree above, a privet had been cut before but kept growing back hence all the trunks on the fence line. Mark cut it to just over head height but the tree feller used a short cut, a chainsaw. He then poisoned it so hopefully so it won't grow back. We will have to rebuild the fence here.

Another job was preparing for a new fence so all the old fencing and over grown vegetation had to be taken out. Some places we couldn't see the fence for the English Ivy [which Mark reacts to like poison ivy] and other creapers. Believe it or not the photos above were taken after Mark took much of it out. Some of the fencing was horizontal since termites had eaten the uprights.
Neatly stacking the trunks, palm fronds and huge seed pods, they filled the truck to over flowing.

We also asked for estimates to clear the stacks of plant bits out front that Mark has cleared out of our 'jungle' since we moved in.

Plants, teaching and travel to come

2008-10-29T21:33:00.000+11:00

This week is an office week – catching up on emails, planning for future teaching, study, etc. [left: Mary's plants are finally gathered after other folks have cared for them for two years]

Recently Mark attended the Australian Association for Mission Studies (AAMS) conference in Canberra (2-5 October). He presented a paper as did several other AAANZ folks – It was a good networking opportunity.

Mary participated in the AAANZ tele-conversation with Tim Costello on 4 October. She joined others at the Longleys for the call.

9 October we hosted a young Korean couple who were on their honeymoon in OZ. The husband is interested in Anabaptism and would like to go to theological school in the future.

18 October, Mary helped lead a half-day retreat with Sally Longley. Mary has also been working with Doug Sewell on getting PayPal up and running (as well as her usual run of phone calls and visits with people).

[Right: Mary presenting the Peacebuilding wheel by Barry Hart]

20-24 October we taught a course on “Community-Based Trauma Healing” through the Peacebuilders International programme here in Sydney. Mary put the course together and was the main instructor with Mark assisting. [Below: class participants]

The Tuesday evening during the week we attended their annual dinner. The course was taught at The Kings School so we had at least two hours of driving each day as well as eight hours of teaching. These courses are exhausting but worth it in the affect that they have on people around the world. We had students from nine countries from around the Pacific and Africa We hear stories from past students and others about how what we teach gets applied in their countries.
[Below: PNG Group illustrating their first thoughts on trauma]

Tonight we are scheduled to do a mediation session with a church in our local area but we are not sure if it is going ahead or not.

Some future events:
1 November – Speaking in a Blue Mountain’s house church
6-9 November – Attending the national Pace e Bene National Gathering, Adelaide (two day drive on either side)
10 November – Tabor College Adelaide, speaking on “Living As Peacemakers in Ministry”
17-21 November – Mark teaching a PPBI course on “Practices That Sustain Peacebuilders” (with Mary and Sally Longley assisting)
24 November – 15 December – Western Australia – We are planning for about ten days of AAANZ work in Perth and then some holiday time in the south of the state (Moriah joins us 3 December)
[Below: Each day of the trauma class we had circle time when we shared our views or experiences of trauma healing. This day we used photos to tell stories.]

October Greetings

2008-10-11T22:27:00.000+11:00

We went looking today for our last Greetings and saw it was sent out the end of July. Where does time go? In the last Greetings we were talking about the Aussie dollar reaching parity with the American – today it is below 70 cents to the American dollar. A lot has happened recently in the world financial scene.

[There are two new blossoms in our garden; do you know either of them? I like the fruit of one and the birds eat the other.]

TEAR and Toilets
Where have we been since the end of July? We attended the annual TEAR conference where Ched Myers spoke about “The Biblical Vision of Sabbath Economics” – a vision where the poor are taken care of rather than the rich (like Wall Street bankers).TEAR Australia is a movement of Christians in Australia responding to the needs of poor communities around the world (similar to Mennonite Central Committee). Mark has an article on nonviolence in one of their recent publications. If you visit our new home, you’ll see that Mary has put several TEAR posters on the wall in the loo (toilet room) with “Toilet Trivia” from around the world like this fact: “The average Westerner spends three years of their life in the loo.” You can read more about the International Year of Sanitation at http://www.tear.org.au/getinvolved/international-year-of-sanitation. (How many mission letters do you get that talk about toilets?)

[During the TEAR conference, we took turns at our resource table. Mary is eating on the job. Mark with Doug Hynd, AAANZ’s vice-president]

Family in OZ
Moriah arrived back in OZ at the end of July and after several days with us in Sydney took up residency again in Canberra, the nation’s capital. On August 17, she was inducted into pastoral ministry at Canberra Baptist(read about it at: http://www.mennonitemission.net/Resources/News/story.asp?ID=1318). We were privileged to attend as the proud parents of the new associate pastor.

Mark’s writing and our travels
We’ve found ourselves in Canberra several times over the past few months. Besides times with Moriah we were there for a two-day conference on restorative justice and just this past weekend Mark attended a missions conference where he presented a paper on “Anabaptism: The Beginning of a New Monasticism.” (You can read it in our latest Journal at: http://www.anabaptist.asn.au/index.php?type=page&ID=3002 ) After one Canberra visit, we continued on to Melbourne for meetings about church conflict and visits with people interested in Anabaptism.

Continuing Renovations and guests
[Mark keeps us out of the renovation dust. He also painted the entry stairs, railing and windows. Left: new paint in entry
Right: Mark washes windows after painting.]

At home, we’ve been dealing with continued housing renovations and were able to welcome our new neighbour downstairs. We’ve also hosted a number of visitors including one overseas Mennonite and two Aussies helping start a Christian Peacemaker Teams programme here in OZ and NZ. Mary has written about these events on her blog at: http://greetingsfromozontheroad.blogspot.com/.

Pastoring on the road

In September we spent ten days in Tasmania visiting AAANZ members and speaking in a number of small groups. We’re spoiled by the more moderate weather we have in Sydney and really feel the cold when we visit Tassie in winter or spring. Returning to Sydney felt like going directly from winter into summer.

[Left: A sign warns of Penguins crossing and (right) Sue and Josh listen while we talk about being alternative, attractive and articulate with a house church in Tasmania. Mary needs to talk less and take more photos of folks.]

What is coming up next?
Later this month and in November we have two courses to teach at the Pacific Peacebuilding Initiative here in Sydney In November we’re also travelling to Adelaide, South Australia for a conference and speaking in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney to a house church where we have several AAANZ members. The beginning of December we hope to go to Western Australia In between all of this travel, we continue to work on making this new house our home.

Mary made tutus for our grand-daughters’ birthdays

Fiddly Bits

2008-10-11T19:00:00.000+11:00

[I have been trying for weeks to publish this post but for some reason Blogger wouldn't allow it. But here it is now]

I complained to several people today that I get tired of the bits and pieces, the fiddly bits. Some day it seems like I can't do anything straight forward for I have to do something else to complete my intended task, or several other things. Today it was signing up for PayPal for AAANZ so that folks could register and pay online for our January conference. AAANZ's president had registered for his business and it only took a few minutes, not so for me.

Because we are a not-for-profit organization, I have to find and provide proof that we have that status from some authoritative source. I also had to provide a posted bank statement. But, I am not the treasurer so don't have those at my fingertips. I had to write someone else and have one sent to me.

To top it off. Our internet server kept going off line at most inopportune moments. which reminded me that I needed to pick up a new filter for the phone line.

I asked myself (and God). "What am I to learn from this?" After some reflection I came up with a few ideas...

1. I am such a westerner and expect things to work well and to happen when I want them to. I had to remember that I am spoit and most folks have to wait much more than I ever have.

2. I had to 'do' other things while I waited. I talked across the fence to our neighbour, looked for the possible koala or possum that tramped across our roof around 1 am last night, watered my plants, or typed to my niece in America on Facebook. I need to 'be' more and enjoy little spaces for God's gifts to appear.

3. I want to accomplish BIG things, while often it is the little things that make an impact.

4. I am glad that God did fiddly bits like create tiny things (my compost worms) that reduce my food scrapes into usable bits for my 'plants that will be'. Another tiny thing is delicate flowers in bloom in my back yard.

5. While I was complaining, Mark was painting our elderly neighbour's dormer. Our neighbour had fallen from his ladder while trying it before. He had also broken ribs, his wrist and had a concussion. (Mark also glued and painted my rocking chair and our entryway)

I am sure that God has more to teach me about 'bits and pieces' and that I will have many more spaces to 'learn' such things.

Visitors and making space for others

2008-09-06T22:32:00.000+10:00

Our son, Micah recently spoke at a gathering of Eastern Mennonite University staff and faculty. He spoke about welcoming others and making a space for them to feel that welcome. He suggested that we maintain an outsiders stance even when we become insiders so that we can connect to the outsiders. I am sure that is a Jesus action. How does that play out in everyday life? How do we do that?

We often receive a variety of visitors, lately it has been no different.

Today I helped lead a silent retreat, and welcomed folks into a space to encourage them to connect with God in silence. I always feel inadequate but God seems to use the little I have to offer and speaks to people. We used parts of Moses' story to look at the seasons of life through which we travel. I introduced winter using the story of Moses leaving Egypt and caring for sheep in the wilderness for his father-in-law. Raised as royalty, Moses tried to help his family of origin (The Israelites) with this own strength and failed, losing both his families. What was God doing for forty years with Moses the royal, watching sheep? Was Moses learning; learning to shepherd people, learning to let God work through him not doing things on his own?

Red Grammer sings about receiving 'strangely wrapped gifts', those gifts that we may not want but we learn from them. I folded a box for everyone, asked each one to write on slips of paper the strange 'gifts' they have received in wintry times and place those slips in their boxes. Later as we reflected on Autumn times, we celebrated by tying ribbons written with praises on those boxes.

This past Thursday, I spent 3 hours with a woman who is trying to start a business using dialog and a restorative process to work at clashes between cultures. I served tea, homemade muffins, and resources while listening and asking questions.

Earlier that day, I served many cups of tea. homemade biscuits (cookies for North Americans) and later soup and muffins as lunch to the folks moving our new neighbor into the lower level of our house. Friday I offered coffee and lunch to our new neighbor for I know what moving-in takes out of you and how easy it is to forget to stop to make meals.

I have been offering bikkies for morning tea to the construction workers, plumber, tiler, sparkie (electrician) and painters who were trying to quickly reconstruct our lower level before our neighbor needed to move in.

Wednesday, I helped find accommodation for someone who was flying through Sydney.

Tuesday, friends offered me welcome in taking me out for lunch to celebrate my birthday.

Last weekend, we hosted and provided transportation for a young couple traveling around Sydney to speak about Christian Peacemaker Teams. That Saturday, I made lunch for seven and bikkies (cookies) for several of their speaking engagements. There we also welcomed, offered tea and coffee, and answered questions when the young couple engaged with other folks.

That Friday morning before we picked them up at the airport, I traveled to the southern part of Sydney by bus. I was trying to read but once again, God had other plans for me. A woman asked me questions and engaged me in conversations. She was Australian but lived in the USA, was only in OZ for a few weeks but I heard of her life and troubles.

The second to last weekend of August, we welcomed a traveling Mennonite to our city and offered accommodation and suggestions for tourist sites. We swapped views on children, the US election process, the environment, and world issues.

But, the most interesting visitor was one that was sneaking up our drive at night but caused our motion sensor to turn on our floodlights. He was a Long-nosed bandicoot and is probably the culprit who had dug holes in our garden. All we had to offer him was grubs and insects in our soil. I even scared him off attempting to take his photo. I had to google a photo for this blog.

We try to do hospitality. In many ways, as an inadequate, Jesus

-follower, in this culture, I am an outsider so try to connect to both insiders and outsiders.

We leave for Tassie Tuesday so will experience others' hospitality.

See great close-up shots of our bandicoot's kin at: http://pbase.com/sheila/image/7860635 or http://www.pbase.com/wildlifeimages/long_nosed_bandicoot

Bandicoot Photos from : http:// www.americazoo.com/goto/index/mammals/12.htm and http://fnpw.org.au/OurProjects/Plants_Wildlife/Long_Nosed_Bandicoot.htm

Mark and Mary's techniques for dealing with construction noise and dust

2008-08-20T12:58:00.000+10:00

Our house will be a wonderful place of hospitality when it is finished. We are so grateful for this gift and all the work being done on it but....

When the house is being reconstructed, how do we work around the noise and dust?

When the plumber is drilling holes through

sandstone walls and he can wear earplugs

but we have to work just above that commotion with the walls shaking, what would you do?

When another builder is popping tiles off another wall, also wearing earplugs and mask but we have to organize travel plans or teaching schedules, what would you do?

How do we concentrate when they saw boards just outside the window at our desks?

When can we have time for quiet reflection?

Mark does a great job keeping up with the fine dust that settles on everything but no sooner is he finished his

cleaning and a new layer arrives. The plaster dust from the reconstruction on this floor is still between the floor boards in our lounge.

Attempted solutions while they work on the lower level of our house:

1. Try to ignore it all and stop for a cuppa when it gets to be too much

2. Take a walk, a bike ride, or go for a swim while they work and do our work after they leave at 3:30 pm

3. Close all the doors we can between them and our workspace

4. Use headphones and listen to our favourite, soothing music

5. Go for a trip somewhere else, work while there and hope that the builders do the noisiest, dirtiest work while we are gone

6. Get up and work before the workers arrive at 7 am

7. Teach all day at another location

Since we returned to our home at the beginning of June, we have tried all these solutions.

The reconstruction really hasn't stopped us being hospitable for we have had guests for meals and overnight guests throughout. (The builders don't work on the weekend.)

We purchased a twenty visit pass to an indoor pool and Mark uses his wet-suit vest to swim in the ocean every now and then.

The week 14-18 July we taught a one week intensive post-graduate course on church conflict a Baptist Theological College.

Our daughter, Moriah arrived in Australia on 30 July and that weekend we drove 3.5 hours to deliver her to Canberra where she started work with Canberra Baptist Church.

The following Sunday we drove to Canberra again for meetings on restorative justice on Monday and Tuesday at St. Mark's Theological Centre. Tuesday night we drove towards Melbourne (seven and a half hours drive) for a Wednesday noon meeting with a variety of denominational representatives dealing with the common concern of conflict in the church.

That Thursday we met a young Chinese-Australian man who works with a group offering accommodation for international students. A pastoral worker lives on each floor as a living witness to the love of God. It was quite exciting hearing of his work and that we might have a chance to do some teaching with those pastoral workers and students.

Then for the third Sunday in a row we visited Canberra on our way north from Melbourne just in time to be present for Moriah's induction as Associate Pastor at Canberra Baptist. We are now the proud parents of a REV. That makes three Reverend Hursts in our family, though we seldom use that before our names. To most folks here, we are just Mark and Mary. (We can't keep up visiting Moriah this often even though it is nice to have her on the same continent.)

The reconstruction hasn't really slowed us down or interfered with our work, in fact talking to the builders gives us a reason to take a break, get away from the computer and walk around. When 4 September arrives so will the moving van for the grandma who will live on the lower level and we can only pray that the reconstruction on her part of the house is finished.

A specialist says...

2008-07-01T16:23:00.000+10:00

Friday, I visited the fracture clinic and the specialist said that the suspected break wasn't there. He couldn't see any break in my hand bones or thumb bones. So instead of six more weeks with a cast I am cast free with no restrictions of movement except those that hurt too much.

I found another positive from breaking my hand.

2008-06-21T14:23:00.000+10:00

When returning home after walking to Mona Vale to purchase a few groceries and collect our mail at the post office, we met our neighbour, Bill walking toward Mona Vale. In February, this 80+ year old neighbour tried to paint the side of his house not long after we moved into our house, the first time. He is very independent, lives alone, and couldn't reach the peak of the dormer so piled a step ladder on a table. Unfortunately, the legs of the table gave way, he fell, broke his wrist, several ribs, and probably had a concussion but walked to the hospital across the street. At that point, we exchanged phone numbers and encouraged him to call next time or just yell till we heard. He had a cast on his arm for a few months and had sore ribs for about that long as well.

When we saw him Thursday, and showed him my cast, he laughed. After apologizing for laughing, he said that it made him feel good to know that he wasn't the only one to fall. He went on to say that he had lost his nerve after his fall and hadn't even gone out much. My broken hand gave him the courage to try more things, again.

In our weakness, we encourage others to be strong.

Mark offered to paint the peak of Bill's dormer, in a month or so, when we borrow an extension ladder from our friends to paint our entryway. We will see if he will let Mark but we can at least offer a safer alternative to a ladder on a table top.

The Dangers of Composting and Moss

2008-06-19T15:40:00.000+10:00

While sifting my compost, I found all sorts of strange bits of aluminum, nails, plastic, etc. I separated them out and after adding the new compost to a large pot on our deck, I headed to the garbage bins to throw out those foreign bits.

(The photo shows what was left after I fell and tossed most of it into the air)

Unfortunately,I headed down the side of the house with the “slimy moss covering the brick” walkway (we’ve had so much rain lately that we have a great crop) and both my feet took off over my head.

(photo :moss at another spot)

We walked across the street to the hospital and four x-rays later the doctor decided that I have a fractured thumb bone in my hand. So I now have a cast to my elbow on my left arm. I also hit the end of my spine and several other spots for they have all started to ache.

The Doctor has me on pain killers and anti-inflammatory medication for he said that tomorrow I will feel worse. It only took 3 hours including x-rays, not bad for a small hospital.

I have a new appreciation for parts of the human body like opposing thumbs. My pointer finger and middle finger work well together to grasp things but my thumb is much more nimble; except now when it is immobilized.

Speaking of body parts, have you ever noticed how fantastic lips are? They are soft, and sensitive but strong. Not even air or water can seep through if you don't want it to; hence food stays in even chewing. Bones or other skin wouldn't work in quite the same space.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made!

By the way, today we sprayed vinegar on the moss to kill it so that no one else will fall!
(Photo: walk after the vinegar treatment. We live on a hill so this walk is on a slant.)

Reconstruction Continues and Living out of a suitcase

2008-05-19T21:12:00.000+10:00

Since we have lived most of our married life in rented apartments or houses, I’ve not had much experience planning paint, carpet, or tiles. Though our new house is also rented it is in need of all the above (due to the reconstruction after termite damage) and our friends, the owners, are allowing us to choose. Before we left for Cambodia, we chose fairly plain tiles for our newly constructed bathroom and toilet room but I found a few tiny tiles with gum leaves and blossoms to use as feature tiles. I love eucalyptus trees and learning how they seem to be created to just fit this dry continent. The leaves of a mature tree are long, sickle-shaped and most often point down so that rain funnels directly to the soil at the base of the tree rather than bouncing and splashing into droplets as on Deciduous leaves; less water is lost to evaporation. The mature tree leaves are also tough, leathery with a waxy or oily coating and turn on edge so that less moisture is lost through transpiration. Their frilly flowers[1] have no real petals but make a show of their stamens. Flat large petals would also invite loss of moisture in a drought ridden land.

All that to say, I chose the tiles and left for two weeks in Cambodia. When we returned, the tiler had just tiled the bathroom and the first thing I noticed was that the special tiles were in upside down. For days it irritated me every time I entered the room. How could they not know that mature gum leaves hang down? They live here and see them all the time. Why didn't they just check the front door glass image with Gum leaves and a Blue wren. My eyes were drawn to every eucalyptus tree I passed, checking to see if the leaves hung down. When I had mentioned to the tiler that the tiles were in upside down, he said that he hadn’t known so had asked the sales person at the tile shop who said that flowers point up. I returned the sample tiles late last week and posed a question about placement of the feature tiles to the sales person. Sure enough he said, “Let's see, I guess flowers always point up.” ARG! Flowers don’t ALWAYS point up.

Do I ask for the tiles to be taken out and put in properly? Is it worth the hassle? Will I eventually get used to their unusual angle and ignore it? Should I just keep track of who notices and mentions it?

In the meantime, I started to reflect on our time in Cambodia. While traveling by bus on the main road from Siem Reap to Phnom Penh, we saw some of the poverty and daily struggle to provide for family that we had heard about from our friend with TEAR Australia who had visited Cambodia's poorest of the poor just a few weeks earlier. (Sorry that the photos are blurry but I took them through bus windows and the house pictures I took with my mobile phone. Clicking on them enlarges them and makes them a bit clearer.)

Typical houses were on stilts to keep them above the water in the rainy season, with wooden floors, thatch roofs, and woven palm frond walls. (metal corrugated roofs were evident on larger houses closer to the major city - note the boat houses for the less advantaged or maybe for those who earn their living fishing and the shaded area for gardens) Often animals wandered on the dusty ground around the large pots for their water supply stored under or around the houses . (We heard that having animals was a sign of a better financial situation. Note the boys guiding the scrawny cattle through the water logged fields.

These house were some of the better looking ones; many looked uninhabitable by western standards. ) Mounds of grass or hay piled around a large branch was in many yards for feeding animals. Sticks or branches formed fences for flocks of ducks or chickens and palm leaf mats provided spaces to dry red peppers (as in the photo below) or fish.

Our bus careened around hordes of bicyclists and motorcyclists, both adult and children. We heard of seeing dead bodies along the road to Phnom Penh but we didn't see any, only feared them. Mark wished that we didn't have front seats to see the close calls. (Most vehicles give a friendly toot on their horns to alert others of their presence but buses blast their horns to warn bikers and smaller vehicles to move aside.)

Our TEAR friend told us of parents going to Thailand either legally or illegally to work, leaving children in Cambodia for weeks, months or even years at a time just to provide for their families. Those children are in danger of being stolen and trafficked as laborers or for sex. One caring person holds 'school on a mat' to provide some education for such children. He rides into villages, rolls out a mat and teaches a few hours, providing some consistent awareness of the children's wellbeing and offering some instruction to avoid traffickers before he rolls up the mat and bikes to the next village.

(Of the two windows in our new bathroom, only the new one on the right is seen from the inside; the other older one is covered with plaster board and will house the mirror over our sink.)

After returning to Australia, early last week, I was tired of traveling and living out of a suitcase. I figured out that we left our place in Sutherland nearly 18 months ago and have been in transition ever since; even though we were at Seminary most of last year we only stayed for a few months at any one place. We slept in too many different beds to count. I was feeling sorry for myself that we had to wait even longer to have a place to live. Our house still wasn't ready for habitation and won't be ready until sometime in June.

(The window in the corner was part of our old laundry room but is now giving light to our study.)

God gently or not so gently reminded me that I have never been without a roof over my head nor struggled to have enough food to feed my family nor lacked in education nor lacked health care. Not only those gifts but I have been able to travel and visit so many interesting places and meet such a variety of people. I have been loved greatly and have learned much. How can I complain of upside-down tiles and times of transition?

(The mirrored doors of our new built-in closet stands open to expose the new shelves and double rods inside.)

Find out how rich you are [and this only demonstrates monetary wealth] at: http://www.globalrichlist.com/index.php

I am very rich, in the top 7% in the world. I found a short clip on Nooma about our richness given as a gift from God so that we can bless others.

http://www.nooma.com/Shopping/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductID=316&PMID=13&mode=FLV

So, I realize that the house isn't just for me but for me to share the blessing with others in offering hospitality and welcome. (The awning had to be removed from the front window of our guest bedroom when the new double glaze one was installed. The other large window on the back section lets more light into our study/bedroom. The double glazed windows will let in light but not the hot summer heat.)

For those who like details: Friday, six trucks or large vehicles were in our drive or on the street outside our place. Yesterday, we chose wall paint. Today the plumber, two painters, the electrician and a carpenter were all at work on our house. The primer is on our walls; the toilet as well as bathroom, toilet room and laundry room sinks are in; most of the lights, outlets and switches are functioning; our new double glazed windows and fascia are in place. A new carpet for our enlarged bedroom/study is ordered and our new built-in closets are constructed. (The photo on the left is our new toilet room with no fixtures installed; only pipes waiting for the connecting.)

On top of all that, God gave me another gift; our guava bush had three tiny ripe fruits for my morning fruit smoothie.

Whether ready or not, over the weekend Mark enjoyed reading in the sun on our deck.

[1]Flower photos copied from : asgap.org.au/e-sider.html; members.iinet.net.au/.../waflora/waflora.html; home.vicnet.net.au/~herring/flowers2.htm; lukasland.com/oz/Flora.htm

Airport connections and God's concern for Justice

2008-05-17T08:16:00.000+10:00

Our travel to and from Cambodia did require several connections in airports like the eight-hour layover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on the way home but I want to write of other connections. Our job with AAANZ is about making connections, connecting people to resources, other like-minded people and God. This happens at various places and times and sometimes unlikely places.

Having a snack while awaiting our departure from Phnom Penh, we heard the familiar Aussie accent and then the mention of World Vision from the man's phone conversation at a nearby table. Mark and I both mentioned the accent and wondered aloud if he knew a friend who heads-up World Vision Australia. So true to my (Mary) nature as an extrovert, I approached the man in the souvenir shop later and asked. It was funny that he had noted our Celtic crosses and was going to ask about them so my question opened the conversation for that question as well. He knew of our friend but didn't know him. But this man was a Christian and working in Asia for World Vision.

Our conversation didn't last long for our boarding time was approaching rapidly but after my explanation of what we do, he mentioned how as a child he had learned to read scripture a certain way and now realized that we often miss God's consistent concern for Justice and Mercy. He mentioned learning recently that the “turn the other cheek” passage suggests that one sees into the enemy’s eyes as turning their head and they connect as human beings. I asked if he had heard of Walter Wink's take on the passage and proceeded to explain.

After my brief explanation he asked me to send him a list of our top 5 suggestions of books to read on God and Justice. I suggested instead that he check out earlier editions of AAANZ’s journals and twice weekly emails on the AAANZ website for book reviews and suggestions. Then he asked to be added to the email list. It wasn’t your typical airport shop conversation.

Another connection in an unusual place was offering Spiritual Direction in the pool at the hotel during the EMM retreat in Cambodia. I only intended to get cool and interact with others lounging around the pool but my line of questioning with a fellow missionary about her next steps after leaving their mission field in the next few months led me to ask deeper questions. She didn’t know what she would do so I asked about her deepest desire; if she could do anything, what would she like to do? Near the end of our conversation she asked, “Is that what you do as a Spiritual Director; help people listen for God in their lives?” I answered, “Yes.” So she thought that she would like another session.

While meeting for lunch with MCC workers in Cambodia, we met with another Australian who has helped develop a peace education curriculum for Cambodian high schools and now works for Asia Action Network, a regional network of peacebuilders, focused on supporting people living in violent conflict. Since returning to OZ, we connected her to Frontiers in Korea, others working in East Timor or at peacemaking in other Asian settings and Peace Study Centres in Australia.

[Photos just arrived from the Frontiers folks in Korea]

Striving to reach God

2008-05-03T03:02:00.000+10:00

We spent the day at Angkor Wat. It was amazing. I kept thinking, "How did they do this before there were cranes to lift heavy rock?" Elephants could have lifted if they had gigantic pullies and very strong ropes or if they used movable ramps.

Since all of these temples were totally broken down, my other stunned issue was, "How do/ did they put this colossal ‘jigsaw puzzle’ back together from the piles of rubble?”

At the mother temple, I realized how quickly war, religious struggle, and trees could bring down human creativity. Note the way tree roots have taken over this temple.

One of the women with us, noted that all this creativity, energy and work was expended to try to reach a God they didn't even know. How strong the urge is to get to know the one who created us.

I got the giggles after we saw the “No Access” sign in front of the huge, steep stairway up to the highest level of the temple. Of course there is no access to God through work of our own, or by reaching higher or trying to be a better person.

We can only ‘reach’ God because God has already pursued us and sent Jesus as an example of how to approach God. ‘He has told you, what the Lord requires of you but to love mercy, to do justice and to walk humbly with your God.’ Micah 6:8

cycles and bikes

2008-04-30T14:05:00.000+10:00

I know that I am in Asia when cycles and bicycles are more plentiful than cars or trucks. Two or three people at a time ride cycles, often carrying bundles, packets, or whatever. One I saw today had three people carrying a clothes rack and last night one was a two people cycle but the second person was sitting on a bed frame balanced on the back of the cycle; how do they do that? [In the photo note the gorgeous flame tree in the background. Spring has arrived here so the flowers are wonderful.] While walking along, 'tuktuk' drivers, or taxi drivers constantly offer us rides to show us the city and women offer us massages for foot, hand, or whole body. So far we have resisted though the massages sound great to my 'try to sleep in the airplane' neck. 'Tuktuks' seem to be made to carry 2-6 people but more can be stuffed in. The local ones are powered by motorcycles not leg power.

The other sure sign of Southeast Asia is the 'tuktuk'. While out for lunch today, I, Mary got us lost. Usually I keep track of direction but I forgot one turn so rather than walking in the wrong direction any further, we hired a 'tuktuk'. Unfortunately, the driver didn't really know where he was going and tried delivering us to the wrong hotel. Fortunately, Mark tried again to give him the card from the hotel with a map on the back (since neither Mark or I speak the local language). The second time he really looked at the map and we arrived in no time. I had just missed a right turn and we had walked past our hotel on the backside. My mistake cost us U$2.

I wish that I had a photo of when our tuktuk driver pulled out and traveled on the wrong side of the street for awhile until he could move to the correct side. I think that we should rent a bicycle but Mark thinks it would be hazardous to our health. Once again as in Thailand, I think things like lanes of traffic, speed limits, and one-way streets are just suggestions for few cycles and bicycles adhere to such rules.

A friend of ours who works for TEAR [The Evangelical Alliance for Relief] just returned from visiting Cambodian TEAR partners (they work with the poorest of the poor) and he told us about the gas/ petrol stations. Now I have seen it with my eyes. Plastic or glass bottles filled with gasoline/petrol on racks along the side of the street along with the large funnels are ready to fill the cycle tank. As in parts of Korea, footpaths or sidewalks are not just for people but are excellent parking spaces for cars, trucks, and cycles.

It only took us 24 hours, door to door, to get here but that included several stops that we didn't expect [our ticket said one stop]. We had a 1 1/2 hours in Brisbane where we picked up more passengers. Then the 5 hour scheduled stop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and a change of plane before the 1 hour stop over in Phnom Pehn and finally getting to Siem Reap.

Last night we decided to have supper/tea in the hotel for it showered on and off during the whole meal. We had a delightful four course French meal with tasty breads (must have been the French influence like in Vietnam) for U$15 each. So today we were a bit more adventurous and found the Happy Special Pizza Restaurant which also served Khmer food. The Khmer food was bland compared to the Korean food we had for three weeks but inexpensive, only U$6.50. This type of shop lines the streets around the old city market area. Even though the humidity is very high the fans created a breeze so that our repast was consumed comfortably.

Were we...

2008-04-27T23:14:00.000+10:00

I started this near the end of our two weeks in Seoul and didn’t get it sent out:

It has been so long since I’ve written; were we…Attacked by North Koreans? Lost in the Seoul subway? Carried off by Japanese? Beaten up by angry Chinese? Burnt by spicy hot Korean food?

NO BUT… We have been very busy learning about many issues here, been feed like royalty, treated as rock stars, written up in the newspaper, and received well by many.

Funny first

1. We were out one day and for the first time ordered Korean food on our own; we thought we knew what we were doing but ended up ordering the hottest food we have eaten yet!

2. After speaking about ‘being peacemakers/ reconcilers in the everyday’ at a girls’ high school, we were rushed like rock stars, hugged, photographed and asked many questions. If our hand wasn’t shaken by a girl then she walked by giggling shyly. Mark was told he was handsome and I was told I was beautiful.

3. Many folks, not just children, stare at Mark’s beard or call him Santa Clause. I think the older women eye him the most; should I be jealous?

Learning-

We have been learning the subway system in Seoul and getting around by ourselves but fortunately each line is numbered so the stops are also numbered for we can’t read the place names in Korean!
We went to a craft area and purchased clothing all by ourselves and got ½ off the price. I wonder what it really cost to make and if the producers were given a fair wage.

Relaxing-

One day after speaking at a church outside of Seoul, we had the morning with the host family. They took us on a touring trip and treated us to a spa and swim. Mark and I did some laps in an outdoor pool and I taught the mother a few things about swimming. Had we known what they meant by spa we would have been in that area the WHOLE TIME! There were several pools of varying things (herbs and salts, I think at least they were different colours and scents and labelled fruits or herbs), very hot, or very cold water, bubbling areas or jets for sore muscles and hot showers. We only had a few minutes there.

Challenging

At an evening university presentation, a Chinese woman in the audience was upset by our answer to a question on the Tibet/ Chinese problem. She challenged us to do as we suggest with conflicts between children, don’t take over the problem and try to fix it but keep it within the relationship where it started. She suggested that China needs folks teaching how to work peacefully to solve problems not outsiders fixing the problems for them. I talked to her afterwards and suggested that outside pressure sometimes helps conflicted parties choose to work at the problem. It is similar in some ways to when our children were in conflict, I would add my power to their need to resolve by limiting their play until they worked at resolving the issues.

Inspiring

We attended the 807^th continuous Wednesday noon demonstrations at the Japanese embassy by the feisty woman who had been stolen as early teenagers to service the Japanese military. Come rain, snow or sunshine these 80-90+ year old women sit on the footpath/ sidewalk across from the embassy asking for recognition of the harm done to them and an apology. They are continuing their struggle so that other women don’t have to share their fate as a consequence of war. I was in tears remembering stories of the fate of other women who lived through wars and the aftermath of war.
The park celebrating the first reading of the Korean declaration of independence from Japan, was inspiring. The declaration encouraged nonviolent means and had displays of many, both men and women, who worked nonviolently and still met their death in the struggle.

Concerning

At the March 1^st Independence Memorial were life size models of the torture techniques that the Japanese used on the Koreans. I was appalled that there were primary / elementary school children there on a field trip, seeing the evil ways we can treat each other. We asked our guide, who had been brought there as a school child, “How did your teachers interpret these images?” “This is unfinished business.” It seemed to perpetuate hatred and fear of the Japanese.
One of the guides for our time at the DMZ also spouted negative information about North Korea which seemed to be opposite what we heard in churches as they looked forward to reunification. How easy it is to make the ‘other’ seem inhuman so that they can be destroyed, hated, or feared. I know the Koreans don't have a monopoly on dehumanizing others.

Travel and termites

2008-04-26T23:41:00.000+10:00

The below was also in our 'Greetings from OZ' that Mark wrote:

We’re still in our travel season. We’ve completed our Korea Trip and you can read about it below. [You may want to bookmark this site for we will continue to place updates here of our travels and work. If you click on the photos they will enlarge.] Monday we leave for two weeks in Cambodia. One week will be a retreat with Eastern Mennonite Mission workers from around Southeast Asia and the second will be some down time for us plus some visits with Australian mission workers in Phnom Penh.

While we were in Korea, builders began renovations on our house. The termite damage was more extensive than they first expected. We were fortunate that we hadn’t fallen through our bathroom floor. It had a cement slab resting on wooden beams. The beams were eaten through so the slab was just suspended in air ready to crash through to the garage at the right moment. The builders also found a copper water tank in the ceiling above the kitchen that should have crashed through. It was full of water and resting on spongy, termite-eaten beams. We think the renovations came just in time.

Our home should be ready for occupancy when we return from Cambodia. If not, we will continue to live with the Longley family, just a short distance from our house.

Mary did some interviewing in Korea for a paper she is writing on trauma healing. She hopes to do some more in Cambodia. When things settle down we hope to do some more writing from our recent experiences. Several people in Korea suggested to Mary that she write a book on parenting and homeschooling. Maybe some day.

A good thing is that we now have a separate toilet room from the rest of the bathroom. We chose sandstone looking new floor and cream coloured wall tiles this week with Australian wild flower accent tiles.

Lounge as used by Mark and same walls as they are now. This wall had little damage, but the plaster board had to be stripped to find that out.

Kitchen as it used to be and will remain for they worked at the damage from the outside of these walls. The good news, I get a larger doorway into the kitchen.

Our drive before [left], now filled with the third rubbish skip [right]

The family theatre room as the Realtors portrayed it [left] has been totally cleared [right] to access pillars and the underside of some damaged areas and prepare it for an apartment on the ground floor.

Left is the lounge as we left it. Right is the same room after termite damage was found on the far wall.

Our bedroom before on left, note arch which no longer exists. On the right, the washing machine is sitting in the place of the clothes tree. The copper tank was full of water in the area over the kitchen sitting on termite eaten beams.

Our back-room or dining-room as it was for two months-note all the books that had to be moved this week.

When leaving for Korea we left most of our things stored in our back room that had served as our dining room [left] Termite damage was found just to the left of our bookshelf wall so everything had to be moved right.

Left is an example of the termite damage found in the bathroom Right is the bathroom as it used to look. But thank God it didn't fall.

The walls, floor and ceiling in the bathroom had to be taken out due to damage

This is the rubble that used to be bathroom floor that fell into the garage.

More termite damage-note bathtub in the background that could have fallen into the garage due to termite eaten beams.

Korea Trip Report - 21 March to 14 April 2008

2008-04-25T10:53:00.000+10:00

The Korea Anabaptist Centre (KAC) has an annual theological lectureship where they invite overseas speakers to travel around

Korea

and speak and teach on behalf of KAC.

Kyong Jung Kim is the KAC Office Manager and the main contact person for the speaking tour.

He was also our primary translator, host, and driver of “Cheap Grace”, the KAC van.

He is a skilled networker and we got to enjoy the fruit of his earlier labours as we visited communities from north to south in the country. He was also an excellent companion for our sojourn in his country.

Kyong Jung met us at the airport in Incheon and drove us to his apartment in ChunCheon, a three-hour drive. Like most Koreans Kyong Jung and his family live in a high-rise apartment building. Kyong Jung and his wife Ellen gave up their bed for us and slept on the floor in their small study. This behaviour was repeated as we travelled around Korea. We were treated royally as others sacrificed and hosted us with wonderful grace and humility. Mary had fun with the Kim daughters.

We arrived in the country on Good Friday, had part of Saturday to get settled in and then spoke on “Children’s education and Homeschooling” at Jesus Village Church, one of the two Mennonite churches in Korea.

Easter Sunday we spoke twice more at Jesus Village Church and then moved on to Seoul on Monday, 24 March.

Jesus Village Church is blessed with many children and they took an active part in the Easter worship service.

Our first presentation in Seoul to the Joshua Homeschool Academy.

The meeting was held in one of Seoul’s mega-churches.These are congregations of thousands with high-profile pastors and large budgets.

Our Monday meeting was the first and last contact with this kind of church.

For two weeks in the Seoul area, we stayed in a Baptist guest house close to an international school.

We had a half-hour walk to the subway so we had plenty of opportunities to walk off the food we ate in one luscious meal after another.

We learned which foods to eat and which to avoid due to their spiciness.

Koreans eat some of the hottest food in the world.

They sit cross-legged on the floor to eat, something we didn’t quite get used to in our three week visit.

We did get pretty proficient with chopsticks though.

Tuesday, 25 March, we spoke again about parenting and homeschooling with a parent’s group that formed when a schoolchild committed suicide after being bullied in school.

We met in the afternoon with the staff at the KAC office.

Their office is one floor of an office building where they also run a programme called Connexus – teaching English.

Several Mennonite volunteers from North America teach in this programme.

They are open to having Aussie and Kiwis join them too.

We were also interviewed by a journalist and photographed by his photographer while at the KAC office.

The article and photo were published about a week later in a national newspaper.

On Wednesday, 26 March, we gave our only English lecture (no translation).

It was at Torch Trinity Theological Seminary on “Mission World.”

We discovered that David Shenk from Eastern Mennonite Missions also taught at this institution.

Mark wore a suit (no tie) he purchased for forty dollars at a Salvos in Mona Vale.

Kung Jung said Mark looked like a priest. The suit was only worn a few times during the trip and is now safely back on a hanger in a closet.

Thursday was a rest day. We visited Insadong, a tourist area of Seoul. We had one of the Korean students from Connexus as a guide.

He introduced us to more Korean foods and a special candy made from honey and nuts.

We met a troupe of actors getting ready for a re-enactment of a traditional Korean wedding. They were jealous of Mark’s real beard (their’s were fake).

We purchased some Korean clothes and visited arts shops where Mary was fascinated by the large brushes.

Friday we were involved in an all-day Peace Education Workshop sponsored by a group called Women Working For Peace. As you can see in the first photo, Mary hangs on Mark’s every word!

We led a group exercise based on John Paul Lederach’s model of reconciliation.

Jae-Young Lee was our translator for this event. Jae is the Peace Programme Director for KAC.

And of course, we enjoyed another Korean meal.

Our hosts and guides for the evening were two bright young women who are KAC interns.
SongJu [left in photo] accompanied us on our trip south during our last week. She was a big help selling books, taking photos, and translating during meals.

SongJu and Mary had some enjoyable talks and walks together.

Saturday we met with a group of church workers interested in peace education. A number of pastors who are normally part of the group missed the meeting because they went home to work on their sermon for the next day. One of the participants said at the end of the meeting that the pastors should have stayed. “They could have gotten tomorrow’s sermon right here.”

Sunday the 30^th of March found us in two churches giving sermons in both and being treated to more Korean meals. Koreans take off their shoes when they enter buildings and slip on slippers or thongs (or just go around in socks).

Mark never did get used to preaching in a suit wearing slippers. It just didn’t feel right. [Note the exhaust hoses hanging in the restaurant behind the pastor and his wife who hosted us. These hoses are for when you have barbeques right at your table.]

We had a funny experience in the second church. Mark was speaking about “Walking in a World of Evil and Forgiveness”. He starts by talking about the reality of evil in the world today and using several quotes about how to overcome evil. Some of these are meant to present ways the world deals with evil and then Mark goes on to tell the story of Jonah and says God’s way of dealing with evil is by forgiveness. Well, during the quote from George Bush about destroying the evil ones through killing them, the pastor starts saying “Amen” and then the congregation joins him with their “Amens.” We knew it was going to be a tough sermon from there!

Monday evening we spoke at a prayer meeting sponsored by The Frontiers

(http://www.thefrontiers.org/Eng/index.html ).

In 1993 they began meeting each week to pray for conflicted areas in the world. And then in the early 2000’s they began sending young adults into some of these areas to hold peace camps.

Today they live in two communities – one in Seoul and one outside the city – and send workers to countries like East Timor, Indonesia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. We were greatly impressed with their zeal and dedication to the cause of peace and the fact that it is all bathed in prayer and worship.

We visited their rural community on Tuesday after speaking at an all-girls school in the morning.

We spoke for 20 minutes in a chapel service about being peacemakers and were treated afterwards like we were visiting rock stars.

We stood in the back of the auditorium and shook all the girls’ hands (or received hugs from them), had photos taken with several groups,and then tea and coffee with the principal and other officials in his office.

There we were given heaps of gifts. We thought “All of this for twenty minutes of talking. Imagine if we spoke for an hour.”

One of the highlights of our trip came on Wednesday, 2 April.

We attended the weekly demonstration held at the Japanese embassy.

This was the 807^th consecutive demonstration – the longest ongoing demonstration in modern history.

It is held by the comfort women who were taken as young girls by the Japanese to “service” their soldiers.

These women are now in their 80’s and 90’s and still demanding an apology for their treatment.

Their message is end all war and then no more women and children will suffer the way we have.

Mary got to address the gathered crowd and we later hosted the woman to lunch.

At lunch one of the women thanked us by singing a song.

Mary responded with one of her own.
It was a very moving event for us.

Wednesday afternoon we travelled by train south of Seoul to CheonAn where we had a fantastic meal with a pastor [SongJu’s father] and his family,
spoke in an evening service in a church, and had a counselling session with a couple after the meeting.

We stayed overnight and toured a memorial to the March 1st Independence movement the next day.

We were also treated to an afternoon at a spa/pool before a trip on Korea’s fast train (297 KPH’s) back to Seoul.

Thursday, 3 April we spoke on conflict transformation and peacemaking at Soongshil University, a Christian university

in Seoul.

We saw signs on the walls in the university about a talk being given by “International Experts on Peace”. We said “We should go hear that.” We discovered it was us.

The professor sponsoring our talk told us about talks going on in China between North and South Korea – all under the radar of the media. He and others we met expect North and South Korea to be re-united possibly sometime in the next ten years. Many churches are praying and preparing for this knowing they can play a key reconciling role in the healing of the split in their nation.

On Friday, 4 April we had another rest day. We left our guest house early in the morning to catch the subway to the American USO building where we joined a bus tour group to the DMZ (De-militarised zone).

It was an interesting day of visiting “No-man’s land” in a war that has been going on since 1950.

We went down into a tunnel the North was building under the DMZ and visited a train station built near the border that is brand new and empty, just waiting for peace between the north and south.

Our tour guide was hard to understand. Beyond a speech impediment which made it hard to figure out what he was saying, he mixed up his “p’s” and “f’’s”. He started by explaining that our trip would be in three “farts” and that we should keep our “fassforts” in our “fockets” at all times. (Mark said it was good he was not trying to explain the different aspects of hockey.)

In the evening we had dinner with Guishik Nam pastor of Grace and Peace Mennonite Church, a member of the congregation, and Juan Martinez, a Mennonite professor from Fuller Seminary in Korea for four weeks as part of a sabbatical. We went to a Greek restaurant and had a fantastic meal (seated in chairs).

On Saturday we gave two lectures sponsored by KAC

We spoke on “Walking in the Resurrection” and “Walking as Do-gooders”.

Some came to the lecture after reading about us in the newspaper. It was an opportunity to introduce KAC to people who never heard of them before.

In the evening we went to a shelter where some of the comfort women live so Mary could interview two of them for a paper she is writing.

On Sunday, 6 April, we checked out of our guest house in Seoul and headed south for a week on the road.

We visited Sarangbang Community Church homeschooling.

[The presentations were videoed and put on their website. See below for the links.]

This community has done some creative building on its site and hosts an alternative school.

An assistant pastor showed us around after lunch.

[The pots are for making Kim chi and soy sauce.]

One mother of a school student runs a nearby restaurant and wanted to host us in the evening. Her restaurant has a Japanese feel to it. It was another fantastic meal.

Monday, 7 April we visited an intentional Christian community called Bonacom (the good life). They are a farming community and were quite busy.

We got a rather cool welcome at first but after an afternoon and evening session with their community they were reluctant to have us leave.

One young girl made a present for Mary and said she will try to be a better listener when she is in conflict with her sisters.

As we travelled further south we saw more evidence of Spring – cherry blossoms and forsythia.

The 8^th of April found us in DaeJeon City where we spoke on a number of topics ranging from resurrection and peacemaking to homeschooling.

Most places we went they had large banners advertising our talks.

These are made of cloth material and we collected a couple because they just throw them out after an event.

Group photos were popular all along our trip.

On the 9^th, we moved on to the Dandelion Community, another Christian intentional community.

This one has done a great deal with alternative energy and creative building (grass growing on their roofs).

They run an alternative school. We had several sessions with their staff and students.

When we left we took one of their staff with us to catch a bus to her home town for a birthday celebration.

She wrote to us recently: “On your way to Bu-san, you dropped me to a place near my hometown. It was very kind of you. It made my journey home much easier. I do not know why and how, but I felt kind of 'honoured' or 'treated' not just because of the short ride or what you shared, but more through your presence, itself.

That kind of amazing feeling stayed with me a few days as if I had met God's messengers or somebody similar. I wanted to thank you all - the whole team for coming to visit us with the spiritual tenderness.”

The 10^th of April we moved on to Busan, the major port city in the southern part of the country. We gave a lecture in the evening on “Sabbath and Jubilee”.

Mark tried to gently suggest that the busy Korean lifestyle needed to be addressed but we don’t think the message got through. The meeting went till after 11pm.

We stayed in a guest house near a university campus. Students partied outside till after 3:30 in the morning.

After the Korean War, Mennonite Central Committee set up the Mennonite Vocational School (MVS) in Gyeongsan to care for and train Korean orphans.

Some of those former students have stayed in contact with Mennonites over the years and are very gracious hosts when Mennonites visit their area.

We met two of these former students. Professor Lee is dean of Koshin University in Busan, a conservative Christian university. Professor Lee told us “My church doesn’t like Anabaptists” but because of his position he can and does have Mennonite/Anabaptists speak in his classes whenever he can. We addressed around 90 students in his church history class on “Mission in a Postmodern and Post-Christendom World." A former student of Professor Lee's, who is now a missionary in Tibet, shared about his experiences in that troubled country. Professor Lee put us up in a motel next to the harbour with a view out of our windows of fishermen coming and going. We also had some time for a delightful walk around the headlands of the harbour.

On Saturday we moved on to Ulsan where we met Pastor Lee, another former MVS student. He took us to GyeongJu, an ancient city with Buddhist shrines and royal burial mounds.

We spoke on Sunday in his church (with the largest banner of our trip, complete with a photo of us taken from an online website).

Again, the hospitality was over the top – we were treated like royalty.

After lunch on Sunday we hit the road heading north.

Five-and-a-half hours later we were back in ChunCheon and had one last Korean meal in a restaurant with Kung Jung and his family.

We used the drive north to de-brief with Kyong Jung (and relax) and continued Monday morning at his place.

In the afternoon he put us on a bus to the airport and we were on our way home to OZ.

On the way to the airport Mark tried to get some last minute photos.

Seventy percent of Korea is mountains so they’ve gotten pretty good at building tunnels for their roads.

They also continue to build infrastructure like damns to keep their country growing. Church buildings are found everywhere.

Twenty to twenty-five percent of the country is Christian.

We had to include a picture of Paris Baguette. Bread products are a luxury in a country where the diet is based on rice.

Paris Baguette with its French-style baking is an oasis for Westerners longing for wheat products.

We were given so many gifts during our stay that we bought another bag to transport them.

At the airport they wanted to charge us $262 for the extra weight.

After some discussion they let us shift some things from check-in to carry-on and we got away with no extra charge. (Those communication skills come in handy at times.

It was a good trip. We learned much, made new friends, and planted ‘kingdom’ seeds around the place. The crew from KAC is left to water them. They seem a capable bunch. God bless them in their work!

Extras:

Newspaper article
We were interviewed for a national Korean newspaper. Here is the article and picture of us. Sorry it is in Korean. The interviewer picked up on the forgiveness theme we often talk about.
http://www.kukinewscom/mission/article/view.asp?page=1&gCode=kmis&arcid=0920862351&code=23111111
Walking in the Way of Abraham and Jesus
This is the video of a sermon we presented.
http://sarangbang.org/zboard/view.php?id=srb_english&page=1&bgcolors=&sn1=&divpage=1&sn=off&ss=on&sc=on&select_arrange=headnum&desc=asc&no=112
Homeschooling and parenting
This is a video of one of our presentations.
http://www.sarangbang.org/zboard/view.php?id=srb_lecture&page=1&bgcolors=&sn1=&divpage=1&sn=off&ss=on&sc=on&select_arrange=headnum&desc=asc&no=41
Photos from Korea
You are invited to view KAC's photo album: MarkandMaryHurst

Shalom,

Mark and Mary Hurst