The rain is settling

From atop the hill with fog settled low the skyscrapers looked as if they are floating---a city in the sky. We are plummeting through the city, a free fall on wheels, navigating the slopes with reckless agility. With each turn the exit doors clamor open and shut, teasing those seated next to it. How the brick sidewalks shine in the rain! Drenched from head to toe, the halo of streetlights warms my face. Winter in May.

Where Did May Go?

Do you ever find blogging intimidating? You have so much to say, but don't know where to begin? Every time I stare at this blank screen the wheels begin turning; I start thinking too much. So this entry is going to be more or less a laundry list of the craziness that has happened during the past few weeks.

1. When I first arrived I noticed that the worship music was unfamiliar. We sang heaps of music from bands such as Hillsong and other obscure bands mainly made popular by a large-scale music festival in New Zealand called Parachute. At church last Sunday it occurred to me that these songs were now becoming familiar, and that I had made some step over an invisible culture barrier.

Me and some of my Bible Study Girls at Spa Night

2. We had our women's retreat, which was a spa night focused on purity. It was beautiful watching the symbolic act of cleansing speak to the spiritual needs of the girls there. Each spa treatment was accompanied by verses from the Bible that explained the freedom that comes from walking in purity, the power of God to work in us and sanctify us, and how holiness invades every moment of our lives.

3. Love, Actually? is an "Artreach" some of our student leaders put together, partnering with other Christian groups on campus. We set up a canvas inside the quad and let students paint their responses to the prompt: What is Love? The results were encouraging and the conversations we got to have with students who we would otherwise not normally meet were fascinating. It was amazing to see the diversity of thoughts, languages, and opinions. It was also sobering to see that, for many, the unconditional, unshakable, sacrificial love of God is not something they experience. Our work here has only begun.

Painting at the Artreach!