Aug 28 Update

I’m planning to get a phone soon and will be sending out an email with my phone number and mailing address when I figure out a place to hook up my laptop to the internet.

I’ve been meeting tons of new people. Besides all the new people in the city of Sydney and in the church, there are about a thousand students. This is the most culturally diverse place I’ve been in. Hillsong can definitely not be called a “white” church. I’ve been in other places where there are a couple of different large ethnic groups like Steinbach with Mennonite – ok so Steinbach is basically Mennonite; Vancouver with many white people and many Asian people, Southern USA with many Whites and many Blacks, Winnipeg and Toronto with quite a variety. Northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba with many Natives; but this place tops them all. The city and church are not quite as diverse as the school but a normal conversation at the schools starts something like this. “Hi I’m Larry” “Hi, I’m ______, where are you from?” I’m from Canada, and you?”… and here’s where it gets interesting because it could be anywhere in the world. Of the 1,000 students, about 250 are from Australia, 200 from USA, and the rest from other places. So far I know people from France, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Mexico, Austria, Australia, Canada, and I’m sure there’s some more I’m not thinking of off hand. It makes communication interesting. We all speak English since that’s a requirement for coming to school with all the teaching being in English, but you can imagine the fun we have with the many different accents. I’m proud to say I was told the other day that my accent is not very strong even though I have not yet met anyone who talks like me since the other Canadians I’ve met are from Ontario where they have an accent of their own more similar to northern USA than other parts of Canada.

I was reminded of the danger and harm of stereotypes yesterday. I’ve been warmly welcomed by all during my travels and time out here and have been told that I was a good person because “Canadians are good people.” Actually this I was told by an Asian man as I was helping him find the gate for his next flight at the Los Angeles airport. This same man said Americans were not nice or friendly and that he didn’t like them. Fortunately my experience with most Americans has not been the same as his. Then yesterday I heard one of the American students here, who is a nice person, say how it hurt her to be hated everywhere she goes because she’s American. So here’s the reminder people; please don’t look at people through painted glasses. Just because someone say’s she’s an American; or just because someone has a different skin color or dresses a different way than you; or just because he has long hair, 15 ear, nose, and other rings, and 50 tattoos; or just because ______________ (you fill in the blank); each one of us is created in God’s image and needs to be and feel loved. That is something all people need to live out but especially Christians who are called so shine God’s light and love to the world.