A weekend with PEC
Monday, 22 May, 2006
Sometimes going away with FEVA really annoys me (not because of the people but because the almost total lack of organisation). But this weekend was very relaxing and I enjoyed it immensely.
We were supposed to be there by about 8 or 9 o'clock but I was still working our newsletter and wanted to get it done before we left, so we didn't end up going until about 9 pm (the car loaded full of food that we were taking up for our cooks). The campsite was Penrith Lakes Academy—somewhere I'd never been before (I don't think I've ever been to Penrith before). In the car on the M4 (with a first time trip through the E-Tag lane—okay, I know the novelty will wear off soon!), we got a call from James saying that they were all at Krispy Kreme and we were welcome to join us if we liked. But we were a little farther away than anticipated—when we entered the carpark in an area that resembles Fatland at Fairy Meadow (because of the sheer number of fast food joints), the place was crawling with teenagers and resembled something out of an American teen movie (complete with necking in the parking lot), and our friends were nowhere in sight. Plus the line at Krispy Kreme went right out the door (which didn't bother me as I don't particularly like them but Ben does). So we pushed on, got a bit lost but finally rocked up to Penrith Lakes Academy, hot on the heels of Francis and Erin. The cabins were all on one side and the hall and the kitchen were on the other, and in between was a cemetary with a freshly-piled grave covered with flowers of a person who had recently been murdered (or so the caretaker said).
Here we had a nice surprise. James had told me that it was probable that the couples would be split up and we'd be divided into girls' and guys' rooms. (NB: I am not against splitting up couples on camps. I don't prefer it but I can understand the reasons why it happens and it's usually not for very long anyway. I just like to know about it. I rocked up to one weekend camp expecting there to be marrieds quarters [because there had been the year before] only to discover there are none. And you can't really cut a queen-sized doona down the middle.) I was all prepared to spend the weekend bunking with girls who like to get up early so they can have a hot shower, and who have everything packed in their suitcases encased in plastic bags which rustle loudly when I'm trying to sleep. But Penrith Lakes Academy isn't like your typical Christian camp site—the accommodation was based around little flats with two bathrooms, a kitchenette and four rooms with a bunkbed in each surrounding them (i.e. eight people). James had worked it so that four of us couples were in the flat and we got a room each which was rather nice.
Simon and Naomi also turned up but then went off to play Aqua Golf. Everyone else was apparently out doing something similar. Ben, Francis, Erin and I weren't keen, but we were hungry so we went back to Penrith Fatlands for a Maccas run. And then Francis plugged the FEVA data projector and a pair of speakers into his laptop and we watched Madagascar on the wall. (I saw the second half of it on the plane to LA last year and thought it was fairly pathetic but of course it improved somewhat once I saw the first half with the second.)
That night we had a big long sleep, woken only by the loudspeakers at the regatta next door spewing out some sort of gibberish. In my half-awake state, I thought, “Have they started the talks already? And are they broadcasting them into the cabins so we don't miss out?” Then Francis knocked on our door and told us to grab breakfast quick because it was nearly over.
True to FEVA style (every camp I've ever been on with FEVA always runs to FEVA timetable), they were already running late and poor James looked a bit grumpy trying to round everyone up and get them into the hall for the first session. We had a time of prayer and then our link missionaries who are back from overseas spoke on 1 Thessalonians. (Funny, they aren't listed on the CMS site; maybe it's because the country where they are isn't too keen on having missionaries.) Then it was personal reflection time (which I spent talking to Cathy which was a bit naughty), then morning tea, and then the missionaries talked about their experience of doing ministry overseas. Some of the stories they told were just amazing. I imagine it must have been so hard for them, not even being able to really speak the language in the first six months to a year of being there. And yet they were able to be like Paul with the Thessalonian church—share their very lives with the people—which in turn opened up other opportunities. The country where they are seems to have so many social problems—alcohol and drug abuse, corruption, breakdown in marriages and families—it makes me wonder how people function as a society. Their very presence as a Christian family doing their best to raise their kids to know the Lord was revolutionary in itself.
In the afternoon there was free time and I was persuaded to go with Nancy, Marinka and Carol to Penrith Plaza (where the materialistic consumer environment just served to highlight the things that we had heard this morning about how rich we are in Australia). Nancy had to pick up a couple of things and I wanted to buy green tea because I'd forgotten to bring some. It was fun shopping with these girls as I hadn't really hung out with them in that context before, and I ended up having a really interesting conversation with Carol.
We were going to go to the Penrith Regional Gallery (according to Marinka, it's one of the better ones and is well-known internationally for its exhibitions), but it was closed for renovations. Instead we walked down to the banks of the Nepean River and frolicked amongst the autumn leaves. In the background a wedding party were getting their photos done, and the bride had four little bridesmaids in white dresses who, as we drove by, joined hands and danced a ring-a-rosie. (Unfortunately the bride spoiled the effect somewhat by standing there, smoking a joint.) Nancy taught me a few more tricks for how to use my digital camera and I took some rather cool pictures of the clouds and the water. And we found a maple tree (at least I think it was maple) which had this beautiful dark red leaves and we took some photos, then started picking them and putting them in each other's hair and pretending we were on a fashion shoot.
Back at the site, people were hanging around for afternoon tea and I sat and knitted and listened to everyone chatting. Someone had the bright idea of getting everyone to line up for dinner in height order and then they got carried away and everyone lined up in order of their birthdays, then in order of their hair lengths, etc.
After dinner, I helped wash up (which was a bit chaotic in such a small kitchen). Movies with the data projector were on the cards but Simon was trying to persuade people to play games. But just as he got me convinced, a bunch of people headed off to Panthers to play arcade games (Ben included) and so, a bit discouraged, I went in to watch The Italian Job (yeah, I know I watched it last week but I enjoyed it just as much!) And then it was time for bed so I read Following Jesus Without Dishonouring Your Parents until Ben came back. He had won an animal hook in the shape of a snail playing arcade games. (So had Mark but Mark gave his to me and I've stuck them both on the side of the fridge.)
The following morning I was sort of on time for breakfast. The second session started late again. I was playing with the kids (chasing them with a hairbrush) until they started mucking up the chairs and then we ordered them out. Francis was playing Mozart's Requiem on his laptop through the speakers and I sang along, remembering how much I enjoyed singing in choirs.
The talk this morning was on 1 Thessalonians 2 (by the missionaries again) and they used their personal experience to talk about how they applied that passage to their lives. The way they talked about their time priorities and how they were challenged by the excessive hospitality of the people they worked among really struck a chord with me but as yet I still don't know what to do with all the thoughts I have about rest, work and ministry wheeling around in my head.
During morning tea, Erin played some kids songs on the laptop and a bunch of the girls and I got up and danced the Nutbush, the Hokey Pokey and all these other things. I think the kids thought we were quite mad! Gradually they joined in until we had to stop.
We had a little congregational meeting on the verandah and Malcolm put a few of the newer members of our church on the spot to ask them how they found their experience. It was generally positive which was lovely. Then we had a time of discussion where we raised issues about stuff that was going on in the church. I have to keep remembering that we're only a little church—we get maybe 40-50 people per week, with around 15-20 of those usually rostered on to do something (music, sound, welcoming, cooking, Bible-reading, preaching, MC-ing, leading prayers, etc.) And yet we have so many committed and faithful people who just put their heads down and do the work to make church a better place. (Take Erin for example: she took the initiative to do something about the rather horrible state of our church kitchen and it is so much better now. And mouse-free.)
Then it was lunchtime. I went to wake up Ben who had decided to sleep in. I also packed the bags. Lunch was pumpkin soup with bread and it was delicious. Once again I helped with wash up (even though some of my lovely brothers and sisters in Christ tried to order me out of the kitchen). And I helped clean up other stuff because the hall was going to be used by some seniors (parishoners of the church?).
We loaded the car. Marinka was going to come with us but at the last minute Malcolm decided to come with us too and the car got a bit squashy. Nancy didn't have anyone in her car so Marinka decided to go with her so it was just us and Malcolm, and Ben made him listen to songs all the way back to Stanmore.
I had about an hour and a half to shower and put the laundry on before it was time for band practice. At church that evening, we had a chance to put into practice the stuff we'd been talking about at the congregational meeting because there was so many new people at church. I invited at least two of them to Bible study on Thursday. I'm hoping at least one will come.
Current:
Bible: Isaiah (ESV) 28/09/2010
seen: Tropic Thunder 26/09/2010
seen: The Life of Mammals 24/09/2010
seen: What a Girl Wants 19/09/2010
seen: Jerry Maguire 19/09/2010
seen: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 06/09/2010
seen: Tomorrow Never Dies 05/09/2010
seen: Nanny McPhee 28/08/2010
read: Mercury (Hope Larson) 27/08/2010
read: Spellcheckers Vol 1 (Jamie S Rich, Nicolas Hitori de, Joelle Jones) 16/08/2010
read: Solipsistic Pop Vol 2 (Solipsistic Pop) 16/08/2010
read: Chiggers (Hope Larson) 15/08/2010
seen: Josie and the Pussycats 14/08/2010
seen: Mr & Mrs Smith 14/08/2010
seen: Step Up 2 13/08/2010
Blinks:
How to recalibrate the home button on your iPhone.
Unsolicited manuscripts accepted by Pan Macmillan with certain conditions.
Thought Balloon is a group blog in which the writers tackle a new theme every week? month? with one-page scripts. This URL is for their Phonogram ones.
How to sew a zipper on a knitted garment.
Issues organised by tale.
Online magazine that publishes fairy tales that are not reworkings of old tales.
Journal that publishes fairy tale writing.
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Hey,didyougetFollowing Jesus Without Dishonouring Your Parents somewhereinAustralia??(i’veonlyseenitotheIVPwebsite)Sorryspacebarnotworkig!
Wow, I stayed at the exact same campsite earlier this year! My fellow campers and I found it a strange expereince walking back and forth through the graveyard, especially at night. It was a great little place though, and I really loved the accomodation! It’s so nice to arrive at an unknown campsite and find really comfy rooms and beds and TWO BATHROOMS in each little flat thing. Such sweet relief to have that extra 20 minutes sleep because you don’t have to share the bathroom with quite so many people.
Heheheh—Sandra, you made my day! You can purchase it from Koorong. The copy I’m reading belongs to a friend but I’m thinking of getting my own sometime.