/karen/

Return from NTE

Sunday, 07 December, 2003

We're back! We survived and I took about 500 photos on our digital camera. I was hoping to use the entire memory stick but never got that far (should have used a higher resolution). NTE was great but also long and exhausting. I feel like I need a holiday now it's the end of it but instead I have to go to work tomorrow. A bit about the conference: The first two days were the Students for Christ conference which was all about ministry opportunities with students around Australia and around the world. Some people reckon that there is too much of a push to get people into full-time ministry; I don't reckon there's enough. Why? Because there are still so many places that need people and still so much to be done to grow God's kingdom here on earth. There are so many options it's hard to know what to do and where to go. Sometimes I wonder if it is just easier to pick a place and commit to it and then, God-willing, it will happen, or he will firmly redirect you to where he wants you to go. I realised that what I felt I wanted to do the most (which is writing) I could do anywhere. This is good if we end up in China (or, indeed, anywhere else). I enjoyed meeting other AFES staff from around the country—some of whom had been working for AFES longer than Richard. They seem to get along together so well and, in true Aussie style, pay each other out at every opportunity, making the most of inter-state rivalry. It was also a good time to catch up with other MTS workers at other campuses, some of whom I'd met at the women's retreat and some of whom I met for the first time. We swapped ideas about ministry and encouraged each other to persevere. The following five days were the actual NTE student conference. The total number of attendees came to 803 this year which is significantly higher than last year. There were a handful of students out from Fiji as well which was lovely to see. With so many people, you'd think it would be hard to get to know others but living in different college residences kind of made it easier because we were eating with the same bunch of people all the time (bar those who caught the gastro bug—around 30 in all). Throughout those five days I kept marvelling at the work that God was doing in these students; it amazed me how keen they were to understand his word and serve him more. I know these sentiments border on the hackneyed but nevertheless it's true. I was especially struck by this with the students in our strand group. We were leading a strand group for students who had come to NTE for the first time. At the end of five days they had to write a 5-minute talk on 1 Peter 2:21-25. Most of the prep work for the talk was done during our time together, where we took the students through principles of good Bible reading (basically exegesis, Biblical theology and systematic theology). They were so keen to grow and learn and they were a very good bunch to work with. I was a bit apprehensive because we were a large group (15 people) but breaking into smaller groups at times and doing other stuff as a big group together helped. We went to ScreenSound Australia as a social event which was quite fun, watching old ads—some of which we'd all grown up with. I must admit that it wasn't all great. I had one very bad day where I was just over everything and wanted to go home. I took some time out and felt a bit better but it meant missing one strand group time. They were doing prep anyway so it probably didn't matter much. It was great spending more time with the students from Wollongong. There was about 60 of us and I think we were just about the largest group present. We spent some time preparing for mission and we also went ice skating as a group social. I actually managed to skate somewhat decently which is quite surprising since the last time I skated was five years ago when I was in California; I skated on the rink where that Chinese American figure skater trains and I could barely let go of the wall. A group of us went to visit the National Gallery of Australia (mostly girls—we couldn't persuade any boys to come). And I taught some of the students mahjong. So it was a little sad when we all had to depart for mission. A group of about 20 Arts, Commerce, Law and Engineering students went to Drummoyne Presbyterian Church in Sydney for four days. We were billetted out with various host families from the congregation who generously opened up their homes to us. Each day we engaged in different activities such as kids' club, primary school Scripture, door-knocking, helping out with the women's Body and Soul evening (where Susan painted my nails ice blue), attending (and leading) the women's Bible study, visiting the local nursing home to do chapel, and helping out with Sunday School. It was a very busy time and it got a bit overwhelming at times. But, once again, it was great to see the students having a go at stuff they had never tried before. It was great seeing God at work through their efforts in bringing people to know him and also encouraging existing Christians to grow. We did a bit narky with each other but I think we were all pretty tired by that stage. Saturday was our day off and those that could had yum cha together at North Ryde RSL. I never realised how much pork and seafood there is in yum cha dishes until this one girl said how much she hated pork and seafood. There wasn't much I could do and I felt bad because I had suggested yum cha. In the afternoon Ben and I went to St. Matthias in Paddington to watch Guan and Mary make some pretty serious promises to each other. It was great catching up with UNSW people—many of whom have just completed their degrees and are moving on to do MTS either next year or the year after. We spent some time catching up with Maheesha and Arnjali who are getting married in two weeks; they walked us to our car and encouraged us with their words. Sometimes I feel so ungodly and it is good to be reminded how much of what is accomplished is not because of me at all. In the evening we had dinner with the team at Doythao Thai in Drummoyne and then took a stroll near the waters of the harbour. Even though that was lovely and I am found of the Wollongong team, I was still very glad to go home today to our poor neglected little house to do four loads of laundry, download 165 messages and prepare for another week.

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