Hanging Upside Down on the Other Side of the World!

After two delays and a whole waking day spent on a plane, we've made it to the other side of the world! Some of us feel like we are literally hanging upside down, but overall, we've adjusted rather well - the humor maybe not so much!

It's only been one day of travel in close quarters, and granted we are tired, but already many of us are growing weary of Jesus. Let me explain, we don't mean Jesus Christ - we mean the talking Jesus doll that has accompanied us. While a great conversation starter, the doll's sentences are limited...limited to seven verses in fact. And during a rousing game of Euchre at the airport, it was somehow decided that those verses simply were not practical to put into action. Did I mention that it was about 3AM Eastern time? The jokes have continued to flow along with the overtired, slaphappy laughter, but bedtime will come soon enough.

Although we have experienced a few minor irritations, like kids kicking our seat for 14 hours, phones not working and running out of hot water as all nine of us wanted to clean up, the blessings poured upon us have been more abundant than we could have imagined. The morale of everyone despite the exhaustion and hunger at the airport were lifted as we met and talked with groups heading to Sydney from all over the US and the world. We also said many prayers of thanksgiving as we heard other groups' travel nightmares, from delayed and cancelled flights to lost passports. Bearing in mind what could have faced us, a few minor irritations are hardly worth the notice!

Upon arriving in Sydney and leaving the airport, we headed off on the train to meet up with Fr. Bernard from the St. Benedict's Monastery where we are now staying. He came to meet us at the train station and drove us in the parish van, of which we have free use while we are here. He has even offered to chauffeur us, as it is a stickshift and I have limited experience driving one of those where we drive on the right side of the road...literally! Anyway, we all piled into the "Atomic Doop" (it used to say "automatic door" but some of the letters had peeled away), and after a half hour scenic drive through the valleys and gorges of Berowra, we arrived.

The monks and guests from Sri Lanka were waiting for us for lunch...and this was no ordinary lunch! On the menu - soup for starters, then lamb, chicken, pumpkin, peas and potatoes for the main meal, topped off with ice cream and peaches for dessert. What a meal it was after such a long flight (though the meals on the plane were quite good as well!).

We've now settled into the cottage which we've learned is being demolished after we leave (not because we came, but because it is old and less expensive to start over than to renovate). There will be pictures to come, but for now, we're unpacked, clean and getting hungry! So it is off to evening prayer and dinner. More to come another day... God bless and good night!

Rakhi

P.S. - It really is winter in Australia...though more of a mix between a California winter and a midwest autumn. We could smell some woodfires burning in the crisp evening air as we walked to the main monastery at twilight, though we are told open fires are discouraged due to concern about pollution. The smell is comforting though, even without our own bonfire. :)