Unexpected Conversations

We spend a lot of time talking with people when we're in Australia. Occasionally we'll hear some unexpected comments about mission.

Last week someone said, "I've never met "young" missionaries before. You're the same age as me!" Wow. That was quite a revelation, but also confirmation that putting our faces in front of people on home assignment as "real live missionaries" is a worthwhile endevour.

A lady we met after a church service who has a soft spot for Japan said, "I"ve never thought of Japan as a mission field." She's no stranger to Japan, she studied the language for six years and even went there on a school trip as a teenager.

The question that flabbergasted us last weekend was posed just after we'd spoken in a church service. At the time we had so many people who wanted our attention that they were almost competing for our attention. He said, "What do you do when you're in Australia for a whole year?"

David and I gestured widely said, "This!" 

I guess it is a bit like people wondering what pastors do, they only work one day a week, don't they?

We spent about six hours visiting this church on Sunday. That included more than an hour's travel each way. I suppose he was wondering what we do with the rest of our week?

Let's see, here's some of the things I've been doing this week:

• writing two prayer letters (one for adults, one for kids)

  

  This was a meeting we did in Perth. We had many
  conversations this night.

• preparing for upcoming deputation appointments
• contacting people to organise appointments for next year
• arranging to meet with friends to catch up after not seeing them for years
• editing a couple of articles of mine for magazines
• writing a greeting to go with our prayer card mail out in December
• helping a new friend who's a bit overwhelmed with life
• writing here
• reading about writing
• reading articles and blog posts about mission and other things
• pondering taking up a new hobby (and reading about it in a book and online)
• planning Christmas presents
• looking into purchasing a guitar for my son
• Facebook (yes, I admit it)
• editing for the magazine I work with in Japan (they needed some help)
• attending a Bible study at our home church
• taking my kids to school
• grocery shopping
• cooking for the family
• shopping for Christmas presents, and for some clothes for myself
• arranging for pest controller to deal with a wasp problem
• and yes, investigating a new hobby

Yep, a combination of a stay-at-home mum, writer, and missionary-on-home assignment. I appreciate it that this fellow had a genuine interest, he spoke to us for some time. But the thought that some people may think we are lazing around for a year in Australia is a little disturbing.