Australia Speaking Tour 2007 - July 13th, 2007

05:41 pm - Sydney Leg of Trip

Sydeney has the weather of Chicago - wait 10 minutes, or 1 day and it will change! We've had sunny days and cold overcast as well.

I've been working with a group of 32 Chrisian educators, mostly volunteers in small churches. Our days are so full in exeriences together, in the participants making connections and sharing - really the most important part of coming to a conference - and in experiencing Christian hospitality as we go through the day learning and living the Hospitable Pedagogy approach called "Ch.E.E.R.S." The art work on the storyboards is so different from any other culture I've visited and even from one another. The most important part of the experience is to hear the story of each person's connecting of the meal story of the Feeding of the 5000 as it connects with his/her own experiences.

The participants in Sydney are from the Australian coastal area and from Tongans residing in the area. The Tongan congregations are part of the Uniting Church in Australia. The participants at Sydney are from Auburn, New South Wales, with about 10 parishes in that area. In the near by Sydney suburb Dee Why there is one congregation in Deey Why and one in Beacon Hill. Tonga is an island northeast of the Australian continent near the Fiji Island. Americans - get out a map!

I'm taking a flight tonight to Brisbane for the next leg of teaching. The second day in Sydney consisted of many people staying over for the second day. More about what I do and what we do together on the second day of a two-day stay coming up in upcoming blogs.
Grace and peace,
Cheryl

Getting started on the creative process:


A finished storyboard: