Ick… who was it that tried to convince comsumers that coffee bags were a suitable step up from instant without having to get a plunger and mess about? They’re idiots, this stuff tastes like tar…

So, I get to write a bit more becaus Ache is running late…

I wanted to mention that I purchased my first mangoes of the season today ($1.97ea)… I am still waiting for the nectarines to come down a bit in price, they are still over $5.50 but watch out… I am a summer fruit animal… Then there’s the cherries… they drop after Christmas… Woo hoo… now I have to sit on my hands till the mangoes get just a little more ripe… Oh for Shame… I don’t know how long I can stand it…

I think I also promised to update on the flat situation… the Count will be moving into Bliss’ room early in December… he, (yes, he) is a colleague, an accountant… (hence the name) and quite possibly one of the most intense people I have ever met… quintessentially melancholic and pedantic and from all appearances quite possibly one of the straightest people on planet earth. When Bliss and I talked about him we decided that it would either work out very well, or be a complete disaster. She also added that if it was a complete disaster at least I would have lots of stories to tell. He is staying till February which will tide me over till the time when more people are likely to be looking for a change of scene so I think I can bear it till then…I wonder if it will be slightly weird working with my roomate, he sits behind me at the office… Too close for comfort???

On another work note I believe when I go back to work tomorrow I will have a new desktop computer with all the bells and whistles required for Supreme Potentates of HTML… Only bummers are, I can’t bring it home, will have to learn Photoshop (I am a PaintShopPro girl at the moment…), and will now have a computer on my desk that other people can use if I’m not there… I HATE THAT… (Sorry Territorial Girl slipped out for a second… )

Enough Said

This is kind of a cool story – I will try to be succinct … but I am warning you… it isn’t terribly funny, and it isn’t about my love life.

You may remember me mentioning a few entries back about a barbeque that was on for the residents in our unit block.

The short story about the bbq is that Bliss and I decided to attend, choosing the bbq over church which had been our original plan for the evening. I really felt that the bbq was a divine appointment, that it was really important to connect with people who are actually in my own backyard mission field.

Well, at that time I met Bet, a lovely, somewhat lonely, German girl and knew at once that she was the reason I was at that party. (Ironically, she was moving out of our block and I came home in time on a Saturday afternoon, 2 weeks later, to give her my card and wish her well.)

However, we arranged to meet and went to the movies on Wednesday night – (Jersey Girl … mediocre) and had a great time.

At the conclusion of the evening I invited her to church on Sunday (tonight) to hear Bliss sing in a recital given by one of our 3rd year students at college (post church service). (Bliss is a kickass singer). Bet said yes.

This is pretty radical for me – for the last 2 years our church has been moving towards adopting a G12 model of church growth and all church members are being encouraged to look outside our small insular groups and house churches and into the wider community. People are spending more time in developing relationships outside the church, to connect with our city rather than only with each other.

This has been a terrifying prospect for me – for all sorts of reasons, most of which God has really dealt to this year. So I was surprised that it all was so easy. I had expected all sorts of hoops to jump through and months of relationship building etc. but she said yes and so we found ourselves in church this evening.

From East Germany to a rampant pentecostal church in Sydney Australia is a BIG leap. One which Bet made with great aplomb and forebearance!!!

Now, the fairy tale ending would be that at the time when the invitation was made to make a formal decision for God Bet would have been down the front praying the sinner’s prayer.

She wasn’t.

But she was buzzing with questions, too fast for me to answer… I introduced her to a German friend of mine and was stoked to be invited to a German ‘connect’ group that meets weekly… and she said at the end of the evening, “that wasn’t the last time I have been her” (English needs some work!).

I know that she is on a collision course with God.

I can’t wait to be there when it happens.

I know her flatmates are next to come, having only canceled from tonight’s service due to illness…

I feel a ball rolling …

Bring it ON!!!

Saturday mornings usually means coffee at Ground Zero with Bliss but she is asleep… still. She has just got off night shifts for the week so has been keeping very unusual hours. This has it’s problems for me …

1. No Bliss to play with
2. Am sitting on floor of VERY dusty room wanting to vacuum and can’t for fear of waking her…
3. Can’t crank up the stereo – dying to listen to some fabulous Miles, (VERY Saturday afternoon … ) but being good flatmate so leaving the stereo off for now.

Did I tell you Bliss is deserting me? She is moving back to her hometown in “that state up north” and leaving me to the mercy of flatmate arrangers anonymous… My other friends give me all sorts of tips and recommendations for potential flatties but all are about as scary as finding love in the lap of the G.O.D.S, if not more so.

Am relieved to have until Sept 20th to sort the wheat from the chaff and find someone … bit worried though, there aren’t too many people that can appreciate, or just plain ignore my foibles. Am toying with the idea of having a boy move in, from past experience they are less maintenance …

Then there is the added bonus that he might have friends that come over …