Sunday was a big day.

Hello! Sorry... it's a long one today!

Today was a good day. I woke up early and got ready to go out to try a church! It took me a while, but I finally figured out what buses to take to Garden City. What made it difficult is the fact that not as many buses run on Sundays and they don't really run before 9am. So I figured it out and ended up taking 3 buses to church. But first...

I walked out of my flat and up to the main road of the campus and I heard music. As I neared the bus circuit the music got louder. I could hear Britney Spears' "Toxic" blaring from the bus circuit and there was this big blow up thing.

I had forgotten that it was Open Day on the Griffith Campus. I don't really know what Open Day fully entails, but I assume that it has something to do with students that are either brand new to the University or students that are looking into going to the University. I just found their marketing strategy somewhat funny. But hey... I got a free bag out of it. :)

So I waited for my bus listening to Britney Spears and Christina Aguilara and met a new friend: Tania, who was waiting for the bus as well. She is a second-semester Freshman going to Griffith for Psychology. She's from northern Australia. We got to talking and she was explaining how she doesn't really get out to explore because she's too afraid. I told her if she ever needs an adventure buddy to give me a ring and we exchanged phone numbers.

Our bus finally came and she let me know what stop I was supposed to get off at and we both went our separate ways. So I took the 135 to the Griffith Busway, jumped off, ran across the walk and jumped onto the 111 to Upper Mount Gravatt (Garden City).

When I got onto the bus I realized that didn't have my bible with me! I remembered having it at the school circuit, but failed to have it with me on the second bus! I called my new friend Tania to see if I had it on the previous bus and she let me know that it wasn't there. As frustrated as I was, I thought that if someone found it and took it then they must need it, right? And I can always get another one.


...waiting for the bus at Garden City...

When the 111 got to Garden City I jumped on the 175 to Rover (same bus I took yesterday) and walked up to Garden City Christian Church.


It's a big church. Empty when I first walked in, but was packed by the time the first worship song ended. The opening song was Chris Tomlin's "Your Grace Is Enough" so right away I felt at home. It was followed by "Blessed Be Your Name" which went into an interlude of "Hallelujah, Our God Reigns" (new one for me) and wrapped up with "How Great Is Our God". Good worship set. It was a little drawn out at the end of every song with personal singing and such, but it's something that I'll get used to. The Senior Pastor Bruce Hills, unfortunately, did not speak today. Instead it was guest pastor: Ong Sek Leang.

He was good. Had a lot of "can I get a big Amen" or "give me a Hallelujah". His sermon was on the "Breaker's Annointing". It was based on Micah 2:12-13 and how God goes before the church to make them not just grow but ADVANCE. He spoke of how we should not tolerate any obstacle and to make such a noise that people will notice. He was basing it on the church, but I took a lot of what he spoke of personally as how I broke out of the restraint that I was in at home (not that I find my family restraining - but that I was getting too comfortable). The four points that he spoke of were 1) Breaking out of your own mindset, 2) Breaking out of natural geographical restrain, 3) Breaking out of the restraint placed upon by the enemy, 4) Breaking out into increase (in spite of the little that you have, God can do anything). It spoke to me. God's speaking to me a lot lately. And I'm really excited to see what He's got in store for me.

After the service I got to go to the Vistor's Lounge where I was met by Nancy and Maija who told me about the youth and young adults programs that they have going on at the church. They have a Friday night young adults gathering that I'm excited about.

Overall, I was very happy with the church. I'm looking forward to hearing Pastor Bruce Hills next week. He spoke a little bit this week, and he reminded me a bit of Doyle (my home pastor) - except with an Australian accent.

So that was my big adventure today.

Tonight my stomach kind of hurts. Don't know why... I haven't been eating too much weird stuff. I thought maybe it was because my flatmate, Tomo from Japan, was sick and that I might be getting what he has. He told me that he just had a cold and nothing to do with his stomach. He then began to tell me that it was probably all of the preservatives that I was eating - to which I kind of cut him off and said that I've been eating what I'm eating since I was little and the reasoning behind my foul stomach was not because of the preservatives that I was consuming. But now I'm thinking that they must think I eat such junk!!! And here I am thinking that I'm eating really well!!! Cereal for breakfast, sandwich and fruit for lunch, granola bars, spaghetti and soup and carrots? I mean, that sounds okay to me! I like my food.

Oh well... I just hope my stomach feels better tomorrow.
Big week of orientations and study seminars. YAY!
Stay tuned.

...from the Logan Rd. bus stop...


OH!!!! And I found my bible. When I got back to campus I went to the Security station and they actually had it on their counter! Someone must've felt guilty about stealing a bible. :) Although I would've been okay if a non-Christian found it and therein found the Lord, I am glad to have it back.