Tuesday, December 08, 2009

A different atmosphere


Walking in the humid heat with the whizz of motorcycles past IMU brings back waves of nostalgia.
I can't believe it has been six years since I started in medical school; getting a huge culture shock with orientation, staying in an isolated place called Vista Komanwel. It's almost ironic that I am now back in Vista again but oh how I have come to love this place.

Having no car means we take public transport everywhere. Taking the bus means sharing the journey with people of all ages and races; the elderly back from their shopping in the wet market, the young school children, the labourers from different countries. All enduring the long waits for the unreliable bus schedules. Doing what they do brings me back to touch with my less well off fellow countrymen. It stirs back the long dried up passion for the disenfranchised. Reminds me of my relative wealth where my one airticket can feed a family of six for a month.

Back home, flipping through my church magazine sends a slight jolt to the system. DUMC is celebrating it's 30th! It certainly doesn't feel like 5 years since the big celebration for its 25th anniversary. And we weren't even in the new building then, and I must confess the dream centre still doesn't quite feel the same as the old converted cinema. But what warms me is the work that's been going on. Somehow in the country without Centrelink and welfare, every little effort counts for so much more. That the church is not just a suburban gathering of routine religiosity but where there's free tuition for the local children, where there is a center for the disabled, where church members go to the refugee camps. I am sure there are similar events in Sydney plus the fact I am totally biased but I feel so much more alive spiritually here.

Even the mood to blog has returned haha because maybe I notice more at home.
It almost begets the question "what am I doing working in Sydney" then...
I honestly don't know. Most times it feels like I am just going with the flow of the logical next step. Maybe I have regressed so much in my walk too that I am no longer sensitive to His voice...

But for now, I am home.

1 comment:

Siau Ying said...

Hi Sarah :)
I stumbled upon ur blog again after such a long time. it turned out to be so timely. hard to explain how exactly i'm feeling right now but one thing is that, i could identify with most of what u said in this post, just right on. that heart for our home Malaysia.
There's the trumpet call, i hear it louder and clearer as days go by. God's calling some of His children,stirring in their hearts a love for this land. I see hope.
Thanks for showing/reminding me that im not alone in this :)