You know you're in the Top End when...

You drive with both your Air Conditioning AND your windscreen wipers going full ball (in the Wet at least).

You've realised for the first time that lightning can actually be beautiful.  And a daily event.

The population of your "city" is a six figure number.

You can't remember the last time you wore pants.  Or shoes.

You have two AFL games a season that you can go to, but they're virtually VFL quality because it's always between the worst teams in the competition.

Gazza.  They just needed to kick it to him more.

It goes Darwin, Palmerston (15 kms out) then Katherine (311 kms out).

Faraway Downs from "Australia" doesn't feel too far away.

You watch guys play basketball for several hours without even taking a drink, having already consumed 3 litres yourself.

23 degrees = cold.

32 degrees = average.

Nothing like a refreshing walk through the streams of Buley Rockhole.

You live across the road from the beach but never swim in it (which is why you head inland to the rivers).

Somehow, a croc manages to make it into the paper EVERYday.


You pick up coconuts just randomly off the ground and husk and eat.

I'm Filipino.  Of course I know how to husk a coconut.  That's totally not true.  I couldn't have done it without my father-in-law's knowledge and skills.  Speaking of which...  It was fantastic to have them come and visit!

And the winner is...

For the second time in my life, I’ve walked out on a teaching degree.

No that’s not true.  But boy have I come close to doing it several times over the last few weeks!

Long story short, I only did the course to teach out bush which is looking like it won't happen anymore.  And I definitely don't want to be a Primary School teacher so why continue?

But I persevere.  Mostly because my wife wants me to.  Just kidding.  (*whispers* I’m not kidding!!)

Anyway, regardless of whether I end up finishing this Grad Dip completely or not (I'll at least get to halfway and reassess from there), here's how the year is panning out and what could've been, as well as what still could be...

So we get a message from our Pastor from Tokyo to see if we'd be interested in helping out a church they're planting in New Delhi.  In August.  As well as looking towards doing some church planting in the Philippines beyond that.  We were definitely interested and thought and prayed about it for most of the week.
In the end, we felt that the timing was not quite right and that, although no longer heading into outback NT, felt called to remain in Darwin.  We feel God's call here for now and that from here we can think further and work out questions about the future.  Not to mention we're really enjoying going along to Darwin Baptist Church and think that it's the place we want to settle and sow into at this time.

But beyond that, it's all about the Philippines.  Last time I wrote I talked about the passion we had for the place, and it's only intensified since touching down on Australian soil.  Before the trip it was an intangible possibility for us (to spend a year or something there...  maybe) but that has now been brought forward.  I don't know if it'll be long term or just a season, but all the signs are pointing in that direction now and we'll see what God opens up.  Darwin isn't the long-term option really...  just the jumping off point.  :)

So there you have it.  The trip's on hold (for who knows how long), we'll see out 2012 in Darwin and we should hopefully be back in Melbourne for Christmas.  Whether we'll stay...  at this stage not sure.

Next blog will be light-hearted I promise.  ;)

Much love,

J.

P.S.  Here's a tour of our new place: