map my run

Still up in Queensland this week... hope the clear skies and warm weather will motivate me to do some more runs like this:

ummm... god bless the peacemakers?

It's strange that my first preaching assignment for 2010 would fall on ANZAC Day.

ANZAC Day (ANZAC = Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) is held every April 25 to mark the landing at Gallipoli in WWI; first major military action for Australian and New Zealand forces. It has become a day to commemorate all those who have fought in various military campaigns. April 25 is a day devoted to the secular and sacred; Christian hymns and the national anthem; politicians' speeches and military uniforms; the call of the bugle and the silent response; prayers, beers, football and two-up at the pub.

So why did it feel strange to see an Australian flag, a Cross draped in army-green fabric and a display of military paraphernalia at the front of the Church yesterday? I'm ok with a day to commemorate those who have served their country. But I can't agree that the sacrifice of a soldier is like the sacrifice of Jesus. (Would the Australian Defence Force claim to be raising up an army of little Aussie Jesus-es?! I don't think so!) Also, I don't believe that ANZAC Day is primarily a faith event.

Jesus lived as a person of peace, not as a Commander of War. He rebuked his disciples for resorting to violence (even when their cause seemed 'just') saying, 'Those who use the sword will be killed by the sword'. His radical Sermon on the Mount pronounced blessings for the gentle, the lowly, the merciful, those who work for peace and for those who mourn. It concludes with the commandment to love our enemies and pray for them. Alan Matheson, writing about ANZAC day 2008, said that a faith even is about confession of the creation "four million Iraqi refugees and an untold number of soldiers disturbed and disabled. It's about the condemnation of evil whether that of the suicide bomb or the cluster bomb; it's about a rededication to peace, and not to out of control budgets for maiming and killing."

I guess that's why I found it hard to preach with an army-green cross behind me.

'homesick' for Cambodia

B2 sent this email today:

So Christianity stuck after Christ left .........seems by evidence of this photo soccer has done so in Poipet after Pip left.

Trevor & Maureen

Last weekend my mum got married! (Photos to come, I promise! I'm waiting on friends who had cameras to email me some of the stunning bride & the awestruck groom.) Meantime, here's the essence of the speech I gave at the reception:

[Introductory remarks in response to the Best Man's speech that included kind yet slightly strange & obviously exaggerated exultations on the beauty of the bridesmaids... followed by a short, sincere, thanks to Trevor & Maureen for the honour of being a part of their special day.]

In early August I received an email from the bride, my mum, giving a summary of her recent news. She mentioned a Sunday afternoon walk with Trevor and Sonya*. Interesting... I remembered hearing of another walk with a bloke named Trevor just a week or two before. So I sent off a quick email saying, "I'm curious, sounds like a date?!"

...and waited for the reply.

Mum responded with a prompt defence. I quote, "I can to choose to go for a walk with anyone I want to- male or female- and this does not make it a date. Unless you define date more broadly [er.. like an appointment mum?!] ...as in the way that children might have a play date."

A play date?! Well, at that point I was even more sure that something was going on.

Back in Australia, the play dates with Trevor continued, with a beach walk in Gerringong a couple of months later ending in a proposal of marriage and a kiss!

In January, Trevor, Sonya and mum came to visit Cambodia. My first thought was that Trevor is just as handsome as my dad was ; ) But, more importantly, Trevor is a generous, kind, compassionate and genuine person. So, mum, I think you've made a fabulous choice!

When I googled "how to make a bridesmaids speech" on Thursday night (which was, by the way, just a few hours after I found out I was expected to make a bridesmaid's speech..) several websites suggested I conclude with wishes for the bride and groom. For example, "success, happiness, many babies..." Hmmm... Sonya and I would like to wish the bride and groom success, happiness, a growing love, lots of laughter... and many more play dates.


*Sonya is Trevor's daughter & my new step-sister : )

the ultra

So... what have I been doing in Australia? Well, with the help of my fabulous support crew (Naomi) I ran my first ultra marathon! 55 long kilometres from Frankston to Portsea in Victoria. The day before the race we enjoyed blue skies and sunshine.... but the weather turned ugly in the early hours of the morning on race day. Heavy rain. Strong winds. Cold. I was scared!

It was raining at 5:30am when I woke up to eat breakfast in the dark under the warm bed covers (McDonalds blueberry muffin & half a cup of coffee- fyi). It was still raining when I dragged the blankets off and got changed into my running clothes at 6am. The rain continued as I told Naomi, "I can't do this! It's too cold. I'm from Cambodia...I don't train in freezing rain and headwinds!". But by 7am the rain had stopped. Race time. The above pic is me taking it easy in the first hour...

At about the 25k mark we ran through a hail storm! I'm not kidding you! Sleeveless top, running shorts and ice? Brutal. As I ran I couldn't help but cry out aloud, "ouch, ouch, ouch!" as the hail stones smashed my shoulders, arms, legs, face... Seriously?! As if running 55k isn't hard enough in itself! I had a few lonely moments when it felt I was running the Nepean Hwy solo... but there was almost always someone within sight and Naomi met me every half hour or so to top up my Gatorade bottle.

Happy to be back at the car putting on some warm clothes! I was stoked to find out that I was 38 out of 58 finishers and 7th out of 14 female runners. (Don't need to finish first to have a smile like this!)

2097

The weirdest thing about being back in Australia is that the suburb I grew up in no longer exists. I'm sitting in the same house on the same street but sometime in the last five years, the suburb Collaroy Plateau merged with Collaroy. The Manly Daily has been running stories about this suburb snub and there is a local movement to save the burb. Im all for it! Bring back Collaroy Plateau!