Sept 15, 2006 Tommorow is the last day of my six week placement here in South Australia and now I'm off to Tasmania for about a month. It will be a big change for me heading in to the International Conference with three hundred people and their families and I will likely be missing the quiet atmosphere back in Tanunda.
My placement here has been a great time of fun and learning and growing and the highlight has to be last weekend when four of us went camping in the outback. We loaded up our "swags" (which apparently is a sleeping bag with a waterproof cover) and most importantly the Dirt Bikes !!! Although I've been in Australia for eight months I hadn't experienced the outdoors like this before as we had lamb chops and pulled up "Mallee roots" to burn in the fire. Most Australian wood is impossible to chop and these roots are like concrete. As you can see in the photo we found a few groups of kangaroos and I've figured out that they can run about the same speed as a dirt bike going flat out, but I haven't quite mastered their maneuverability, well I can go straight, it's a start :) We saw some Emu's as well, and the whole experience felt a bit like I was in the middle of some National Geographic documentary.
This past week we went out to a local primary school to put on some activities for the students as a part of their math week. I was running the Tug 'o War today and at the end of the day my boss asked me "So how did you tie in math with Tug 'o War", all I could think to say was "Uh... I didn't?" Managing twenty elementary kids hanging on to a rope seemed to be enough of a challenge without adding in some times tables :)
Also this week we went out for my farewell lunch and they gave me a big card full of nice notes. It is hard to say goodbye to the friends that I've made and with a fairly small team here I know that they will continue to manage a heavy work load. Wherever I end up it will be great to be able to contact them for ideas and resources and to find out how the work is moving along. By mid October I'll know where I'll be off to next and if you could please pray for direction for that I would appreciate it.
Well I hope you enjoy the photos, I miss you all.
Bye for now, Dave.
6 comments:
Super post Dave... love to see the pictures; it looks like amazing country. Too bad that one thing has to come to an end for another to start but I suspect the conference and the course at Poatina will be very interesting in their own way. Really appreciate your taking the time and effort to post these for us -- it does help make it seem like you aren't quite so far away.
Love,
Dad
Hey Dave,
Nice Blog, wish I could go dirt biking with you. Have you got to try kangaroo meat?
Ryan
Hey lil bro,
I was showing Ry your blog - I hope the kangaroo meat comment wasn't in bad taste... :) I also love your updates - I had just checked earlier today and there was nothing and then we checked tonight and here this great update was! We were trying to find you on Google Earth - have you seen this thing? Put it in Google and download it - it's unbelievable. You can see my house with the mustang in the backyard - albeit a little fuzzily.
Anyway, love you lots and am definitely praying for you to find your direction in the next little while.
Stace
Hey Dave, It's great to 'hear' your voice through your updates. I'm glad you got the chance to go camping and check out the dirt bikes. I can imagine you flying at top speed through the middle of a Southern Australian meadow chasing after kangaroos - how crazy is that?!? Keep the updates coming, especially as you move back to Tasmania.
love smash
Hi David, Thanks for all your news and the great pictures. It looks as if things are going well and we were so happy to see you looking so healthy and to read about some of your adventures. What a cool thing! I think we should save up some money so that we can come and visit you. Maybe the next trip you go on won't be so far away. I hope you can write again soon. Please let us know how the conference is. We love you very much David and think about you all the time. Your best Mom and Dad
hey d-mack
looking forward to catching up with you tomorrow, the photos are awesome, i was getting all sentimental and nostalgic as i was reading it. Sounds like you're going well. Hi to the MacKenzie family if you're reading this, i was lucky enough to live with your fine young son/sibling for 6 months!
Tim
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