Australia 2024 Recap
What did the most unique summer of our family’s life look like? It looked like winter, at least for 5+ weeks, as we were on the other side of the world serving churches across Australia! One of our key hosts, Soma Australia, asked me to share a recap of the trip. I’m honored to share it here too.
I have been so privileged to be in Sydney, Adelaide, and Perth/Melbourne in 2017, 2022, and 2023 with various Soma Australia churches. Jess was with me in 2022, where we met many leaders at the Soma Retreat. The invitation you extended to us for 2024 was to spend longer times in those cities where we’ve done short events in previous years. The hope was for deeper relationships, stronger connections, more space for conversation and follow-up, as well as more opportunities for training.
By God’s grace, it seemed like that happened. Among other things that occurred during our 38 days with you…
We were grateful for the opportunity to join Sunday gatherings, and to spend time with leaders and members, of Soma Blue Mountains, Chatswood Church of Christ (Sydney), Gathered Church (Adelaide), Local Church and Common Church (Perth), Inner West (Melbourne) and Regeneration Monash.
Jess got time with ladies at Soma Blue Mountains and Gathered Church to discuss gospel identity. In the Blue Mountains, at Barnys (Adelaide), and in Perth, Jess & I got to lead varied trainings around marriage, kids, and families on mission. And in each city I got to spend time with people from multiple churches considering everyday gospel (gospel fluency) and/or everyday discipleship. Plus I got to talk about missional communities with leaders from Kings Baptist (Adelaide), St. Oswald’s (Sydney), and with the Anglican Diocese of Melbourne. And of course, our whole family was so grateful to be involved in Melbourne’s first-ever Soma School! All of these rich conversations around the gospel and our identity in Christ (and its impact on / overflow into our lives, households, communities, churches, and mission) were blessings to be a part of.
As our family reflected, one of the things we were most grateful for was the number of unexpected convos we got to have: whether they occurred in a kitchen, lounge room, pub, or coffee shop; or while playing mini golf in Barossa or exploring Katoomba or Margaret River; or over a Q&A session or meal after a church gathering; or in a car going from one training to the next, …your passion around pursuing God, his church, and his mission was palpable. Your hunger for living deep, authentic lives in Christ was a blessing to see, and a renewed challenge to me personally. And your willingness to be vulnerable about hard things, to let us celebrate with you in your joys, and to ask us for advice and prayers, were moments we don’t take for granted, and which we won’t soon forget.
We are immensely grateful for your hospitality – you engaged our kids so well (and it was a grace to see their worldview grow, as well as their appreciation for culture in general and specifically the body of Christ); you fed us oh so well (we all came home fat and happy ha!); and whether finding housing for our family of five or putting us up, we are especially grateful to the Mileses, Deddens, Emerys & Gathered Church, Woodds, Van Wollingens (and Jaye’s parents), Tans, and McIntoshes – as well as to others who pitched in to make the travel/lodging realities of this trip happen.
There is plenty more to share; it’s nearly impossible to even scratch the surface of our time with you in a brief recap. (And there are plenty of ways the time with you shaped us as well – here’s more of a ‘personal reflection’ I wrote for friends in North America if you’re interested).
But bottom line, please know: we are so grateful for the extended time to truly dwell in your cities, church communities, and lives. We are so encouraged by the work of the Lord in and through Soma Australia and its friends. And we are so blessed by your friendship, which God continues to grow even from far away. And we love you and pray for you often, as God continues to bless and strengthen you, and as He builds His kingdom across Australia. From the bottom of our hearts, Soma, thank you for letting us be with you this winter!