God's Glory is all around.

As I lay awake in the early hours of Friday morning still unable to remain sleeping after the initial hour I am capable of obtaining, most of you are well into your Thursday routines. Instead of counting sheep I have carefully numbered all three calendars in my possession from 29 down to the day I plan to leave. I could make a paper chain with 29 links. But I picture myself dramatically ripping off one link a day and being unsatisfied with the short moment of gratification that act would bring. So instead, I will write another blog.

Since arriving here in September I have been blessed with getting to know Lee Duncan, his wife Deborah and their three boys. Harrison (8), Jordan (6), and William (5). The boys all refer to me as Miss Toni and William says in the most genuine voice almost every time I enter their home, while grabbing my hand, “ wow Miss Toni, you are Beautiful today.”

My very first adventure was only a week after I had arrived. It just so happened to be my birthday. I went to a waterfall with their entire family. It was about a 40 minute motorcycle ride and then about a 30 minute walk through some jungle area. We had a few children from the burungy leading us. There were three caves you could swim into all in that same pool. Many first time experiences for me:
1. seeing a waterfall
2. jumping off of a waterfall
3. swimming into a cave underneath a waterfall
4. having a 6 year old talk me into climbing up high again and again to jump into the gleaming blue pool below.



Deb, Lee, and Jordan just leaped from the top:


I had begun to look forward to the adventures with Lee. Even when we would go visit the elementary schools around the island I knew we would accidentally find some side road that probably had something interesting for us to examine at the end, or at least along the way. I had come to appreciate the incredible beauty this place held.




Even before I was a Christian I remember the amazement I had with the beauty of nature. Most of my interest came in following Chanda around. We would always find some kind of plant and try to taste it to see if it was edible. Especially after moving onto the farm, I was introduced to God’s beauty in a way that the town didn’t offer.

Of course, the beauty of what God created on this side of the world looks much different than that on the farm. But I have come to appreciate it just as much. Many of the places Lee has taken me to he discovered with Scott, or was introduced to the place by Scott. So, thank you Scott. I never had an urgent feeling to visit Australia, but Scott has some great places to visit in his home country as well. I have heard from his friends that the farm his parents own is a beautiful sight and worth the trip alone.

Several years ago I had eaten at a Chinese restaurant with my new laptop (at that time.) The fortune inside my cookie said, “Take the chance while you still have the choice.” It has been taped on my laptop ever since. I bring it up only because this was a motto that Scott lived by. Even though he was only 30 years old, he had a lot of adventure and did a lot of great things. His best friend told me that Scott would always say, “if you want to be somewhere, Go There. If you want to do something, Do It.” These are not new ideas to any of us. But a good reminder to those of you who may be sitting there paying off your mortgage, planning to retire and wondering why it is you never did… Go There, Do It.