I Finally Tried Vegemite

After 5 months of being in Australia, I finally tried a staple of Australian breakfast cuisine- Vegemite. It was actually not as bad as I thought! It was on toasted bread spread along with butter. It's not like a jam or peanut butter where you slather it to all corners, but a thin layer of it gives a nice taste- salty, but not as yucky as I thought.

Service has been going well, very busy and very tiring, but always fulfilling. Most of the people in the office are going to be going on holiday breaks, which means I wont have work to do, so I will be guiding at the Temple for a couple weeks; it'll be good to directly teach the Faith again and brush off my teaching skills- actually meet people! :) I really want to go into the city for New Years Eve to see the fireworks off the Harbour Bridge and around the Opera House- since I'm here and I'm so close and it's one of the best fireworks shows in the world, why not attend?! It's also the first part of the world to celebrate the new year :) It's going to be so exciting...and so packed, but so epic at the same time! I'm stoked.

Challenges here have been in abundance for me- things about my family and with friendships and where I'm going in life and revelations from those topics have been hard to juggle with. All these tests come at the same time and I get overwhelmed! What's been happening these past couple weeks is that I'm so exhausted after work and the day, but so many thoughts are going through my head that I stay up writing until 1am to get some kind of clarity and just to clean my brain....and then I'm even more exhausted haha. What I pinpointed early on is that I have to faith that I will be ok, that my situations will be taken care of, I will be given guidance, and I will become stronger because of these new findings and tests. We, as Baha'is, believe that tests and difficulties arise in our lives because it is conducive to our spiritual a(nd other dimensions') growth, and that we wont be tested beyond our capacity, so all tests we are able to overcome and grow from- “I know of a certainty, by virtue of my love fro Thee, that Thou wilt never cause tribulations to befall any soul unless Thou desirest to exalt his station in Thy celestial Paradise...” (Test and Difficulties prayer). I've seen faith and trust work here, andI need to be patient, and I do believe that this pain, sadness, anxiety, fear and heaviness that I feel will all work itself out and disappear.

The house is almost full- we have 7 girls now. 2 from the US, 2 from Canada, 2 from Australia and 1 from China (there's no way I'm getting that Aussie accent now...) It's so weird to think I've already been here for 5 months and that soon I'll be on a plane ride back home....it feels like I just landed, exhausted, anxious and teary eyed! I cannot believe it's almost 2010. Life seriously is passing by with a twinkling of the eye. We are having a youth conference coming up in January that I'm pretty excited about- seems like there will be a lot of talks and workshops on the role of youth and young people in relation to world topics today. I'll be running a workshop on youth year of service, so wish me luck on that!

It's been a while since I've put up pictures, so here's a little taste of what's been happening :)

Ding Ding Ding! We Have a Winner!

For what seems like forever, I have gone back and forth on deciding where to serve for the remaining months of my Year of Service. For all the drama, tears, anxiety, and stress this process has put me through, my decision was made pretty comfortably. I'm staying in Australia :)

As you know, I've been mulling through all my possibilities over and over again, and it seemed that all had a potentiality to happen. What I finally did, was rely on prayer. As I've mentioned before, reliance on prayer was never my strong suite, but being here and having tests I've never thought I would encounter, has basically forced me to go "Ok, I don't know what is going on, I really don't know where to turn but to prayer and ask for guidance." The amazing thing that happened was that I became so detached from the situation, that I truly believed "whatever happens, happens, and I'll plan from there"-- very unlike Ailene I might say.

In my last post I expressed anxiety of the possibility of not going to Samoa, and how that would be it, that all the doors would open up to me yet again. At that point is where I really prayed for detachment. A couple days later, my friend who was booking the tickets for us, told me that we got a discount and the prices were now in our budget and that we could book. I was so detached from going at that point that I wasn't excited about Samoa at all! That scared me a little bit, I have to be honest, but I realized that what I was doing all that week (while waiting to hear about the exact price I would pay) was thinking positive; I was sure that we would get the tickets, I was sure we were going to Samoa. Funny thing was, I had no basis of being that sure! A little thought would creep into my mind of "what if" and "how can you be so positive?" but I would quickly push it away and think "It's fine. We're going. I'm sure of it." Maybe I should try this positive thinking/detachment/trust thing more often :)

The tickets for Samoa were always the deciding point for me of whether I would stay or go. Samoa is happening in February, so I've extended my stay in Sydney from January till March, and I'm currently in talks to go to the Northern Territory for 2-3 months to do some more "in the field" work- neighborhood activities such as childrens classes, junior youth classes, Baha'i study courses, and devotional (prayer) gatherings.

The decision to stay was so swiftly made. It feels very comfortable- I'll be able to see some of Australia, I'll be able to contribute to the Faith in different ways, and I'll be able to go to Samoa! I'm so incredibly blessed and so thankful that I am able to support myself going to these various places. I feel like I'll have a more well rounded experience in Australia. So, who's up for sponsoring me going to the Great Barrier Reef? hahahaha- the one place I really wanted to visit, outside of the Opera House, probably won't be happening hahaha. Work is what I'll be doing when I get home!

I'm already starting to think about when I go home and how much I'm going to miss Australia and the people and the amount of spirituality that has infused my life. I can just see myself sitting in my room looking through photos and compiling a scrapbook, either laughing or crying, probably both, and just going down memory lane. I'm soaking it all in. I don't want to look back and think "I wish I did that." Only 4 months here, yet, I already miss it.

Well, there you have it. Now, don't we all feel more stable now? I know I do.

Seeing a Small Light at the End of the Tunnel

Very apologetic for my lack of updates!

Life events are getting all jumbled up and every time I think of writing I get overwhelmed with the amount of information I want to share and so....I just don't do it =)

Where to start?!

First off, Australian weather is seriously spastic and very PMSy. On Monday it was 41C which is 105F, and very humid. I have forgotten how it's like to be in humidity and how sticky and shiny one gets! Thank you for the reminder Mother Nature. But then! On Tuesday, the very next day, the temperature went down to 19C, which is 66F. Break out my full on winter clothes along with a scarf...I'm surprised I haven't gotten some weird Australian disease from this major weather mood swings!

Secondly, I've edged more towards a decision of whether to stay or go, and so here are my thoughts: I've come to the conclusion that my main test and challenge for this year of service is to really learn how to be detached, to trust in God, to know that He has my best interests in mind, to know that I have a path and I will be guided to that path, to know that I will never be truly alone because I will always have assistance and guidance from God, and to have faith that it will all turn out well. I've always had a hard time detaching- always worrying and stressing over details that I cannot control, thinking that if I worry enough, it will be ok, that I will be protected from the negative outcome because I will have already thought about it! I've always prayed but never understood prayer and the power of prayer- I find that it is hard for me to recognize when prayers are answered, and I've also had a hard time just leaving it in the hands of God, knowing that somehow it will work out. And I've had a hard time just having faith, to be detached enough to think "ok, I've prayed, I've tried to figure it out, now it's up to Him. He will guide the way."

As I've been here, prayers and been answered in more majestic ways than I can describe- My roommates and I have been thinking of visiting Samoa in February because there is another Baha'i House of Worship in Apia, and since we are relatively close we felt it would be a good opportunity. Although I really wanted to do it, financially I was worried because I have yet decided if I'm staying or going. All of a sudden, money came into my life in ways that I had never considered and it lifted a rather large worry off of me. Within a few days we found significantly cheaper tickets to Samoa than we found the previous month. That to me was a prayer answered. Those events combined were to me a sign that I should stay in Australia.

Since then (which was about 1 and a half months ago) I have become more and more comfortable with the fact of staying in Australia- I'm close to booking a ticket to Samoa, and I've written to Baha'is in the Northern Territory to see what my options are in serving there for a couple of months (the NT is at the top of Australia, tropical and where a lot of the indigenous culture is). As of now, I'm thinking of staying in Sydney at the House of Worship until March and then doing 3 months in the Northern Territory. It feels comfortable, and it feels like it will be a good balance for my year of service.

I have encountered stressors- the tickets to Samoa have turned out to be more money than expected, with taxes and all, so that has put a dent in my week, but I woke up today joyful and really confident that we will find good tickets, because for the first time that I can really remember, I have my whole trust in God, I'm trying really hard to be detached, and I have faith that it will happen. Don't get me wrong, I am preparing myself for if it doesn't happen, because in my mind, if Samoa doesn't happen, then that means my options are technically still very open, but I'm not worrying about it too much. I haven't heard back from NT, and if my whole plan doesn't work out, then I'll go from there. But until I'm 100% Samoa isn't happening, then I'm not giving up!

Today is Thanksgiving in the U.S., and I have to say I'm a little bummed I'm not there. It really is one of my favorite holidays because it's a holiday simply to get the family together, to have a meal together and talk and laugh and reminisce about the good-old-days. It's a very unifying feeling. And I know that my family isn't doing anything special, but it would've been nice to be there, soaking up all the Fall spirit~ (albeit in 80F weather =D )

This weekend is going to be jammed packed- at the wee hours of the morning on Saturday there is the Ascension of Abdu'l-Baha (the day of His passing), and so there will be prayers in the House of Worship at 1am. On Sunday the Baha'is have Unit Convention (the communities get together), which is where we vote for a delegate to go to a National Convention to vote for our National Assembly (the National Assembly looks after all affairs of the Faith

within that Nation-I'm working as an assistant in 5 departments for them in their offices). I'll be able to vote =) And then on Monday my friend might be taking my roommate and I to the Blue Mountains. It's a must see place I've heard so I hope we do get to vote. Might learn how to surf this weekend too- although, knowing my skills on a skateboard (that is no skills on a skateboard, not even just standing on it), I don't know if I'll even attempt it hahaha.

I cannot believe it's almost the end of the year. 2010 is coming so quickly! I'm full on planning to see a fireworks display over the Opera House from the Harbor Bridge. Will definitely put pictures up =D And did you know that Sydney is the first place to celebrate a new year? A privilege for being underneath all the rest of the world =)

Alrighty dear friends, I hope you've enjoyed this post, and I hope you have a lovely Thanksgiving day, hopefully spending it in the company of love of your family or dearest friends. Hugs and kisses!

At the famous Bondi Beach and visiting Hands of the Cause of God Mr and Mrs Hyde-Dunn's grave site (see "The Awe of Connecting with History" post to learn about the Hands of the Cause of God):

Thoughts Here and There

One perk of working in the Membership Office is that I see cool suburb names, here's a glimpse of some I found, hehehehe!

Kangaroo Point

Rainy Mountain Place

Peppermint Grove (yummm)

Toowoomba

Woolamaloo

Cockburn (hahaha! sorry...I find it funny)

Mooroobool

Bidyadanga

Kururrungku (anyone know how to pronounce that?)

Quackers Hills

Wattle Range

Meander Valley

Downer, NSW

Appletree Drive, Cherrybrook, NSW

Ngaanyatjarraku Community (talk about woah!)

Things here in Aussieland have been going well, work wise anyway.

Personally, however, I have come to some road bumps- I have come to realize there are issues I haven't dealt with. It's frustrating because they are issues I thought I had already dealt with, and it's just one more thing added to my pile of frustration, anxiety, and confusion. I still don't know what I want to do in regards to staying in AUS or not. It's easy to say "Anywhere I go will be ok because I'm serving the Faith", but then I don't know what would be better, what and where I can contribute more, what I want! Lord, would I give anything to know what I want for my life!!!!

If I say to myself "I'm leaving in 2 months to go somewhere else"- it seems too soon, I want to stay longer, I haven't done all that I can do, I haven' t made lifelong connections, I can really contribute here. If I say to myself "I'm staying for 11 months"- it seems too long, it seems like there is more I can do other than work in the offices.

So. I don't know what to do. My heart is leaning towards one thing but my brain is telling me something different. I'm afraid of what I want. I'm afraid of the steps I have to take if I do leave. I'm afraid that the House of Worship is loosing it's sacredness for me, and if I stay longer, will that become too big of a barrier? I want to make the most out of my year of service, yet I don't want to add more stress to my life, more anxiety. The easy thing is to stay, and even though I think I would do well here, I don't think it would be the most I can do while I'm here.

I feel lost, confused, frustrated, sad, unsure, afraid, and drained (of thinking too much about everything). It's that one step I need to take- my friends are saying "apply to the other posts and see what happens, if you get accepted then it's meant to be"- so much faith, so much detachment, it's something I have a lot of trouble with- just being ok with whatever happens and having faith that I will be taken care of.

Don't Judge Me By This List =)

What I miss: Coldstones- like, insanely. Carl's Jr fries- silly but true, however, AUS has really good chips =) In-n-Out milk shakes Cheesecake Factory's amazingly big pastas CPK pizzas Starbuck's Pumpkin Spice Latte- no Thanksgiving or Halloween OR the Fall season, so no Fall drink =( Huge cakes from Costco McDonald’s chicken nuggets and Iced Carmel Lattes….ah! (The Maccas nuggets here aren't the same for some reason, hm) Dinner out with Pasadena buddies like, everyday of the week =) Walking around Americana on an eventless Saturday night Strolling through Pasadena while eating Pinkberry, something I also miss eating Driving just for the sake of driving Playing Guitar Hero pass midnight because I’ve mastered a level Rock Band parties with my peeps! The silence of living in a residential area with no birds with weird bird calls sounding off every morning, afternoon and night. Watching movies on Surfthechannel and catching up on TV shows online when I have nothing to do (those sites are blocked on Temple property) Having a gym to go to with weights provided…need to tone up these arms! The news paper! Odd yes? I like reading the World News section and get my hands all black with ink iTunes and the free stuff I can get from them! (iTunes is blocked on property and even if it wasn’t, my account is US money…bumma). Forever21 and Ross, and Target! Where things are actually cheap! (Targets here are quite pricey actually) What I don’t miss: Being stuck in rush hour traffic at 5pm (a joy of not having a car to drive whenever) Not having anything to do way too often Getting lost driving anywhere pass Glendale even though I've been to the destination numerous times Political mania all day everyday Having to wash my car or pay for gas What I like here: Seeing the ocean in the far distance every time we drive to get groceries, actually, every time we leave the Temple property- I don’t think that can ever get old Getting left over Persian food after National Assembly meetings! Bless Simeen and Taji =) Being reliant on myself…to make food, to do laundry…wait, do I like that?! Tim Tams- the love of my life. Look it up, it's the best chocolate cookie in the world!! Max Brenners. Love it to the max! Best chocolate café like, ever. LA is missing out. Being able to go out dancing and getting in free! (that’s right, free fun, LA- catch up!) Chicken salt- it seriously makes all the difference on chips (fries), it makes it so savory. Yummmm. Cadbury chocolate. It’s the new See’s candy Meat pies!!!!! It’s simply divine I have moments where I realize I’m living in Australia, I’m on my own in another country and learning the ways of a different culture. I’m doing what I said I’ve always wanted to do. It’s a great feeling of joy and accomplishment! Wooooop!

The Awe of Connecting with History

Last week I worked a couple of days in Records and Archives. One of the tasks I was given was to go through old letters written to an early Australian Baha'i believer, Mrs. Irene Cover. The selection of letters I was going through started in the 1950's and I have to tell you, I'm getting good practice on how to read cursive writing. It's so difficult! I feel like I'm learning how to read English all over again! But it was really cool to to get little history lessons from the people who lived it.

So, just a little history before I get to the really cool part- Mrs. Irene Covers' husband was the one who gave Hand of the Cause of God Mr. Hyde-Dunne his first job in when he and his wife pioneered from the US to Australia in the year 1920. What it's meant by "Hand of the Cause of God" is that they were"individuals appointed by Bahá'u'lláh and charged with various duties, especially those of protecting and propagating His Faith." After His passing, Abdu'l-Baha was named the authorized interpreter of the Writings and to guide the believers in this new Faith, and referred to some "outstanding individuals" as Hand of the Cause. He gave that authority to His grandson Shoghi Effendi, (the Guardian, who was named the authorized interpreter of the Writings and to guide the Faith), for after His passing to appoint Hand of the Causes at his discretion. "In the period between the passing of Shoghi Effendi in 1957 and the election of the Universal House of Justice (which is now our governing body) in 1963, the Hand of the Cause directed the affairs of the Faith in their capacity as Chief Stewards of Bahá'u'lláh's embryonic World Commonwealth."

In all, 50 were chosen by Bahá'u'lláh, referred to as such by Abdu'l-Bahá, or appointed by Shoghi Effendi. The last of which passed away in 2007. It was a lifelong duty and honor to be appointed as a Hand of the Cause, and a rarity, too, it seems to me. They had such a responsibility and an ocean of knowledge; they dedicated their time and energy, because of their love of the Faith and Baha'u'llah, in promoting the Faith and protecting the Faith, a job that is invaluable, and a dedication I wish to have. I've had the honor of meeting 3 in my life time- Mr. Ali-Muhammad Varqa when I was about 10 in Israel, and the Guardian's wife Amatu'l-Bahá Rúhíyyih Khánum when I was 1 year old, and Mr. Collis Featherstone when I was about 2, both when they visited Taiwan on separate occasions.

Anyway, so the cool story that relates to all this!! I came across this letter that was written to Mrs. Cover by Hand of the Cause Mr. Abu’l-Qasim Faizi, stating that as a token of appreciation of her work in the Faith, he was enclosing in the letter a gift of thanks- it was a handkerchief with which his wife, some years ago while visiting the house of the Bab in Shiraz, Iran, used to wipe the door in which The Bab declared His mission in 1844- that He was the next Manifestation of the new prophetic cycle, and the forerunner to the Promised one who would bring a new Faith into the world. The room in which the Bab declared no longer exists- it, along with the house, was torn down by the people at the instigation of the clergy.

The fact that I could read the letter (dated early 1950's) hand written by Mr. Faizi, and virtually touch the handkerchief that dusted the room where the Bab declared His message...it was so surreal....It took me a little while to grasp the significance of what my gloved hands were holding, and when it finally kinda dawned on me, I still couldn't completely grasp the awe of it all. Even a week later, I don't think my brain has completely processed it!

And a couple of weeks ago at the regular Sunday prayer service that is held in the House of Worship, the son of the only Hand of the Cause appointed from Africa Mr. Enoch Olinga, attended. It was so cool to witness. He's in his old age and many people were greeting him, I felt like it was just fine for me to observe; it was very special to have someone so close to Baha'i history to be in my vicinity.

My soul's got all filled up with spirituality, and yesterday my spirit was filled with joy for we had a Halloween party!!! So, Australia doesn't celebrate Halloween, that much I get, but people were saying how they thought Halloween was fake since the only time they saw it was in movies! Hahaha, oh Australia, how isolated you are. The friends here used the opportunity of having 3 North American youth to experience Halloween. Now, I'm not a big Halloween person at all- did the whole dress up and trick-or-treat thing twice and got over it; attempted to be excited about Halloween in high school but just couldn't be bothered with planning an outfit and executing it. But for some reason I got really into it this year and was very excited for the occasion! The party was a blast, I had loads of fun- they had games and music and lots of food (though not enough candy!), and most everyone was dressed up which is always more fun! I'll post some pictures soon and you'll see my joyous costume =) I think Halloween parties are the way to go...who needs free candy anyway?! (My friend's probably gana kill me cuz she's been trying to get me to do Halloween things for about 9 years- you know who you are ;D )

-let me know if you want more information about the administration of the Faith!!-

I'm in a Pickle....

Well, my 3rd month is coming up tomorrow, wow, where has the time gone? I go through days of thinking “my service time is almost over, better cram everything in!” And other times I think I'm doing nothing and that I have loads of time. These peaks and valleys are hard to simmer down and make one emotion. I wanted to kinda have a feel of what I would like to do by the 3rd month, in regards to going somewhere else or staying in Sydney, but with my emotions going high and low every other week, it's hard to say where I stand on the subject.

My options are these: 1) Staying in Sydney- I'm already trained, I can get involved wholly without worrying about leaving soon, and it would probably be less stressful. 2) I'm considering Australia's Northern Territory- it would be more rural, I would get to see the outback and work with the Indigenous culture, and I would be more involved in “in the field” work, like childrens classes, junior youth empowerment classes, Ruhi book trainings. It seems it would be a good medium between Sydney and my other option, 3) Cambodia. It's a country that is thriving and the Faith is growing rapidly. The work I would be doing would be in the field, really seeing the fruits of the classes we're giving.

My fears: 1) Money. It's always a concern for me, and to spend more money now, especially with some family stuff going on, probably wouldn't be smart. 2) Stress. Do I really want to plan a trip, figure out my money, accommodation, day-to-day activities? Do I want to start at square 1 yet again? 3) How can I best utilize my time away from home and to have an enriching Year of Service experience? And do I want to know the answer to this question?

My solutions:...well, not many...that I've thought of anyway. I'm going to pray. I'm going to read over messages from the Universal House of Justice that outlines what the Baha'is should be doing now to best teach and promote the Faith, and see where I fit in. And I might talk to a couple supervisors here at the Temple. I also need details. I can't make a decision without details. I need to know what I would be doing if I go to NT, I need to know what I would be doing if I got to Cambodia, as well as where I would stay, how will I be supported (if at all)...etc.

Part of me is scared to find out these answers. Will I be ready to take on the responsibility if the answer is to go to NT or Cambodia? Will I be willing to follow through? I don't want to apply for positions and then pull out, leaving the organizers hanging, and me looking bad and not prepared. I think that has a lot to do with it....not wanting to know, because if I know, I will have to plan and I will have to follow through. Scary. Scary to have to take initiative and put trust in the fact that you will be ok in the end, even if it's not the most logical decision at the time.

I've Got the Travel Bug

Finally! I have some adequate time to catch you up on my activities here in the Southern Hemisphere!! Sitting here in the cozy warm living room with a nice hot cup of jasmine tea with rain pouring down outside, I will attempt to cram all my stories into one post :)

Wow have I had experiences these past 2 weeks....so many that I've been hesitating to write since I know that once I start I usually can't stop. Where to start? Where did I leave OFF?!

My mom and a dear friend of the family, Judi, who's really like an aunt to me, took a trip down under to visit me. During that time we took a road-trip to Australia's capital city, Canberra, for a weekend, and then went and explored New Zealand, the best way possible, for about 5 days. I originally thought my mom's visit came to soon (I am only 2 months into my service time), but it ended up being the perfect time for her to come. I needed space and needed to get out, and for various other reasons, it was on-the-dot timing.

Canberra was absolutely gorgeous. Mom and I drove down, took about 3 hours, in the reallyyyyy cute car they rented (Judi was already there). The drive was just to die for- so much greenery and so serene. Mom was freaking out most of the time, nervous that we would hit a random kangaroo that would jump out from the forest haha. Nothing happened, just in case you're wondering :) The highway use to be a lake, from what I've heard, so it was lush (but not an intense lush, like New Zealand would be) and there was a lot of farmland- it was kind of like driving from LA to Fresno, which is mostly farmland in the middle, but all dry and all ugly- this was all wet and all beautiful. When we got to the town, I said to Mom, “Well...I feel like I'm in Orange County....” Stayed with a fantastically nice family who knew Judi from when she was pioneering in South Africa in the 70's-80's. It's so great to see my mom and Judi have these friends all over the world whom they met when they were in a distant country serving the Faith. I feel like, with the Faith, you always have a connection, and you're relationship is always moving forward, where as relationships from school or clubs come and go since it's just a period of time. It's nice to see that friendships formed 30 years ago can continue and progress.

The second day in Canberra, the family took us to the Canberra Baha'i Centre where we saw wild kangaroos! There were 30 or more just hanging around, and some people were saying that they're so use to humans that they get close to the Centre and you can actually pet them. I'm not going to take their word for it. But it was really awesome to see them hopping about :) Then we were taken to the annual Floriade event, a flower/tulip festival in the city. Gorgeous. Flowers everywhere. I went picture crazy hahaha. The landscape of Canberra is very symmetrical- I was told- organized, which is probably why I liked it hahaha. The family also took us to Embassy Row, where you can see every country's embassy- it was so cool! It was like Disneyland's “It's a Small World” but in life form! All the buildings' architecture reflected that country's culture and style. So awesome to see. America's was embarrassing to the max! Took up, like, 3 blocks, smack dab in the middle of the whole lot; big, loud, and so unnecessary. Helloooo, you don't have to be the center of attraction all the time! Lordy lord. Anyway, the trip was overall very relaxing and fun. Oh! On our way home we stopped at a wildlife zoo and petted koalas and kangaroos!! It was really cool. I was pretty hesitant to go close since, they are wild and I didn't want to get eaten. When I went up to pet the koala (in the below picture), he stopped eating his Eucalyptus leaves and turned suddenly facing me and stared, I thought I did something to alarm him and therefore Ibacked up and took a picture far away, just incase he was going to swing his giant, razor sharp paw at me :)

New Zealand, which we went to 2 days after Canberra, was everything everyone was saying it was. Everyone says New Zealand is gorgeous and raves about it, and I just thought they were exaggerating so I wasn't particularly waiting to be impressed or anything. But as we left the city (after staying and exploring one day) and drove more and more into the country and farm area....Man! It's gorgeous! The greens are so lush, and the colors are so vibrant. The land goes on and on and on, never ending fields of 10 shades of green. It's like looking at the ocean and seeing the magnitude of the world and really seeing how small we humans are- same thing, but on land. I felt like I could stare at those patches of never ending fields forever, watching the herds of cows and sheep and horses go back and forth, living a life of careless leisure. The downfall of the trip, a bit, was that it poured rain every day that we were there. Each day had a couple of hours of sunshine, but mainly rain. Being a person that likes rain, and someone who hasn't had a rain storm in a while, I was quite happy with the cold weather (nice change from dry heat all day), but my travel mates...hmmm, not so much. I do think that if the sun came out more we would've seen so much more beauty. But I enjoyed the trip immensely even though blue skies were mostly absent. The family we stayed with (another one of Judi's friends, they served together in Haifa, Israel in the 80's-90's) were just absolute sweethearts. So loving and so kind and really funny! They took us around town, to an arts fair, took us to their Baha'i Feast (which was about a 25minute drive, like on the other side of town haha) where I saw how a smaller Baha'i community goes about their events, they took us to touristy spots 2 hours away....so sweet! On our last full day there they drove us to this farm area where Judi treated me to horseback riding for my birthday. It was to die for. OMG. SPACTACULAR. The scenery that we saw cannot be described adequately with words, and pictures can't translate them either. If you go to New Zealand, go horseback riding in the mountains, you'll get the true experience. I really wanted to go on a hot air balloon ride, but this was just as great!!!

Overall, my journeys around the world have been very memorable and very enjoyable. I'm so thankful for my mom for the trip here and for the trips that I got to take with her and Judi. I really do enjoy expanding my world view. I know it's not an easy leisure, so I'm very thankful!!!

While I was on vacation, I actually got to a point where I was itching to get back to work. Never thought I'd see the day where I want to go to work! I felt like “I need to be at work, I'm missing out, I have stuff to do people!” And I do enjoy working here. Some think because it's office work etc it's not enjoyable, but I like having a task that is continuous, and I like being busy. I guess it's true that when you enjoy your work you want to work. So, I believe you are now caught up on my life. Sorry it took so long for the update, but I'm sure the length of this post has made up for that! Loves.

Work is Worship

"Work done in the spirit of service is the highest form of worship."-Abdu'l-Baha

I've heard this quote many times in my life, and it never resonated with me, nor did I understand it, until now. The last couple of weeks I've really felt the essence of this quote in me. As I've written, I do a lot of different jobs, and so I'm pretty much always busy and pretty much always exhausted by the end of the day. But I'm happy. I feel like I'm on a different level. I feel like my soul is being fed food it's never had before. I'm on a spiritual high.

What the quote means to me is that, when you're working, if you have the mindset that you're working for the betterment of humanity, and that you're contributing to your work place by working together with your fellow colleagues, you are serving God. You are worshiping God and you're elevating your spiritual status by doing work.

I primarily work in the office now, and even though I have about 4 jobs in the offices, I'm in one place, I don't feel like I'm bouncing around from job to job as I previously felt (another answered prayer perhaps!). And I can distinctly remember, it was about a week ago, when I realized how spiritually uplifted and stable and joyous I felt after that weeks work! I can't pinpoint the feeling or adequately describe what I felt, but it's something that I've never felt before. Even though I was super tired from the work day and felt like I couldn't possibly have energy to go to an event that night, I felt accomplished yet humble, centered not scattered...uplifted. It was then that I truly felt like I understood the quote- by working, even though it may be filing or photocopying or mailing out the new membership cards to the whole of Australia (13,000 thank you very much! and we finished this week!!), I am serving Baha'u'llah, I am serving the Faith, I am worshiping God. How fulfilling is that?! :)

So, Australia is getting HOT! It only (only...) got up to 30C this week and I was dyyyyiiinnnngggg. It was humid, yet dry (don't know how that works) and it just felt like I couldn't get cool. This summer is going to be a test. Let's pray, shall we? :) I haven't seen a snake yet, probably means it's not hot enough for them to come roaming around my house yet, so when I do, I'll let you guys know. Hopefully pictures will be part of that post haha. My mom is visiting me for 2 weeks, along with a close family friend, and it's been nice to have a familiar face around. I haven't been homesick, which is good since I've been itching to get out of home for a while now, but mom's are always nice to have around when you're in a different environment. We're heading off to Canberra today (the capital city) for the weekend, Mom's going to be driving...let us pray for that too! Hopefully we'll see some nice sights and sounds of the capital- they have a tulip festival going on that's suppose to be gorgeous, so I hope we get to do that!! Then next week we'll be going to New Zealand for a couple of days. Here's to hoping that I get to go on a hot air balloon ride!!!! Woop!! =D

"It is enjoined upon every one of you to engage in some form of occupation...We have graciously exalted your engagement in such work to the rank of worship unto God, the True One... Waste not your time in idleness and sloth. Occupy yourselves with that which profiteth yourselves and others...The most despised of men in the sight of God are those who sit idly and beg... When anyone occupieth himself in a craft or trade, such occupation itself is regarded in the estimation of God as an act of worship; and this is naught but a token of His infinite and all-pervasive bounty."- Baha'u'llah

"Work, especially when performed in the spirit of service, is according to Bahá'u'lláh, a form of worship. It has not only a utilitarian purpose, but has a value in itself, because it draws us nearer to God, and enables to better grasp His purpose for us in this world."- Shoghi Effendi (Abdu'l-Baha's grandson, who appointed him the Guardian of the Faith, and authorized interpretor of the Writings, after His passing)

Start of Year 22nd!

I've been in Australia for 2 months now and it's been fabulous. There have been ups and downs, as any situation has, but right now, I feel like I'm in a really good place, very centered and focused. I've been busy and tired, so it's been a little hard to keep up with the writing, but I want to do it, so I'm going to try harder!

Here are some photos from my 22nd birthday!!! Will have a new post of my recent adventures very soon :) Love to all!!!!

I woke up to these 5 signs facing my room!

...from my fun-loving roommate Emmy :)

The pashmina is from my other roommate Betty, the chocolates and the coupon book from Jess, and the jewlery and Baha'i Prayer Book from Philipp, who left for Germany just days before. Apparently Julian is sending me a German cow by post :) So thoughtful and I love every single one of them.

Jess!

At the 19 Day Feast, the community sang to me and I got to blow out candles. So sweet and thoughtful. I was really touched :)

Azah and Vafa took me out for delicious Thai food after Feast. Was so full but soooo happy!

The next day, the office staff (some pictured) sang me "Happy Birthday" and gave me a little cake (I was off on my birthday so it happened the next day while I was working in Membership) I was very pleasantly surprised!!

It was such a yummy cake!!!! Love it.

Can you taste the awesomeness?!

Reflections

It's my last night of being 21, and I've got to say, I'm a little sad!!! Year 21 was not the best and I'm determined to make 22 better. Even though age is only a number, I can't help but feel like my years are flying by!!! There is so much I want to do, and I already feel like there isn't much time. I think my birthday has just crept up on me, I'm not prepared at all. Someone asked me how old I am today and I answered “21”, and then it kinda hit me, it set in, that that was the last time I was going to be able to say that.....oh lord!

While I've been serving, I've started to realize that my prayers have been answered one by one, and it's amazing that I've been able to recognize that! One thing that has always baffled me about prayer is that I can't seem to recognize or figure out when a prayer has been answered, or when an opportunity has come up because of a prayer, even though I've always believed that prayer has power. So it's very exciting that I've recognized that certain things have come up because of me asking/praying. Some examples are as follows:

1. I was really nervous about the fact that I have to learn to cook for myself, so I half heartedly joked, but was a bit serious, when I hoped for roommates that love to cook. My first couple of weeks were gold. I had 4 roommates (out of 6) that cooked all the time. Now they're all gone and I do have to learn to cook a bit, but it took away so much stress during a stressful first couple of weeks to have roommates that wanted to cook :)

2. Socializing was a big concern for me before I came; I was really nervous about having to make a good first impression and really making some life-long friends. In any situation, I think you need a good support group and a couple of really close friends are always nice to have around because they are going to be the people you go to when you have a problem. I've met some wonderful people here, and the bond that we have is indescribable. My roommates Betty and Emmy are so easy to get along with, and one of the community youth, Jess, and I get along really well. I'm so incredibly happy and relieved to have friends that I feel I can talk to and hang with and be silly with. I didn't want my own insecurities to become a barrier for me to make friends, and I'm still working on that, but I think so far I've done a pretty good job...thank you Baha'u'llah!!!

3. One of my goals for my year of service period is to become deepened and well-read in the Baha'i Writings. Reading has never been something I really enjoy, but I desperately want to know the Faith inside and out- I want to teach it with eloquence and accuracy and humility, I want to be detached from my own insecurities and my own fear of not knowing my own faith when I teach. Answer to my prayer? I was sent to work in the bookstore. I didn't figure this one out until a couple of days ago, when all of a sudden it dawned on me that I have a vast selection of Baha'i Writings, reference books, history books, biographies, social science topics and so much more at my finger tips every Saturday! Usually weekends are slow too, so it's a perfect time killer for me to read up and to really knowledge myself in these books. When I was first put in the bookstore I felt a little “ugh, it's kinda slow and I have nothing to do”, but when this revelation revealed itself, it was like “woah! It's an answer to a prayer and I only figure it out now?” :)

4. Another goal of mine for this year is to really focus on knowing myself. I've felt disconnected from myself for a really long time. It's a hard thing to explain, but it's very troubling to be in, because you are you, yet, you don't know you. So when a 6-week workshop came up about “learning your color dynamic”, I thought it sounded interesting and joined. Little did I know that it was a workshop about learning how you process information and solve problems, and how you receive and work with the data the world is giving you. Exactly what I need and want. To choose your color dynamic, you have to know yourself, and belive me, I had a really hard time with choosing a color, but I realized right away that this is what I was asking for- an opportunity to learn about myself, my strengths, my weaknesses, what I like, what I don like, what I want in relationships, what I want in life- all of which are covered in this workshop! Very briefly, there are 3 aspects to how one processes information- emotional, mental, and physical. The different combinations (mental-emotional, physical-emotional...etc) are the different color groups, and each group is missing one aspect, and the workshop is to get you to understand how you process life and how you can get that other aspect in balance with the other two, so that in the end, you are a balanced (emotional-mental-physical) person. It's so incredibly interesting, and the other perk to it is that it is facilitated by the Secretary of the NSA (the governing body of Australia). These opportunities don't happen anywhere for anyone.

I feel so insanely happy to have recognized that my prayers have been heard and that there are opportunities being presented to me to help me better myself and to work on the fields of Ailene I want to work on. I really feeling like I'm serving, and I'm in a dream state, feeling like I can do anything. Thank you to all who are reading, I don't know who all of you are, but I'm so happy people are “listening” and learning (hopefully) from my posts. I am praying for you all and I hope your prayers are answered too.

...3, 2, 1, midnight! September 7th...happy birthday to me :)