Exchange

In 2011, Leslie and I applied for a Ministerial Exchange program. I heard about it from several of my dad's colleagues who did exchanges in England, Ireland, or Scotland. We did not get selected for those countries in 2012. However, we did get a phone call in October of 2012 saying that we had been selected to exchange with a minister in Australia.

Hold up. Australia? Where in Australia? Isn't it 85% arid desert? Tell me more please.

Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way. Once you are selected, they will tell you the country, but no other details to avoid people being picky and choosy about where they go.

So are you in, yes or no?

Yes!

Fast forward a year and we are less than a month away from leaving Atlanta, GA for 3 months and going to Gerringong, New South Wales, Australia. I will be serving Gerringong United Church, a community church of around 300 people.

(Gerringong Uniting Church)

We fly out on September 4th and arrive on September 6th. We do not exist for a day. Who said time travel wasn't possible?

Peter Chapman is the exchange minister and we have had several chances to Skype over the past year or so. Peter and his wife Carlie have four children. We feel very comfortable with them, like we've known them all our lives.

And that's a good thing, considering that we will be exchanging everything but the clothes off our backs. They will be driving our cars and we will be driving theirs. They will be living in our house and we in theirs. They will be looking at the pictures of friends and family that we have in our house and we will be looking at theirs.

It will be culture shock for both of us as we go to a town of 4000 people and they come to a church of 7000+ members.

(Peachtree Road United Methodist Church)

But we both celebrate the fact that we serve God's church in our various locations. We celebrate the fact that we have been chosen. We celebrate the fact that we have the opportunity to share this experience with our wonderful congregations as it makes us better pastors and better people.

You can follow Peter and his family here at their blog: http://gerringongtoatlanta.wordpress.com/.

We look forward to sharing our experience with friends and family and if you want to come visit us, we are two hours south of Sydney.