Unexpected ways to build connections

A little blonde haired boy is doing laps around a small play center in a mall near a Kmart. (Yeah, they still exist in Australia). He starts to play with a boy about his age. They chase each other and climb through the play center’s obstacles to head for the slide. Each in turn, they inch down a slide that is inexplicably slow. And then they race back up to do it again. And at least for now, it doesn’t matter at all that they can’t speak the same language. After a while, the boys’ mothers connect and begin talking. Before they leave the moms exchange contact information for hopefully a play date for the newly formed friends zooming around mall.

Three and a half months into living in Australia, we’re just starting to get the hang of some new things. There’s a different vocabulary with a serious affection for shortening words and tacking on an O (servo, arvo, bottle-o, flanno, rego, smoko, garbo, to name a few), there’s some exciting new food options (meat pies, TimTams, excellent coffee, and yes, Vegemite—it’s excellent on toast with butter!), and there are a lot of different people groups here. We knew that having experience living in East Asia would be a benefit in making friends here and it has, but we’ve also met Filipinos, Japanese, Indonesians, Colombians, Malaysians, Taiwanese, and Mongolians. And the main person starting the connection with most of those people: my wife Alanna. And sometimes my son Marvin.

One of the most exciting aspects of ministry here in Australia is that we’re all working on it together. Yes, the WELS missionaries, Matt and Peter (me), but also Christine (Matt’s wife) and Alanna (my wife), and even unknowingly Marvin and Jonas. We’re exploring, trying out things like English programs, play groups, parks, library events, cultural nights, and running into all sorts of people and making friends with so many people. Hopefully, some of those connections turn into coffee, dinners, and conversations. Conversations about God. And all that feels very normal.

I would venture a guess that in your community, wherever you may be, there’s probably someone new, learning a new culture, maybe learning a new language, figuring out how to do basic things, and could use some help. And I bet that person would appreciate a friend. We’ve certainly appreciated all the help we’ve gotten from friends so far.

There’s something really fascinating in Psalm 86. It’s a psalm that praises God for how he listens and delivers those who trust in him. And in the middle of the psalm, the position of emphasis, there is verse nine. “All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.” It’s a beautiful cause and effect explanation. God I trust in you, you save me, you deliver me, you answer me, and you help me.

Written by Rev. Peter Janke, world missionary on the Asia One Team based on Australia.

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