On Mondays, we
often have a staff meeting to bring everyone up-to-date with classes, IT
concerns, accreditation processes, and other information.
Also on Mondays, sometime
during the work day, I slip out and walk down the road to help Jacque Allder (the
college principal’s wife) prepare the food and their home for “evening tea”
(supper) with all the students and faculty and residents. She always has music
playing and, as we chat, we chop and stir and cook together before moving dining
room chairs and setting out plates, cups, and cutlery. She’s a teacher’s aide and has Mondays off.
I’m learning lots about Aussie life and their pastoring life. While they would probably deny it, the
Allders are extraordinary people, generous and caring – and we’re truly
enjoying their friendship!
One or 2 days a
week, I get to help Andrée, the French-Canadian librarian who’s been in
Australia for more than a decade, with data entry of journal articles into the
digital reference library. It’s interesting work since I enjoy data entry and,
while I don’t read the articles, I find the article summaries fascinating. Most
of the concerns in the church are the same worldwide!


An English language school is also part of this college. Sandra, our instructor, teaches Korean students who come for a month or more and live in the dorm. She also, with a part-time instructor, hosts a group of Korean students who come for English and touring for a month each year in June or July.
On Fridays, the instructors have a “research day”, which means they’re studying either at another college or another university library, or they are not-to-be-disturbed in their own offices here. It’s a very quiet day for the rest of us, and we get to close the office 1 hour early!
We have not served in a academic setting before and are enjoying becoming a part of all its aspects.
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