Well most people sort their lives out through beautiful mediums such as art, music or poetry. I think I need to write.

I wanted to call the next set of reflections: Life on the Road but I think Athol Gill beat me (or the other guy who ironically died on the road - Rauschenbusch? Bosch?).

Well now, here we are in Sydney. God truly is the God of the journey. As we headed onto the Hume it is amazing just how things that were uncertain were confirmed as we hit the road.

Firstly, it was in the provision of the caravan through Paxo’s dad, Rob. Next, literally while we were on the road from the airport, another friend in Sydney calls up and tells us that someone in their congregation is willing to let us use their front lawn to put the caravan on. He lives about two minutes from where we want to be! Well, here we are now. The first two nights we have had 38 and 41 degree days. We are literally being tested in the heat.

Our journey has now taken us beyond the threshold of the familiar and into liminal space.

Liminal space is any space that is removed from normal ones. In this particular instance we have found oursleves standing in the doorway between two phases of life.

It is a time of great chaos, anxiety and frustration. It feels so strange, as a man it is birthing emotions within me that are hard to identify and hence deal with.

Yet, it is also sacred space, a place that offers the hope of transformation. This only comes, we are told, if we dance with the pain long enough. Let it be, not to seek to deny, fight or run from it. This hope comes only if we sit and learn from it what it has to teach us. These are the lesons that prepare us for life.

There have been a few early warning shots over our bows too.

"You’ll probably leave after 6 months, too rough here" a 15 year resident laughs at us.

"This place makes you an alcoholic, it is so hot  - are you ready for that?"

There are future challenges before us here as we sit in terrain that is strangely unfamiliar to the touch.