I've just flown over to Sydney for 9-12 months' living and working here. The thing was that although for a couple of years I had felt strongly called to be in Sydney, I wasn't sure why exactly and what work I should do. Nevertheless, here I am, waiting on the Lord and trying to discern what to do next.

I can happily say that to some extent it's all coming together, having been here a week now. I visited 2 churches on Sunday (Hillsong - City, and St.Matthews's in Manly) and the welcome I felt at St.Matt's left me in doubt about which church to attend. I can't wait to get stuck in over there!! 
  
                                 

In addition, I've been invited a small group tomorrow by a British girl living here now who even went to my uni, and the minister gave me lots of contacts to help me find accomodation, preferably a Christian flatshare and probably in Manly. Manly is up on the north shore, a 30 minute ferry or 15 minute Jetcat ride from the main city. I contacted the girl who manages the church blog to ask her to put an ad up for me, and in such a God-given way, she told me she herself is actually looking to fill the spare room in her 2 bed flat, at a very reasonable price, which would mean that all I'd need to buy would be a bed, the contract would be flexible and it'd be an easy way to make friends in the church. The only reason I am hesitating is that her place is in Harbord, one beach suburb north of Manly - even further from Sydney central. I don't yet know whether I'd feel isolated and the bus-ferry-bus commute to a job in the city would be annoying, or if it'd be no issue. I am thinking and praying about this very much as I don't have any real pull towards any of the other districts in the city, even those closer to town. I'm going to visit Harbord this afternoon and take a look around.
             
The beach at Harbord - what d'ya reckon?? Summer Bay or what?! (It's actually just a few km south of where they film Home and Away)

St.Matt's sems to be fantastic church which is growing fast, and has an 18-30 service at 18:30 on Sunday (geddit?!), it's also just started its 3rd Alpha course. I'm told that being right on the main Corso (high street), it is the church with the highest footfall in all of Australia! So I'm thinking there's a lot of potential here with the big Alpha banner outside. Here is the (rather out of date) website:

http://www.stmattsmanly.org.au/

So with patience, things do come together. If I get the flat in Harbord, it's just the job that needs to come next - answers on a postcard please!!