The kindness of strangers

Yesterday Peter, Eliot and I went to take a gift to Avery McWilliams, the brand new baby of our friends Paul and Christina. The McWilliams rent a small apartment from Fritz and Margrite Grader, a sweet couple from the Netherlands. Paul and Christina are both from Edmonton, Alberta, but that's not how we know them.

Back in July we were out of town a lot. But on the one Sunday that we were in church in Toronto, Paul and his father were visiting. Paul introduced himself to the Sunday School class and mentioned that he has been living in Perth. After class, Spencer chatted with him and from that time the McWilliams have been very helpful, giving us information about moving to Australia and arranging for their neighbors/landlords, the Graders, to take us in that first night we arrived in Perth.

The Graders were so welcoming and kind. We didn't do much chatting the night we arrived, but the next morning Fritz showed us around their backyard. You could smell the orange blossoms and the jasmine, and Fritz explained that he has an almond tree, but that the cockatoos keep eating the nuts. Cockatoos? Where are we?

After we had paid our respects to the new baby we went next door to say a quick 'hello' to the Graders and to deliver some oatmeal raisin cookies (Eliot had cleaned them out when we'd stayed with them) and it was great to see them. They and the McWilliams had been our first exposure to the kindness and willingness to help that has been a hallmark of our encounters with people here.

To say that I've never met so many generous people wouldn't be true. I know many many kind and generous people. I suppose our little family has just never found itself in such a vulnerable position, so it stands out a bit more. Here we are, clear on the other side of the globe. Far from the support of family and friends. So when total strangers, at church and in the community, step up and willingly offer help (everything from giving us directions to lending us a house and car) it's really humbling. The MO around here seems to be Pay It Forward. Whenever I thank people for their help, they always talk about how someone else has helped them. I'm looking forward to being settled soon so that we'll be able to start paying it forward ourselves.