KWS MAGAZINE May - Kinross Wolaroi School

Spiritual JourneyThis year a number of our seniorstudents accepted the invitationfrom Affinity InterculturalFoundation to visit Turkey tostudy Islam and the history ofthe region and to experience thedelights of Turkish culture.They were accompanied by twoKWS members of staff and threeTurkish-Australians.Gallipoli, Troy, Ephesus and Assos were among the extraordinary journeys through time and stories that resonatewith the Australian psyche. The tour also included visiting schools where the KWS students talked to their peers anddiscovered the common desires and hopes of people around the world.An internal flight from Istanbul to Kayseri took us from ‘chilly’ to plain ‘freezing’. Kayseri and Cappadocia areamazing in their geological and historical significance. Entering these sites is like stepping into early church historyitself.Amidst everything we encountered: architecture, sites, people, culture… was the ever-present resounding call toprayer and the outward expression of Islam’s belief in God ‘the merciful and compassionate’.Our experience of moderate Islam brought us to a more profound questioning of our own faith convictions and also apondering of what we can contribute to the world for sake of the ‘other’.Pastor Philip Worrad, Chaplain24