March 31, 2023 • 32 mins
Today we are pleased to welcome our guest, Faith Tabalujan. Thank you Faith for doing this interview. I really enjoyed it!! Be sure to check out Faiths podcast, Salty + Bright on Spotify.
#faithfulness Tabalujan #benny Tabalujan #benny tabalujan family #salty and bright #salty + bright podcast #salty + bright #christian interview #walk through faith
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Episode Transcript
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(00:00):
Hello everyone. I'm back to my small break.
I'm Eli Jay and welcome back to Elm with Eli.
In this episode, I interview Faith taboo Jim, stay tuned, and
let's interviewer. Welcome to Elmo's, Eli, stay
tuned. Hi Faith, how are you today?
(00:36):
Hi, Eli. I'm doing well bit tired, but
looking forward to chatting to you, okay?
So when you're ready we can justgo straight into the questions.
So do you. Uh do you have any questions
before we start? No, I do not.
Okay, well, good. Now, can you tell the audience a
(00:57):
little bit about yourself? So they kind of know your
background, and sure. So, yes, as you said a lie, my
name is Faith. I am 21 years old turning, 22
this year. And I recently graduated from
uni, where I studied history andFrench as part of an arts
degree. So, I finished that last year
(01:19):
and have just started a new job as a trainee journalist up.
A city called wodonga, which is just along the Victoria and New
South Wales border. And so I started that job just a
couple weeks ago. And yeah, I'm really enjoying it
so far. I have for the past about 20,
(01:41):
odd years, since I was really little, I've been worshipping
with the government Road Church of Christ in Melbourne and now I
have joined the Border congregation here in Auburn.
Danke. So yeah I'm one of four kids and
you have grown up in a Christianfamily and yeah so that's a bit
(02:04):
about me. What was it like growing up yeah
I think my general feeling aboutgrowing up was that it was quite
Pleasant childhood. Like not not many challenges I
think growing up in a Christian household.
My mom and dad really And to instill certain values in us
(02:26):
kids and they never really forced us to have a faith or to
become Christians. Thankfully, but it was more just
from the very beginning. They really wanted to teach us
to live with integrity and to behonest people and to work hard
as well, which I think came fromtheir Christian faith, their own
(02:49):
Christian faith, but yeah, they kind of pass them on to us, as
Values and we grew up going to church and midweek Bible studies
and surrounded by other Christians.
So I think that did rub off on us eventually.
But yeah, it was never kind of odd.
This is this is the only way youcan live or you have to live
(03:11):
like this. It was something that each of us
kids had to decide to do or not to do so yeah.
I made that decision to commit my life to Christ and baptism.
When I was kind of silly remember now, but it was either
when I was 15 or 17. Can't remember what year it was?
But yeah, so I made that decision after realizing that,
(03:37):
that a lot of these other Christians had really invested
in me and really cared for me, but that was because of their
love for God. And so, it made me think, oh,
then if these people love me, then God must love me as well.
Well, and so that's why they were they were really caring and
looking out for me. So yeah, I don't know if that
(04:01):
answered your question either. But in general, I really enjoyed
it growing up in a Christian household with two parents who
really did support me. And then also three other
siblings who taught me to be more patient and to get along
with different kinds of personalities and taught me more
about myself as well. Yes.
(04:25):
Okay. Yep that answers our question
very well. Thank you now.
So what made you want to start your podcast salty and bright?
Yes, that's a good question, Eli.
I think a big reason for me was that I had kind of been looking
(04:46):
for podcasts or, you know, just other resources where I could
hear from other Christians especially in Australia.
And so I had, you know, tuned into a couple that were from the
US or from the UK but never really had found one in
Australia or focusing on Australia or Asia or anything
(05:07):
like that near us and Growing up.
I had also really enjoyed just listening to people tell their
stories whether they were Christian or not because my
parents were really, they reallyemphasize showing Hospitality.
So we would often have people stay with us or come over for
(05:28):
meals. And I remember just leaving a
bunch of homework on my desk to instead just say at the dinner
table and listen to them talk Walk and I was often quite quite
I was more. So quite quiet when I was
younger and so I wouldn't necessarily talk during the
(05:50):
conversation but I always reallyenjoyed listening to their
stories and they were often quite funny stories or even sad,
but always memorable. So, yeah, just listening to
their stories, made me think I do.
We need to we should find a way to record these stories and
really Make sure that other people can hear them.
(06:12):
Future Generations can hear thembecause, you know, at the end of
the day, death is a reality of life.
And once these people die, then their stories can't be told
after that. And so, I just thought it was
really important to get these stories in a format where we
(06:32):
could share them with others at different ages and different
times within the church. So, yeah, those are probably
Probably to two of the main reasons why I thought of the
podcast. Yeah I really like how podcast
in can kind of like I never thought about starting my own
broadcast I always would just belistening to podcasts and then
(06:54):
but yeah I like how you your podcast you kind of like it's
very interesting listening to people's Christian kind of side
up on things. It's really interesting and yeah
like how kind of podcast and kind of I don't know people.
You know people listening? Yeah.
Yeah. No, it's such an encouragement.
(07:17):
So cool to hear that you even listen to it a lie.
So yeah that's that's all as youknow that's all us you know
podcast makers or producers can ask for their people listen and
enjoy it. So yeah.
Yeah for sure. Now what made you want to become
a Christian? That is a big question.
(07:40):
To be honest, Eli. I don't think there was really
one event or one moment. It was actually just I'm pretty
sure my mom would remember better than me but I think it
was just one weekday night. When I was sitting on the couch,
watching TV with my mum, I thinkwe were watching a documentary
(08:02):
probably about cooking or gardening or something like
that. And I just turned to her and
said, Mom I think I want to be spend to be honesty, like I
can't remember what prompted me to do that but I think it was
more just kind of a slow and gradual realization that this
(08:22):
was the right decision to make because yeah like I said for
years all of these people at church especially had really
cared for me and you know, without me, really knowing all
the time, they had been praying for me to kind of come to know
God myself And yeah, once I kindof realized that what was behind
(08:43):
their love me was their love forGod.
Then it made me more curious about who this, you know, God
figure was. And yeah, I think I just started
to realize that these people were really convicted and their
convictions had led them to really love people.
No matter if they were young people, smart people, not so
(09:03):
smart people, wealthy people, not so wealthy people.
Anyway, In between. So, Yeah.
Yeah, I guess my short answer isthat it was saying, God work in
other people's lives that at least made me curious about him.
And so, yeah, because of that, Istarted, you know, reading a few
(09:28):
more Bible verses and spending more time in the Bible and
praying and, you know, asking myparents and other older
Christians questions. So yeah.
It was more of a gradual process.
Yeah. So, do you have, like a favorite
movie or show? Might be harder than the last
question, to be honest? A live, but yeah.
No, I think I don't realize. I don't watch much TV.
(09:52):
I probably watch more movies because my little brother, Matt.
He he loves movies and talking about filming techniques and
directors and stuff like that. So I often get recommendations
from him, but I think I would still say my favorite movie is
called the help, which Which is actually based on a book of the
(10:13):
same name and so I studied history at Uni and so really
enjoy all of these historical movies and this one the help is
set in 1960s America when there was still racial segregation.
So African Americans were separated from white Americans
(10:34):
and so yeah, the movie and the book, it follows the stories of
This group of African-American domestic workers.
So they work in the houses of white people and you know it
talks about their Joy's their challenges with racism, the
little babies that they helped to raise and so it's just yeah,
(10:58):
it really moving story with humor and really fascinating
characters. So really enjoy that.
But I would say that I recently watched A movie called hacksaw
Bridge with my family which yeah, to be honest.
Anyway, it's quite gory so it quite graphic.
So I don't know if your parents would let you watch it right now
(11:20):
but it's about war and this soldier who wants to serve in
the war wants to fight in the war but doesn't want to take
anyone's life. So he serves as a medic and it's
because of his Christian values that he he makes that choice.
And it's, you know, just a really quite inspiring story
(11:44):
about standing up for your faithand kind of sticking to your
convictions. So that was a really cool movie
that that I watched recently. So those are two.
Oh, I hope that's all right. Yeah.
Yeah, that's great. Now, do you have a favorite
book? Yes, I do.
(12:04):
So I would might be a bit of a cop-out ends up Eli, but I would
still say it's the Help which iswhat that movie that I mentioned
before is based on. Yeah, so I told you all about
it, but you tell me what's your favorite book?
If you have one, I'm currently reading Harry Potter 3.
(12:26):
But, um, I mean, I like kind of Comedy or like, silly kind of
books. Like, this is all that Andy
Griffith's. I like, and he makes like the
story treehouse books and like just crazy just Wrecking duster
and all that. Yeah, that's kind of my favorite
kind of genre of books. But yeah, not reading.
(12:47):
Not really reading much books right now but yeah, that's my
kind of favorite kind of books, I guess.
Yeah. I always saw the Andy Griffith's
books in the library and I remember saying like there's one
with, what is it? 136 story treehouse and it just
keeps going up and up and up andthere's a lot of Harry Potter
(13:08):
books as well. So Yeah, yeah, yeah.
There's like so much. Like the story Treehouse book,
sisters, more and more. Like, every time I go to the
shop, says, like a new one, and I'm just like, Mom, please.
Can I get someone like, I'm wanting more and more people?
Yeah. Yeah.
Books can be addictive. What do you like to see?
(13:29):
How do you like to spend your free time?
Whoo. Yes.
But it's a that's a good question.
I'd probably say my three Main Hobbies are reading so I do love
reading. So I that's a yeah I enjoy
answering that question. And the second one would
(13:50):
probably be just spending time outside so whether that's
walking or hiking or just kind of yeah sitting outside in a
park. I To take my dog for walks but
he we recently had to put him down.
So I haven't been doing that as often.
But yeah, just whenever I can sit outside and, you know, watch
(14:13):
the sunrise or sunset or letter to the birds.
I always look forward to those moments.
And then the third one is I really enjoy cooking and
sometimes baking as well. But I intend to cook more
because I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but when I do bake,
I like to give it to other people.
I'll give, you know, a batch of cookies to other people or yeah.
(14:38):
I do enjoy cooking for others aswell when I can.
So yeah, it's probably reading being outside and cooking.
What makes you love cooking, like why is it such a hobby of
favorite thing for you? Yeah, I think.
Hmm, probably a big part of it Eli's, I find it quite relaxing.
(15:02):
Just, you know, you can kind of just let your mind wander as you
chop vegetables, chop onions and, or you can pop on a podcast
or this, to some music. But yeah, I just like the quiet
and it's got a high functioning of the sizzle on a stove.
(15:23):
Yes, exactly. Wow.
Such a poet Li Li that's the That's awesome.
But, um, yeah, so I really enjoythat but also the fact that you
can share it with others. I think that's really special.
So when you spend this time preparing, and cooking, and
stirring, and sizzling, then often times, you can produce
(15:44):
something that you can share with others, whether that's
eating a meal with people or loved ones or just dropping it
off at someone's house who is sick.
Or, you know, going through a rough time.
It's just a nice way to say. I'm thinking of you and kind of
accompanying that thought with an action an act of love if that
(16:05):
makes sense. Yeah.
I mean eating food. It's just, I mean, everyone just
loves it. Honestly, just the best.
What's your favorite food that Eli?
What does your mom make that youlove?
So I like my favorite food is not chose.
I didn't know I chose and then like pizza.
(16:26):
And Yeah, my mom makes his really good ribs that I like, so
that's pretty good. Wow, I'm gonna come to your
house. So do you have a favorite like
fast food place or restaurant that you like to go to like your
go to eat out and go to eat out or I'll probably say pretty much
(16:49):
any Italian restaurant because Ido.
Yeah. I do like pizza and pasta.
Probably is my favorite and there's always like at least one
Italian restaurant around. So I think just wherever I go, I
will crave Italian so I would probably choose that but I don't
(17:10):
really have a go-to. I don't really have fast food
that much, like we didn't grow up having it that much as kids.
So yeah, I guess it's a good thing.
But yeah, I'd probably just say any local Italian place but how
about you Eli, where do you findyour nachos?
Your Your pizza. Um so I mean I usually got the
(17:30):
homemade the nachos like with any sort of corn chips and yeah
my sister and my mom both make really nice nachos but I like
the subway if I don't like eating out because like Subway
have you had Subway? Yeah.
Yeah. So like that.
It's kind of like healthy but it's also really good.
Yeah. You get to pick all your
(17:51):
toppings. Yeah.
Yeah. But like you should I just got
want to be too picky. So I just say, Everything except
for the chili, that's a good strategy.
Yeah. Do you have a favorite ice cream
flavor? Yes, I am.
Although, it's changed as I've, as I've gotten older.
(18:12):
I think so. I used to always order.
Mint chocolate chip ice cream. When I was younger, always, I
don't know whether it was because of the color.
Or, you know, some people think it tastes like toothpaste, but I
loved it when I was little. But now, I'd probably say I'd
either go for coffee ice cream, or, or let's see on pistachio.
(18:34):
I do like that one. That's So great.
So maybe I just like green, but the thing is, I don't actually
really like drinking coffee. But when it's an ice cream or
like other desserts, like, tiramisu that's, I like it then.
So, it's a bit of a weird, weirdchoice.
But yeah, yeah, turn master is great.
I love camera sir. Yes, I've never tried pistachio
(18:58):
ice cream. I should probably try that
sometime. Mmm.
Yeah, I enjoyed like, I mean, yes, sometimes if there's like
honeycomb More camel. I love anything camel, like,
everything camel. But if there's something, just
give it to me, Martha, I will remember that a lie.
(19:19):
Good thing to River. Um, do you have like a funniest
moment? I'm sure there are a lot, but I
just can't think of it off the top of my head.
Hmm, we can always come back to it later if you can't think of
it. Yeah, just I'm sure if my yeah,
I'm sure if you are asking my siblings, they could tell you
(19:40):
straight away. No, actually, I can't think of
one anyway. So I can't remember how old I
was. But years ago I went with my
family to the u.s. to visit, like some church friends and
then also my auntie who lives there.
But yeah, it was a family trip and I was quite young and I
(20:02):
remember, actually, we went to apizza place.
And unlike you II, I've always loved chili.
So I was I remember I had a piece of pizza on my plate and
then I was shaking, you know, some chili flakes on to it with
the Shaker. Yeah.
And then I shook it so hard. That the cap fell off at all of
(20:23):
its fell onto my pizza. And I remember like at least my
two older siblings to enjoy, they started laughing at me.
And yeah, I think my mom just didn't know what to do but Yeah,
so that was a funny moment that I can't I can't remember super
well, but I remember feeling just like, man like what is
(20:44):
this? So yeah, that's what came to
mind, funnily enough. Yeah, I would be pretty sad to
Chile on Pizza. Never tried that before, but
like there's anchovies. I like really don't like the
sound of that. Like fish on Pizza.
Just Doesn't sound good. I'm just going to go to my next
question. Which is what's your favorite
(21:05):
song and why? Yeah you make me think a lie.
This is good. I haven't really yes, that time
to think about a lot of these questions, but I'd probably say
recently I got to go see a concert by Ed Sheeran in
Melbourne so that was super cooland my family had bought tickets
(21:28):
for me to go for my birthday. So that was a really cool
experience and he one of the songs he played from his new
album is called Love in slow motion.
And I haven't listened to it a bunch, but I kind of liked the
concept straight away. Because I think he's talking
about, you know, kind of stopping and taking taking in
(21:52):
all of those kind of ordinary moments where you're with loved
ones or just, you know, kind of laughing and making memories and
having a good time. As opposed to just kind of
running through life and racing through life without paying
attention to those moments and yeah.
(22:13):
So for me it was kind of just a nice reminder to just take it
slow and really cherishes those times with your family or your
friends or any of your loved ones and yeah it's got a pretty
catchy Melody and some nice. It could guitar as well.
So that helps um I have a favorite song also it's called
(22:34):
feel Good from st. Model.
If I hear a song in a movie, or if I hear solid anything, I like
remember the lyrics and then I just like search it up.
And then I just like know that song from that's like, not
really from the movie anymore. It's just one of my like one of
the personal songs that I know then.
So you must have a good memory then well I mean not really but
(23:02):
what's your favorite Bible verseand why Why?
Hmm. Okay.
I do have an answer to this question.
Mine is Hebrews 12:1 and so it says, this is testing my memory,
my Bible verse memory alive, butit says, therefore, since we are
surrounded by such a great, cloud of witnesses, let us run
(23:27):
with perseverance, the race marked out for us, and I think
it will. Actually, I think it goes from 1
to 2, and then it continues to say, Fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the author and Perfecter of faith.
And so I don't know, I remember writing that a while ago, and
just thinking God, that's such acool concept to run, run your
(23:50):
race with perseverance, like thefact that God has set it out for
us, but it's ours to run like, we need to make that choice to
run with that endurance. And then, for me, the the second
part, the second part of that passage verse 2, when it talks
about fixing our eyes on Jesus, I That gives gives us a sense of
(24:14):
direction and you know a our priority is to focus on Jesus as
we run. So it's not like we're running
just aimlessly but we have to run towards Jesus.
We have to do our best to do that.
And yeah. So I've just always thought that
that versus resonated with me, no matter what stage of life
from I've been at because, you know, we all kind of have that
(24:39):
path set before us and we, We I think we'll always need a
certain degree of perseverance to get through, you know, the
ups and downs of life. So yeah, that's that's my
favorite verse. Okay, before we continue Lester
squeezing, a little fact of the day.
(25:00):
Today's fact, did you know, a shrimps heart is in his head?
It's like really kind of scary. Honestly.
Like, look, I really just didn'teven really didn't know that.
I'm just kind of embarrassed to even know, that's kind of scary.
Um, let's just cut cut. Yep, it's true.
(25:20):
I shrimps heart is in its head. Yeah, I'm probably gonna have
nightmares now, but yeah, let's continue.
Okay, so Faith, what makes you really annoyed?
The thing that came to my mind is when people take like a lot
(25:44):
of food on their plate and then they don't finish it.
So it's like they, yeah, they take too much like beyond what
anyone really could finish and then they think they can finish
it. But then, I don't just because I
think it's much better. If you take what, you know, you
can finish and then go back for more so that you don't end up
(26:07):
wasting like food, especially, you know, if someone's cooked it
and taking the time and effort to do that.
But also because you know, a lotof resources, go into our food
and there are a lot of people inthe world who don't have enough.
So yeah, that's quite serious interms of an answer to your
question but yeah. That's What came to my mind?
(26:29):
If you could ask Jesus one thingright now, what would it be?
Yeah, I'll probably ask something.
Like why did you choose to create humans in the first
place? Just because you know, I think
God's life and you know, Jesus is life as well.
Would be much easier if they didn't have all of these, you
(26:52):
know. Broken and I've been quirky and
frustrating humans to deal with and you know, Jesus wouldn't
have had to come died for us on the cross if we kind of went
created in the first place. So yeah, I'd probably ask
something along the lines of whydid you want to create Humanity?
(27:15):
Because I think life for God andJesus would be much simpler,
but, you know, maybe, maybe it'sbecause they wanted us to have a
relationship with God, but yeah,I don't really know.
That's kind of my, there's a, myinitial thoughts, a lie.
But do you have any question that you would ask?
(27:39):
Um well this is question that I've never understood but I know
that I it isn't really possible for me to understand it.
That's how God's been there forever humans.
Usually our brains just only understand this like always a
start of something but I don't know I guess a brain can't
(28:02):
really have the knowledge to understand how that works.
How is it has been there foreverand it wasn't Scott So I
probably ask God if he could explain that to me.
So yeah that's probably what I would ask God and then I don't
know yeah I don't know what. I'd ask you this.
(28:24):
Yeah that first one, such a good.
Good question though. You like I think a lot of people
would be thinking it like, you know, adults and kids and you
know, everyone in between. Yeah.
Yeah. Now for the Last question.
Before I wrap up, do you have any pets or have you had any
(28:44):
pets in the past? Yes, I have.
So I used to have a little rescue dog named tiptoe and so
we got him from the rspca about.It's probably probably about 11
or 12 years ago now but yeah, wegot him when he was 1 and so we
(29:06):
had him for all those years and then just Just spin February.
We had to put him down because his kidneys failed and so he had
been declining Health Wise for quite a quite a long time.
So he had gone blind and then had trouble walking and, you
know, finding his way around. And we'd also noticed that he
(29:31):
and been really tired and just kind of not himself because he
used to be one of those puppies that jumped all over you and
lick you and everything. Yeah.
And, but, yeah, so something wasclearly wrong.
And so particularly one day whenhe was particularly bad, then my
mom took him to the vet and we found out.
They had kidney failure, and thevet recommended that.
(29:53):
We, we put him down because he was in a lot of pain.
So yeah, I'm thankful that he's not suffering anymore, but you
know, obviously, I miss him quite a bit just having you
sleeping on the end of I'm with the bed or you know, going for
walks like I said before. But yeah I'm thankful that he's
(30:15):
at peace. Now at least I hope.
Okay, so thank you Fades. But doing that interview Yasser
I'm sorry that was a bit of a sad note to end on Eli but you
know it was just like all sad and I'm like okay so this sorry
but ah yeah I guess that wraps up the interview thank you for
(30:39):
Thank you. Thanks so much for having me.
Thanks for doing the interview. That's right.
You got to keep going with this podcast, I'm sure I will.
Well, lots of people enjoy listening to it.
Yeah, I just hit like 3,100 plays recently, so that's really
good how like 49 followers on Spotify, which is pretty good
too. I mean.
(31:00):
Yeah. So that's that's pretty good
too. Yeah that's more than pretty
good, I would say but yeah no you deserve some some not I
chose or another book or something like that.
That's awesome. Okay, thank you.
Thanks for doing the interview. All right, thank you.
Bye. Thank you, bye bye.
Hello everyone. I'm back to my small break.
I'm Eli Jay and welcome back to Elm with Eli.
In this episode, I interview Faith taboo Jim, stay tuned, and
let's interviewer. Welcome to Elmo's, Eli, stay
tuned. Hi Faith, how are you today?
(00:36):
Hi, Eli. I'm doing well bit tired, but
looking forward to chatting to you, okay?
So when you're ready we can justgo straight into the questions.
So do you. Uh do you have any questions
before we start? No, I do not.
Okay, well, good. Now, can you tell the audience a
(00:57):
little bit about yourself? So they kind of know your
background, and sure. So, yes, as you said a lie, my
name is Faith. I am 21 years old turning, 22
this year. And I recently graduated from
uni, where I studied history andFrench as part of an arts
degree. So, I finished that last year
(01:19):
and have just started a new job as a trainee journalist up.
A city called wodonga, which is just along the Victoria and New
South Wales border. And so I started that job just a
couple weeks ago. And yeah, I'm really enjoying it
so far. I have for the past about 20,
(01:41):
odd years, since I was really little, I've been worshipping
with the government Road Church of Christ in Melbourne and now I
have joined the Border congregation here in Auburn.
Danke. So yeah I'm one of four kids and
you have grown up in a Christianfamily and yeah so that's a bit
(02:04):
about me. What was it like growing up yeah
I think my general feeling aboutgrowing up was that it was quite
Pleasant childhood. Like not not many challenges I
think growing up in a Christian household.
My mom and dad really And to instill certain values in us
(02:26):
kids and they never really forced us to have a faith or to
become Christians. Thankfully, but it was more just
from the very beginning. They really wanted to teach us
to live with integrity and to behonest people and to work hard
as well, which I think came fromtheir Christian faith, their own
(02:49):
Christian faith, but yeah, they kind of pass them on to us, as
Values and we grew up going to church and midweek Bible studies
and surrounded by other Christians.
So I think that did rub off on us eventually.
But yeah, it was never kind of odd.
This is this is the only way youcan live or you have to live
(03:11):
like this. It was something that each of us
kids had to decide to do or not to do so yeah.
I made that decision to commit my life to Christ and baptism.
When I was kind of silly remember now, but it was either
when I was 15 or 17. Can't remember what year it was?
But yeah, so I made that decision after realizing that,
(03:37):
that a lot of these other Christians had really invested
in me and really cared for me, but that was because of their
love for God. And so, it made me think, oh,
then if these people love me, then God must love me as well.
Well, and so that's why they were they were really caring and
looking out for me. So yeah, I don't know if that
(04:01):
answered your question either. But in general, I really enjoyed
it growing up in a Christian household with two parents who
really did support me. And then also three other
siblings who taught me to be more patient and to get along
with different kinds of personalities and taught me more
about myself as well. Yes.
(04:25):
Okay. Yep that answers our question
very well. Thank you now.
So what made you want to start your podcast salty and bright?
Yes, that's a good question, Eli.
I think a big reason for me was that I had kind of been looking
(04:46):
for podcasts or, you know, just other resources where I could
hear from other Christians especially in Australia.
And so I had, you know, tuned into a couple that were from the
US or from the UK but never really had found one in
Australia or focusing on Australia or Asia or anything
(05:07):
like that near us and Growing up.
I had also really enjoyed just listening to people tell their
stories whether they were Christian or not because my
parents were really, they reallyemphasize showing Hospitality.
So we would often have people stay with us or come over for
(05:28):
meals. And I remember just leaving a
bunch of homework on my desk to instead just say at the dinner
table and listen to them talk Walk and I was often quite quite
I was more. So quite quiet when I was
younger and so I wouldn't necessarily talk during the
(05:50):
conversation but I always reallyenjoyed listening to their
stories and they were often quite funny stories or even sad,
but always memorable. So, yeah, just listening to
their stories, made me think I do.
We need to we should find a way to record these stories and
really Make sure that other people can hear them.
(06:12):
Future Generations can hear thembecause, you know, at the end of
the day, death is a reality of life.
And once these people die, then their stories can't be told
after that. And so, I just thought it was
really important to get these stories in a format where we
(06:32):
could share them with others at different ages and different
times within the church. So, yeah, those are probably
Probably to two of the main reasons why I thought of the
podcast. Yeah I really like how podcast
in can kind of like I never thought about starting my own
broadcast I always would just belistening to podcasts and then
(06:54):
but yeah I like how you your podcast you kind of like it's
very interesting listening to people's Christian kind of side
up on things. It's really interesting and yeah
like how kind of podcast and kind of I don't know people.
You know people listening? Yeah.
Yeah. No, it's such an encouragement.
(07:17):
So cool to hear that you even listen to it a lie.
So yeah that's that's all as youknow that's all us you know
podcast makers or producers can ask for their people listen and
enjoy it. So yeah.
Yeah for sure. Now what made you want to become
a Christian? That is a big question.
(07:40):
To be honest, Eli. I don't think there was really
one event or one moment. It was actually just I'm pretty
sure my mom would remember better than me but I think it
was just one weekday night. When I was sitting on the couch,
watching TV with my mum, I thinkwe were watching a documentary
(08:02):
probably about cooking or gardening or something like
that. And I just turned to her and
said, Mom I think I want to be spend to be honesty, like I
can't remember what prompted me to do that but I think it was
more just kind of a slow and gradual realization that this
(08:22):
was the right decision to make because yeah like I said for
years all of these people at church especially had really
cared for me and you know, without me, really knowing all
the time, they had been praying for me to kind of come to know
God myself And yeah, once I kindof realized that what was behind
(08:43):
their love me was their love forGod.
Then it made me more curious about who this, you know, God
figure was. And yeah, I think I just started
to realize that these people were really convicted and their
convictions had led them to really love people.
No matter if they were young people, smart people, not so
(09:03):
smart people, wealthy people, not so wealthy people.
Anyway, In between. So, Yeah.
Yeah, I guess my short answer isthat it was saying, God work in
other people's lives that at least made me curious about him.
And so, yeah, because of that, Istarted, you know, reading a few
(09:28):
more Bible verses and spending more time in the Bible and
praying and, you know, asking myparents and other older
Christians questions. So yeah.
It was more of a gradual process.
Yeah. So, do you have, like a favorite
movie or show? Might be harder than the last
question, to be honest? A live, but yeah.
No, I think I don't realize. I don't watch much TV.
(09:52):
I probably watch more movies because my little brother, Matt.
He he loves movies and talking about filming techniques and
directors and stuff like that. So I often get recommendations
from him, but I think I would still say my favorite movie is
called the help, which Which is actually based on a book of the
(10:13):
same name and so I studied history at Uni and so really
enjoy all of these historical movies and this one the help is
set in 1960s America when there was still racial segregation.
So African Americans were separated from white Americans
(10:34):
and so yeah, the movie and the book, it follows the stories of
This group of African-American domestic workers.
So they work in the houses of white people and you know it
talks about their Joy's their challenges with racism, the
little babies that they helped to raise and so it's just yeah,
(10:58):
it really moving story with humor and really fascinating
characters. So really enjoy that.
But I would say that I recently watched A movie called hacksaw
Bridge with my family which yeah, to be honest.
Anyway, it's quite gory so it quite graphic.
So I don't know if your parents would let you watch it right now
(11:20):
but it's about war and this soldier who wants to serve in
the war wants to fight in the war but doesn't want to take
anyone's life. So he serves as a medic and it's
because of his Christian values that he he makes that choice.
And it's, you know, just a really quite inspiring story
(11:44):
about standing up for your faithand kind of sticking to your
convictions. So that was a really cool movie
that that I watched recently. So those are two.
Oh, I hope that's all right. Yeah.
Yeah, that's great. Now, do you have a favorite
book? Yes, I do.
(12:04):
So I would might be a bit of a cop-out ends up Eli, but I would
still say it's the Help which iswhat that movie that I mentioned
before is based on. Yeah, so I told you all about
it, but you tell me what's your favorite book?
If you have one, I'm currently reading Harry Potter 3.
(12:26):
But, um, I mean, I like kind of Comedy or like, silly kind of
books. Like, this is all that Andy
Griffith's. I like, and he makes like the
story treehouse books and like just crazy just Wrecking duster
and all that. Yeah, that's kind of my favorite
kind of genre of books. But yeah, not reading.
(12:47):
Not really reading much books right now but yeah, that's my
kind of favorite kind of books, I guess.
Yeah. I always saw the Andy Griffith's
books in the library and I remember saying like there's one
with, what is it? 136 story treehouse and it just
keeps going up and up and up andthere's a lot of Harry Potter
(13:08):
books as well. So Yeah, yeah, yeah.
There's like so much. Like the story Treehouse book,
sisters, more and more. Like, every time I go to the
shop, says, like a new one, and I'm just like, Mom, please.
Can I get someone like, I'm wanting more and more people?
Yeah. Yeah.
Books can be addictive. What do you like to see?
(13:29):
How do you like to spend your free time?
Whoo. Yes.
But it's a that's a good question.
I'd probably say my three Main Hobbies are reading so I do love
reading. So I that's a yeah I enjoy
answering that question. And the second one would
(13:50):
probably be just spending time outside so whether that's
walking or hiking or just kind of yeah sitting outside in a
park. I To take my dog for walks but
he we recently had to put him down.
So I haven't been doing that as often.
But yeah, just whenever I can sit outside and, you know, watch
(14:13):
the sunrise or sunset or letter to the birds.
I always look forward to those moments.
And then the third one is I really enjoy cooking and
sometimes baking as well. But I intend to cook more
because I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but when I do bake,
I like to give it to other people.
I'll give, you know, a batch of cookies to other people or yeah.
(14:38):
I do enjoy cooking for others aswell when I can.
So yeah, it's probably reading being outside and cooking.
What makes you love cooking, like why is it such a hobby of
favorite thing for you? Yeah, I think.
Hmm, probably a big part of it Eli's, I find it quite relaxing.
(15:02):
Just, you know, you can kind of just let your mind wander as you
chop vegetables, chop onions and, or you can pop on a podcast
or this, to some music. But yeah, I just like the quiet
and it's got a high functioning of the sizzle on a stove.
(15:23):
Yes, exactly. Wow.
Such a poet Li Li that's the That's awesome.
But, um, yeah, so I really enjoythat but also the fact that you
can share it with others. I think that's really special.
So when you spend this time preparing, and cooking, and
stirring, and sizzling, then often times, you can produce
(15:44):
something that you can share with others, whether that's
eating a meal with people or loved ones or just dropping it
off at someone's house who is sick.
Or, you know, going through a rough time.
It's just a nice way to say. I'm thinking of you and kind of
accompanying that thought with an action an act of love if that
(16:05):
makes sense. Yeah.
I mean eating food. It's just, I mean, everyone just
loves it. Honestly, just the best.
What's your favorite food that Eli?
What does your mom make that youlove?
So I like my favorite food is not chose.
I didn't know I chose and then like pizza.
(16:26):
And Yeah, my mom makes his really good ribs that I like, so
that's pretty good. Wow, I'm gonna come to your
house. So do you have a favorite like
fast food place or restaurant that you like to go to like your
go to eat out and go to eat out or I'll probably say pretty much
(16:49):
any Italian restaurant because Ido.
Yeah. I do like pizza and pasta.
Probably is my favorite and there's always like at least one
Italian restaurant around. So I think just wherever I go, I
will crave Italian so I would probably choose that but I don't
(17:10):
really have a go-to. I don't really have fast food
that much, like we didn't grow up having it that much as kids.
So yeah, I guess it's a good thing.
But yeah, I'd probably just say any local Italian place but how
about you Eli, where do you findyour nachos?
Your Your pizza. Um so I mean I usually got the
(17:30):
homemade the nachos like with any sort of corn chips and yeah
my sister and my mom both make really nice nachos but I like
the subway if I don't like eating out because like Subway
have you had Subway? Yeah.
Yeah. So like that.
It's kind of like healthy but it's also really good.
Yeah. You get to pick all your
(17:51):
toppings. Yeah.
Yeah. But like you should I just got
want to be too picky. So I just say, Everything except
for the chili, that's a good strategy.
Yeah. Do you have a favorite ice cream
flavor? Yes, I am.
Although, it's changed as I've, as I've gotten older.
(18:12):
I think so. I used to always order.
Mint chocolate chip ice cream. When I was younger, always, I
don't know whether it was because of the color.
Or, you know, some people think it tastes like toothpaste, but I
loved it when I was little. But now, I'd probably say I'd
either go for coffee ice cream, or, or let's see on pistachio.
(18:34):
I do like that one. That's So great.
So maybe I just like green, but the thing is, I don't actually
really like drinking coffee. But when it's an ice cream or
like other desserts, like, tiramisu that's, I like it then.
So, it's a bit of a weird, weirdchoice.
But yeah, yeah, turn master is great.
I love camera sir. Yes, I've never tried pistachio
(18:58):
ice cream. I should probably try that
sometime. Mmm.
Yeah, I enjoyed like, I mean, yes, sometimes if there's like
honeycomb More camel. I love anything camel, like,
everything camel. But if there's something, just
give it to me, Martha, I will remember that a lie.
(19:19):
Good thing to River. Um, do you have like a funniest
moment? I'm sure there are a lot, but I
just can't think of it off the top of my head.
Hmm, we can always come back to it later if you can't think of
it. Yeah, just I'm sure if my yeah,
I'm sure if you are asking my siblings, they could tell you
(19:40):
straight away. No, actually, I can't think of
one anyway. So I can't remember how old I
was. But years ago I went with my
family to the u.s. to visit, like some church friends and
then also my auntie who lives there.
But yeah, it was a family trip and I was quite young and I
(20:02):
remember, actually, we went to apizza place.
And unlike you II, I've always loved chili.
So I was I remember I had a piece of pizza on my plate and
then I was shaking, you know, some chili flakes on to it with
the Shaker. Yeah.
And then I shook it so hard. That the cap fell off at all of
(20:23):
its fell onto my pizza. And I remember like at least my
two older siblings to enjoy, they started laughing at me.
And yeah, I think my mom just didn't know what to do but Yeah,
so that was a funny moment that I can't I can't remember super
well, but I remember feeling just like, man like what is
(20:44):
this? So yeah, that's what came to
mind, funnily enough. Yeah, I would be pretty sad to
Chile on Pizza. Never tried that before, but
like there's anchovies. I like really don't like the
sound of that. Like fish on Pizza.
Just Doesn't sound good. I'm just going to go to my next
question. Which is what's your favorite
(21:05):
song and why? Yeah you make me think a lie.
This is good. I haven't really yes, that time
to think about a lot of these questions, but I'd probably say
recently I got to go see a concert by Ed Sheeran in
Melbourne so that was super cooland my family had bought tickets
(21:28):
for me to go for my birthday. So that was a really cool
experience and he one of the songs he played from his new
album is called Love in slow motion.
And I haven't listened to it a bunch, but I kind of liked the
concept straight away. Because I think he's talking
about, you know, kind of stopping and taking taking in
(21:52):
all of those kind of ordinary moments where you're with loved
ones or just, you know, kind of laughing and making memories and
having a good time. As opposed to just kind of
running through life and racing through life without paying
attention to those moments and yeah.
(22:13):
So for me it was kind of just a nice reminder to just take it
slow and really cherishes those times with your family or your
friends or any of your loved ones and yeah it's got a pretty
catchy Melody and some nice. It could guitar as well.
So that helps um I have a favorite song also it's called
(22:34):
feel Good from st. Model.
If I hear a song in a movie, or if I hear solid anything, I like
remember the lyrics and then I just like search it up.
And then I just like know that song from that's like, not
really from the movie anymore. It's just one of my like one of
the personal songs that I know then.
So you must have a good memory then well I mean not really but
(23:02):
what's your favorite Bible verseand why Why?
Hmm. Okay.
I do have an answer to this question.
Mine is Hebrews 12:1 and so it says, this is testing my memory,
my Bible verse memory alive, butit says, therefore, since we are
surrounded by such a great, cloud of witnesses, let us run
(23:27):
with perseverance, the race marked out for us, and I think
it will. Actually, I think it goes from 1
to 2, and then it continues to say, Fixing our eyes on Jesus,
the author and Perfecter of faith.
And so I don't know, I remember writing that a while ago, and
just thinking God, that's such acool concept to run, run your
(23:50):
race with perseverance, like thefact that God has set it out for
us, but it's ours to run like, we need to make that choice to
run with that endurance. And then, for me, the the second
part, the second part of that passage verse 2, when it talks
about fixing our eyes on Jesus, I That gives gives us a sense of
(24:14):
direction and you know a our priority is to focus on Jesus as
we run. So it's not like we're running
just aimlessly but we have to run towards Jesus.
We have to do our best to do that.
And yeah. So I've just always thought that
that versus resonated with me, no matter what stage of life
from I've been at because, you know, we all kind of have that
(24:39):
path set before us and we, We I think we'll always need a
certain degree of perseverance to get through, you know, the
ups and downs of life. So yeah, that's that's my
favorite verse. Okay, before we continue Lester
squeezing, a little fact of the day.
(25:00):
Today's fact, did you know, a shrimps heart is in his head?
It's like really kind of scary. Honestly.
Like, look, I really just didn'teven really didn't know that.
I'm just kind of embarrassed to even know, that's kind of scary.
Um, let's just cut cut. Yep, it's true.
(25:20):
I shrimps heart is in its head. Yeah, I'm probably gonna have
nightmares now, but yeah, let's continue.
Okay, so Faith, what makes you really annoyed?
The thing that came to my mind is when people take like a lot
(25:44):
of food on their plate and then they don't finish it.
So it's like they, yeah, they take too much like beyond what
anyone really could finish and then they think they can finish
it. But then, I don't just because I
think it's much better. If you take what, you know, you
can finish and then go back for more so that you don't end up
(26:07):
wasting like food, especially, you know, if someone's cooked it
and taking the time and effort to do that.
But also because you know, a lotof resources, go into our food
and there are a lot of people inthe world who don't have enough.
So yeah, that's quite serious interms of an answer to your
question but yeah. That's What came to my mind?
(26:29):
If you could ask Jesus one thingright now, what would it be?
Yeah, I'll probably ask something.
Like why did you choose to create humans in the first
place? Just because you know, I think
God's life and you know, Jesus is life as well.
Would be much easier if they didn't have all of these, you
(26:52):
know. Broken and I've been quirky and
frustrating humans to deal with and you know, Jesus wouldn't
have had to come died for us on the cross if we kind of went
created in the first place. So yeah, I'd probably ask
something along the lines of whydid you want to create Humanity?
(27:15):
Because I think life for God andJesus would be much simpler,
but, you know, maybe, maybe it'sbecause they wanted us to have a
relationship with God, but yeah,I don't really know.
That's kind of my, there's a, myinitial thoughts, a lie.
But do you have any question that you would ask?
(27:39):
Um well this is question that I've never understood but I know
that I it isn't really possible for me to understand it.
That's how God's been there forever humans.
Usually our brains just only understand this like always a
start of something but I don't know I guess a brain can't
(28:02):
really have the knowledge to understand how that works.
How is it has been there foreverand it wasn't Scott So I
probably ask God if he could explain that to me.
So yeah that's probably what I would ask God and then I don't
know yeah I don't know what. I'd ask you this.
(28:24):
Yeah that first one, such a good.
Good question though. You like I think a lot of people
would be thinking it like, you know, adults and kids and you
know, everyone in between. Yeah.
Yeah. Now for the Last question.
Before I wrap up, do you have any pets or have you had any
(28:44):
pets in the past? Yes, I have.
So I used to have a little rescue dog named tiptoe and so
we got him from the rspca about.It's probably probably about 11
or 12 years ago now but yeah, wegot him when he was 1 and so we
(29:06):
had him for all those years and then just Just spin February.
We had to put him down because his kidneys failed and so he had
been declining Health Wise for quite a quite a long time.
So he had gone blind and then had trouble walking and, you
know, finding his way around. And we'd also noticed that he
(29:31):
and been really tired and just kind of not himself because he
used to be one of those puppies that jumped all over you and
lick you and everything. Yeah.
And, but, yeah, so something wasclearly wrong.
And so particularly one day whenhe was particularly bad, then my
mom took him to the vet and we found out.
They had kidney failure, and thevet recommended that.
(29:53):
We, we put him down because he was in a lot of pain.
So yeah, I'm thankful that he's not suffering anymore, but you
know, obviously, I miss him quite a bit just having you
sleeping on the end of I'm with the bed or you know, going for
walks like I said before. But yeah I'm thankful that he's
(30:15):
at peace. Now at least I hope.
Okay, so thank you Fades. But doing that interview Yasser
I'm sorry that was a bit of a sad note to end on Eli but you
know it was just like all sad and I'm like okay so this sorry
but ah yeah I guess that wraps up the interview thank you for
(30:39):
Thank you. Thanks so much for having me.
Thanks for doing the interview. That's right.
You got to keep going with this podcast, I'm sure I will.
Well, lots of people enjoy listening to it.
Yeah, I just hit like 3,100 plays recently, so that's really
good how like 49 followers on Spotify, which is pretty good
too. I mean.
(31:00):
Yeah. So that's that's pretty good
too. Yeah that's more than pretty
good, I would say but yeah no you deserve some some not I
chose or another book or something like that.
That's awesome. Okay, thank you.
Thanks for doing the interview. All right, thank you.
Bye. Thank you, bye bye.
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