Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all. We've spent our first Thanksgiving in New Zealand. It was a rich blessing to reflect on all the Lord has done in 2010. We are grateful for our salvation and the riches that are ours in Christ. We are also so thankful to be ministering in New Zealand. The Lord continues to pour out manifold blessing to us day-by-day.

Many weeks ago, we invited an American TSBC student, Michelle Ward, over for Thanksgiving. It's been a real delight to get to know Michelle. We also had Russell & Liz and our dear Grandma Margaret. Margaret is a widow and pours tons of spunky energy into ladies activities at Riverbend. She is also heavily involved in missions.

During the tour of our home, Russell found mint in the garden. He determined immediately to prepare mint sauce for us. Mint sauce is to a Kiwi what ketchup is to an American. Thanks to Russell, I'll have mint sauce to 2014!

As our guests were arriving this evening, we received a visit from Emmalee, our landlord's 8-year old daughter. She gave me a note, addressed to tracy and folded inside an envelope, which I was to open immediately. She had written a plea for Micah to come to her house to play. Her plea read, "Can Mikah come and play for 10 miints or less? Please, please, please, please, please" (written all over the paper). Then at the bottom of the page, she wrote, "Prity please with two millen cherrys on top. I'm out side!" Well, I had to break her heart when I told her that we were having guests for tea. Something tells me she'll persist.

Well, we trust you will have a blessed Thanksgiving, reflecting on all you have to be thankful for. Our God is, indeed good!!

CONTAINER HAS ARRIVED!

G'Day All,

The long awaited container was delivered and promptly unloaded yesterday by two very nice gentleman. We were also joined by four TSBC students who made quick work of unloading boxes and misc items. Now, the work begins of unpacking boxes and finding a place for everything. Our bed felt especially nice last night!

We've also been enjoying some stock around the property of late. Our landlord leases out sections of his land for grazing. Sydney still intends to show them who's the queen around here.

FROM THE CITY TO THE COUNTRY

Well, the long awaited day has come (and gone). We have "shifted" to the country. Friday night was the first night in our new home. We purchased two twin beds from the previous tenant for the guest room. Greg and I slept there--on borrowed bedding. Micah slept on an air mattress, which soon went flat. Fortunately, Greg found a good clearance sale and had bought two more. Knew they'd come in handy. Saturday morning, Greg tried with all his might to light a fire in the woodstove (the only source of heat in this house). Well, with no lighter or matches, it proved challenging. But, his perseverance paid off and soon we were enjoying a fire. Before long, our landlord brought us a dozen eggs (fresh from his chickens). Saturday we cleaned and unpacked. The house was very clean, but of course, still had bring it to our standard as neat freaks. There were plenty of cob webs to wipe down. Appliances were delivered and we were in business. Saturday night brought a cultural experience! We were invited to BBQ for the Kiwi equivalent of 4th of July. It was BYO: bring your own. I determined to take simple finger food: sausages, chips and soda. Soon after we arrived, I noticed ladies bringing out cups, cutlery, napkins, plates, etc. I suddenly realized I didn't "bring our own". I hadn't brought any of that! What would we do? Well, I figured we didn't need plates or cutlery, since we had finger food. I had a package of Tempo in my purse that would suffice as napkins (serviettes), but what about cups? My friend, Karen came to the rescue. The night before (while Greg and Micah were enjoying a fireworks show), I went to the Major home and borrowed almost everything from their self contained apt kitchen within their home. But, I had refused two cups, which I later decided I needed. I texted Karen and asked her for those two extra coffee mugs along with towels which I had forgotten. So, thanks to Karen, we had beautiful red/white coffee mugs to drink our Sprite from. I suppose even if I had known that I had to bring all that stuff, I still wouldn't have had it to bring (though in triplicate in the container which is somewhere over the Pacific).

We are enjoying our new home, but I must admit, I am thoroughly looking forward to the arrival of our container. I can't wait to begin using our own stuff again.

Oh, here's an actual line from the owner's manual of our washing machine, "stability is important to prevent the machine from wandering!" I suppose that could be a good sermon illustration for those interested.

SO THEN...

Always good to hear the whole story. Certainly we are called to not make judgment until we hear as much as can be told. And so it was with the situation for our son today. After the interaction it was realized we just had a mid course correction to take care of. Now, we not only thank the Lord for His goodness in the opportunity, but we thank Him for giving us listening ears and for the good work He is accomplishing in this young guys life. Yet another day of seeing the goodness of our God!

JUST ANOTHER MOMENT?

What's in a haircut? Sometimes, very little. You just have to get it done and get on with life. Today's was not just that. In fact the cutter asked, "do you like getting your haircut?" I thought, that's an odd question, but I think it was noticed that I was off somewhere, deep in thought. Today's was an opportunity. An opportunity to display the goodness of God to the unsaved. Beyond that, an opportunity to ponder a bit. Our Lord has been so good to us, particularly good during these brief weeks we have been in NZ. It was an opportunity to take a moment and ponder the display of God's love and goodness in our life. He has brought us so much, brought so many details together, brought so many new relationships and so many new opportunities. One of those is the continued opportunity to train up our son. Seems a bit of mischief has been about in his life and this afternoon will be an opportunity to draw him back and continue to point him in the direction he should go. How good of our God to provide another opportunity for instruction and learning. Our God is indeed a good God, in fact the one and only good God.