PEAS FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER?

Looks like we'll be having garden fresh snap peas for Christmas dinner. Greg and Micah have harvested a bucket full of peas along with a bin full of spinach. Now, I get the job of removing them from the pod. But, we'll all enjoy them.

The previous tenants planted quite a nice garden, containing some veggies we can't even identify. Nonetheless, we are enjoying the results of their labor.

Micah's Mates

With summer in full swing, the boredom has already begun to creep in. Micah was recently invited to spend the day with his mates, Jack and Max. They went to a movie and enjoyed Danish donuts prepared by Max's mom. We wanted to reciprocate, so we invited Jack, Max and Max's brother Toby over for the day. They enjoyed numerous rounds of Wii games, taking turns with wheels and remotes. Then they wanted to walk down to the river for a swim. It's been very muggy here the last few days. Even though the water was cold, they enjoyed themselves. With Christmas just a few days off, soon, nearly everyone we know, will be on holiday (Kiwi's typically go on holiday in January). We thought we'd better take advantage of the boy's availability while they were still here. Notice the three Kiwis are barefoot in the picture. That is a very Kiwi thing. It's not at all uncommon to find people barefoot in the market or restaurant (we're not in Kansas anymore). The boys walked barefoot all the way to the river.

TSBC Graduation

December 11 marked the TSBC graduation, where seven men and one woman were awarded the Diploma of Biblical Studies. It was a wonderful ceremony with a reception following. We were privileged to meet the parents of at least two students. Greg was asked to do the Scripture reading. We look forward to graduating many more students to full-time ministry, Lord willing.

Micah's First Campout

The end of the school year also brought an annual event for Micah's grade level. During the last full week of school, his entire class went on a two night camp-out. Camp Wakarara welcomed twenty-five level 6 and 7 students. The class hiked a four hour hike up the mountain and two hours back down.

Micah loved it!

Micah the keen Rugby player

Micah enjoyed learning rugby by joining the school's rugby touch team this term. His team of nine players were inexperienced, but they played hard and had lots of fun. That's Micah running hard with the ball (blue/green; opponent in red).

End of School Year

With the end of the school year for The Shepherd's Bible College, the students wanted to express their appreciation for their faculty. They hosted a lovely bbq in honour of the men who have taught them throughout the year. What a blessing to be ministered to by this wonderful bunch of young people. Several have returned to their hometowns and will begin new ministries there. Others will return next year for another round of training. With Greg developing further training, there is more of the programme to complete. In just the short time we've been here, it's been exciting to watch the Lord work in their lives.

New Friends

Now that we're finally in our own home, we wanted to begin having people over for dinner. Knowing they'd soon be leaving for their overseas Christmas holiday, we decided to invite Reuben and Verity. Reuben just graduated from The Shepherd's Bible College (12/11) and Verity is working part-time as our church secretary. We thoroughly enjoyed the evening with this dear couple that we have quickly come to love.