Hard to believe it's been almost two months since our last post. Life has settled into a routine of work, church & school and somehow I don't get as much time to take photos or get out exploring. I have become used to the accents and the scenery, but every once in a while I stop and smile when I see something I would not see in Canada. We headed out on an adventure this week while the kids were out of school on their winter break and we had a beautiful winter's day to enjoy, and I had a few of those surreal moments...
We drove about two hours south to a national park called Wilson's Promontory. The southern part of the park was closed due to flood damage from earlier this year, but we enjoyed exploring an area in the northern section of the park where the kangaroos and emus roam free in the wild. I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing a kangaroo hopping around in front of me on the grass or lazing in the sun....
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| Looking for kangaroos.. |
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| A shy emu |
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| Checking out the humans! |
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| Views in Wilson's Prom |
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| Snoozing in the sun! |
After an hour of watching kangaroos and emus, we headed to another area of the park for a walk through a lovely section of forest where the fires had been through in 2009. It's amazing to see the charred tree trunks from what must have been a horrific fire and the new growth coming up..
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Evidence of the fires
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| Signs of rebirth |
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The kids have just finished their second two-week holiday of the year, with the second semester starting next week. The week before holidays Jonathan spent his mandatory Grade 10 week doing work experience for a Christian friend of ours who owns a pie shop. Getting him there for 5:00 am every day was a challenge for Nelson and I, but the experience was a great one for him. There is a lot of pressure put on kids in Grade 10 to sort out their career path and he has felt a bit overwhelmed by it all, but we are just praying that the Lord will give him a clear sense of direction. Cameron continues in Grade 7 and seems to be doing well, having skipped Grade 6. He was chosen as one of two in his grade to compete in a district spelling bee in August, so that was quite an accomplishment! Brady is doing really well in Grade 4 and loves his class. The Lord has given him a wonderful teacher and teacher's aide, who have him "figured out" and challenge him every day. The school finally got a response to their funding request for him, which unfortunately was much less than he needs, but thankfully they have not changed anything for this year and will re-apply at the end of the year for more aide time for next year. We are so grateful for such a great school and a vice principal who is a very caring person.
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| Aussie architecture - love it! |
It's been a quiet two weeks for them, mostly at home with me working, but they enjoyed a day out with Dad this week, taking a train ride into Melbourne and exploring the Melbourne library and the museum, and taking a tram ride around the city. We all went to see Cars 2 last night for Brady, who enjoyed it immensely! It will be good to be back to routine tomorrow however, with a little space between the kids!
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| Waiting for the tram in the middle of the street in Melbourne! |
Our journey has taken another turn and we start a new chapter this week, with Nelson going to school full time at Melbourne School of Theology (MST). For so many of our years of marriage we have felt the Lord leading us towards ministry on a bigger scale and Nelson's dream has always been to study theology and use the gifts the Lord has given him. Financially it has always seemed like an impossible dream, but the Lord has been closing doors and opening new ones during our time here. The injuries to Nelson's elbow have proven to be more long-term than we first expected and they have made carpentry work very difficult and painful, with more damage being caused the longer he continues to work. Although university education is no longer free for Aussie citizens, the government has made it much more affordable and accessible than it was in Canada. We have been blessed to meet an amazing Christian financial planner here, who is working along side us to give us guidance as we work through all the details. We truly see the Lord's hand in it all and we are trusting Him as we go forward. It will take three years of full-time studies for Nelson to get his Honours Bachelor of Theology, at which point he hopes to start teaching undergrads while continuing his studies. We are open to whatever path the Lord leads us to, but at this point that is the direction we are heading. The studies are a joy for Nelson, but re-educating at 41 and the changes to us as a family will have it's challenges. We covet your prayers as we start the journey!
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| Who knew???! - wish I'd seen the sign sooner....! |
I continue to keep busy with transcription work here at home. I am very blessed to have steady work from an online company, enabling me to work my own hours and be available for the kids here at home. The distractions of home can be challenging however, so I appreciate your prayers as I try to get more disciplined with my time! Ideally I would like to just be working during school hours so that I can be a mom and wife the rest of the time, so have to get more organised!
Thank you all for your prayers for us last weekend, as we missed being in Canada for my family reunion. It was so hard not to be with our loved ones there, but they had a wonderful time celebrating my parents' 60th wedding anniversary. We had a chance to have a Skype visit with them all and were once again so grateful for the wonders of Skype! Somehow it makes life a little more bearable when you can actually see family!
Well, that's about all the news for now. We miss you all and think of you often! xo
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| What lies beyond the hill is unknown, but He holds it all in His hand and there is no place we'd rather be! |
