Duck race !!!

Every small town has their own crazy novelty and Strathalbyn is no exception. Each year the town has it annual duck race. Thats right a heap of yellow ducks blown down the Angus River. People buy tickets and if their duck is the first to reach the end they win a prize. Below are some pictures of this crazy event.

The return of Ziggy Stardust

This year I have been writing and putting on some puppet plays in the primary school. The plays have shared with the kids that God thinks that they are special and the God is a personal God who we can talk to anytime. The kids have really enjoyed the plays and love seeing Ziggy who is a recurring character. Here are some pictures of the puppets in action.

A pitch black room. Shuffle… Shuffle… Shuffle… Bump ! Sardines … Sardines ! Giggle giggle… Shuffle… Shuffle… Shuffle… Bump! Owww… Shuffle… Shuffle… Shuffle… Bump! Sardines …. OH, found you. This week we had a sleep over with some of the girls that come to our Sonic Fudge group. We had lots of fun eating chocolate, truth or dare and even facials. We had a great time hanging out and getting to know the girls more.

Some ways that you can support us in prayer…

Mandie had a great time at Discovery week.

For the great time we had while Sonja (team teacher) was here.

For the teams financial situation.

For the friendship that are continuing to be built up with girls from Sonic Fudge and our neighbours.

For Rachel’s upcoming holidays.

That we will all continue to stay healthy.

That Li Yean will continue to have more opportunities to build up relationships with those she works with.

For our girls group and Sonic Fudge starting back after the holiday break.

Thankyou for your support by praying for us.

Strath Women’s Team – Li Yean, Mandie and Rachel

This week we have had everything from chocolate to campfires. We had a great time sitting around a campfire with our Sonic Fudge kids. Roasting marshmallows, eating potatoes and sausages. The perfect way to spend a cold winters night. We have also enjoyed this week having our neighbours over to watch Pride and Prejudice and eating lots of chocolate.

Some ways you can support us in prayer…

- Please pray for the team dynamic as Mandie is on holidays and Li Yean is away for 5 days. Please pray for safety and for Rach as she looks after the house on her own.

- We thank God for the contacts that we have in town and how these friendship are growing

- We thank God for the dinner we had with one of the local Pastors and his family and that the time we spent with them was encouraging for both of us.

- Please pray for the time we are spending with our neighbours, particularly with the two teenage girls

- Please pray that the people we have invited to Broken Hill Discovery Week will be enthusiastic and want to come

- Please pray for our girls group. Pray for Kayla who has not been for a while. She is having a rough time at home and has moved out. Please pray we will be able to continue to have contact with her.

Thankyou for supporting us with your prayers

The Strath Women’s Team – Li Yean, Mandie and Rachel

The red rust colour of the desert plains roll into lush green fields and rolling hills. The blue sky turns a vibrant pink as the sun disappears on the horizon. Slowly the towns become more frequent, we see the blazing lights and enter the bustle of the city. The trip back from Broken Hill was a great time to reflect on God’s grandeur and the beauty in His creation.

Some ways you can support us in prayer…

We thank God for a safe trip back from mini muster in Broken Hill and a great time there.

That Mandie has a restful holiday and safe travel

For team dynamic during this time of comings and goings

For wisdom and direction with our girls group

That we can continue to stay healthy during this winter season

For wisdom as Li Yean and Andrew consider starting a home group

For our Sonic Fudge group, that the kids will have a good time and know something more of God’s kingdom through the time we spend with them

Thankyou very much for supporting us with your prayers.

This past week has been busy for the Strath Women’s Team. The week started with a visit from five of the students and staff from the Broken Hill Centre. They were here conducting some Cornerstone information sessions at a couple of high schools in Adelaide. It was fun and exciting having a full house, a great time hanging out and catching up with them. We also enjoyed having Pete Vol (Dean of Missions) visit and our time we had with him as a team reflecting and reviewing our year so far.

Some ways you can prayerfully support us…

That each of us will stay healthy and recover from the colds and flues during this winter season.

For wisdom for Mandie as she looks at girls group and sets the tone and direction.

For Li Yean as she looks of ways to take her friendships at work deeper.

For Mandie as she goes on two weeks holidays. That this would be a restful and refreshing time.

For the students that were at the Cornerstone information sessions.

For safe travel to the mini-muster in Broken Hill this weekend. That our mini-bus will run well and repairs to it will fix the problems we have been having.

For our team dynamic. That we would grow in grace and love as a team.

That we will be able to reflect well from our team review time.

Thankyou for your prayers and support.

Strath Women’s Team – Li Yean, Mandie and Rachel

This week on the Strath Women's team....
Sonny, Maria and Mel were visiting from Broken Hill. We had a fun time getting to know them and they joined in with our girls group. We went to the beach and Maria cooked a traditional Pakastani meal. It was great to hear their stories and our girls enjoyed them aswell. This morning I picked up Li Yean who is very tired and cold trying to get used to the time difference and temperature! Its great to have her back again.

Praise God that....
Li Yean is back and had a good time away with family and friends.
Girls group is going really well.
Rachel has a new job opportunity.
Mandie can get some rest.

Please Pray for...
wisdom for Rachel's new job opportunity
Team dynamic now with Li Yean is back
wisdom for girls group
Li Yean settling back into team life
team effectiveness

We thank you for your prayers

Mandie

The Strathalbyn Women's Team

This week on the Strathalbyn Women's team has been quiet apart from the ‘whats gross the most’ Sonic Fudge. I was going green while eating the green eggs and ham dinner with everyone sharing their gross stories! The Kids really enjoyed getting all mucking and gross. I gave permission to some of the boys to get Matt back for all the gross stuff he had planned, although it didn't work because of the ultra thick porridge Matt had made :) We had a new member helping us out with Sonic Fudge this week a local guy Matt, we're very glad to have him on board! In this next week we look forward to having Sonja and a few first year girls come down and help out with girls group next week. Pray that all goes well

Could you please pray for...
Mandie as she has a big work load, that she wont get burnt out and will still be effective
Rachel as she builds relationships with the kids in her new job
Tab as she looks after her Mum and her Sister, pray that she too wont get burnt out
Li Yean as she is on holidays and connecting with people there
Girls group that God would give us direction for it as the dynamics are changing

We are thanking God at the moment for....
The openness in our girls group and the relationships that are developing there
The fun that is happening at Sonic Fudge and the seeds that are being planted
The reminder that all we have to do is keep our focus on Jesus
Financial relief

We thank you for your prayers

Mandie

The Strathalbyn Women's Team

My turn

Well the weather is beautiful here and the time so relaxing! Wish you were here.

Two of those statements are false. Stuff in Ballarat is pretty full on. These past couple of days in particular have been quite intense, and I'm just very glad that my self esteem is healthy! I've very much wanted to run away, go back to team and ignore life here. But I'm not going to do that - as attractive as it sounds. Please keep praying for my family.

On a positive note, I met one of the Ballarat girls, and while my intentions to actaully catch up with all the team are thwarted everytime so far, I plan to spend time with them at community nights... think taht will work ok. I've also been invited to a small group which consists of ppl in their 20s and 30's, at the church I thought that I mite go to. It is a fight for me to not get cranky at the way contemporary church is run, but I think its a fight I should fight within myself, and not be a snob! In return, I have already been offered a genuine chance to be a part of a group of young XNs, and I'm kind of getting excited about it. Community is totally under-rated, until ur removed from it. I miss it.

This is growing and changing me... as a team we set a goal to learn gracefulness as a pattern of life this year. I think I'm having an intensive practical course in it right now. For sure grace and love are the only weapons I have here that have any chance at effectivness.

Back from the Hill...

Well I arrived back from Broken Hill last night. I had a great week catching up with a few people, Sonja and the Whalleys and getting to know the new first years. There is an old dump filled with lots of glass bottles on the edge of town (thats all the location details cause its very secret spot) and Helen, Patrick, Donny and myself had a great time getting dirty and finding many old hidden treasures. I was very excited to find a very old bottle that was over 100 years old with, John Penrose, Silverton, printed on the side. If your interested in Australian history Silverton is one town to check out, rich with history. I had a jam with Helen and very slowly my skills on guitar is improving. Friendship and community, catching up with mates is such a rich gift from God. The majority of my time was taken up painting Sonja's dining room, cream with blue feature wall. It was great fun and relaxing and was very fun to celebrate with a dinner party in the revamped room. I gave Mandie a bit of a scare last night when we met up. Aparently I looked like I'd been in a fight and I neglected to give her prior warning of this. I had an altercation with a curb and got a black eye and small cut and another altercation with a hammer with has left my left hand very painful and limited in movement. Going for x-ray tomorrow. I'm now back and into the swing of things. With just me and Mandie holding the fort for 2 weeks life is going to be busy and juggling things that have to be done, mission and work. I start my new job on Saturday and I apreciate your prayers. Well live continues on.... Bring it on.... Run hard, do your duty and keep your sheer doggard endurance in this battle we are in... Remember we are on the winning side that leads and gives us to life to the fullest.

hello from malaysia

i knew full well when i landed in Kuala Lumpur, there would be no more flight to Penang. i was prepared to bus it! i have no idea what time the bus leave!
i rush straight out from the airport to central bus station... and guess what ...with out the right currency! i was a bit stuck when i needed to purchase the ticket...there was no 'plastic money' transection for this sort of business. after some running around i managed to find an auto teller that accept my bank card.
at home phone kept ringging and people asked where i want to go and what i want to do. it is a good idea not to have a mobile phone.
anyway, at the moment i am at my cousin's . meet my cousins ...phaik lee on my left and lee phing on my right
we are about to go out, lots of eating to do

This week on the Strath Women's team...
Girls group sleep over went fantastic with a trip into the city then me and the girls sleeping in the lounge room, waking up at 3am to have some good chats. All fun and games until someone loses some sleep... Rachel bounded home this week with the exciting news of getting a regular babysitting job with just the right hours for her. We're all still trying to figure out how to live without Tab, how to balance mission and jobs as she is away and will probably be gone for longer than expected. We all appreciate your prayers for the team and Tab in Ballarat as we all do what God has called us to do at this time.

Praise Points:
Rachel has got a job that suits her well and that she enjoys.
Girls group is going really great and the relationships are deepening.
Work is settling down into a good rhythm.
Rachel gets to go to Broken Hill for a good holiday.
Li Yean to Brueni soon!!

Prayer points:
Pray that Rachel has a good time and rest in Broken Hill.
Pray for a good transistion peroid with all the comings and goings
Pray that we all find a good balance
Pray for Mandie as she is left behind for a little while to hold the fort
Pray that we can take the girls group relationships a bit further.
Pray for Tab as she is still in Ballarat and it looks like she wil there for a longer period of time than expected.
Pray that Li Yean has wisdom to lead and make decisions with the new team dynamics.

Thanks for your support

Mandie

Strathalbyn Women's team
21 South Terrace
Strathalbyn SA
5255
ph: 08 8536 2817

Where is Tab???

Ok, in answer to your question. I'm in Ballarat. Hang on a minute... why is a Strath girl in Ballarat? Well, I'm on team there... but not on the Ballarat team. Confused yet??

Here's the story. I'm a Ballarat girl in that I was born and raised withinan hour of Ballarat my whole life, so it's my hometown. Its also where my family live. At the momnet my faily are going thru a bit of bad stuff. My mum has a mental illness which has been at crisis point for the past few years. The rest of my siblings are here, at home, and they're finding it heaps tough. They're tired and worn out. So I'm in Ballarat to help out basically, and give as much suport as possible, and to bring the life of the Kingdom of God into their lives. To show that God IS Good despite the apparent evidance otherwise.

So I'm on "special mission" for a time. I don't know how long that time will be. Mum's pretty out of it at the moment, and it looks like a really long road to wholeness, and she's not enirely sure she even wants to go there. I'm sad to be away from team - the place I've wanted to be for ages, and felt so at home in. However I know that this is the mission God has given me for today.

I'm sharing this because I beg you to pray with me for this family. Pray for healing of mum's mind, and for a willingness to live. Pray for a healing of a lifetime of wounds each of my siblings have to deal with, and above all, please pray that each of them come to know the goodness and reality of our God.

It's Easter Sunday today and I think we all truly want to live the life that Christ has called us to. On Friday night we went to the German arms hotel in Hahndorf for our last dinner with Tab for awhile. She left Saturday morning with her sister Hope for Ballarat. It was a sudden change for team. Tab has gone home for awhile to help out her family while her mother is ill. On Thursday night we had a passover dinner with our next door nieghbours and the Aitchisons. Everyone had a great time eating traditional foods and remembering the passover story.

Praise God:
That Li Yean is going to Brunei for a three week Holiday!
Rachel is getting engaged. (Just joking, thanks Mandie, he he he)
Girls group is going really well with natural friendship
For the receptivity we have experienced with the friendships in town.

Please Pray:
For Tab as she lives in Ballarat for awhile, that she can do well there and that team unity will not be effected but grow stronger.
That Li Yean can be sensitive to her brother and his family while she is with them.
That we will work out the team dynamics now in terms of work and mission.
That Mandie's work will settle into a routine.

Thanks for your prayers

Li Yean asked me to make her an earflap beanie. So I did. Doesn't she look cute??????

I have really enjoyed the theology studies that are lead, via video, by Paul Roe. Here is an extract from CS Lewis that I really enjoyed reading in the studies.

'In a way I quite understand why some people are put off by Theology. I remember once when I had been giving a talk to the R.A.F., and old hard-bitten officer got up and said "I've no use for all that stuff. But mind you, I'm a religious man too. I know there's a God. I've felt Him: out alone in the desert at night: the tremendous mystery. And that's just why I don't believe all your neat little dogmas and formulas about Him. To anyone who's met the real thing they all seem so petty and pedantic and unreal!"

Now in a sense I quite agreed with that man. I think he had probably had a real experience of God in the desert. And when he turned from that experience to the Christian creeds, I think he really was turning from something real to something less real. In the same way, if a man looked at the Atlantic from the beach, and then goes and looks at a map of the Atlantic, he also will be turning from something real to something less real: turning from real waves to a bit of coloured paper. But here comes the point.

The map is admittedly only coloured paper, but there are two things you have to remember about it. In the first place it is based on what hundreds of thousands of people have found out by sailing the real Atlantic. In that way it has behind it masses of experience just as real as the one you could have from the beach; only, while yours would be a single glimpse, the map fits all those different experiences together. In the second place, if you want to go anywhere the map is absolutely necessary. As long as you are content with walks on the beach, your own glimpses are far more fun than looking at a map. But the map is going to be more use than walks on the beach if you want to get to America.'

(CS Lewis - Mere Christianity)

I'd like to hear what you think about what Lewis had to say.

Here is our latest prayer update

This morning Li Yean and Mandie got up at 5:30am to pick Tab up from the bus stop. It was cold and dark. Niether of us spoke very much. Tab was sitting at the bus stop waiting for us for about half an hour after a long bus trip and even longer week. We went to McDonalds for breakfast as our family fun day. I got to chat to a girl that I'll soon be working with. We came home and had worship. Tab read out Romans 12, remembering that each and every moment of our lives is an act of worship. This is what God has called us to.


Praise points:
^Mandie has been able to talk to a few interested people about Cornerstone through her work training.
^Praise God that we are able to have Li Yean's bosses over for dinner tonight
^Thank God that the Christian school is really excited about having us help in there school
^Matt, Tab and Li Yean met with local youth group leader to discuss about going into the public high school to have disscussion groups, praise God for this opportunity.
^Praise God for Mandie's new job that officially starts on thursday

Prayer points:
^Please pray for Tab as she has just come back from an emotionally draining week in Ballarat
^Please pray for wisdom as we try and balance the load of work and mission between us all.
^Please pray that the transition will go smoothly with all the work changes going on
^Please pray that we beter work as a team while going through this difficult period, pray that God will use it to make us each like Himself.

Thank you so much for your prayers, they do not go un-noticed. Please send us your prayer requests also. We would love to be hearing from you!

It's all the happening on the Strathalbyn Women's Team this week... we've had lots of guest over for dinner. Our new English nieghbours are finding themselves comfortable with us. The littlest one, Maddy, who's only four pops by whenever she feels like it. It is quite fun to have her about the place. Although some of the girls are getting quite chlucking, I won't mention any names! We are starting to get a regular attendance to Sonic Fudge and our girls group which is fantastic!


Some things to praise God for...
~that Mandie has just got a new job at Woolworths
~that Tab is able to go back and see her family who are going through a hard time at the moment
~that new prospects for work for Li Yean and Rach are looking promising
~that we are getting know parents as well as kids from Sonic Fudge


Please pray for...
~Tab as she goes back to a difficult situation in Ballarat
~Rachel's health to keep on improving
~that we don't fall into the trap of busyness
~that we will be intentional and selective with seeking out one or two disciples each
~that Mandie will make good decision with work and that her boss will be fine with it
~that Mandie will go well with her induction this Saturday


We greatly appreciate your prayers

The Strathalbyn Women's Team
21 South Terrace
Strathalbyn
SA 5255
Ph: 08 8536 2817

Here is the picture from our prayer letter below.

This week has been a great week for the Strath Team. Tonight we had our
Pastor, his wife and kids over for dinner. It was great fun to give Donna a
break from cooking and to talk to them out of a Church context. We had four
girls come to our girls group on Tuesday afternoon. We had fun eating
chocolate fondue, talking about what we wanted to do with the girlsgroup,
sharing some stories and having a great big pillow fight.
This week's photo is of the stuff we brought from the donation we received.

THANK GOD...
#For relationships within the community moving forward.
#For our girls group that went really well!
#For our new neighbours who have just moved in with three young girls.
#For the Murraylands (Christian school) meeting that went well.

Please Pray...
*for Tab's hand to get better.
*for the RI seminars coming up in the public schools.
*for Rachel's health.
*for us to get to know the new nieghbours better.
*for Rach and Tab's studies, that they will be able to put what they
learn into practise.
*for good time use and sustainablity for the team
*for Mandie's Chiropractic appointment next week (first ever!!).

Sporting fever run amock tonight. Tab and Mandie verses Li Yean and Rach in a game of 'hallway soccer'. Energy levels running high, bumping each other to get the ball, Mandie and Rach pegging the ball from one goal (the doors at each end) to the other. We finally decided to end the game after the ball came a little to close to the light for our liking, then off to do the dishers. Ealier in the night we had the Hodgeson's over for dinner. Great converstion was had and fun games with their kids. Friendships are really developing in town. We have just started our girls group, our youth group 'Sonic Fudge' is next Wednesday and we have had a couple of people over for tea. We also have new neighbours move in and we look forward to getting to know them. I'm really excited by the opportunities that are opening up and enjoying having people share in our team life. Well the night is getting on and we are all winding down. Sweet mellow gutair can be heard in the background.


P.S -Just as a random weird end to this post. If you like ridiculous silly stick in your head songs check out - The Llama Song

[Tab Edit 11:10pm]"a little to close to the light for our liking" means that the ball actaully hit the light and sent it swinging! Oh, and it was me playing the "sweet mellow guitar" :) I like that Rach, Thanx!!!

Well tonight has been a great celebration of St Patrick's Day. Strathalbyn is to much of a sleepy town to care about St Patty's Day so me and Tab decided to show them how it is done. Here is how we got into the festive spirit.

Tab and Rach's list of 'How to truly celebrate St Pat's'
-Wear green all day (must be unmatching)
-Curse the bloody English
-Drink Guinness from cans
-Sing Celtic Hymns
-Play pool on a green table
Sit on some green grass
-Call Erinn
-Rev Helen about Ireland
-Sit on green garden chairs inside
-Write down all the Irish things we could do
-Argue the finer points of AFL and Union footy, then agree that League is lame
-listen to U2
-Read CS Lewis
-Catch a leprechaun (oh no wait its just Rach)
-Eat potato products in commemoration of the potato famine (grr English)
-Search for gold
-Talk about watching Irish DVD's
-Try and figure out why Bono changed his name, without any actual facts
-Prank Pizza Runners
-Eat green icecream
-Teach Rach how to make the colour green

Let us know how you celebrated St Patty's Day

Love:

It’s worthless to be doing anything, to give my time to team, to give my income to team, to give my whole life for the Kingdom of God if I do it without love. There’s no point in understanding New Testament Greek, in the purest of exegesis and practical application, in the most sound of theology if I neglect love. If my worship is inspiring and my disciples multiplying, without love I might as well leave it all.

Who is love? She is my pattern of life. “This Love of which I speak is slow to lose patience - she looks for a way of being constructive. She is not possessive: she is neither anxious to impress nor does she cherish inflated ideas of her own importance.
Love has good manners and does not pursue selfish advantage. She is not touchy. She does not keep account of evil or gloat over the wickedness of other people. On the contrary, She is glad with all good men when truth prevails.
Love knows no limit to her endurance, no end to her trust, no fading of her hope; she can outlast anything. She is, in fact, the one thing that still stands when all else has fallen.”
I can stop trying to know everything, predict everything, and control everything. Everything here is unfinished, and will remain so until the consummation of God’s Kingdom.
Being childish, I think and act and behave like a child; no more of this! I am a woman, and must be rid of these childish things, they’re not fitting for my life as daughter of God. For the moment it’s all a bit blurry – reality that is. I can’t see it yet, but I will! At that time it will be splendid and dazzling in it’s perfection. I will see myself, my deepest soul, and the truth of God as easily as I see my face in the mirror – just how God sees me!
There are three things in life that are worth holding to; faith, hope and love. Without a doubt, the most prized of all is love.

The section in quotation marks is from JB Phillips Translation of 1 Corinthians 13. I have replaced “it” with “she” for the purpose of demonstrating to myself that I can actually, with God’s Spirit become this! When love is what I am, not what I do, it is no longer a result of ambition, or a vehicle to achieve success. Love will be my hero, my mentor, my tutor. The Spirit of Love, living in me can do this.

**This is a creative piece that I wrote for Christian Discipleship Assesment 1. It's challenged me.

This week has been a full one for the Strath women's team! We had a
fantastic experience on Monday night with a worship time including both
Strath teams, the Aitchisons and Sonja 4 different Cornerstone groups [or
their representatives!] how exciting!! It was a beautiful time.

Our house has been pretty busy this week, Mandie going to Dubbo and back,
plus meetings and visitors galore!

Things that we are praising God for this week:
-------------------------------------------------
+Mandie is going well in her studies, only a few assignments left!
+Discussions with Mandie & Li Yean's boss Jane have been going well [she
expressed interest in reading Mere Christianity last week].
+That friendships build in town last year are continuing now.
+We were given a coffee table [made out of real wood, not Tab's cardboard
boxes!].
+The Team has been invited to regularly attend the Combined Churches
Council meetings.
+ The churches are understanding that we have a different ethos and
strategies.
+Discussions with Kay [the primary school chaplain] went well.
+Rachel has picked up some casual shifts at the Childcare centre again.
+Tab is beginning to build relationships at work.
+Our Sonic Fudge [joint youth group venture with Stephenson Team] planning
meeting went well.

Things that we're remembering in prayer this week:
-----------------------------------------------------
+Courage for Mandie to attend dance classes again this year.
+For Mandie to continue to push ahead and complete her studies.
+That Rachel will be wise & discerning in making decisions about work.
+That Rachel will continue to learn from her studies
+Rachel would like to get into the primary school [for mission, not as a
student!]
+Rachel's health-for it to improve.
+Our first Sonic Fudge is Wednesday 15th Feb.
+Our Housewarming Party is this Saturday 11th Feb.
+Please pray for Jane [Mandie & Li Yean's boss] as she reads, that she'll
see the truth.
+we're looking for a way to get into the Eastern Fleurieu High School, and
continue relationships built last year with this year's year 7 girls.
+That Tab will not get weary in her 2nd week of full time work. [It is
part time after the 16th...yay!]

Thanx for your prayers and encouragement! We appreciate you all immensely. 

It's been a busy week on the Strath women's team!

Things to be praising God for this week...

• That Li Yean & Matt's report at the Strath Minister's Fraternal was received well, they are aware of the presence of the separate teams in town and of our purpose in Strath.
• That Rachel and Tab are on track for their team studies this year, and Mandie has almost finished!
• That Li Yean has had a couple of hours work this past week.
• That Tab's work has started and she has great hours for 2 weeks (good help for team coffers!)
• That an answering machine was provided.

Things we are continuing in prayer about...

• The Combined Churches meeting the team has been invited to this friday - the 3rd, that the congregations will see and understand what we are here for, and get to know us.
• Our housewarming on the 11th.
• Sonic Fudge (10-15yrs) youth group - Starting for '06 on the 15th.
• For both Rachel and Mandie's health, that God will give them healing.
• That Mandie will persevere in studies, in order to graduate in March.
• That Rachel and Li Yean will find suitable work [good hours and suited to their skills], and that Mandie's work will be stable.
• That all of us will be well rested!
  

Just a note; we apologize for the difficulty people have encountered trying to reach us by phone. Praise God that we now have an answering machine for when we're all out, but we also need to ask God that our broadband Internet connection comes through quickly [we've been told we will have to wait 2 or more months].

Yesterday we uncovered a treasure in our kitchen... a real wood stove! The landlord pulled off the boards that had been covering it and said we could use it... sweet!

The first week of team has been pretty cruisey. Work doesn't start for me til next week. Li Yean and Rach are still looking for work... we celebrated Chinese New Year by having a jam. That is all of us played guitar together - with Rach and Mandie opting to swap their guitars for rythym sticls and bongos occasionally.

Also, Li Yean and I made jam, from nectarines. Mmmm, yum. Good times. They call this the honeymoon period. It must be. I have a clean room...

first days

I’m sitting here, for the first time in 4 days… alone! The team have gone to MT Barker, and I’m staying here to organise my newly moved in belongings.

I’m not sure at the moment that I’m quite certain how things on team are supposed to work. I think that tomorrow we may have a chance to talk, about what our responsibilities etc are. I’ve set up my study area [it looks good and functional] so I’m ready to begin studies. I’ve also been working on an internet connection – for now we have dial-up until broadband is connected – and there’s a queue for that. I suspect that I begin work sometime at the beginning of Feb. I can’t quite remember when, so there will have to be a trip into the city to change over my licence and get my printer repaired before that I guess. So much to do! But it’s much less pressured than the end of 1st year was. Thank God!

Tomorrow is Aust Day. There is Breakfast in the park at 7am to celebrate – which of course the team will be attending. No Cornerstone team passes up something for nothing!! I think that I will also begin team studies (2nd yr) tomorrow. Our first module is one on evangelism.

I’m very excited about the beginning of this year – with just a little trepidation ( Well, it’s nice to have some solitude for a while, so I’m going to go and relish it, and then maybe take a stroll around the town.

Woo Hoo!! Very ecxiting news is that Tab has a job! She will be working for CLASS, in the new R&R Centre.

So we had team planning. Wow! It was both exciting and scary to drive down to Strath with the team teachers - Russ for the Stevo's team, and Sonja our team teacher, and begin!

Mainly what we have done so far is decide on a purpose, goals and strategies. These are really important for a group to be going in the one direction! We also had some chocolate fondue, shared where we've come from so far and begun to set up a house... yay!

I'm in Broken Hill again to finish my 1st yr studies, Rach and Mandie are staying in Strath, and Li Yean is spending one more week in Swan Hill, and then on the 24th of January.... It begins!