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!