Busy Week!

On the blog I enjoy sharing occasionally on a personal level what is going on "behind the scenes" as our family serves the LORD in Australia.  Nearly six months ago, our family moved to Sydney.  So much has happened in that time!  It has been exciting to see God's faithfulness in establishing us among amazing friends and family in Christ.

Laura has been homeschooling the boys and things have been going well.  Yet when a wonderful door of opportunity for our sons opened at Norwest Christian College (a local private school), we decided to go for it!  This week has been very busy in meeting for interviews, gathering the paperwork for enrollment, and Zed sat an exam for a scholarship.  Today we are meeting with a staff member to discuss enrollment and finances. We are thankful to have a God as a Father who knows our spiritual, practical, and financial needs.  We are also grateful to many who have financially aided us through donations.

As far as the church goes, it seems like things are gaining momentum in a hurry!  I was able to do some physical work at church this week which is a great blessing, enabling me to dust off some gifts and feel a sense of accomplishment.  I did some painting and assembled a new BBQ, a must for a proper Aussie church fellowship.  We plan to start hosting a BBQ lunch after service around once a month for starters, and hope that it will be a blessing and encouragement to those at our church.  With a ladies clothing exchange tonight, upcoming men's retreat and church conference, and a mid-week Bible study in the planning stages, there is no shortage of work to be done.  Pray for us!  We are very excited as we see God's plans unfold.

I have also continued service work outside of the church with the Pyjama Angel Foundation.  It is a volunteer organization focused on mentoring and promoting literacy with kids in foster care.  For one hour a week, my role is to go to the child's house and read with him, help with homework, and be a consistent positive role model.  I am pleased to say I have been placed with a 10 year-old boy in a local suburb and will pick up games and books next week in preparation.  Needless to say, I am very excited to start.

I recently (this Tuesday) began a workout routine from the book "Workforce Warrior" given me by my dad.  I bought a barbell and 70 kilos of weights off eBay.  Although I did my first workout three days ago, my body feels like I just finished!  I am ridiculously sore, but in my twisted mind that means it must be really effective.  What I like about the program is that it requires a relatively small amount of time and focuses on building strength and an intense cardio-workout at the same time.  The workout was not enjoyable by any means, but no doubt I will enjoy physical benefits if I stick with it.  Since I stopped working in construction and spend more time at the computer, I feel a commitment to fitness as a positive step to overall mental and physical health.

Thanks again for reading the blog and posting comments.  Feel free to browse through the old posts and read what catches your eye.  I pray that God ministers to you powerfully through the Holy Spirit, and that Christ would be your all in all!