Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere

10 differences of Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere:

10. Driving to look at the christmas lights is pointless until after 9 pm (8:30 sunset)

9.Goodbye Christmas sweaters Hello Christmas Tank tops (much more stylish I must say)

8. Most of the Christmas songs--meaningless--"I'm dreaming of a White Christmas"; "Walking in a Winter Winterland"; "Frosty the Snowman"

7.Forget the sleigh, I want a boogie board

6.Santa Clause is wearing shorts

5. You Christmas Shop to get in the air-con

4.We don't have Thanksgiving to tell us when to pull out the decorations

3.I'll pass on the Hot Cocoa and Apple Cider, how 'bout a frozen coke

2.A white Christmas doesn't involve snow.

1.Christmas baking doesn't happen in the oven

Almost half-way!!

Part of me can't believe we are almost done with our first year already!! And part of me can't believe it has only been a year!! We have met so many wonderful people, experienced some of the better days of our lives, and have learned more than one could use in a lifetime!! Matt is almost finished with his second semester of school and we are going to the graduation dinner and ceremonies at the end of the month. We look forward to December and January slowing down for just a bit before next school year kicks off. Matt has had so many amazing opportunities this semester. He led chapel for the second time this past Monday and did a great job (as to be expected). The night before he was in the choir for the new album that Hillsong is recording (which means he had a front row seat to all of the excitement)--I got to sit in the upper section with our amazing connect group!!! We both had a great night...It is overwhelming when our entire church family gets together to worship together. The church has over 25 services throughout the city on any given weekend--sometimes it is easy to forget the huge impact that the church has on the community and the world. But, we get a not so subtle reminder on nights like this...We have been so blessed to be a part of a church so passionate about loving God and loving people...It is difficult when we realize that this season will one day come to an end an we will have to try to take that passion with us...No need to focus on that though--for now, we are trying to focus on absorbing as much as we can...If you didn't get a chance to catch a glimpse of the heart beat of our church in the cinemas...I encourage you to go when the film releases in December...It is called "Hillsong United:We are all in this together"--It is a doco about the church(as a whole not just Hillsong) and its role in our world today--I haven't seen it yet but can't wait to on Nov. 18 (yes, even our films come out in the US first--not fair)--anyhow, the response to it has been amazing so take the time to check it out--you could go see a movie that makes you feel dumber, or one that just might change your life...I choose the latter :) you can pick--Hope all is well on the homestead!! Miss seeing you guys--if you get tired of winter you can come visit--our summer is shaping up quite nicely and Matt won't have school!!!

Adventures with Mom and Dad

We had such a good time with Mom and Dad Windall here. They spoiled us sooo much. They brought us heaps of yummy food (and other stuff) from America. You just don't know what you miss until you can;t get it anymore :) We were so glad they were able to come and visit and see a little bit of our life.

One of our highlights was a huge duststorm that came through on Wednesday morning. (Being that we are al extreme weather junkies...we loved it, unlike the rest of Australia ;) All night Tuesday we experienced tropical storm strength winds and woke up to a red glow in the sky. Apparently, since we couldn't get to the outback, the outback came to us. The winds had blown in heaps of dust from the central of Australia out to the coast. It lasted about half the day and then we all just drove around with red cars and had to dust the red out of every crevice of our house. (Good thing mom and dad were here to help).

I think we may have tired them out a bit. There aren't many sleep in days when you have to see all the beauty and keep busy with the responsibilities of life. Dad had to find time in between the many beautiful sites. And we let him have a comfy chair at home so he could sit on the porch when he had time.

Mom loved all of the birds and we stopped quite a bit to get pics of all of the colorful birds. The problem with this one was I was so overwhelmed with getting the photo, I forgot to put the car in park so as mom was getting out of the car and I took my foot off the brake the car started to run over moms foot...oops!!! Fortunately dad was there to help--Sorry mom!!! At least we got the pic.Aside from the birds, mom and dad found some other Aussie friends. Dad spoiled his letting him eat right out of the bag. Good thing mom stepped in and made him share with the other two, making sure they all got a bit to eat.Dad got to cook his fair share of BBQ's while visiting us...At this one in particular, his job wasto make sure the meat didn't jump off the barbie...:) Yum!!! Well that is a quick look at our adventures with mom and dad. We saw so many amazing sites and ate lots of yummy food and had heaps of fun. Guess you will have to come and check it out for yourself...

Spring in Oz

Behold the Emerald City!!! Finally the gray of winter is passing and the green of Spring is emerging.  More than ever we are experiencing the new life that spring brings. (No, we are not pregnant) There is energy in the air that is unmistakable.  In the life of our church it seems as if each week new people are coming out of hibernation and bringing excitement into the house.  Our street team continues to make new relationships as the enticing air breaks the barriers of sealed doors and windows.  Most of all we feel God working in our lives growing us and pruning us to fulfill his plan in our life.  Oh, and I cannot forget to mention the emerging spider I witnessed crawling across our carpet.  It was all black and its body was the size of the top two sections of my pinky.  He died from blunt force trauma.  They ruled his death a homicide.  

We continue to love our home.  Right now, I am typing from under a clothes line strung across our apartment.  I washed 5 loads of laundry in 25 minutes today (there are some perks to using a laundromat), now they must air dry before mom and dad arrive.  Speaking of, we are so excited for mom and dad Windall to get here in about 30 hours.  It is always a new adventure when we have company and so much fun to hear their perspective of our new world. 

We trust that everybody at home is well.  We are so grateful that our friends and family have supported us on this amazing adventure.  Everyday we wake up with a new appreciation for this opportunity.  It is hard to believe we have been here for 8 months already.  We have learned and experienced so much it is as if 3 life times have been crammed into just a few short months.  So much is hard to share because words just cannot capture how God works.  Expect the unexplainable so that God may be glorified in your circumstances.

Greatness...

We have finally reached the first day of Spring and can feel the excitement in the air that comes along with the warm sun and cool winds.  It is as if we are finally coming out of hibernation.  :) This past week has been really great.  To start with, Matt and I have been leading a Team for the City Care ministry we are a part of called Street Teams.  We just had a whole new lot of students join us, and they are amazing.  The ministry focuses on people that need to see God's unconditional love in action.  Our new team members have caught onto that vision and embraced it. It is so cool to see how God uses us in the lives of other people to make a huge impact.  This past week, the church had 300 loaves of bread donated that we were able to take and distribute amongst our community.  Some commented that God made a big impression with only a few loaves when he fed the multitudes..imagine what he can do with 300 loaves :).  Well, our team saw amazing breakthroughs as neighbors that had been hiding behind closed doors suddenly emerged to see what we were up to.  Sometimes we don't know if we make a difference in their lives but this week we God showed us that He is performing a great work in the community we serve. We had one guy (who has demonstrated a bit of drug use) tell us that he is now volunteering at a food bank/drug rehab center. He said he is over living on drugs. 

I guess you can say we are a bit excited about our Street Teams.  

So then there is our beautiful Methusalah (aka "Meth").  It is time for renewing the registration (already can you believe it. ) The thing is Meth had to be inspected before the process could be completed to insure road safety.  Being that Meth is a bit older we were uncertain as to possible imperfections that one might find needing to be fixed.  But, Meth passed a very short test with flying colors.  

Then Matt is the best server in Sydney.  In a country that does not typically tip their servers, Matt managed to come home with a $192 tip.  His managers were stunned (and a bit jealous :).

His wife went shopping :0.

What is there to say but GOD IS GOOD!!

We are so shocked that September is already here.  It seems like just yesterday we were telling people about the application process with a bit of hesitation.  What an impossible dream, but we will give it a go...and go we did.  We have learned so much on this short journey, lessons that we will cherish for a lifetime.  

For now, we are enjoying springtime in our new home.  Humans are not the only creatures emerging from the winter.  Tonight I killed my first roach...yes, they are bigger in Australia.  We have learned a lot about grace and forgiveness, but that is one trespasser I cannot forgive.  Anyhow, as I will conclude my rambling with this thought.  Are you trusting God for the impossible, or only expecting rational? Our God is out of this world and is not limited by that which can be explained in our world.  Allow him to work the irrational solution in your life so that His Glory can be revealed.

It's about time!!!

Yes I know...It is about time for an update...the problem I am having is where to begin...So I guess we will just start where I left off. 

Kristen...

It was so good to have Kristen with us for 3 weeks.  She challenged us to explore parts of Australia we had not yet gone too.  We got lost (a lot) and found even better places, or scary dark roads made out of gravel that were marked as a major road on the map...She and Tiff went on a 3 day road trip and slept on beach front property (in the car :) Along with the rest of the Australian backpackers (we decided there was a code amongst all travelers that we would all look out for each other, and enjoyed a good nights rest).  I was so glad Kristen could join in for the first night of Hillsong Conference which leads to the next major event of our life of the past 6 weeks. 

Hillsong Conference.....

was amazing.  Hillsong hosted a little over 20,000 church leaders from around the world for four days of leadership training, empowerment, and encouragement.  We were thrilled to hear from some great Americans including Louie Giglio and Chris Tomlin...:)  If you ever get a chance to come to conference, you should definitely come.  It is so encouraging and uplifting.    Matt served as a leader on the catering team (They were responsible for feeding lunch and dinner to 4,000 volunteers.)  And Tiffany volunteered on the team for new christians.  Conference is pretty full on.  Matt would be at the Arena from 7 am till abot 1030 pm.  Which brings us to our next major event. 

Moving...

   So while K was here Matt found an advert for a great furnished place that cost half of what we had been paying.  So he called right away and we fell in love with the place the first time we saw it.  The homeowners are so kind and giving and it just happens that Matt is in class with the owners brother.  So Saturday after conference, we loaded up the car and moved across town to the aforementioned luxury home :)

School holiday...

   Then came school holiday which isn't much of a holiday when you are working as much as you can....so we will skip this week and talk a bit about work...

Jobs....

   Matt is doing so well at Outback.  For a culture that does not tip, they sure are easily persuaded to do so by an American.  Matt is making a good hourly wage as well as an average of $40 in tips....he has been known to come home with $93 and $78 of tips.  It is amazing how God uses people even without there knowing.  Tiffany had decided she should find some more steady work and began working for a house cleaning agency (key phrase here is that Tiffany decided) .  So I have been doing that for about 6 weeks.  It is not my favorite thing to do, but helps pay the bills.  Well about 3 weeks ago, our homeowners asked if I would be interested in watching their son when she goes back to work full time.  Long story short, the only conflict I had were the cleaning jobs.  So again I learn that I need to stick to God's plan...since he can future and I can't.  I quit the cleaning jobs, I should never have taken anyhow...Back to watching the baby...so I will watch him two days a week in exchange for rent and a bit of cash that will exceed the rent amount.  Basically, we are now getting paid to live in our home...Bet there isn't a mortgage like that in America :).  

XANDER....and his mum and dad

   We of course cannot forget this major event.  Matt and I were so thrilled to have Mel, B and the Xander-man with us for 11 days.  We got to do so much.  We got to be with jet-lag Xander, happy Xander, and teething Xander. :)  We went to many of our wonderful beaches, enjoyed an interesting opera, and were blessed with beautiful weather.  Our good Aussie friends Craig and Sarah were gone while Mel and B were here so we were able to use their house which was a huge blessing to have separate rooms for all.  Xander was so flexible the whole time.  He had naps in his pram, in the car, and rarely in a bed.  

Well they left last Saturday...and here I am a week later finally getting a moment to update.  Matt and I decided to sleep in on Monday before we embarked on another very busy week.  Matt has fully started his second semester now.  He has been reassigned to a different extension service on Sunday mornings in Burwood which is closer to the city (and closer to the beaches :)  This service is all in English and they have two services.  We are really excited about this change and look forward to getting to know the people at the service.  Today was the beginning of our second semester with street Teams and we have quite a few new students joining our team that bring a lot of new excitement to our community.   Matt has been given a lot of responsibilities through the college which is keeping him busy and challenging him to grow more as a servant leader.  He is learning so much and leading effective teams.  This has been such an amazing experience for us.  We look forward to each new day to see what God has in store.  It is always a surprise, and never disappointing.  

We've Moved

So word is getting out that we have moved Yeah!!! I just thought I would make a quick list of the things you appreciate after sharing a house with 7 adults (6 girls and Matt).

10. Leaving the house and returning to it looking the same as it did when you left.

9. A bathroom that is 10 steps past the cars in the garage.

8. Coming home to an empty house

7. A bed in your living room

6. A leather couch in your bedroom.

5. You can see your kitchen from your bedroom/living room

4. Hot plates for a stove.

3. Empty shelves in the refrigerator/freezer

2. 275 sq. feet of unshared, personal living space

1. Going to VISIT the girls and having them over for girls night :)

We are so blessed.  God totally orchestrated this living arrangement for us and to Him be ALL the glory.  We are saving $440 dollars a month as well as utilities!! I had told a friend the exact amount of what we wanted to pay (the amount we are now paying) and laughed.  (Oh, but you did laugh Sarai).  I admit it.  I thought it was impossible.  I forgot that nothing is impossible for the mighty God we serve!!!

A week with KK

Here is a quick look at what we have been up to:

-breakfast in bed

-Street Teams and dinner at outback in the outback with the best server "down under"

-Chinese church, Parklea Markets, Church 

-Wentworth Falls (4 hr hike) and the Three Sisters**Kristen runs down the path and sprains her ankle :) 

-Rest the ankle and go to Windsor and the drive-in movies--the 3 of us got to cuddle up in the boot of our car

-Head for Hunter Valley and end up on Cronulla Beaches and Botany Bay**oops!! Tiff went the wrong direction on the Westlink

-Stop by IKEA for a quick walk-about--Kristen discovers great cheap material for window coverings

-Work a bit so we can keep going out (got another job cleaning homes :)

-Tim tam slam** don't cry over spilled milk on the bed spread, just wash it

-Another Tim Tam Slam :)

-Street Teams until noon, eat a quick lunch, drive to Bondi for a lovely stroll along the coast**broken passenger mirror, fixed mirror, lost gloves, found gloves, slow taxi back to the car

-Go to Saturday night city church**only 20 minutes late

-Head off for a nice dinner at Darling Harbour, enjoy Macca's with singing and fireworks

-Now off to English Services after a lazy morning and breakfast

She's Heeeere!!!

KK has been here 3 whole days now.  how much excitement she has brought to our lives.  she is a bit sick for now, but soon the true kk will return and we will be overwhelmed with action :).  For now we have been taking it easy, sleeping with the blue hot water bottle is her favorite :).  Old school in America is apparently new and exciting "down under". We will keep you posted on our adventures to come...hopefully tomorrow we will go down for a Wollongong tour...as for now...it is bedtime. (after I massage kristen's neck.  she has a way of talking me into things)

Winter is Here

And where else is there to go than the mountains in the winter...well they aren't really mountains, but they are called mountains.  Our good friends Craig and Sarah took us on the offiicial blue mountain tour.  Craig navigated our path through the windy mountain roads, and Sarah narrated the road side land marks.  She "elaborates" well on her stories.  We had a great day including a trek down 1000 steps to the valley....and of course back to the top.The three sisters...

The valleys are full of eucalyptus trees..

A dog for a day

This is Jedi...

She didn't stay for long...

She ran home with us...

...and set a good pace...

...but we had to help her find her home.

A little game of catch up

Wow...June has flown by, so here is a quick catch up of what has been happening in our neck of the woods...Of course you know Matt got a job which has been amazing.  He is really enjoying the work and making good tips..(I guess it is ok to flirt as long as they tip, right?!?!?!?).  We did enjoy 

a couple nice day trips and enjoyed some of the nice beauty i

n the area. Here is a peak...

We enjoyed a full moon and midnight picnic(Dominos and a coke) at the beach in Wollongong.

We saw a drop bear...


...and enjoyed a picnic on the river bank in Windsor.


Can't wait to take you guys to our favorite spots :)

So do you think God works in mysterious ways??

Thursday afternoon I went to hand out my resume to a few stores/restaurants. I arrived home at around 3:30. Approximately 25 minutes later I received a call from Max Brennan - The Chocolate Bar, of whom told me that no positions were available. So they called me to set up an interview from Friday afternoon at 4pm. I was thrilled to say the least!!. So after classes on friday I zipped down to the interview and it went splendidly well. Then after helping with the big youth conference at church, I arrived home at 9:50. Then at 10pm, as you do..., I get a phone call and I am asked to come to work on saturday at 5pm....at OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE. I had not even interviewed at this place at all. So saturday afternoon at 5pm I go into work where I observed and assisted a waiter all night. Next week I am on the roster to work Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights. 

 So when you think God isn't answering your prayers, just keep the faith and keep believing that God will work it out for HIS GOOD PLEASURE... not to fit into our plans. Thank you guys for continually praying for us. It is evident that prayer works!!

Trick or Treating for the Salvos

Kind of....So today we had a kind of cool opportunity working with the Salvos (thats Australian for the Salvation Army).  We really discovered the generous heart of Australians.  Instead of going to our usual streets for Street Teams.  Hillsong joined the Salvos for their Red Shield Appeal.  Basically, collecting $$ donations.  Now, you may think how uncomfortable knocking on peoples doors asking for money, but that was the cool part.  Aussies are so into doing for others.  We would get to the doors and as soon as the people saw our Salvation Army bags, they would say "ok be back in a sec", or "oh we have been expecting you", or "sure, mate"--and come back with cash.  Anyhow, it was just kind of neat to see all different types of people coming together for a common cause, especially when it is to help other people.  

Chinese Lyrics

So since I'm in the chinese service, I have decided to learn to sing in chinese so I will look like I know what I'm doing while I'm on stage (key word is LOOK!!). My wonderful housemate has so graciously decided to help me out since she does speak the language. So this video is a little sample of our practice...

Tim Tam Slam

The Chinese Extension Service???

So you may be reading along and find out that Matt is serving on sunday mornings in the Chinese Extension Service. You might then ask yourself...What the hek is that?? Well first let me explain what an extension service is. It is really sort of self explanatory. Hillsong has 14 different extension services throughout the greater sydney area outside of the 4 main campuses (Hills, City, Macarthur, and the new Brisbane campus). I have been assigned (as part of my education) the privilege of serving in the Chinese Extension Service. One great thing about it is that it takes place right on the same campus as the Hills... it is in the Chapel. This is great because it is merely a 5 minute drive on sunday mornings!!! 

 The next question is...Do you sing in Chinese or in English? And the answer is a simple one... yes. We do 2 songs in english and 2 songs in chinese. Each translation of the songs are displayed on the screen, so that depending on the leader, the congregation can sing along. The message is also translated so that each culture will understand. 

 I have been playing guitar and doing background vocals for the last few weeks so I have been slowly learning how to sing in chinese. Luckily we have a housemate from Malaysia so she is trying to help me out but she always seems to end up laughing at me :)! I will be leading the worship next month so I'm excited about that!!

 Thanks again for everyone's prayers, God is awesome and we are having a blast learning just how great and awesome He is!!

Be anxious for nothing...

Wow, our journey has been so amazing coming to and living in Australia.  When I look back and see what we have overcome it is so obvious that God has prepared the entire path.  So I ask myself why do I choose to walk amongst underbrush when I can just keep on the clear path?  When we first got here I was amazed by God's blessings--we had furniture in our house to start with, plus we had amazing housemates, and we only had to walk 30 minutes to church.  I am amazed at how quickly our circumstances changed to being overwhelmed by the rent, annoyed by housemates differences, and it takes almost 30 minutes to school and church several times a day, and we have to take a bus to the grocery.  

So God blessed us with a car so we could get out more and help give others a ride...(it feels good being able to serve others:).  In all this I continued to let myself get anxious about no work for Matt, our car at home not selling, and our rent/other bills coming around faster and faster each week.  Above all, I can only work 20 hours a week.  How boring, I have that Windall blood and we all know how much a Windall likes to sit around...:).  So I just had more time to worry.  Finally, I realized that worrying was not helping, I was just losing sleep and becoming obnoxious to those around me (I am sure Matt will agree.)  

Anyhow, to make a very long story short I had some moments that gave me direction.  I realized I too am here for a purpose and was introduced to many courses that Hillsong offers that I could take and possibly facilitate one day (here or there).  I also found out about some places that I could take violin lessons to continue improving my skills and possibly add students.  

Great, I have some goals, but that money thing always comes back to my mind.  So I work when I can and we have been trying to limit our food spending to $10 a day (total not each).  It all helps.  I don't know what flipped the switch in my head, but I suddenly remembered where this all began and that God would provide.  I entered the "Trust God Zone".  

So the next day, dad phones and tells us that our car has sold.  Not only that, but I realized my hours were becoming increasingly steady as the weeks continued.

 I have to stop...look back at those restless nights and financial discussions and only imagine how foolish I must have looked.  All the while I was worrying, planning, and calculating, GOD was taking care of us.  And why am I surpised, why don't we grab hold of God's promises.  He tells us all through the Bible that he will supply our needs....and He is faithful.  It is I who needs the reminders.  

Well, in God's ever so clever irony, he prepared a very special message just for me at sisterhood this week.  The lesson was on change (which I have experienced a bit in the past few months).  The speaker talked how often we are going one direction and God calls us in a completely opposite direction (I chuckle...yep, that's me).  What really confirmed my experiences was the zone she described in the middle.  That "Trust God Zone".  It is when we are not sure why we have changed directions, and we do not know where we are headed.  What we do know is that God brought us from our past and is preparing our perfect future.  What right do we have to ruin our gift of today by stressing over the things of tomorrow.  Those things we cannot see.  As I learned God sees the whole picture and those insignificant things are stepping stones to perfection.  We are so unaware of His every movements...so just trust (it is easier that way) plus His plan is always better than anything we could figure out.  

I will leave you with this cool thought...It is almost as if God started at the end of the story and has written the story of our lives in reverse.  Every moment is created to produce a masterpiece.  My Life and Yours.

One of the ways you COULD spend $8 in Australia

You could...but we didn't--many thanks to our awesome housemate Sabrina for spoiling us!!!

Easter Weekend

It is kind of weird celebrating Easter in the middle of fall, and what a shock when we learned that Good Friday and Easter are recognized as public holidays in Australia.  We had a really great long weekend starting with Good Friday services on (obviously) Friday morning.  It was such a great time to reflect on the sacrifice God made for us.  So often I feel like we don't spend enough time truly remembering what those three days must have been like for all those surrounding Jesus.  

On Saturday morning we had a barbecue with our neighborhood we go to for street teams.  We had a great turn out.  We decorated eggs with the kids, made easter baskets and gave out lots of lollies.  When we came home we found that our housemate had made a huge Easter meal for most of the college houses in our neighborhood so we had 23 people over for lunch.  It was so yummy!!!

On Sunday, we played a special at the beginning of the Chinese Extension service.  It was a medley of Easter hymns/choruses.  Matt sang in English and they displayed the words translated into mandarin on the screen behind us.  In the afternoon, we needed rest to keep going.  During the evening services, we had a super powerful celebration service.  The church has started an art and film festival surrounding Easter themes, and they used the short films to emphasize the story of Jesus' death and resurrection.  If you get a chance you should check them out at www.myhillsong.com/artfestival .

We hope that you all had a great Easter! We are so lucky to have developed great friendships here so that we are not sooo lonely, but we miss you all dearly and are so grateful for your love and support. Happy Easter!!

The Moon

Beautiful Lookout Point

After an afternoon at the beach, we went driving around and found Sydney Harbour National Park.  It was a lot of trees as would be expected until we rounded a corner and found this awesome lookout point with a view of Sydney across the water.  We found it right as the sun was setting.  It was beautiful.  Pictures just don't do it justice...I guess you will just have to come and visit.  We have added it to our visitors itinerary.  :) And we are still trying to figure out what a Bandicoot is...more to come on that.

Palm Sunday at the beach

April 2, 2009

Happy Anniversary!  Four years of wedded bliss and we get to spend it in Australia..How wonderful!!!  We had a great day...we spent a little time shopping at Ikea and had swedish meatballs for lunch, Yum!! Tiff had to teach a violin lesson in the evening so we planned to go for dinner after the lesson.  To our pleasant surprise...our housemates called us on our way home and informed us that we were not to make plans for dinner because they were preparing it for us.  What a treat! Francis and Sabrina took the 30 minute walk to and from the grocery store to prepare a feast for us.  For starters we had salad and potato wedges.  Then we had steak, mashed potatoes, corn on the cob, and tomato salad.  For dessert we had fruit salad, chocolate fondue, and  chocolate hummina, hummina, hummina, !!! Of course, we enjoyed all of this with a game of scrabble...We are so blessed to be in this house.  We are so loved by our housemates!!!

Driving in the City

Sooo....tonite for various reasons we had to drive into the city.  We googled directions without tolls, but somehow we ended up on roads with tolls that don't accept cash....and of course we do not yet have an e-tag...oh yeah and Sydney had a blackout which meant the traffic was really congested and the traffic lights were not operating.   On the way home, we talked three of our house mates to adventure home with us.  One received a gift of bird poop on her head, one lead us out of the city with many u-turns, and the other laughed at us trying to drive on the left side of the road.  Matt ran a redlight and I panicked for the whole car.  We are still on the way home...hopefully we will get there soon and safe...

Falling off the face of the ... internet!!

Warning--matt and tiff will probably be too busy/tired over the next few days to be found on skype, facebook, or any other form of telecommunication for the next 7 days.  Do not fear--we will be back!!  Colour Your World Women's Conference starts tomorrow morning.  We will catch a bus at 9 am into the city and return late tomorrow night.  Then get up the next morning and repeat.  Matt is serving as a volunteer caterer and Tiffany is a hostess to all of the visiting women.  The venue (Sydney Entertainment Center) holds 12,500 people and the conference has been sold out since we got here. Wow!!! we are really excited about what God has planned for this week.  The first conference ends on Saturday just in time for us to pack the arena again with our church members for the live album recording on Sunday night.  (Can't wait for you all to hear some of the awesome new songs we have been enjoying) Again, Matt is serving with the team that will minister to New Christians.  The second women's conference starts up on Monday and goes until Wednesday night.  Matt will serve in this conference, but Tiffany is back to work with the kiddies at the childcare center.  Overall, church plans on ministering to over 20,000 women this weekend...so...if you can't find us...you know why...

P.S. We will be checking my e-mail for pics of baby Sanchez.  I assume baby is born by now.  I am anxious to know all about the little one.  Congratulations!!!

Connect group

Every other Tuesday (or once a fortnight) we meet with our connect group which is a mix of married couples and single guys and girls.  We usually have about 20-25 people.  The best part is we host it at our house so we don't have to go anywhere, they all come to us.  This week we had a dinner night and the guys decided to serve the girls as we get ready for our women's conference this weekend.  The guys were so great they did the prep work and served us and (since it was at our house) Matt was the best and did most of the cleanup.  Here are a few pics of our night...

Paychecks!!

Praise the Lord!!! Tiffany got her first Australian payslip today....Yeah!!!

Methuselah

Methuselah=Freedom!!!
Pray that he stay in good spirits and live a looooooong life :)

A NEW CAR!!!!

Ok so it is not really NEW, but it is new to us.  We are so excited that we were able to get a car today. We got a Daihatsu Applause  It is going to be such a help.  We have been relying on the unreliable public transport to get around and hiring taxis to go grocery shopping.  What freedom this will be...Yeah!!! 

Tiffany has also been blessed to be working a bit more.  She has picked up some hours so this week at the Hillsong childcare center as well as violin lesson and tutoring.  That is a huge help.  

We had lunch with a great couple from church on Sunday afternoon.  We enjoyed a nice Aussie barbie.  (No kangaroo meat yet, but I am sure that will come soon.)  And we will have some friends over tomorrow night as well.  Nothing like a few friends to help settle in.  Anyhow,  we are doing really well.  School is still good. Matt is looking for work so please pray that it all works out smoothly and quickly.  We love you all and miss you dearly.  Thanks for all of your love.

Matt's First Day Playing

Here are a few pics of Matt playing for the first time in the Chinese extension service.  Oh yeah, in case you weren't sure I added a picture of some school work getting done.  I had to feed the kids this morning as they were finishing their first assignment.  Enjoy!