Matt and Tiff's Australian Adventure

March Madness!!!

2010-03-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

And we are not talking about basketball here...In fact, I think we are so busy Matt hasn't seen any games yet. Maybe he sneaks them in when I am not around :)...This month we have the "Colour your World" international women's conference. It has been amazing so far. Matt is in the choir and Tiff volunteered at the first one (10-12) and is attending the second (17-19). It is a really inspiring conference with a focus on social injustice and empowering and motivating women to do something about it.

In the middle of these two conferences we moved house (since the one we were renting sold ). Fortunately, we have some amazing friends that helped do most of the work. (I let one of my friends make all of the decisions and she set up my whole kitchen for me--thanks, Sarah :) Our friends describe our new place as a palace. It is great!! we have a one bedroom apartment that feels massive after spending the past 8 months in a studio flat. We don't even have to walk through the garage to get to the bedroom (yeah!!)

Somewhere in the midst of all this we found time to have our 20 weeks ultrasound!!! All looks good with little Roo and we found out that we will be using our little girl name in August (can't tell you what her name is--it's our secret :)...So excited to have hold her in our arms. It seems like it is so close, yet, time goes by so slow.

We have been so blessed by people in our world here. We have been given a stroller, a swing, bassinet, toys, mattresses, and some clothes (for mum and bub). Our list is growing each day, and we look forward to watching God provide. We can't wait to take Roo on her American tour when we get home. Stay posted for her special appearance dates in a town near you--tickets will sell fast ;). Love you all....here is her 20 week picture...

In case you haven't heard...

2010-03-01T01:27:00.000-08:00

So much to do, no time to write...but why is it any different you may ask?!? In case you haven't heard, WE ARE PREGNANT!!! Yeah...our little bub is going to be born sometime around August 3 this year--which means we are 18 weeks along right now...so this makes things a little bit more busy and mum-to-be has a bit less energy...we are very excited to meet our new little one, but have to wait a while still...

In case you haven't heard, our landlords are selling their home and the flat we are living in, so we have been looking for a new place. We are super excited to be moving from a studio apartment to a one bedroom apartment in 2 weeks. It will be great to have a bit more room for baby, friends and family...

In case you haven't heard, Matt has started his second year in college. He has had lots of opportunities to lead worship at the extension service we attend and has also led worship for several of the chapel services in the college. Of course, he get great feedback every time. He has learned so much since we have been here and is so grateful for the opportunity to learn.

That is about all you should have heard about for now--we will try to do a better job to keep you posted. Be well, and do great things!!

Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere

2009-12-04T20:49:00.000-08:00

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!!

2009-11-10T22:47:00.000-08:00

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

2009-10-05T02:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-16T03:51:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-09-02T05:18:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2009-08-15T01:36:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-13T07:09:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-27T15:56:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2009-06-21T05:10:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-13T04:42:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-13T04:32:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-13T04:13:00.000-07:00

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??

2009-05-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-23T06:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-16T04:44:00.000-07:00

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

2009-05-14T05:49:00.000-07:00

The Chinese Extension Service???

2009-05-13T01:38:00.001-07:00

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...

2009-05-09T06:57:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-22T19:44:00.000-07:00

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

Easter Weekend

2009-04-13T05:22:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-05T06:09:00.001-07:00

Beautiful Lookout Point

2009-04-05T05:47:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-05T05:19:00.000-07:00

April 2, 2009

2009-04-05T04:37:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-30T05:10:00.000-07:00

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!!

2009-03-25T04:05:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-24T05:21:00.000-07:00

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!!

2009-03-19T23:46:00.001-07:00

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

Methuselah

2009-03-19T23:41:00.001-07:00

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

A NEW CAR!!!!

2009-03-17T02:51:00.000-07:00

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

2009-03-10T05:23:00.000-07:00

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!

To My Chem Students

2009-03-05T05:09:00.000-08:00

Thanks so much for your comments...I hope you all continue to work hard like you did when I was there. I think of you guys often (especially when I am tutoring chemistry :)...unfortunately, she doesn't laugh at my jokes, idk. You are all lovely and brilliant people. Continue doing your best and you will aspire to do great things. Australia is a beautiful country. I hope you all have the opportunity to visit here sometime in your lifetime. (Oh yeah--all the students in public schools here have to wear uniforms, buy there own textbooks, and they don't all have air conditioners in their schools...you guys have it made--better appreciate it)

Mrs. Scott

Life in Australia

2009-03-05T04:34:00.000-08:00

Well we are finally getting settled into life here. We have had a lot going on this past couple of weeks. Matt is in full school mode and is learning a lot and has really enjoyed meeting new people who share his passion for worship. On the weekends we are involved in the Chinese extension service for the church. It is really interesting as the service is in both English and Mandarin. We have learned a few new word in the past two weeks. This week, Matt is on the schedule to play his guitar in the service. We will also start working with the "Street Teams" which are a group that go to local communities on Saturday mornings to serve the community through relationships and service projects.

Hillsong is beginning the process of recording a new album, which is really exciting. There are some great new songs coming your way soon. We had the first recorded service this past Sunday, and then we will have a large recording on March 29. It has been really neat to see and hear how the album can be used as a tool to reach people that may otherwise be unreachable and the impact it has had on the world.

Tiffany has enjoyed having a break from work, but is ready to get busy. She has been tutoring some chemistry, and recently found out that she will be working at the childcare center at the church...which is great! Tiffany has also been able to get involved in Sisterhood which is the women's ministry at the church. This week she went to sisterhood united in the evening where she was able to worship with 2,000 women. Pretty cool stuff!!

We are starting to find our way around town, and went and test drove a car today...that was an experience. We are learning a lot...like driving on the left side of the road, registration is like $700 a year (eek--they say it includes pollution inspection etc...but that is crazy), and the cars don't have miles on them...it is in kilometers (is 200,000 kms good or bad?) Anyhow...we are learning.

Anyhow, we are really loving Australia. We were able to travel a little this past weekend and saw some amazing beautiful places in Australia. Unfortunately, I forgot our camera :(. I guess we will have to make the trip again :). I hope this makes up for my extended blog break. We love you all and miss you lots. Loving the comments...

Happy President's Day

2009-02-15T15:36:00.000-08:00

Today we are enjoying a nice relaxed day. Matt does not have class on Monday's so we are enjoying a game of scrabble with our house mates. Tiffany is meeting with a girl today to help her with chemistry which will be good. The sun is starting to peak out again which is going to make it a little warmer here...again, that is good. Tiffany just may enjoy a nice warm beach for her birthday...(that will be a first:) We hope all is well. We love hearing from home and all of your encouragement.

Sydney Pics

2009-02-13T00:02:00.000-08:00

Due to popular demand...We must post some pictures of our Adventure in Sydney...so here they are...Most are pretty self-explanatory...others are just places we saw along the way river on the way into the city.

Also, Tiffany's interview went well on Wednesday. She was asked to stay for a second interview later that afternoon which also went well. She now has to get overseas police clearance and should find out in a couple of weeks if she has the job.

Matt's classes are going well. He is starting to see what his schedule will be like this semester and it looks pretty busy. He will be in class all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. On Thursdays, he will work on a street team where they go around the community to help serve. On the weekends, he is working at an extension service about 45 minutes from where we live in Villawood. We don't know much about the service yet but he looks forward to start using his talents in ministry.

Oh yeah...our new home phone is 612 8883 5185. We also have internet at the house now which is so exciting... it will be a little easier to stay in touch with you all.

Pray for the Victims of the Bushfires

2009-02-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

As most of you have heard, much of the southern edge of Australia is experiencing tragic bushfires. Many lives have been lost and many homes quickly turned to ashes. Please keep these people in your prayers and pray that the winds will slow and the rains will begin. We are quite a safe distance from these fires. In our area the weather has turned from extreme heat to cool and rainy, which we praise the Lord for daily. Thank you for all of your continued prayers and support as we continue to settle in.

Heat Wave

2009-02-08T02:11:00.001-08:00

Well we lived through our first Australian heat wave. Temperatures were predicted to reach 47 degrees Celsius (that is about 116 degrees F.)....Sizzle, sizzle!!! Luckily, we were able to find a ride home from church today and a ride back to church this evening...which of course was awesome. Matt is really enjoying school, however, he is experiencing a bit of information overload. Tiffany has an interview at the church daycare on Wednesday at 11 (thats Tuesday at 7 pm for those of you on EST) Please pray that God's will is clear as she goes through this process.

We were able to go into Sydney last night which was great. Not only did we meet up with a great couple for dinner, but we also got a glimpse of the sights of Sydney. We rode a ferry into the Sydney harbor where we got a great view of the Sydney skyline, went under the infamous Sydney harbor bridge, and pulled in right next to the opera house (Aaaaaaah!!--sing it out loud and high). For all of you coming to visit, this trip is a must (the best part is it only cost $7.70 each--any takers :) ) We love you all and miss you dearly. We can't wait for some friends and family to visit...Thanks for all of your prayers and support.

Happy Birthday Mom!!

p.s. our home # has changed (long story) we will post it soon...

Our House

2009-01-30T22:52:00.000-08:00

So here are a few pics of our house!!! At least of the space that we occupy!! we know many of you are curious. You can see matt in the small middle window. The three windows on the right are ours. The small and large one are our bedroom and the other is to our bathroom...Let's go inside..
When you walk into our door we have a little entry way with a loo to the left and then straight ahead is the living room and dining room area. After you walk through the dining area there is a kitchen and second eating area to the right and the laundry room is off of this area. We have two sliding doors at the end of the living room that open to our backyard where can cook "shrimp on the barbie".
Next is our master suite. Notice the windows...we try to block the sun a little as it sets on our side of the house making our room really warm in the afternoons. The hinged door goes into the hallway and the pocket door goes into our closet and bathroom. We are grateful that God has put us in such an amazing living situation. The house may seem big, but remember we share with 5 other wonderful housemates. We have already been blessed by their international flavor and genuine friendship. We love you all and can't wait to entertain our visitors from the States. P.S. I hear it is cheaper to call on our land line...if you want to call the house number is 02 8882 9062.

Happy Australia Day!!!

2009-01-27T02:01:00.000-08:00

You may be asking yourself..."What is Australia Day all about?" Well I am so glad you asked...because now I know...basically it is the Day England let them go, but they got off a lot easier than we did..no wars or anything...I guess the Brits were tired of losing wars after our excursion...Anyhow, their celebrations are much the same, go to the beach, enjoy cookouts, and picnics in the parks...and a few fireworks. We of course jumped into the traditions and enjoyed the day on Bondi beach with our friend (and housemate) Frances (she is from London). We had a great day! We had to take a series of public transportation venues so it took us about 3 hours to get to the beach, but the adventure was well worth it :).

We still do not have the internet at our house, but we are working on it. We have to walk down to McD's for free wi-fi. It is about a 15 minute walk.

Matt started school today and had a really enjoyable day. He is learning a lot about what he will be learning and meeting a lot of people. Tonight...he is tired.

Tiff took a trek to Rouse Hill which is a shopping center a couple of miles from where we live...No, she didn't walk there, but she did miss her bus stop on the way back adding a couple extra steps to her trip...Dad, I went to Big W...it reminded me a lot of a store we have back home... :)

Tonight we are relaxing..we had a meeting with all of our housemates who are quite lovely. We are in the international house with mates from Switzerland, Norway, England, Malaysia, and Canada.

We met a couple on Sunday night and they have invited us to dinner tomorrow night with their parents. Her mum is a teacher so we hope this may give some insight to job opportunities for Tiff. Please keep us in your prayers as God continues to work in amazing ways.

We hope all our friends and family are doing well. We should have Skype up and running by the end of the week so you better get those webcams ready.

We are here...

2009-01-23T18:55:00.000-08:00

So we made it to Australia...finally...
We are both feeling a lot better, which is good b/c we hit the ground running. When we arrived our friend Ken was in the airport awaiting us with a sign with "Matt Scott" on it :). We made it through customs really easy which was great. We then piled in to his cozy BMW with our 10 pieces of luggage. Tiff had the guitar in her lap :). We got to see the big bridge (it probably has a better name, idk) and the Sydney Opera house on our way to the College.
Once we arrived, we were plesantly surprised to find out we were going to be in a furnished house. (why do we continue to be surprised at God's perfect plan?) Ken then kindly took us to our residence. We are in a 5 bedroom house that we are sharing with 6 other girls (poor Matt ;(). We are in the master suite with our very own bathroom (Yeah!!). We have a queen size bed, a chest of drawers, and night stand in the room, as well as a nice sized closet. What an answer to prayers.
After going to the house , Ken took us to the Telstra store to set up phones and internet. We purchased a pre-pay cell phone so we would not have to get into a contract. Next week, we will also be getting a house phone with a great international plan and the internet. Back to the pre-pay phone. Australia is great in that you do not get charged for incoming calls. Soooo, if anybody wants to call feel free(although it is not free to you :). Our country code is 011 followed by our number which is 0429025979.
OK, soo we did a little shopping last night...and...when you consider the conversion rate, different brands, and jet lag...this was quite the experience. We then went home to clean, unpack, make our bed and get in it...
After a good nights rest, we are here at "Maccas"" (McDonanlds) enjoying free wi-fi. We don't have a whole lot of plans for the rest of the day...just meeting people and finding our way around town. We are beginning to see we may need some mode of transportation, buses are pretty expensive and it is in the upper 90's outside. (oh yeah and the big hole in the ozone is right over us...) We know God has a perfect plan and will provide for our needs. We ask that you pray that we can find a job quickly and a reasonable and reliable form of transportation. Please keep in touch. We love you all!!!

Still in California...

2009-01-20T16:08:00.000-08:00

Well, we continue to trust God's plans although we do not always understand. Matt got really ill on Sunday night/Monday morning so we had to postpone our flight. We ended up on a flight out on Wednesday night. It is a good thing b/c Tiffany got sick on Monday night. We are both recovering and trying to sleep off any lingering germs. On our new flight schedule, we will leave Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. and arrive in Sydney at 12:25 p.m on Friday. Thankfully, our friend is still able to pick us up from the airport. We look forward to meeting all of the wonderful people in Australia and cannot wait to get there. Please keep us in your prayers that we get well quickly.

Getting There...

2009-01-18T14:01:00.000-08:00

Matt and I both had our last day of work on Thursday. I was thankful for many students who expressed their appreciation to me and I know they will all do great. Friday...we were packing and trying to close out all of our business. We were supposed to pack in two suitcases each, but we didn't quite make it :). We are so glad to be here in California with Xander, Mel, and B. It is a time for much needed rest after a couple of crazy weeks behind us and a few more to come...We

went to San Fran last nite for a couple hours and then got to Mel and B's where we could catch up on some rest!!

We are heading to LA tomorrow morning where we will begin the last leg of our trip to Sydney. We are so excited to see what God has in store for us there and cannot wait to begin our life and ministry in that city.

Going away weekend

2009-01-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

Well, It is finally starting to feel real. Last night we had a really great going away party that our parents put together for us. It was so nice to have one more dinner with so many of our friends and family before we depart for our extended leave. Mom and Dad Scott came in on Friday morning and helped Matt get ready for his service. We were pleasantly surprised when Lee (matt's brother) Melanie, and our niece Laney arrived at our door step Friday night. We were so glad they could make it for one last visit. Laney is growing up so fast we love any chance we have to see her.

Sunday, Matt led the Glorious Freedom Sunday. He popped a string on his guitar playing the second song, but God had another guitar ready for him to use. It was a great service. We have spent the rest of the day packing up our house. Most of the stuff is sold or already dispersed, but Matt's parents are graciously taking our couches, bookcase, hope chest, and a few other extras to there house to keep for us. What a blessing that we will have these when we return.

It is back to work tomorrow for both of us. We are really exhausted from all of the excitement over the past month(s). We are really looking forward to a couple down days in CA before we leave for Sydney. We know we will have to hit the ground running once we get to Sydney. Please continue to pray for God's strength, rest and peace as we prepare to move on.

Getting Ready to Go

2009-01-05T15:25:00.000-08:00

Well, time is quickly moving by. We are so excited about our move. We know a lot of people will miss us, and we will miss a lot of you. God has called us to move and he has shown us in an amazing way that He has plans for us and our lives in Sydney. We are constantly overwhelmed by the way God works out the details. I do not know why we are still surprised when God makes it happen. He just works in a way that we could never predict. Thank you all for your prayers and support as we embark on this adventure. Please continue to pray for us as there are still many uncertainties.

We are flying out on January 17 and will spend 2 days with Mel, B and Xanderman. This will be a much needed break as we have been so busy finishing the details here. We will fly out of LA on Monday and arrive in Sydney Wednesday afternoon at 12:25.(No, that is not a typo we skip Tuesday) Once we arrive our friend Ken will pick us up and take us to the Hills campus about 45 minutes from the airport. Once there, we will receive our housing assignments and go shopping for some essentials. Most apartments are unfurnished, so we anticipate a busy first couple days trying to acquire mattresses and other household essentials.

I am sure we will have a lot going on this first few weeks finding jobs and getting acquainted with the town. Orientation for Matt starts on January 29 and I can start work once he starts school.

For now, this is all we know. I hope to keep you updated on our Australian Adventure...hopefully we will have regular access to the internet!?!?!?