To My Chem Students

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.