Dan and Pris Gollan

I have been down four different wells. I've cleaned Daniel's crooked well - 20 metres, Jon's really deep well - 35 metres, my well - 8 metres and been part way down Cheryl's to fix a hose joint. Water is so essential to life. I have had lots of problems getting water to my house. Last week I spent one entire day devoted to trying to fix the problem. With help from Jon we had intermittent water by 8pm. Now Mark and Jon have fine tuned it and we have great hot and cold running water. What a blessing.

I read in Genesis that one of the things Abraham and Isaac did was to dig many wells. They understood the daily necessity of water for life. When I was a kid one song we sang at church had the line "The well is deep and I require a draught of the water of life". Jesus said in the classic story in John 4, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give will never be thirsty" (v 13-14).

Here everyone is clamouring for a better job - more money - home improvements - a new car - new computer etc. But I have a thirst. A thirst that only God can fill. And seeking fulfillment elsewhere is like drinking warm fizzy drink when what I really need is a long cold drink of fresh water from the well. I want to go deeper into God. His well is deep but the water He gives becomes a spring of water gushing up from the inside - giving eternal life.

Wow, it is well over a month since I got back to Ukraine and feels like I have written hardly any emails at all. Actually sometimes it feels good to not be online much, (other times I wish I was more).
Well first thing was camp on the island – seems like an age ago, but I know a lot of people prayed about this. The boat went well. A friend’s Dad did a few repairs and it seems more reliable – often hard to get started but when it goes, it goes fine.

There were over 100 people on camp. It was interesting for me not being the leader. It was great that I could spend time talking to people and being relaxed. However, I’ll be leading again next year and it was good to take some notes as an observer.

One friend Max came to stay for a couple of days after camp. He is trying to work out the next step God has for him in life and I’ve invited Him to come and live with me. He is away for the summer but will come here in September. I get on really well with Max and it will be great to have him around.

Since camp I have had two separate trips to Crimea – both just relaxing holidays. The first with friends from Kyiv who invited me to go with them, and then with Ruth and Jon and extras – becoming an August tradition for us.

In between times have been housekeeping mainly. The water has been a constant frustration. Last night we finally got to the place we can have showers at home again. I wish I could thumb up the yellow pages and call in the experts – but it doesn’t work that way here in Rzhyshchiv.

Today I visited the head of Education for Rzhyshchiv and have a meeting next week with some directors to set up the business of teaching English in the local school. There are a few ‘T’s to cross and ‘I’s to dot. I hope this can be achieved to reach the goal of starting this September.

Right now it is really really hot. It’s Friday afternoon and I plan to head to the beach this evening to play volleyball with the young people who gather there. Tomorrow I plan to go to Kyiv to watch the rugby, first time since I got back.

I’m going to aim to keep on top of correspondence – so don’t let my slackness stop you from writing.

Keep Looking Up

You enter a zone - a level - a place you feel you have been before but have never been before. Everything looks so familiar and yet feels so foreign. You waited with eager anticipation to arrive - and now you don't know what to do. It seems like the plan is so simple, it's complex.

And suddenly everything goes quiet. You have a moment - a short fraction of time when all around you stops and you are still. You try to be busy - you run here and there - and then a beautiful warmth comes over you - the sudden realisation that this it. You have arrived. Be still and know that I am God.

Your foundation is set. The rock is established - you cannot be moved. And as you know this - the other parts of the puzzle click back into place.

You are home!

I was recently challenged and encouraged by the testimony of a friend who having grown up in Australia, has recently taken part in some relief-based short term mission opportunities. Sometimes I hear well meaning Christians say that instead of sending people on short term missions the money could be better spent going directly to the people in the needy situation. I am a believer in the value of short term missions for many reasons (write and ask me if you like). But here are a few quotes from my friend's testimony which I think may serve as a challenge to many.

My friend recently visited Cambodia with Samaritan's Purse and some refugee camps in Thailand. She learned of hundreds of thousands of people who "have only one meal a day and very few possessions, and many of them have never seen freedom, and never will."

She writes: "All my life I have heard about situations like these, but to see them first hand, was very significant for me. I did not have an understanding of the severity and the widespread poverty that others suffer daily. Seeing these needs changed my heart. I will never be able to fully understand the challenges faced by the people I met, but I returned home challenged to make a difference."

"I often reflect about our comfortable, affluent life in Australia compared with the vast majority of the people in the world. We have all that we need . . . and more. I recently heard someone say, 'the West have domesticated God. We ask, "What can God do for me to make my life more comfortable?"'"

I too have been troubled with the immense affluence in which we live. Many people use the word 'need' so flippantly. I need new shoes. We need a new TV. I need a new mobile phone. etc. etc. First hand mission experience can be costly in finances and it can be challenging and daunting in a variety of ways - often depending upon one's personality. My friend's experiences in Asia prompted her to write: "Sometimes it is when we face challenges that we draw closer to God and during these times we have the opportunity to mature in our understanding, our relationship and our love of God."

Her challenge: "My prayer for you all and me is that we will continue to be stretched and grow in our understanding of God and that we will always have an eternal perspective in our everyday lives and circumstances."

(Quotes anonymous - used with permission)

Today was my last Sunday with West Penno church for quite some time. My good mate Dave Peacock preached a cracker sermon from 2 Peter 3 about the day of the Lord. I'm about to head back to Ukraine. I compare so many things between life here and there. I think about the up coming months and the plans further into the future. I was greatly challenged to have a much greater focus upon the day of the Lord. Do I look forward with joy and anticipation toward the coming of Christ? Am I making every effort to live a holy and blameless life?

Whatever this week holds for you, I hope this short note refocuses your vision, and mine, upon things which are eternal. And if you have the time, listen to Dave's sermon.

Two weeks today I will be in London!! So I decided it was high time I let you know what’s happening now, what’s been happening, and what I expect to happen in the next few months.

THANKS AND SORRY
Firstly thank you to so many people who have been praying for me. Last September I decided to take a “year off” (see this article and this article).
Thank you for praying for me. This has been a most rewarding time so far.
But I do say sorry to the many people who I had planned to visit and didn’t. And I also say sorry to those who would love to have heard about God’s work in Ukraine but didn’t. I would like to have shared but that will have to wait til next time.

NEXT STEP
Yes, one year is not yet up, so this is still part of my ‘year off’. But the next few months see me back in Ukraine. I will take part in the summer activities as a participant and willing helper. I will then be working to establish the language teaching business God enabled me to register before I left Ukraine last year. This is the direction my elders from West Pennant Hills Community Church have agreed for me to undertake.

TRAVEL PLANS
Right now I am in Sydney until July 5th. I’d love for you to come and visit me if you are in Sydney. I’m house sitting in West Pennant Hills – just contact me and come round for coffee and Tim Tams.
On July 5th I drive to Eureka. I’ll have a few hours to spare on the farm on July 6th before heading off to Brisbane, saying goodbye to family and friends there, and catching a plane for London Monday July 7. I’ll spend Tuesday in London with my brother Dave and then fly to Kyiv on Wednesday 9th where Ruth and Jon will meet me.
The following Monday Camp 120 starts. This is the camp that I have run in the past with Ben Clarke. I will help out by driving the boat but Ruth and Jon and Sasha are running it this year. Please please please pray for camp. Read more about camp

IT’S NOT ABOUT ME
I’m so thankful to God for what He has done in my life and taught me about Himself and myself in these past few months. I am looking forward to the continuation of the journey with Him. I’ve already said it, but again thank you for praying for me and for the work that God is doing in Ukraine. Thank you for your interest in His work. He IS working!

Love Jono
Keep Looking Up
Proverbs 3:5-6

For more information and photos, please visit www.jonomiller.com

I was recently sent the following quote:

If our expenditure on comforts, luxuries, amusements, etc., is up to the standard common among those with the same income as our own, we are probably giving away too little. If our charities do not at all pinch or hamper us, I should say they are too small. There ought to be things we should like to do and cannot because our charitable expenditure excludes them.    -- C. S. Lewis

Do you agree with this? Is this challenging or shaming? Those of you reading this probably have your own computer and at least have Internet access. Please feel free to make some comments on stewardship and how we as 'wealthy' Christians should budget and spend the money God allows to pass through how hands. What should be our mindset towards comfort?

I realise I'm only asking the questions - but it is an area I often consider and am challenged about.

And while on the topic of C.S. Lewis, I recently saw Prince Caspian. Of course being filmed in NZ, the scenery is stunning. But I particularly enjoyed the relationship of Lucy and Aslan. Her childlike trust. Her unwavering belief. Her confidence - not in herself but in her Saviour. And when Peter didn't believe that she had seen Aslan, she says to him, "Maybe that's because you weren't looking for Him."

I am challenged to look for God, to seek Jesus in everything. And to unwaveringly trust Him even when I can't see the end from the beginning.

Read some devotional thoughts from this movie by Sharon Lim.

Shane Paxa is a newcomer to Rzhyshchiv from Western Australia. I have yet to meet him but have talked with him via email. I appreciate reading his thoughts and happenings. It's great to keep on the news but also to see things through the eyes of someone new. I like the way he spells people's names - exactly how a newcomer would say them.

Here's one of his days:

The past week has held many an adventure, escapade and challenge. I guess the best accomplishment of all was Marsha and I taking home the first prize in the Rzshishiv youth group 8-ball tournament last weekend. The close knit church here is exhorting and encouraging! It’s great to see a God inspired bunch of young Ukrainians ever seeking to be more like Him and striving to do everything for his glory! As summer is now upon us, we venture to the “beach” of Rzshishiv – a sandy part of the river – to play volleyball; a great outreach to the community.
There have been a number of excitements at the farm this week too! After catching a bloke on our strawberry farm, helping himself to berries, with the sole excuse that he had “drank too much vodka and needed to eat something…” we decided to add 2 more rungs to our electric fence ending up with a hight I like to call “the ball challenge” (self explanatory). To our delight, we now have copious strawberries in the 10m radius of our gate entry, where we had yet to see a ripe strawberry… coincidence? I think not.
The consequences of not learning the language of the country you are living in were felt this week, as we sprayed our entire crop of strawberries with what we thought was a harmless insecticide, but after a thorough translation of the back of the packet, we found a devastating 7-10day period to wait before eating the produce! Adding insult to injury, we further discovered the strength of insecticide we used was not potent enough to ward off the blasted bugs!
Daniel our pastor copped an 11 sting day while playing with our 4 bee hives on the farm without the help of my masterpiece of a smoker, Gaven found out what the bottom of the pond feels like, Leanna found herself in and amongst 30,000 bees swarming above her head, and I built a sprinkler system in our hot house, learned the Ukrainian alphabet and cooked up a few storms – earning me the chef position for Camp-120. (see next note)
A full week of enjoyment!
God bless
-Shane-

Read more notes from Shane here.

"The time you enjoy wasting, is not wasted time." Bertrand Russell

A large portion of this year for me has been "time out". It has been thoroughly necessary, worthwhile and rewarding. And also very enjoyable. But I have had to seriously deal with thoughts about time wasting, usefulness etc. I've grown to realise that so much of our thinking, and our yard sticks for success, revolve around what we accomplish: "How much can I accomplish? - and remember that time is money".

I have also been challenged about joy. God means for us to live lives full of joy. I believe joy is 5% what happens and 95% attitude  - or should I say 5% external and 95% internal.

So rather than asking, What can I accomplish?, I want to ask, Who does God want me to be? and How then should I live so He is glorified through me?

True joy finds it's source in Christ. Therefore, "the time I enjoy wasting, is not wasted time".

The Vision

Camp 120 is an opportunity for the family of God to have a summer holiday together, to enjoy times of fellowship, food & fun and to create memories that will last a lifetime.

Theme:

“Reflections”

*To come to a greater understanding of our mission here on earth – to reflect God’s glory to others; that everything we do should be to the glory of God.

*To understand what ‘God’s glory’ means.

*To learn to love ourselves as a reflection of God’s image

*To see other’s and our relationships in the light of God’s reflection.

*To spend time reflecting (in God’s wonderful creation) about the past year’s journey & growth & time aside to think about the coming year.

This year Camp 120 will be run by my sister and her husband Ruth and Jon Pirini, along with Sasha Romenenko who was my side-kick last year. Camp is July 14-19. I return to Ukraine on July 9 and will help with the setting up on the island, driving the boat, carting firewood and tents, and organising water.

The last 3 years of camp have all been really blessed by God and I say thank you to the many people who have prayed for camp each year. Please join with me again to pray for camp this year. Many young people look forward to this time.

• Pray that God will use their enthusiasm to plant a real hunger in their spirits for Him.
• Pray for those involved in the spiritual teaching.
• Pray for the pragmatics of camp, food, water, weather, boat. (the boat and water are two very real concerns at this point in time)

For a reminder of past camps read my reports from Camp 120, 2007, or Summer 2006, or the the original Camp 120 in 2005.

I am beginning to realise that it's not about me

It's your grace, not my works that set me free

I'm beginning to trust in the grace that I can't see

And it's more than touch and sight to believe

 

So I will choose another day to step out on the platform of your grace

And I won't be afraid of the mess I might make

Cause Jesus you're bigger than my mistakes

 

I've been the champion of screwing things up

Taking what's right and making them all wrong

This I know with all my heart,

I can't earn it, I know I don't deserve it.

 

Awake desire within me,

Open my eyes so I can see.

Without your love I can't even breathe.

Jesus your grace has set me free.

 

So I will choose another day to step out on the platform of your grace

And I won't be afraid of the mess I might make

Cause Jesus you're bigger than my mistakes

 

by Michael Murray

Way back in 1992 I wrote some poems about my siblings and recently found them.

Timothy

T is for Timothy an older brother of mine, And it's also to him I dedicate this rhyme.

I is for intelligent, of Tim it's certainly true; Accounting, sport and music are a few things he can do.

M is for manly, "He's growing up so fast"; They said when he was three years old "But let's hope it will last."

O is for options, Tim has only two and he knows; What's more, only Tim can choose the one on which he goes.

T is for trouble, Tim experienced his share; Cars, family, motorbikes, soccer - and herding goats for Mr Blair.

H is for houses, at least twenty, not less; Whenever Tim rings us at home it's to give his new address.

Y is for "Yum Yum", you can be sure Tim will shout, If the place is MacDonalds where you take him out.

T - I - M - O - T - H - Y

Tim has had a go at everything but fly,

And I'll gladly boast that he is my -

BROTHER

 

Joanna

J is for Joanna, this secret I unfold; No matter what others may say, she's worth her weight in gold.

O is for older, by almost four years! But now I'm taller, Age? Who cares?

A is for arts, music is her line; Piano, cello, clarinet, harp - she plays them all just fine.

N is for never, Jo never gives in; And many a time, it has helped her to win.

N is for "Not now, I'm busy you see." Out every night of the week, but usually home before three.

A is for always, Joanna forever! She may change her surname someday, but her first name, never.

J - O - A - N - N - A

Take a guess what I'm going to say;

Whatever happens, come what may

I'LL ALWAYS LOVE MY SISTER.

 

David

D is for David, like the shepherd of old. He wants to be a farmer, well so I have been told.

A is for ace, David puffs out his chest; Volleyball and table-tennis are two of his best.

V is for van, David's learning to drive! We'll pray for the family and hope they survive.

I is for instrument, David plays brass; His goal is French Horn when he reaches top class.

D is for "Den", for Dave and his friends; "No girls allowed" but for Mum the rules he bends.

D - A - V - I - D

My little brother he will always be,

Says he won't marry til after fifty,

I REMEMBER THE $1 000 000!

 

 

RuthEllen

R is for RuthEllen, I'm glad that she's alive; Sometimes known as Rufus, she came in number five.

U is for Uno cards, "They belong to me, You can't use them unless I play" she bribes us so, you see.

T is for tummy, RuthEllen is satisfied When sausages and roast spuds are safely down inside.

H is for humility, a valuable lesson to learn; When Ruth of old displayed it, Boaz's favour she did earn.

E is for excellence, a beautiful silver cup; At 1991 Prizegiving RuthEllen was called up.

L is for learning, That's why she is still at school; She desires to be wise one day and not remain a fool.

L is for love, to get you have to give; Learn that lesson now, and happily you will live.

E is for eternal, your soul will never die; But now is the time to make sure that you will live "on high".

N is for nice, RuthEllen is attractive and young; Soon the guys will be after her, try not to worry, Dad and Mum.

R - U - T - H - E - L - L - E - N

The letters in your name are one less than ten,

And I think of you again and again,

MY DARLING LITTLE SISTER.

 

Priscilla

P is for Priscilla, about her, now let me see; Although she is the smallest, what counts is quality.

R is for reading, Priscilla could read before six; Whatever she can get her hands on, third century novels or the back of the weetbix.

I is for information, she stores it all in her brain; Someday it will come in handy, so don't let it wash out in the rain.

S is for Snowdrop, one of her pet goats; She loves animals very much, I doubt she'll ever wear fut coats.

C is for climbing, on whatever she can; the trees out the front and her Dad, the poor man.

I is for injury, yes, one on each knee; To choose between bike and road was hard for Priscilla, you see.

L is for love, God offers to you as well; And as you share it with others, your heart begins to swell.

L is for last, Priscilla completes our crew; No matter what you try to say, Priscilla, our baby is you.

A is for anticipation, look for the best you must; But it will only come to you if in the Lord you trust.

P - R - I - S - C - I - L - L - A

Whatever time of night or day,

You can count on me to always say,

I LOVE YOU.

Variety is the spice of life. However, too much spice spoils the food. It is the subtle differences that bring about a pleasant change. It is the slight change of perspective that teaches us something new. Trying an old trick a new way uncovers a skill. Approaching the same situation from another angle helps get us out of the rut.

I thought about this today as I was getting dressed. I don't know why, but I put my left leg into my trousers first. It felt weird! I then realised that I don't think I have ever done that before.

Also I bought a new camera. Fiddling around with all the settings and functions, I notice that the subtle changes in setting help bring out a variety of finished products.

I have helped Ken replace the 95 year old roof on his house. Looking at the valley from on top of the house gives me a new perspective. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed the time that God has allowed me to have on the Murphy's farm at Eureka. The relaxed and slowed down pace of life has been good for me and taught me many things about myself, the world around me, and my God. This time comes to an end this week, and another change comes along. I will be in Sydney for a month before heading back to Ukraine.

As the spice of life varies around me, my goal is to remember one thing:

"The main thing is that the main thing remains the main thing."

God is the constant in my life, and my goal is that my faith in Him grows stronger and stronger and sweeter and sweeter day by day.

1. Pray for missionaries as a family. Keep a list of missionaries near the table to talk about and pray for at meal times.
2. Read missionary biographies to your children. Expose your kids to the captivating stories of Hudson Taylor, Adoniram Judson, William Carey, Glayds Aylward and other missionary pioneers.
3. Draw the whole family into supporting missionaries financially. Teach your kids from a young age that being a good steward of their money involves channeling resources toward the cause of Christ in missions.
4. Find your child a missionary kid pen pal. Many children of missionaries around the world would be delighted to get mail from a child their age in their parents' culture. Your child (and the whole family) will learn valuable insights about living abroad through the eyes of a child.
5. Entertain missionaries in your home. Inviting missionaries over will be as much of a blessing to your family as to the missionaries.
6. Take risks as a family. Volunteer in your community, look for opportunities to serve, take your teenagers on a short term mission trip.
7. Affirm and nurture qualities in your children which could serve them on the mission field. As your children grow in knowledge and skill, encourage them to think about how they could use their gifts in missions work. Then, if God says, "go", release them!
8. Teach your children to be world Christians. Go out of your way to make them more aware than the average Kiwi/Aussie Christian about geography, world history, and the plights and perspectives of people across the globe.
9. Read missionary prayer letters to your children. Ask them questions and look up facts on the Internet.
10.   Use missions fact books and resources such as Operation World, the Joshua Project, and Voice of the Martyrs etc.

This list was sent to me by my Aunty in NZ. I am thankful to my parents who implemented most if not all of the above ideas with our family and instilled a love for missions in our family (we didn't have the Internet back then). We often had missionaries stay in our homes. I read many missionary biographies, wrote to missionaries, and the chance to go and hear a visiting missionary speaker (with a slide projector show) was considered a treat. Thanks Mum and Dad.

To everyone in Australia and NZ reading this: there is such a huge world out there! 1000's died in Burma and China this month. Don't let our kids suffer from the disease of affluenza - where my biggest problem is the fact that these shoes are not the latest style and my play station 2 needs upgrading to the new PS3. And good general knowledge is knowing the names of the latest movie and sports stars.

There is more to life than this!

I wrote this psalm on December 7 while at

Victoria Falls, Livingstone, Zambia.

I had recently been white-water rafting on the Zambezi. 

 

God You are Sovereign.

You created the amazing waterfalls that thunder.

The people that live here and all the animals.

The rich and the poor You made.

God, I don’t understand You or Your justice.

But I know You are just – the judge of all the earth will do right.

So God, I see my problem before me.

It looms up big like a dark cloud –

Like an overwhelming obstacle that will swallow me and consume me.

But God, You are my life jacket –

You lift me from the rapids and take me to smooth water –

You are the towering cliffs.

The waters swirl and fury –

But You will not be moved.

I am tossed to and fro –

I am beaten and half drowned –

But You remain the same.

You love me.

You have plans for me to give me hope and a future.

God I will seek for You with all my heart.

My heart cries out to You.

I don’t understand even what I want to ask for.

So I ask You to ask for me.

God in the days ahead – keep me from sin.

May I desire more and more to be with You.

When I am with You it is where I belong.

Only You can satisfy me.

You will satisfy me with good things and for these I thank You and trust You.

God my trust is in You.

Whom do I have but You?

You are my God and in You I place all my trust.

O God this is my song to You.

Hear me O God and answer me.

Soothe my wounds and hurts.

Come to me and be ever with me.

Lead me in Your everlasting paths and cause me to praise You all my days.

Today I was reading my diary and found a couple of entries I had meant to share but never got around to posting. This is one I wrote on October 25 while I was travelling in Scotland.

Wandering along a Scottish trail - talking to God - thinking about the movie Ratatouille - I started thinking about talking to animals. God created them - God created us. We've got something in common. Maybe they do understand us. I looked to my left and under a spreading chestnut tree sat some sheep - chewing their cud - rudely with their mouths open. So I started talking to them. I told them we were all from the One Creator. In fact you are dumb animals but God says we are just like you - we have all wandered off and got lost. I told them about the story when 99 of them were safe but Jesus went looking for the lost one. I said I was a bit like that lost one. I started to get tears in my eyes thinking that Jesus would go to all lengths for me. One sheep got up and turned its back and wiggled its butt. I chuckled - it is rather strange to talk to sheep. They didn't talk back - at least not that I heard.

Today environmental issues are very topical. My friend Ben Clarke has written an essay titled "A Christian Response to Environmental Destruction and Poverty". This is a thought provoking look at very current issues considering things from a Christian rather than humanistic view point.

Here are a few quotes:

"We have taken luxuries, made them cheap and then learned to live with them as necessities. Thanks to fossil fuel, we have the equivalent of 40 000 personal slaves in the forms of “time saving” devices that have so captured our imagination that we work longer and longer hours to be able to acquire and upgrade them."

"When people are not able to influence the fundamentals of their life they are poor, whether that is because of a lack of education, lack of finance, or because of cultural limitations. It is God’s plan for mankind as a whole, and as individuals, to be free to respond to Him. Circumstances that limit the potential of our response are an offense against His goodness and inevitably dehumanize all people involved."

"Jesus' antidote to sin is as far reaching as the sin was."

"God’s ultimate human destiny is not a city on a cloud in the sky. Rather it is planet earth. It is on an earth that has been restored from the affects of sin, recreated to be better than before the fall, just as Christ’s resurrected body was totally human and yet new."

"We need to learn to see ourselves as a part and not the whole. This requires us to move ourselves from the centre, to put God, the glorification, or worship of God, at the centre of our lives and readjust to live as God intended us to live. To love what he loves and care for what he cares about."

If you would like a copy of the entire essay please ask and I'd love to pass it on. Ben would also like to correspond with people interested in discovering more what our place is here on God's planet earth.

Yesterday I spent the day on the roof of the house, pulling up the old tin and putting down new tin. The old tin had lasted 95 years! Throughout the day I enjoyed cloud gazing. The cloud formations were just amazing. Marbled patterns, whispy strands, fluffy cotton wool, luminous grey threatening to rain etc. I just enjoyed the feeling that I was close to my Creator. Afterwards I commented that our God is so amazing. How did He think all this up? Before there was anything, there was God. And He decided to create. How did He possibly imagine what to create?

Towards the end of the day I caught my knee on the corner of a piece of tin. Immediately I felt a jab of pain. It was short lived. God gave us the gift of pain to alert us to take care of ourselves. I checked it out and realised it was a surface cut, so I kept on working. Later when I was having a shower, I noticed how it had run and then stopped. God in His wisdom created our blood to clot so that we will not bleed to death from a cut. Yet it is the blood pumping through my veins that gives me life. Physical life. It is because of another blood that I have spiritual life. I have the right to enter into God's family. Little me. Huge amazing God, had His Son shed His blood so that I might become His child.

These are truly amazing things!

With NSW on school holidays I spent the last two weeks up in Queensland. I stayed with my "Aussie family" the Gollans. Highlights include but were not limited to:

• climbing Mt Beerwah
• organising a garage sale
• working with Josh
• ANZAC Day service
• riding with Tim
• Jemimah's surprise 18th (which I didn't give away)
• basketball training
• general socialising
• seeing Serge and Tanya from Ukraine
• walking in the bush etc.

Tim and Judith are both much better bloggers than I (and I currently don't have a camera), so you can see pictures of the climb and pictures from the garage sale on their sites. Judith also drew a really good image of an Australian diggers hat. Click on the picture for a larger version on Jude's site.

I will be on the farm again for another month before heading south to Sydney. Many things happen in the course of a day/week. What I have cherished most over the last few weeks are the times I am free to spend with other people or alone with God. Relieving myself of clutter has been great. Not watching TV is great. People are important, and our lives before God are of paramount importance. I can never stress this too much.