P.N.G, here we come !

No, we still don’t have our visas yet, BUT this week we have been asked to come to the MAF base in Mt Hagan on visitor permits to begin our orientation and training. Some of the team who are responsible for our orientation will be going on leave very soon, so they need us there to get up and running. When our visas are ready, we will hop back across to Australia to fetch them.

And so we are in full-steam-ahead mode, packing and sorting and last minute shopping.

We are flying out next week, Friday, 1st of September.

It is always hard to say goodbye to our beloved family and friends here in Melbourne, but SO excited to be on our way and into our new life. Thank you all who have been praying for us.
(And thanks Michael Duncalfe for the use of the picture!)

Why we love Melbourne.

Whilst awaiting the arrival of our visas, we are making very good use of our time here in Melbourne. Here are some pictures of our family enjoying city life before heading to the bush.

Rachel, working hard on a school project.













Meggy at the Melbourne zoo (on a fake elephant).







We went skating last weekend with good friends. Great fun. Stinky place (no wonder, about 100 kids with sweaty feet).











Down at Docklands checking out a old worldy Dutch sailing boat.








Science Works. Fantastic science museum for kids.










And back at home, the girls build a very impressive cubby house out of our old removal boxes. (Even had carpets!)








Helping dad paint the lids of our drums.

Rachel and Megan went with Naomi (a family friend) and Grandma and Popa down to Phillip Island a few weeks ago. Penguines, Kangaroos, and boardwalks. The Giant Worm place. Smith beach. Fish and chips down on the beach at Cows. Ice creams and lattes up the main street. We love P.I because it never changes....and because it is full of sunburt, sand-down-the-cosssie, cricket-on-the-telly-all-night, all round wonderful family holiday memories. We love that our girls get to share in a little of those memories and get to make a few of their own while we are here.

All packed and ready to go

Yesterday, Sandy was on the phone to our MAF Australia people at their head office in Cairns. The good news is that they expect our work permits to be approved this week by the department of labor in Port Moresby.

Once that work permit is approved, it is sent on to the department of immigration where it will take several weeks before our visas will be issued. Once we know we have been accepted for visas, we need to fed-ex our passports to Brisbane to have the visa and work permits stamped into our passports. THEN we can ship our goods, book our flights and start our new life in PNG.

All that said, it is looking like we have at least another month here in Melbourne before we head north.

Please pray that all will fall into place so that we can get going as soon as possible. Thanks!

A Prayer for the World

I was flicking through a book of prayers last night, and spotted this one. Timely indeed.

"Most merciful God, friend and saviour, please help this world to rid itself of the obscenity of terrorism and of the greed and injustice which feeds its roots.

In both affluent countries and in the impoverished ones, may your will be done. Among those whose culture is influenced by Islam or Buddhism, or among those who have been taught by Hindu faith or Christianity, let the thirst for justice, compassion and peace prevail over fear and hatred and avarice.

Give us minds that are willing to be taught, goals that can be reshaped, desires that are purged, and wills that are toughened to seek the good of all through loving means.

This we can only do with your help. On you we cast our fate; through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Australian Prayers, B.Prewer

...and more pictures :packing drums and on the farm

Are we nearly there yet?

Hi all.
Here are some pictures of our packing for PNG and our weekend.

It can almost do your head in trying to pack items designed for square boxes into round drums….but we are winning! We are almost done, and hoping that our visas will be ready in the next two weeks.

We were away this weekend up in North Eastern Victoria to take a meeting at Narelles grandparent’s church, and catch up with family. Unfortunately, our time was limited. We need about a month to see everyone we wanted to, but it was great to be with close family again. Rachel and Megan had a hoot getting the cows in on the four wheeler bikes at Rose and Rex's farm.

Tomorrow we are over at the Bible College of Victoria. Sandy has been asked to do a talk about our work with Mission Aviation training department out at their flight school in Coldstream.

Then on the weekend we are leaving the kids with Grandma and Poppa, and we are running away for a romantic weekend away to celebrate our 10 years wedding anniversary. Our anniversary is not until September 21, but we hope to be deep in PNG by then.

Thanks to all who are praying for us. Please continue to pray for the quick processing of our visa’s, and please also pray for the sale of our car in Johannesburg. We left it with a agent to be sold last March, and he hasn’t been able to shift it. Please pray that it would go so that we would have the funds for a vehicle in PNG.

Love and thanks.