We spent our first 5 days home at my parents just relaxing, getting over jetlag and enjoying being with family. We then went on a little vacation with my sister and her family to a little place by Lake Taupo. Uncle Paul took the kids fishing and we went swimming, boating and walking and just relaxed. It was a really sweet time with family.
We then went to Hastings, where we came from 41/2 years ago, to visit and to arrange the pick up of all our stuff which was kindly stored by good friends all this time.
We came back to Upper Hutt and got straight into tidying up the house in Naenae. We spent almost three weeks painting, hanging curtains and fixing up. We have lived here now for nearly three weeks and Mark has only just got his office completely organized. We are enjoying our little house. It was nice to be able to paint it just the way we wanted it.
The children all started school. Anna-Marie, Rachel and Joel are at Heretaunga College, a high school in Upper Hutt. Matthew goes to a little Christian school called Maranatha. It has been quite a change for the family for them to all be in school. The older three have been quite challenged at High School and have been a little surprised at the level of disrespect and the openness of sin from their peers. They have already had some opportunities to share the gospel with their friends which is exciting. Matthew had a hard time at school at first but is doing much better now and looks forward to it every day now.
Mark has been very busy getting the house organized. I am so blessed to have such a diligent husband :) He has also preached twice and has begun meeting with a couple of guys in Wellington for a bible study. He has been visiting a new believer in the neighborhood and has been running with a young man who is interested in the things of the Lord. He begins preaching this Sunday in the local community hall. Please pray for this outreach. It is a group of very sincere, faithful believers who hope to reach our community, Naenae, for Christ. We meet to pray every week on a Tuesday night and will be out in the community every week.
You also would have heard about the earthquake that we have had in the South Island in a city called Christchurch. Thanks to everyone for their concerns and prayers for this country and for Christchurch. They are still pulling bodies from the rubble and people are still without power, water and sewage. We have had two earthquakes here in the last three days which is nothing unusual but has people a little nervous because of what has happened in Christchurch.
We are definitely missing America. We talk about our lives there all the time. It already feels like some distant memory which saddens us. We miss the fellowship with all the wonderful dear people we met and came to love but we are thoroughly enjoying seeing and being with our extended families, seeing old friends and beginning ministry. We are excited about the future and what the Lord may do.
More updates to follow, hopefully with a few photos.
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