Saturday 10th

Jon led homegroup on Wednesday. It seemed to go well, but as usual, Jon let it go a little over time! (Hasn't yet learned to use a watch!) Jon found it interesting to be looking at a passage that he has translated from the Greek in lectures. (1 John 1)

Thursday saw us contending with a cold-ridden Abi and about two inches of snow. Driving seemed a little too precarious considering the weather, so we gave Tiny Tots a miss this week.

Friday was open church again, but the weather was cold and wet - sleet this time - so very few people were there. The hot cups of coffee and tea were much appreciated by those who made it through the weather, though.

February 6th

We can't believe we are in week 5 already - time is racing by so quickly! Jon went on a walk with some people from the church on Saturday in Adlestrop - great weather and good fellowship.

Ali did the children's talk in the morning service on Sunday. She blew a balloon up, let it go and then hung grapes on a piece of string! And all to illustrate John 15:1-17.

Jon led communion in the evening - but without the balloons, string and the only grapes were in the wine!

Ali went along to the lunch today and then shared some of her personal story at the Ladies Fellowship. Jon is busy planning the Home Group material for tomorrow evening.

August 17th

After spending the morning trying to get on with preparation for the prayer wheel I went off with Ian to the pastors' meeting. I was able to share about the Prayer Wheel event there. The pastors at the meeting said it was a shame we hadn't had much opportunity to visit other churches. We prayed together and they prayed for our journey home which was lovely. (Left to right: Sue, Graeme, Ian, Don and Col)

After the meeting Sue (a pastor in all but name) and I went for a coffee and a chat. We shared our stories and I discovered that she has been instrumental in creating a way forward for women in Queensland in Baptist ministry, but still retains the title 'Ministry assistant' which annoys her! She said in the last 12 months that women are being recognised as being able to be pastors, but that it would take years for things to really change for the better.

Sue brought me home and shortly after Jon and the girls got back from visiting the park. On the way home they saw three lizards, one snake and a heron by the river's edge.

Jon led Home Group this evening and said it was an interesting study based on Psalm 137 with lots of difficult questions on the last couple of verses. It seems strange to be doing things for the last time. We are realising just how much we could do if we had the time. We seem to have barely scratched the surface with what we have been involved in – maybe another 6 weeks might do it!

August 10th

Jon took the girls to a new park nearby while I went and led the devotions at the women's meeting. It went really well - they asked if they could have a copy of what I had prepared to let everyone take one home! I had to leave early so Jon could go out and got back just in time. Jon had just had a call from Ian - so he rushed off to the church to meet up with him.

Jon went with Ian to the pastor's meeting - there were three other pastors there from two churches. He was struck by the fact that both churches had significant missionary programmes overseas. Peter Law, who spoke at Malyon yesterday, shared more about his organisations work. It was good to be able to learn more about what is happening in Eastern Europe.

This afternoon we managed to visit the beach, after I had finished my preparations for Home group this evening, to keep the girls entertained for a while.

Ian picked me up for Home group in his mini (he had told us previously that it has dodgy brakes!) which was an experience in itself. This week there were two children and five adults so there was more discussion during the study this week.

August 3rd

Jon took the girls into the city today to visit the City Hall and go up the bell tower and then on to Roma Street Parklands – a large inner-city park that has been transformed from being railway sidings in the past ten years. It has been landscaped very cleverly and is quite beautiful. The girls loved the play park and the water features.

While they were out I went to Gold and Silver – a group for the older people in the church that happens once a month. Most of the people there seemed not to know who I was – or had forgotten, rather ironic seeing as the mornings focus was on memory training. I shared a little more of my story with them – I did try and speak slowly but it would have been better if I had been able to use a microphone.

In the afternoon I went with Ian to a local Baptist pastors' meeting. Very interesting to hear about what the issues are that they are dealing with.

When I got back everyone was still out so I went up to visit the flat we are going to house-sit from the weekend. Hopefully it will be a lot quieter than where we are now.

Jon went along to Home Group this evening with Ian and his son. They met in the house of a man from Papua New Guinea and he was there with his son and a lady from India. The home group went well, it was interesting to see how open people were even though Jon was a new person in the group. The discussion did struggle a bit at times with only a few people.

July 31st

While waiting for Ian to arrive for a meeting with us, we spent the morning organising the placement project that Ian has asked us to plan. Once he had arrived we discussed this weeks activities, and reviewed last week.

Things planned for this week include: going to the Baptist college here and sitting in on a lecture, more conversational English, Home Group, Bridges Group, leading next Sunday's serviceas well as doing the children's talk and giving our testimonies and some other things as well!

This afternoon Kerry drove us up to Brisbane's Redcliffe - it's just not the same as ours! He took us to visit his parents (they know about us via Jon's family and Kerry), then on to Wynnum.

July 27th

Rebekah's 12^th birthday today and our day off in lieu of Tuesday. Spent the day at a Koala sanctuary, called Lone Pine, which was absolutely brilliant. The girls all got to hold one – very cute! There are about 130 koalas there as well as lots of other animals. We liked the wombats and the kangaroos. We were able to go into the kangaroo area and feed and stroke them. Abigail loved the two gorgeous dingoes and Bethany got to stroke a snake! We also saw a birds of prey display and Rebekah got to go up and hold a barking owl. Just before we left the rainbow lorikeets were fed and there were loads of them, all flying overhead and squawking – they are really beautiful birds.

Jon got a call from Ian to say the home group wasn't happening so we are going to use this evening to do some more planning for tomorrow and Sunday.

July 24th

I worked on my sermon this morning while Jon took the girls to the park. Ian then came over and we discussed the proposed plan for the week. He seems to think there may not be enough to keep us busy – but I think there will be, as there are several things to prepare for this week. Proposed activities include: conversational English, visiting people, Home Group leading, University Student Ministry, Bridges Group, Garage Sale, event advertising and all that Sunday will bring with Ali preaching and an event called 'The Living Room' in the evening.

This afternoon we went along to the Museum of Queensland which was really interesting. They had so much to look at we didn't finish so we are planning a return visit next week sometime. There were exhibits of stuffed animals (never seen a polar bear so close) and lots of information about animals under threat of extinction. The girls really liked it too, especially Beth - who loves polar bears.

This evening Jon went along to a deacons' meeting while I carried on working on my sermon.

Tomorrow is our official day off, but as we have already planned to go out on Thursday to celebrate Rebekah's birthday, we are hoping to get some planning done for events later in the week that we will be involved in.