A Quick Update

There have been so many things on my mind lately.  There are many different transitions we'll be taking in a short time, and I'm excited to see what God is going to do in this next part of our ministry here.

Currently, we are hosting a couple from the States as they do recording for an audio Kriol Baibul.  We have been blessed to record with 2 different folks here in Barunga and have finished recording the book of Titus (Taidus).  It went well.  Jim and Mary Alice have put in a lot of work to make the project go well.  We have appreciated their flexibility (when world views collide) and their kindness.  They have been very hard at work recording, and when they aren't recording, they are editing like mad!  :)  May God bless them for their dedication.

We are also looking ahead to moving our family to Katherine in December.  We are planning on moving before the new school year so our kids can start at a school in Katherine.  There are many reasons for this transition: Alice and Bethany being the only "English as a first language" speakers in their class in Barunga, a slower pace--which is necessary with an ESL program but not too helpful for our girls; a lower view of education we've noticed in the community,  there are consistently children wandering during school hours because they simply didn't want to come to school.  We would really appreciate your prayers as we take this next step.

We have been looking at housing in Katherine and the cost to rent in Katherine is approximately 4 times the amount we are currently paying in Barunga.  In order to meet this cost, I have been working with an autistic boy over at the school every day, and have committed to helping him through December.  Trenton is 5 years old and his grandma is one of the church leaders in Barunga.  It has been a very challenging job, and Trenton has tested me many times.  However, this has also been an opportunity to get to know the kids in the community, and to build relationships with the teachers as well.  I'm thankful for the opportunity to serve and share Christ through my life.

We have been attending a small church plant in Katherine for several months on and off (depending on what's happening in Barunga) and are looking forward to further involvement with that group of people.  We are excited to see what God is going to do through this new church.  We have several ideas for indigenous ministry through this church, but ultimately God will direct our path.

Thank you all so much for your constant prayers and support of our family throughout our time here in Australia.  You are each a blessing to us, and we praise the Lord for each of you on our team.  If you have any questions about what's next with us, or any other questions, please ask.  God bless, yumob!!

Motorcycles for Cam

Here's a common sight here!!

Look close and see if you can see the fish with the rainbow tails!

Bye, Cam!  I love you, dude!

Thailand (from a Mullet's eye view...)

The course hasn't started yet, but a group of us went out to see the Sunday night market.  It was a lot of fun!  I hope you enjoy the pics. :)  Thank you so much for your prayers for me and this group as we go through this course.

This was the first group we saw playing on the market.  The drummer was using pots and jugs of different sizes.

This group had some more traditional type instruments.  Very neat!  Can you name them? ---If you can, help me out! :) 

This man and wife were a neat pair.  He played, and she danced.

The market was full of lots of people, it was actually difficult to stay in our small group of 4 people without being separated by many other people. (Though this picture doesn't really communicate that very well!)

When I saw this sign, I just laughed!  As you can tell, the lady needs to "powder her nose".  There's also no question what the guy needs to do!

Liche fruit peeled is great for making fake eyeballs.  (This pic is for Alice, Bethany, and Cameron.  Daddy misses you!!!)

2 years later...

It's hard to believe our family has been in Barunga for 2 years now.  So much has happened.  Our kids have grown, our relationships have deepened, and our hearts seem to have enlarged a bit as well.  There have been many things in the past 2 years that we have been blessed and challenged by.  Hopefully this blog has been a blessing to folks who have wanted to keep up with what we've been doing.   Here's a "Last two years" picture summary.

Just beginning to get our feet wet....  :)  This was our first weekend in Australia!

Fellowship with the church ladies on a Sunday evening!

Teaching a lesson at a Baibul Study workshop! (Sabi Mowa Blanga Godwei)

Tuesday afternoon Baibul study with the church ladies!

Recording the Luk DVD in Kriol!  :)

Cameron, Alice and Bethany REALLY getting their feet wet in our yard during "The Wet" season.

Making new friends "langa riba" (at the river)

Our faithful pooch, Olie.  He's a goof, and we love him.

We had a special visit from Cheri's "mum and dad".  :)

Cheri teaching a lesson at another discipleship course!

Here's our Kriol Team, "hard at work" planning for the next year of ministry.  

And a Sunday service during the discipleship course in Barunga!

A family getaway to Nitmiluk National Park.  This is a great place to remember we are a family and we love each other! :)

A short trip to Melbourne for AuSIL meetings, and then a fun train ride for daddies and kids... Poor Cheri only got a women's "pamper party". :(  :)

Below is a pic from the song writing workshop we had last week in Barunga.  It went really well, and people wrote 4 new songs using Kriol Scripture--and more in the works! :)

Here's a better picture of our team: (L to R) Rachel, John, Jenna, "Angelic" Margaret, me and Cheri, Alice, Bethany and Cameron!

Thank you all so much for all your prayers and support of our family as we continue to serve here in Australia.  We are looking forward to what he will be doing in the future as well.  May God be glorified in our lives as we serve Him together.

"What was he wearing?"

A couple of weeks ago we went to the "Katherine Show"--rodeo/stock show, and had a bit more excitement than we were anticipating.

There were SO MANY PEOPLE at the fairgrounds, and booths of various games and rides and everything else that goes with the fair.  The line to get in was about 1 city block long.  For those of you in CO, it resembled the line at 6 pm at Casa Bonita.  Praise the Lord Cheri bought our tickets online! :)

We went to several exhibits as a family, including a horse jumping show and polo crosse game.  It was cool to see those guys in action on their horses!  The whole time we were watching the show, the kids were asking to go to the ferris wheel.  So, after a few shows, we headed over that direction.  Unfortunately, it was closed for repairs.

As we were walking away, it occurred to us that we didn't hear Cam, so we started looking around--casually at first(at a quick pace) and then the panic which every parent feels started to kick in after about 5 minutes of searching, and seeing a TON of children and adults, but no Cameron!

By God's grace, a police officer was walking past us at that very moment, and we told him what our situation was.  For some reason, when I woke up that morning, and Cam was getting dressed, I thought, "Memorize what he's wearing."  I didn't think of it again until...  I described Cameron to him, what he was wearing, etc. and he told me he would radio the other policemen in the fairgrounds to start looking for him.  In the meantime, I started walking up and down the rows of booths and looking at the hundreds of kids/adults everywhere.

As I walked I prayed, "Lord, please let me find him!  Please let him be safe.  Please watch over and protect him."  Thoughts were going through my mind, horrible 'what if's'..."Where could he be?  What if someone has kidnapped him?" and all the worse thoughts of what might happen...  My pace quickened and my prayers were as fervent as ever, looking and praying, looking and praying.

After about 15 minutes of searching, by God's grace I saw Cameron hiding behind one of the stalls, just barely out of regular view.  He was standing there crying,  poor boy.  When I reached him I said, "CAMERON MULLET!"  and scooped him up, and hugged him tight.

"I couldn't find you!" he sobbed.  Praise the Lord I found him.

Sitting back from the whole situation, I thought, "Isn't that just like us and God?"  I think it is.  When we go astray and can't seem to find Him, I believe He is actively seeking us out and will not give up until his lost son or daughter is found.  He loves people just like I love Cameron; and I know his heart shouts for joy when we turn and find him--just like my heart shouted for joy when I found my precious little boy.

Check out Luke 15. (the whole chapter!)

"I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent."  Luke 15:7  

Not there yet...

It's hard for me to believe my oldest daughter is already 7 years old.  It seems like only yesterday she was born, and in seven years so much has happened in her life:  She's moved over 12 times, had open heart surgery, learned to ride a bike, ...  Before I know it, she'll be driving.  --But I don't want to think about that right now.  :)

It's odd, because it seems like just yesterday I was saying, "I wish I was seven!  Second graders are so old!"  Time really goes by quickly.  My life will be coming to a close before I know it, and when I look  back I hope to have lived a life that is pleasing to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  Something I've been thinking about a lot has been my lack of ability to "live right" and truly follow Christ.  I feel truly inadequate, desperately sinful and hypocritical.  I understand it's a journey, and God is daily working on me and making me into the person I am created to be, but I seem to throw a bunch of "spanners in the works". (Aussie for "mess things up"...)

I want my life to be a blessing to my Lord, and to the people I interact with.  I want to practice what the Bible says, not just say what the Bible says.  I don't want to look into the Mirror, and then walk away and forget what I look like.(Check out James.)  When it comes to the final day of judgement, I know I will not be able to hold my head high.  Christ is my righteousness.  Apart from him, I am nothing.   With his help, I can do the impossible; whatever the "impossible" is.  "With God, all things are possible."  He who began a good work in me will be faithful to bring it to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

So, what can I do?  Simply cling to him, trust him, and take it a day at a time--because before I know it my days will be finished.

Who needs a gun...

...When you've got a Cruiser?

I was asked by my "brother" to give a ride to him and his family from Barunga to a neighbouring community.  It was dark out, and the community was about a half an hour down the road.
  Driving in the evening/twilight time in the Northern Territory is not always a good idea.  It's during that time, and during the night, when the wallabies and kangaroos come out of the bush to eat, and sit by the road.  However, since I have driven many times at night here, I was okay with it.
  On my way home from the community, a kangaroo jumped out of the bush, and smacked the side of the Cruiser.  It wasn't a large kangaroo, so there wasn't damage to the car, but my thought was, "I wonder if I killed it?"  So, I hopped out, and there it lay, "finished".  I thought about just driving away and forgetting about it, but then I remember how many times indigenous friends from up here have said, "We hit a kangaroo, and so we chucked it onto the roof, took it home and cooked it up!"  The kangaroo wasn't mangled, just "finished".  So, I chucked it onto our roof, and drove the 15 remaining minutes back to Barunga.
  As I was driving past my "Nana's" camp, I told them what had happened, and asked if they wanted the kangaroo.  They told me yes, and thank you!
  We unexpectedly ran out of bread today so I drove over to the shop to pick up some more, but it was closed.  I was about to drive home and simply tell Cheri I had no bread, but then I thought of Nana Jocelyn.

I went over to her house, and she asked me what I had come for.  I explained that we ran out of  bread, and asked if she had any.  She came back with 2 loaves of bread!  She also told me that they had cut up the kangaroo, and were going to cook it today or tomorrow.

  We are deepening our relationships with folks.  When I asked for the bread, and she gave it, she said, "I know I can ask you for things too."