Konings Christmas Letter, 2006

The Konings Christmas letter 2006

Chris and MJ have finished their training at the School of Ministry in Dunedin! Yay! As I write we have no job and no indication of what might happen next year. In the meantime we plan on staying in Dunedin. We are able to stay in the house to start with. We are looking at further study options and the children are very happy to stay here. Here is our graduating class.

Hannah turned five in November and although she has finished the year at Montessori, she is also looking forward to starting school at Opoho next year. Hannah continues to be taller than her siblings at this age and has made good progress on her literacy and number skills. If you ever ring us, you will likely hear her delightful phone answering manner.

Perhaps the most dramatic thing to happen this year was Zak’s broken leg at the beginning of school. This was an end of the day collision between classmates that kept MJ and Zak in hospital for a couple of days and we enjoyed the use of a wheelchair, then progressed to crutches and now he is as good as new. School was very supportive and we were grateful to be living right next door! Once the leg came right, Zak was back into soccer which he continues to enjoy. He has also discovered that summer cricket with his uncles is loads more fun than Kiwi cricket skills but he managed to persevere despite waning interest.

Janine continues to tackle everything with determination and verve. She has continued with singing this year and picked up the flute. She has enjoyed her first year at DNI, in particular her teacher, Miss Haig. Janine also picked up netball this year. She’s been great at making the most of living next door to a school. Reading continues to be her favourite activity although she has also been developing her baking skills.

Katarina finishes at DNI this year and we are enrolling her at Logan Park High School in the meantime. She has enjoyed playing netball again this year and her social life has taken a step up. Leith Valley church employed a couple of youth workers and Katarina has had a great time with various activities. Her new hobby is making jewellery and she has enjoyed creating ear-rings in particular. We are enjoying her growing up and becoming increasingly independent. Both girls have been essential helpers on the domestic front, and without their help could not have managed the last couple of years.

Chris has had a full on year, completing a CPE course which had 3 assignments a week on top of 40 hours of coursework and of course, the inevitable “extras” from the SOM. Since we finished in early November, he has been making a start on some of the jobs that have piled up. This includes sorting a computer for our friend Nuka who heads back to Niue shortly, some house repairs for MJ’s folks in Oamaru, car and van maintenance, sorting out our stuff, filing, tax returns… you get the idea!

MJ celebrated her 40^th birthday with due ceremony and lots of friends this year and a month later was licensed at Weston church, Oamaru in November. We are wearing our stoles that good friend Silvia Purdie made for us, and most members of our class, this year. Mum and Dad are very proud! She has been working on a research project on worship at the moment, making good use of the library and people resources in Dunedin at the moment. Plus going to end of year functions, as you do.

Christmas in Dunedin is the plan and we are running a holiday program at Leith from 8-12 January. We will be in Wellington for Chris’ licensing on January 25, drive up to Parachute in Hamilton, then return to Dunedin early February and whatever 2007 holds for us.

May God bless you all,

Love from Chris, Mary-Jane, Katarina, Janine,

Zachary and Hannah

Keeping in touch

MJ will continue to update the weblog, usually on Monday’s or Tuesday’s. The address is: http://konings.blogspot.com/

email: seeu@paradise.net.nz

Licensing in Oamaru

If I look serious, that's because the Moderator is asking me a bunch of questions that I am thinking about. Scary questions. Questions about whether I will minister cheerfully, which I think means no more whining, and upholding the peace and unity of the church - so, no more stirring...

It's hailing!

..
You just have to love Dunedin. 4 days until Christmas and it is hailing. Great! Zach has his last day for this year today, he is not too happy about heading off to clean up and Chris is off to Oamaru to help Mum and Dad for the day. I think I might stay inside and write..

Here we are in Christchurch in the middle of winter, earlier this year. We are going to be wearing the same sort of gear plus jackets today.

Last week of school, 2006

Chris survived his crit service, although it was rather dramatic as Richard, our minister, burnt his hand badly as part of the Sunday morning preparations. He was lighting the burner to heat up the baptismal pool when the accident happened. So he was in hospital enduring various medical dramas while we shuffled matters around to pick up the things he was going to do that morning. All was well however, Chris preached and lit the Advent candles with no further ado.
We said goodbye to our friends the Franks who returned to Germany on Sunday and returned with their car which we have arranged to purchase. And we finished the day with a lovely warm evening at the Woodhaugh Gardens, celebrating Chris Purdie's 40th birthday.
I am writing this in between the DNI final assembly and the Opoho assembly. The girl's finish tomorrow with a half day and the other children on Thursday.
We are celebrating Christmas in Dunedin this year. I am preaching on Christmas Eve morning at Portebello and we will be joined by family and friends for Christmas Day dinner on Monday.

All revved up and no where to go...

Highlights of the last week include:
being with Stephanie in Ranfurly on Sunday where she was inducted and ordained to parish ministry, the first of the graduating class of 2006 to do so. Chris made the day slightly more challenging by locking the keys in the van at the venue; fortunately AA travel to Ranfurly and we discovered the problem before the service rather than when we wanted to come home! The best part of the day for the children were the ice creams, rather too large to finish before the service so they got to stay outside in the warm sun for a bit longer. Mind you it was plenty warm enough in the service, so warm that the local Catholic priest was overcome and had to have a wee lie down before the sermon before recovering enough to stagger to the back of the church. He seemed to take no ill effect as he left to take his third service of the day before the end of the speeches!
We are enjoying having Kif and Garry to stay. Their daughter Anna graduates this week and they have come down to get her organised and celebrate with her.
Hannah is looking forward to her school visits this week, one on Tuesday and one on Thursday. She is looking forward to starting school next year at Opoho.
Katarina and Janine have been very busy with farewells at youth group, a number of their friends are leaving to go back to England, on exchange to Germany, on holiday in the USA or shifting to the North Island. They are quite glad to be staying on in Dunedin in the meantime, Janine will stay at DNI and Katarina will go to Logan Park High School.

Advent 1

We have settled into a routine of sorts against after the celebrations of last week. Yesterday Katarina and Janine were part of the youth service at Leith, playing, singing and involved with the drama. This has involved extra practises and next week the whole family will be part of the pagent run by the Sunday School at Leith.
I was invited late in the week to preach at North Taieri which was a joy and a pleasure although it meant missing the girls' contribution to workship. Chris is preparing his crit service for Sunday 17 at Leith and is hoping to help my dad with some home repairs in Oamaru this week. I continue to make use of the library resources here in Dunedin, both the Hewitson and the university library.
Hannah continues with two swimming lessons a week, one with her school and one with her friend, Ben Purdie, on Thursdays.
Zachary will finish his Kiwi cricket skills soon; this is just as well as he is getting bored with the sessions but they keep the interest up with giveaways, including player cards each week.
We still have nothing firm on the horizen although we have had several "interesting" conversations with churches around Dunedin. We will keep you posted...