Traipsing up to Timaru

After a whirlwind weekend in Timaru, St Stephens has decided to go ahead and ask for a congregational vote to call us. Trinity is going to meet early this week, so we will keep you posted. I had been unwell all week, and didn't have much of a voice at the end, but we managed to get there in the end.

Katarina and Janine went to Samstock last weekend; they have been looking forward to seeing the headline acts for ages. Friday night was unseasonably warm, but temperatures dropped quickly in the morning as the southerly swept through. However, they had a blast and the weather came right by the end of the day for them.

Hannah and Zach put up with the meetings fairly well, they really enjoyed staying in the motel which had spa bath! Hannah was particularly impressed with Timaru as the folk we shared a meal with on Saturday night also had a spa bath. We also managed to spent a couple of hours with my brother and sister in law, and the cousins had a chance to catch up.

The children are heading to Oamaru on Tuesday to stay with my mum and dad, and Chris and I fly to Wellington on Wednesday for Assembly. Chris is organising lots of clothes embroided with the Burning Bush, there is a growing demand.

Cold in spring?

The only things worse than a summer cold is a spring cold, which I am trying valiantly to slog through - bleughchchch!!
Chris and a friend from Mosgiel felled the tree by the front door, which has improved the view, and filled up a third of the wood bay. I will not miss cleaning up the mess! We've also trimmed some of the school's foliage, which should improve the view and the sun!
Hannah, Zach and I performed at the Saturday morning music classes concert on Sunday afternoon. High winds dropped a tree onto the one way system south, and we were caught up in the traffic jam. At least we made it to the concert - the mayor, Peter Chin, was supposed to sing but the airport was closed and he wasn't able to drive back in time. Our recorder ensemble played, among other things, a piece by Christopher Norton, who was in Dunedin for the 40th anniversary celebrations of SMMC - and he shouted 'Bravo!' when we finished. So we must have done a good job! The concert is a two and a half hour marathon, over three by the time you arrive early and pack up, but the kids did well waiting for their turn to perform.
This is the last week of term, and it is a busy week as we prepare for heading off to Timaru for the weekend to look at this job.

More spring like thoughts

Lovely lambies gamboling, rhodo's dripping colour in the garden, temperatures in the double digits - it must be spring! Somehow the days are just flying by. Janine and Katarina had a party on Saturday night in Mosgiel and stayed for a sleepover, and Hannah had a friend to stay over here. Zach also went away for a sleepover.
It was another busy week for me, I managed to get a cheap ticket for the Dunedin production of Cats, which was fab! Chris has been chipping away at various projects here and in Mosgiel, on the web, and various bits and pieces.
We all seem to be well at the moment, swimming happens every Tuesday night, Hannah, Zach and I are all practising for our big concert next weekend, yada, yada, yada.

Daffodils and other blossoms

Daffodils are blooming in Dunedin, and the weather is fine enough to get out and enjoy them! We went for a bike ride together on Saturday, enjoying the blossoms, and other spring things, like warmer and drier weather.

This was our first week without soccer which frees up Thursday (no practice) and some of Saturday morning. However, we are building up to a big music concert on Saturday 21, which meant most of the morning at DNI. The recorder ensemble that Zak and I play in will perform, and Hannah, Zak and I will be part of the 200 strong massed item. Crazy stuff, trying to get 40 six year olds to know when to play and when to wait patiently but a good exerience all the same.
We all went to see 'Oliver' on Saturday night - this was a Columba College school production, and Chris was keen to take everyone as he enjoyed going to these sorts of things when he was young.
Chris and I are in conversation with two churches in Timaru, and we are trying to sort a date to go and preach for a call. This has made Page 2 in the Timaru Herald, with most of the moderator's pastoral letter to the churches being printed although no names were mentioned. The four churches in Timaru are vacant at the moment, and team ministry has been discussed, proposed and even voted on. Only two wanted to proceed, and these are the ones that we are talking with. However, the other two churches were a bit miffed they weren't included, even though they voted not to do the team ministry thing. Politics!
So we've managed to upset things already and we're not even there!!! These things all take time, and we wouldn't move before the end of the year even if we are called. There is also a possibility that Chris might do some interim work in one church before the end of the year, which would be a bit of a commute, but really help our bank balance. So we will see what happens!