Restoration in progress - members from our Aussie and our Thai churches working together

CHRISTMAS TIME

The shops are all bright with the tinsel and balls,
The colours are all red and green.
There are Christmas trees too and the usual stalls,
Part of the Nativity scene.

The atmosphere is one of a bustling joy,
‘Tho sometimes one feels time is short.
We still haven’t got presents for a special boy
And for dinner there’s much to be bought.

But Christmas is certainly a wonderful time
As families share that great love
Which God wanted all to participate in
By sending His Son from above.

Personal Notes

“A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” As in all things, including floods, the Lord has His purpose!!

During the past year, we have spent nearly four months in Thailand on two separate trips—the first one in February, March and early April, and again in October and November. For much of this time we have been occupied with the restoration of our Bangkok condominium following the floods of 2011. See below for more on this story.

We have also been busy in ministry including preaching and teaching, and personal encouragement of Thai young people. As usual, we visited Maliwan and Saeng at Jomthien Baptist church and preached there a couple of Sundays. Russ also conducted the wedding of a dedicated young Thai couple in March.

We continue to enjoy relatively good health considering our 72 years,   and in spite of the doctors’  concern for

Russ’s low haemoglobin.

As noted in our “Family” segment, we are expecting to be presented with our tenth grandchild early in the new year.

Thank you so much again for your continued interest, your prayers and support.

The Story in Pictures

Above and left -

On first arrival - very disheartening

Above and below -

But restoration and clean-up gets started

Below -

Darryl and Col

kept things light hearted

Above - our electrician

Right - the final result was better than before the flood!!

Flood Renovations

After the Bangkok floods of October/November 2011, we faced the new year with the massive task of cleaning up and restoring our condominium.

We booked a flight and organised visas to return to Thailand at the beginning of February until early April. A very dear friend and elder of our church, Col Krueger, offered to join us and help with the initial clean-up and restoration, travelling at his own expense.

Another member of our church, Darryl Poulsen, also kindly made the same offer shortly before we left, so there were four of us for the first 2 weeks. A team of young people from the Phrasiri church also joined us for day visits.

Col was also instrumental in starting a “flood fund” for the repair expenses, and the support of our church (and others) was a huge help.

Besides the destruction  of the chip-board kitchen cab-

inets, the sheeting on the stud walls was completely destroyed by mould, carpet was destroyed, and there was damage to appliances, curtains, and so on.

After the initial clean-up, we replaced the sheeting on the stud walls, repaired doors, and did a lot of painting. We engaged local tradesmen to redo the kitchen cabinets, to do tiling, repairs and repainting that required equipment we didn’t have.

When Ruth and I returned to Thailand in October, we continued on with the restoration between ministry responsibilities, doing as much as we could by ourselves, including a lot more painting.

Finally, we had large “For Sale” signs professionally made and mounted just hours before leaving for Australia in November. A Christian neighbour has kindly offered to be our contact for inquiries in our absence.

Two blessings that seem to have come out of this “flood event” is the sense of oneness generated between our Australian and Thai churches, and the condo may now be more saleable after the freshness of the restoration!!

Snippets

If you are familiar with the “Serving Together” magazine, you may be interested in Russ’s article “Growth of the Kingdom in Thailand” in the October 2012 edition.

If you are interested, you may care to have a look at our “For Sale” website— condo4sale.pray4thailand.com. Only some of the pictures are updated.

Family

Just after we thought that the grandchildren count had reached finality, we were presented with the news that Joy and Ben are expecting to increase their family again early March next year.

No, not twins this time, and we can’t yet tell you whether this one will be another gorgeous girl or a bouncing boy.

Our seven oldest grandchildren will be represented one in each grade from one to seven next year. Grade seven for Natalie will actually be “Middle School” at

Fairholme College in Toowoomba.

We have had some very special family times together during the past year in spite of our being in Thailand for a third of that time, and we plan to have Christmas Day together in a couple of weeks.

The photo below was taken at a family wedding on the Darling Downs, just out of Warwick, when Ruth’s niece, Kira was married to Dane Olsen.

Finally, thanks to some amazing family research by my youngest brother, Athol, we have established that our grandfather on my father’s side was born in 1841 and arrived in Tasmania on the convict ship the “Earl Grey” May 1850!! Dad was born in 1891.

Simon, Melody, Russ, Ruth, Ben and Joy

Jake, Melody, Holly, Susan, Rebekah, Katelyn, Philippa, Victoria and Natalie