Brilliant News!

I recieved my budget from Thailand today - what I need per month to live as a missionary there. And you know what? Once I converted it from the incomprehensible Thai Baht to the Aussie dollar I realised that I really should aim to have $1100 in support pledged per month before I go. Yay! I'm going!
To see my super accounting skills (not) click here to view my budget breakdown.

Supporting thoughts

These last couple of days I've been trying to throw my heart over the concept of support raising. It was an online chat conversation with my future team leader in Thailand that brought this all up. Nearly every time I speak to her she manages to slip in a 'So when are you coming over?'. I finish my last training by the 22nd June 2008. However the School that I hope to staff begins in July 2008! That's an extremely short time to wrap up, say goodbye to everyone in Sydney and move to Thailand. It's also a really short time to make sure I have enough financial partnerships in place to actually be able to go!
I was heartbroken at being run out of Zimbabwe and having to abandon our plans for ministry there. I think I would be even more incredibly disappointed with myself if I had to leave the ministry project halfway in Thailand for lack of funding. So hence - I have begun thinking about support raising.
Firstly, I thought 'this is really weird'. Fact is, till this whole mission thing came up, the only people I've ever asked to give me money are my parents. Sponging off your parents probably comes naturally to every child. It's a whole new ball game when you realise that God wants you to depend on His and the generosity of other people to live. In Matthew 6:24 Jesus is rather blunt about the fact "you cannot serve both God and money". Having probably shot my career in the neck by resigning and stepping out of commercial design, it's a case of serve God first, and leave the money up to Him to provide.
So I began to read this book called 'Funding the family business' by Myles Wilson. He had been supporter of his brother, who was a missionary with Campus Crusade for many years. Then eventually he and his wife decided to take the step to become missionaries themselves. He pointed out that it was strange that the missionaries he talked to felt burdened with the task of asking for support, when actually he had found giving extremely enjoyable. And thinking back, when I was working I did quite enjoy giving to mission and hearing back about what that money has acheived - it was always fun to see. So I guess it should always be enjoyable - both being the giver and being the reciever because both positions are in an opportunity to bless the other...

Lightning Crashes

This morning, I was cranky on my way into work because two of my buses pulled up to the stop but then only let people off and wouldn't take on passengers - so I was late and ended up walking part of the way there. As I rounded the last corner on the Kings Rd in Chelsea I realised why - a police cordon was re-directing people around the wreckage of a silver car. As I passed it I heard a female cop say "one dead in the silver car, the driver of the taxi in critical condition". It's a little bit small town around here cause of the council housing estate opposite so people have been dropping in with rumours of up to three dead in the silver car, and that they were joyriders.
Anyway, feeling cranky about public transport being late seems a bit callous in the light of this.
Then I received an email saying that one of the youngest children I had taught in the preschool in Joburg died a month ago, but they'd thought he had just moved back to Mozambique. Fernando was quite cuddly and had the world's biggest smile, but he was sick in the last weeks while I was there, listless and sleepy all the time. Apparently his father took him to a witch doctor and then he died. This total waste of a young life just makes me angry - I think that there's probably a good chance he would still be living if he had been medicated properly.
However, also over email came the great news that one of my friends, Corrine, is pregnant! She's had scans (you can almost see facial features) and it's all very exciting!
So this morning has just been like the Live song, 'Lightning Crashes'...

lightning crashes, a new mother cries
her placenta falls to the floor
the angel opens her eyes
the confusion sets in
before the doctor can even close the door

lightning crashes, an old mother dies
her intentions fall to the floor
the angel closes her eyes
the confusion that was hers
belongs now, to the baby down the hall

oh now feel it comin' back again
like a rollin' thunder chasing the wind
forces pullin' from the center of the earth again
I can feel it.

lightning crashes, a new mother cries
this moment she's been waiting for
the angel opens her eyes
pale blue colored iris,
presents the circle
and puts the glory out to hide, hide

Cold and damp...ahh the english winter

Well, that pretty much will summarise my weather for the next few months. Onto other topics!
I've been working doing web design for a bike shop. I slave away over my computer in the dungeon downstairs beneath the shopfront and pop up every so often to blink in the sunlight (wait, what am I saying, there hasn't been any sunshine to blink at!). My boss is lovely, if rather rough around the edges being a biker and all, and the hours are great. The only problem is, seeing as he lives a biker lifestyle and takes off on random roadtrips fairly suddenly, I work completely random days and I never know how much money I might earn in a week.
Enter God's answer - moving in with the Parnhams. Not only do I save money, but I do love their family and they have a TV! I know that shouldn't factor in my decision to move, but it is a rather exciting bonus after years without.
Also, I've been playing tennis at the free courts on the hill beside where I live. It's sooooo good to get back into the game, even if I am incredibly rusty. And I scored a free lesson in backhand from one of my playing partners...
My thoughts are already turning to Australia (maybe cause I miss the beach and sun), especially after finding out that I have been accepted into the School of Frontier Media in Perth, come January (Hooray!). Apparently I was accepted a while ago but no one told me so I've been sitting here getting rather nervous till I heard. Anyway, on an otherwise frustrating friday, I managed to book a cheap plane ticket to Perth and so am out of Sydney on the 5th Jan!
Although I am really enjoying my time here, it's also exciting to know what I'll be going on into...and I can't wait till Thailand!