Sunflower Growers

New couch

2012-02-10T08:43:00.000+11:00

Our 'new' IKEA couch and it's happy owner... It's one of those things that we've been wanting for about six months and have just waited for it to come along. And here it is - a gift from our heavenly Daddy!

The bees love the gum flowers...

Bella Donna Lilies are flowering everywhere at the moment, making everything beautiful.

Beauty

2012-01-31T20:12:00.000+11:00

Ulf took this picture a few days ago. When he showed it to me, he said only one word, "Beauty."

Summer Days...

2012-01-29T12:02:00.000+11:00

The beauty of having so much space is sharing it with others...

Ulf picked up this great little bbq for free.... we had a feast... those are James' feet... and yes the grass underneath did burn - from a stray ember - but the hose was close by. :-)

Tammy, Josh, James, Brayden and Emma getting into the tucker!

Note the tv on the right - for watching the tennis. :-)

Ulf on the tractor, slashing..... there's so much slashing to do these days...

Juicy ripe blackberries are all over the property at the moment... causing quite regular outings to pick them!

One such outing's produce... our freezer is filling up fast with these!

A stash of yummy blackberry jam has also appeared in our pantry... :-)

Christmas 2011

2012-01-17T08:43:00.000+11:00

We had an incredible Christmas this year! My family - Aaron, Mum, Otto and Tamara - were able to come to our place to celebrate Christmas and have some family time together. It was extra special to see them altogether in our home. :-)

We celebrated Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve, after the German tradition, followed by a few carols and exchanging gifts. I thoroughly enjoyed hosting my family and preparing special food and decorations for the occasion!

After four nights at our place, we all headed south to Torquay for a bit of a holiday...!

Otto, Mum, Aaron, and myself looking out over the horizon at the surf beach at Breamlea.

Ulf and I at Breamlea. The sun was warm, but the water was freezing cold and the wind was quite chilly as well!

Mum and I at Erskine Falls, near Lohne. Mum the birdwatcher very much enjoyed the birdlife at the place we stayed in Torquay.

The Jetty at Point Lonsdale - a great place to swim if you don't like the waves and the wind.

Ulf and Mum checking out the water temperature before going in for a swim.

Ulf on the Jetty at Point Lonsdale.

On the Jetty...

Tamara, myself, and Mum sharing the sunset at Torquay beach.

All of us together! We had some really good times together, and of course we had some challenges as well! At Torquay we took turns making dinner and helping in the kitchen and by the end of our time together, I think we really enjoyed doing this together and for each other. It's those little things about caring for each other that I'll remember fondly.

Merry Christmas / Frohe Weihnachten!

2011-12-24T11:24:00.000+11:00

On being loved and loving others

2011-12-22T09:15:00.000+11:00

"You will soon find that your security in God's love and your awareness of his unlimited patience with you will redefine the other relationships in your life.

"Instead of demanding that others conform to what you think is right, you will find yourself letting others have their own journey. By no longer manipulating them to what you think is best, you can allow them the same freedom God gives you. You will let them choose their own course based on nothing but the clarity of truth as they understand it and the willingness of their conscience. It is the task of the Holy Spirit, not you, to convict.

"Instead of despising people who are broken by sin, you will be touched by the depth of bondage that holds them captive. You will also see better how the Father responds to them and then know how you can as well. Sometimes that means you'll stand back and let the consequences of sin take their course as the father did with his prodigal son. At other times it means you'll jump into the mess with them and help them find God's way out.

"Instead of saying what you think people want to hear, you'll look for ways to be gently honest with them." (From 'He Loves Me,' by Wayne Jacobsen, 2007, Windblown Media.)

When I reflect on my own life and interactions with others, at first I feel that I am not 'gently honest' with others, but rather brutaly honest! But I think it only feels brutal because our culture is so bogged down in telling people what they want to hear in order that they will like us and be our friend. It's really against the grain.

This cultural phenomenon is something that I'm against and try not to adhere to, so most of the time I find myself saying nothing at all and waiting for the opening/the opportunity to say something - ie., wait for the person to ask me what I think. Any attempt to share my input before this is futile, which I have done so many times before!

The more I experience of my Father's patience and gentleness with me, the more patience I have with others.

[Top: A snail left this message for us on our path one morning :-); above: one of the many butterflies dancing around at the moment, this one rested in our apple tree.]

Reflection on our home

2011-11-28T20:22:00.000+11:00

I was doing something outside of our garden the other day, and as I walked back toward the cottage I saw the large poplar and oak trees in a way that I hadn't before. I was standing back, seeing the whole tree and the whole picture! They're lovely and green and majestic and strong - like a covering over our little home which is nestled in between them. Previous to this day I had only seen the trees as bothersome and ugly. I was only seeing them close up with all their dead branches in clear view. But from further away I could see them from a different perspective - taking in the beauty of the whole.

For the first time I can see our home as being so beautiful and inviting in its entirety..... I could see a hope and a future in it as well. Since moving here I have often struggled with feeling secure in my home - in the sense that we don't know how long we can live here. My fear came from the fact that our landlady is very old and if anything happened to her, it could mean that we would need to move on. But this is only based on the natural and I really can not know what would happened if she passed away. However, the other day, when I saw the big trees over our house, I felt God's reassurance or even His heart for us being here - His presence over our home.

I am looking forward to the New Year and all that it will bring. We will welcome our first child into our home, becoming a little family. I am so thankful and joyful and excited to meet this little one and embrace all the changes that will come with them!

Our local kangaroos, hanging out in the rain, outside our front door.

My first attempt at home-made tomato sauce... without sugar!

Our sunflower seedlings - I got frustrated with the few packet seeds that I tried twice to sow and which didn't sprout, so I threw in a handful of seeds that I had saved from our sunflowers at Stuart Road!

The cottage from the north-west, showing the large poplar tree on the right, another one to the front left (in the middle of the picture), and the big oak tree on the left-handside.

Spring

2011-11-12T13:06:00.000+11:00

When we returned home to our Melbourne cottage, we found that spring was well underway! The bulbs were blooming, the roses too, the trees were full with new leaves, the bees were buzzing, and the grass in the fields was one metre high and full of seeds!

We didn't even think about spring and allergies, but it hit us fairly hard! Our bodies had to adjust to a different time clock, different food, and a different climate with bacteria and pollen and seeds in the air. We were eager to do some jobs around the house as we hadn't done much work in Germany, so in the first week back we went hard at it for a couple of days, and this was not good for our immune systems! So last weekend Ulf lay in bed with puffy eyes and no energy at all, for a whole day. The symptoms are still hanging around like a bad smell, but they no longer stop us from our daily lives.

There's been much to do in the garden - plants that I do not desire to have keep growing back and taking over and lots of bushes and even a tree needed pruning back. The vegie patch made a good start, thanks to a friend who looked after our seedlings while we were away. But the slugs and possums had a go at it and about half of what was there is now gone. But there is hope! Our second lot of seedlings are sprouting healthily and plans are underway for future possum protection!

Being away from home has given us, especially me, some much needed perspective on our lives. When you're removed from your everyday environment, it's much easier to see what it is that motivates you and drives you to do what you have been doing and how... It was very refreshing to see that I needed to make some changes in my daily routine, my thinking, and let Jesus eradicate some fears that were driving me.

We have begun to go through our little home, room by room, getting rid of excess decorations and unnecessary junk, dusting and putting things in order. There were many small unfinished jobs to be done, and now we're finally getting to them! It feels really good to be putting things in order. Our t.v. now lives in our storeroom and our computer has taken its place. Goodbye marketing input! It's amazing how much more peace we now have in our daily lives without that one item in it!

Ulf is enjoying working with Dave again, painting. He has plenty of work right up until Christmas, which will provide some financial security for us over the holidays. I'm continuing with my part-time bookkeeping job and keeping the house and garden in order. We also have reconnected with our friends and the Elisha Care community, which has been really good. It's always interesting to learn where God is taking people on the journey - and I mean that in both a spiritual sense and an everyday life/physical one, as I cannot seperate the two. And it's exciting to see changes, both that have taken place, and which I can see coming for people....God is always at work and he is so faithful.

It is very fitting for us to be experienceing spring-time at this time in our lives, as we felt that when we moved here a new season was beginning in our lives. After our seventh wedding anniversary in June this year, we learned that we were expecting our first baby! This was very meaningful for us, as someone had given us a prophetic word two years ago (in our fifth year of marriage) that five was the number of grace, seven the number of completion, and that God would take us from the fifth year into the seventh year by grace. It was a very timely word as we were waiting and waiting for our time to have children to come. And now it is upon us! :-)

We know that the years we have waited were very important and all that God has done in us and our relationship was necessary and very healthy for us. We see that if we had had children in our first year of marriage, things would have been a lot harder for us and for our children. But God deals with each of us differently, and this was his path for us. He is so good and loving and faithful.... and we know that in the coming months and years, we will need the trust and relationship that he has built (and continues to build) with us more than ever before. The years of waiting were just the beginning....

The journey home to Melbourne

2011-11-02T20:29:00.000+11:00

After 11.5 hours from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, we had 6 hours to wait for our connecting flight to Melbourne, so we had time to explore! In the middle of the international terminal in KL is this little 'jungle boardwalk' complete with waterfall...! It was a nice change to the shops and cafes inside.

Last leg to Melbourne - 8 hours. We landed at 8.36am but didn't get out of the airport until 12pm....! We spent three hours in queues for passport control and customs as there were so many flights that had arrived at around the same time... We were so happy to get out of there!

Now we are resting and recovering from the long journey home. Back at our cottage everything is lush and green and it's been raining for the last week and a half! Feels like the tropcs...! There's lots to do in the garden and inside as well as things are still not quite in order after moving in.

Koblenz, Köln and back to Wehrendorf

2011-10-23T00:31:00.000+11:00

Day 11 - 12: Koblenz, Köln (Cologne), and back to Wehrendorf, 16th to 17th October.

On our way north to visit some friends near Koblenz, we got stuck in Sunday traffic for a few hours.... that wasn't so fun! But we eventually arrived, safe and sound!

After an overnight stop at Manuel & Rachel's, we couldn't resist checking out the city centre of Köln, which has a montrous sized Cathedral!

There were tourists everywhere, but it was still interesting to see. They were doing some reconstruction work on one of the towers outside and also on the statues inside. The chamber inside is so huge that you could find a few regular sized houses in there!

Overall, we had some very positive experiences on our little trip south. We were glad to be back in Wehrendorf, to rest from the long drive, and to spend some more time with Ulf's family before we return to Melbourne.

Switzerland

2011-10-23T00:16:00.000+11:00

Days 6 - 11: Wiler bei Seedorf, Switzerland, 11th to 16th October.

We had a lovely time in Switzerland, visiting Ulf's oldest brother Björn, his wife Sue, and their two little ones - Robin (3) and Lanis (1)....

...throwing rocks into the stream....

...walking through the fields with Ulf's cousin, his wife and daughter, as well...

...Lanis enjoyed lots of cuddles from Uncle Ulf...

...Robin liked feeding the cows with Aunty Emma...

...and lots of story times with Uncle Ulf...

What else can I say?? It was so nice to spend some quality time with our nephews, and with Björn and Sue as well. Such times together are rare and precious.

Hurlach again!!!

2011-10-18T20:38:00.000+11:00

Days 2 - 6: Hurlach, Bayern, 7th to the 11th October...

After a nice adventure in the forest, we spent the next five days catching up with friends in Hurlach.

Nancy and her three children.

Naraleska and her youngest daughter.

It was such a precious time that we had together! Good friends on the journey with God are the best ones to have! We were encouraged and blessed by them and loved spending time with their little ones as well.

The Franconian Switzerland in Germany

2011-10-16T03:47:00.001+11:00

Day 1: From Wehrendorf to the Fränkische Schweiz, a beautiful region of forest, mountains and valleys near Nurenberg. We stayed just one night in a Gasthof - hotel - on our way south to visit friends.

The valley showing the Neideck ruins, previously a fortress, on the top right. We hiked up the mountain to take a look at them...

On the way we checked out a really deep cave...

The view from the top was magnificent in all directions...

The main tower left standing, right on the cliff edge. The tree on the right is growing out of the rock.

A modern bridge stands where the drawbridge would once have been...

In the nearest town, Ebermannstadt, we discovered an automatic fresh Brezel dispensing machine in Aldi!! The signs say 'You push the button - you buy it!' and 'Please press once per piece.'

We had a nice little adventure in the Franconian Switzerland..... then we were off to Hurlach!

Work & Travel!

2011-10-05T20:58:00.000+11:00

Ulf took some time to help out at his Opa's place...

Ulf on the roof of Opa's garage, removing hail-damaged sheets of perspex.

Sanding back the well-weathered wood window frames at Opa's...

And finishing off the top coat. Ulf did a great job and Opa is happy!

Historical Market, Venne

2011-10-05T20:48:00.000+11:00

Last Saturday we went to a historical market in a nearby village. The blacksmith was at work, as were the bakers in the old bakery - their wood-fired oven in full use! It was a great day out.

The band played their brass hearts out and now it's time to go home...!

Ulf with the old Tractors!

Ulf made a nail with the Blacksmith, old school.

In the old mill...

A day at the Footy...Fußball

2011-10-02T18:19:00.000+11:00

The fans in the shade are all standing, as we did also. The seats are more expensive. The fans were extremely loud and before the game began, the home team's song was played loudly over the speaker system, and was equally matched in volume by the fans singing along proudly.

I thankfully took the earplugs that Ulf brought along for me after the first and only goal by the home team, after only 46 seconds of play. The roar was intense! And it didn't get any quieter!

Some awesome football (?) as two players, one from each team, fall down together. Both teams were desperate for ball possession and of course for goals, which made them trip up other players (foul) often.

It was quite an experience and cannot be matched by our Australian Football fans, even AFL....when they get fired up, they don't sing or chant or beat a drum in hope of a goal, they swear at the players on the field for their missed opportunities and mistakes. Quite a contrast.

Seeing the sites in Bad Essen

2011-10-01T02:48:00.000+10:00

The old Watermill

Ulf relaxing at the SoleArena

Emma at the SoleArena

The Lutheran church, town centre

Mushroom hunting with Steffi

2011-09-29T18:53:00.000+10:00

Yesterday we spent the day with an old friend, Stefanie, who we met in Byron Bay about 6 years ago... We had a very nice, relaxed day together, with lots of good food and sharing and laughter..... We also went to a forest and found some edible mushrooms, which we ate for dinner! It was a very special day. Steffi is one of those people in our lives who we can be very open and honest with about our journey and our faith and ourselves. We are thankful to have her in our lives and look forward to seeing her again before we leave Germany. :)

Over the hedge

2011-09-27T17:43:00.000+10:00

For four nights Ulf and I stayed in a holiday apartment next door, while the whole family were in Wehrendorf for Malte and Anna's wedding. In the photo above, the roses and lawn in the foreground are the Jetters' backyard and the windows on the right and small patio belong to the apartment, literally over the hedge.

The living and dining area of the apartment. It was a nice treat to stay in such a beautiful little flat and to have our own space for a while.

Bjoern, Gunnar, and Emma 'resting' at the table after lunch, the day after the wedding.

Sunday afternoon we went for a bike ride as the sun was shining brightly all day! Here we are on the canal.

'Home' again???

2011-09-21T17:13:00.000+10:00

It's wonderful to see Ulf's family again and see familiar places too. Some things have changed; many things have not... This week the family has been busy getting ready for Malte and Anna's wedding this Saturday. We're all looking forward to celebrating this special day with them.

The Jetter family home.

The wall of corn that's growing in the field next door, which blocks out the rest of the world...

Touchdown in Germany!!

2011-09-20T20:00:00.001+10:00

Touchdown in Amsterdam 5:36am yesterday morning... We're doing surprisingly well after 12 hours straight from KUL, a two hour stopover, and 8 hours from MEL before that. We actually slept on the plane a few hours and watched fewer movies than last time(!), drank lots of water and freshened up during stopover... Now we just have to adjust our body clocks and our minds to German!!

The weather is cool here - it's autumn - but everything's still green and lush. The summer vegetables are finishing, apples hang from trees, and pumpkins are now available for eating! It's also time for mushrooms, so hopefully we'll be off to the forest to hunt some out in the next few days...!

Another German Adventure

2011-09-11T16:09:00.000+10:00

Next week we'll be flying to Germany for another visit to Ulf's family, and to attend his brother's wedding! We're very excited to see his family again, and also to visit some old friends.

The last week or so has been very busy with preparations and last minute 'catch-ups' with our friends. And the coming week will be no different!

We're looking forward to whatever our time in Germany may bring our way..... a little rest/holiday would be good for us right now. :)

Seven years...

2011-07-14T18:40:00.000+10:00

We had a wonderful day together on 30th June 2011, to celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary...

When reflecting over our years together, we are extremely thankful for what God has been doing amongst us. We've been through a lot together and have learnt so much about each other and ourselves that we could not have learned except through marriage. We are thankful for the strength and endurance that God has been growing in us, to weather all seasons together.

We look forward to the future together, with confidence and trust in the relationship God has built between us.

Stillness

2011-06-28T16:51:00.000+10:00

There's a beauty in nature which is more than physical form, colour or perfume. There's life in it and there's peace in it. Nature is fully alive, yet it is at peace in that living. It is surrendered to the circumstances of it's life. It is happy to live; happy to die; happy to be. There is no stress in nature - a pulling of this way or that. It is at peace within itself.

That is why we need nature - we need to hear it's message, and often! It tells us there is nothing to fear or worry about. All is well in life; in simply being.

Matthew 6:28

Picking Lemons

2011-06-06T16:50:00.000+10:00

I gave up on the ladder, actually and decided to climb the tree instead.... I just couldn't reach everything from the ladder... :-)

Lemons are sour, but they bring out the sweetness in everything else.

Some more about our cottage...

2011-06-03T18:26:00.002+10:00

The view to the north-east.

Early morning visitor!

A family of kangaroos just outside our back fence.

Autumn colours.

The grapefruit trees in the orchard.

Our new strawberry patch.

Our kitchen.

Living room.

Living room showing door to ktichen.

Living room showing front door and door to main bedroom.

Backroom or 'sunroom'. Back door is to the left and behind is the bathroom.

Cottage Life

2011-05-05T17:12:00.000+10:00

We are loving living in our little cottage! We seem to be very busy since we moved here - packing, unpacking, cleaning, gardening, gardening for the landlord, and our usual tasks of working, cooking and cleaning up afterwards, etc.! I'm growing muscles from all the physical work, but I'm enjoying it! When we do relax, we just love sitting in front of the fire together.

Last week we went mushroom hunting on the property, as conditions were perfect for them.

This is our mushroom haul! Plenty more where that came from, but there's only so many mushrooms that two people can eat!

We picked two types - a type of Boletus and Lactarius Salmonicolor - the brown one and the orange one! Yum-o! No Bacon required with these!

Ulf enjoys driving the tractor! He's a regular farm-boy now... :-) We use it to dump garden clippings in a paddock for later burning.

We've laid down some mulch to start killing the grass and decomposing for our vegie patch in spring. I'm keen to get into the orchard and see what life we can bring back into the fruit trees there, but it will have to wait until we have time, or winter, whichever comes first! They're mostly apples, possibly some pears and maybe an old cherry tree in poor health.

Our Cottage

2011-04-18T09:02:00.000+10:00

This is our new home!

We've had to do a lot of cleaning inside and outside to get it ready for us, but we should be moved in by next weekend, or just after Easter. We are very excited to be moving and are looking forward to decorating and making it our own. The garden also has lots of potential, with an old vegie patch (overgrown) in the backyard and a few fruit trees in an orchard beside the cottage.

It has a fireplace in the lounge room, an outdoor toilet (only just outdoor!), two bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen. The back room (closed in patio) is the 'sunroom' which faces north. This will be our dining area and laundry!

We really feel that this move is the start of a new season for us and we're looking forward to whatever comes next in our lives together.

Mt Lofty

2011-03-20T15:45:00.000+11:00

Last evening we went to Mt Lofty to watch the moon rise. It was supposed to be something spectacular which we wouldn't see again for many years. It turns out that the sun, earth and moon were exactly aligned and the moon passed by the earth in it's closest orbit in 18 years. As you can see from the photos, it doesn't look like anything special, but it made for a very nice evening together!

SOLD!!

2011-03-19T17:41:00.000+11:00

The house where we currently live has SOLD today! Wow, we've been here for almost 3 years now, and have absolutely loved it. It's been a very fruitful and blessed season for us here. However, we feel that this move marks the beginning of a new season for us. There are many things that we have been hoping to do for the past year or so, and we feel that this is a time of changes which will allow us to finally be able to do those! One of those things is moving to a bigger home, with garden, and a more rural setting. That is what we're looking for at the moment, and we are waiting to hear about one place which has everything we want.

We have a few months before we actually have to move on, so we have plenty of time to find something if our preferred property doesn't come through for us.

Ulf has also been offered a job painting (part-time hours), which he is considering. It will mean different work hours (full days instead of half days), and possibly more pay, but nothing is certain at this stage.

So, there are many changes in store for us in the next few months!

To Byron Bay with Esther

2011-03-01T12:18:00.000+11:00

A good friend of mine, Esther, was moving to Byron Bay, so I went with her to share the driving and be companionable...

We saw lots and lots of this... from Melbourne to just south of Sydney, it all looks like this!

Our first motel stopover - in Yass, after 588kms, several coffee breaks and many toilet stops!

Forster at sunset - we reached our second overnight location after a further 593kms and a nice long stop at Campbelltown, just south of Sydney, where we hunted out a few bargains at some awesome op-shops!

Morning of the third day - went for a morning swim at the ocean rock pool at Forster. Lots of elderly folk in those parts...

Third day lunch pitstop at Saphire Beach, just north of Coffs Harbour... went for a cooling off dip in the warm, gentle waves! This was my favourite stop of the whole trip. It was so hot in the car, I just didn't want to get back into it!

Some of the vegetation at Saphire Beach...

Our first meal in Byron Bay! After a further 579kms, we reached our destination and headed straight for Bay Lane, the best place to find good tucker in the Bay...

My plate of shishkebab chicken, falafels, salad and various middle eastern sauces/dips.

The ocean meets the rocks at Cape Byron.

I've got a lighthouse on my head! No, that's the lighthouse of Cape Byron, the most easterly point of Australia. After a full-on hike up hill, we made it to the lighthouse and watched some turtles and a sting-ray play in the surf.

Minyon Falls, 27kms inland of Byron Bay... lovely!

We had a great time exploring Byron Bay, enjoying the beach and the interesting shops of this little tourist town. I was very encouraged by a few old friends there, who prayed for me and generally encouraged me. It was also a rather challenging trip for me, which I expected it to be, as I'm totally not used to being with another female 24/7! But overall, it was a very good time with 'the girls'!

The Yarra River

2011-01-23T11:16:00.001+11:00

The last few weekends, we've been enjoying the Yarra River - when the weather is hot enough! Last weeked we tried out a kayak - Ulf is pictured on it here. We decided to float downstream awhile and see what's it's like, as we had never been there before. I was on an air mattress and Ulf in the kayak and off we went. After the first bend we decided to try and head back, but the current was too strong for me. I was going to walk back along the bank, but a couple who were enjoying the sun there, suggested that I simply float down further and Ulf could pick me up in the car at the next canoe launching place downstream. The man told me that I was more than halfway there. So Ulf paddled upstream against the current, stopping once for a break. The water was flowing a lot faster than usual and was a metre higher than normal as well (from all the rain). So I floated dowstream by myself....

The first set of rapids were kind of fun. The second and third were bigger and scarier, especially since I was by myself. Dead trees and live ones were in the path of the current so I had to manuvere myslef through each rapid so as to avoid them. By the fourth rapid, which was by far the biggest at 40cm at least, and which ended with white foam(!), I had had enough and was desperate to get out of the water! I was without any life jacket or helmet - just my hat and sunnies, t-shirt and water bottle! At the first opportunity I got out of the water. There were bench seats on the river bank, so I followed the path in the right direction until I reached the carpark - 20 minutes later! We found out on the map later that we were only one third of the way to the next launching ramp! That's the last time I trust a stranger's advice!

Yesterday we visited the river again, but this time it was moving slowly and the water level had dropped by about a metre. It was peaceful and serene as we floated around and listened to the birds.

Above: The gum tree in the front yard is flowering - lovely!

Gunnar's Pizzeria

2011-01-10T17:15:00.000+11:00

Gunnar's three flavour pizza - spinahc, ham and tuna.

Ulf went for the spicy option - chilli in the base sauce.

Emma kept it simple with tomatoes, mushrooms, fresh spinach and feta.

Summer Holiday

2011-01-07T21:28:00.000+11:00

On Boxing Day we headed north to find the Alpine country in Victoria....and to take a little break in the country.

Great Alpine Road heading south to Harrietville where we camped.

Enma in the lavender field in Harrietville.

Ulf in the West Ovens River, which ran through our caravan park!

On the way to Mount Beauty - Mt Bogong in the distance.

Enjoying ice cream - it was so yum!

On the way up Mt Hotham - it was windy up there!

The view!

Ulf in the wilderness of Mt Hotham.

And finally at the end of our journey alonf the Great Alpine Road, we took a dip in the Tasman Sea at Lakes Entrance. It was such a hot day too!

We had a really nice, realxing time in Harrietville, where we also spent time with friends. It was a good time to reflect and talk to God about the year ahead.

Christmas Day 2010

2011-01-07T21:15:00.000+11:00

After a night of festivities and present opening, we headed for the Bay on Christmas Day.

The wrapping paper leftover...

Ulf searching for shells... you think he'll find any there?

Gunnar skimming stones on the Bay.

Emma enjoying the water...

The three of us.

Melbourne city skyline from Yarra Bend Park.

Rudolph's in our strawberry patch

2010-12-21T19:00:00.000+11:00

I didn't know that reindeer liked strawberries... :-)

Merry Christmas!

Ulf gets his dream

2010-12-06T15:07:00.002+11:00

He really didn't know if he'd get in or not. He thought he would just sit outside the stadium for a while and listen to the music from there... So he just caught the train into the city and went.

Funnily enough, he felt like it was a special time between him and God. He felt like he should stand in the queue for buying tickets, but he didn't plan to buy one. Then a scalper started haggling and trying to sell Ulf a ticket. He only had $50 in his wallet, so that's what he offered the scalper. It wasn't enough, so the scalper tried to direct Ulf to an ATM to withdraw more cash.

A second man, with his wife, approached Ulf and offered to sell him his ticket. The scalper got mad and left. The second man didn't really want $50 for a ticket worth $175, but as he really wanted to sell it, he took the $50!

So Ulf found himself in the stadium. Waiting for U2 to play. He called me to let me know that he got in. I wasn't sure whether to believe him or not. But at 9pm the band got on stage and Ulf had a great time with his Daddy, watching a U2 concert, so I found out in the morning. :-)

Ulf has been wanting to go to a U2 concert for some time, but we've been unable to get tickets because they are so expensive.

Here's kind of what it was like U2 360 tour "Where the streets have no name"

______________________________________________________

On another note, Ulf is now a permenant resident of Australia! Hoorah! As of 30th November 2010, Ulf has residency status, which means he has all the rights of Australians, except that of voting and running for Parliament (Ulf for PM... ha ha ha!).

Elisha Care Camp

2010-11-08T17:21:00.000+11:00

A beautiful rainbow greeted me when I arrived at Camp Howqua.

Ulf on the verandah of the school house where we ate our meals.

The beautiful view from our campfire, and our accommodation.

A group of us, retiring from a game of volleyball...and Cecelia being silly! :-)

Ulf and the gang having a hit on the Tennis Court.

We also celebrated Gunnar's 20th Birthday on Friday night with a Tim Tam Cake! Go to Emma's Kitchen Creativity Blog for a photo and the recipe.

The weekend was very beautiful, relaxing, fun, and a great time just being with our friends.

For more photos, go to Elisha Care's Blog.

Beetroot

2010-11-08T16:56:00.000+11:00

Finally a decent sized beetroot from my garden!

We tried Borscht last week, but it has a very delicate flavour....not sure if it's our favourite!

Rain

2010-11-02T11:25:00.000+11:00

I'm loving the flowers in our garden at the moment... and still I'm planting more! One last garden bed to fill up, and the old pool area to level out as lawn, and we're done. I took advantage of a break in the weather yesterday to plant out some more cuttings.

The last few days it has rained a lot here - 58mm in one day! And to add to that, a power cut took out our internet!! What to do, what to do... :-)

We had a nice relaxed day on Saturday to celebrate Ulf's birthday. Lots of board games, lunch in Sassafras, and presents before breakfast!

This coming weekend we'll be away at Camp Howqua http://www.camphowqua.com.au/ and there we will celebrate Gunnar's 20th birthday! It's gunna be fun!

Otto's Wedding 17th October 2010

2010-10-23T11:47:00.000+11:00

A beautiful sunny day for Emma's oldest brother's wedding in Toowoomba. Left to right: Em, Aaron, Em's Dad, Otto, Tamara, Em's Mum.

Four days in Queensland is all we had with Emma's family, and it was great. It was so nice to spend some quality time with them, as they live very far away from us. In person we get the chance to talk about things that we wouldn't talk about over the phone. It was a very special time for us, especially Emma.

Left: Ulf and Emma enjoying the sun. Right: Local bearded dragon also enjoying the sun!

Below: This tree, outside Otto's front door, was full of noisy Lorikeets, some miner birds, and a sleeping flying fox.

Left: Victor and Emma, in Gatton. Right: Emma and Sandra, in Laidley.

Left: Wivenhoe Dam with only one floodgate half-open. Right: Emma and Ulf enjoying the spray, not! It was really cold. Below: Em's Dad, Em, Ulf, and Aaron at the lookout at Wivenhoe.

Above: Aaron and Emma on Otto's front doorstep.

A beautiful sunset in Gatton to finish our journey!

We look forward to seeing Emma's family again soon..!

Almond Butter

2010-10-02T16:09:00.000+10:00

I've been having fun making almond butter today - or almond spread, as there is no butter in it. It turned out relatively well, just a little too much salt perhaps! The amount below is derived from 3 kilos of almonds, roasted! A friend of mine told me how to make it a while ago and I've been making it ever since! It's a great alternative to bought peanut butter, which has a lot of sugar and other things in it, and we love it!

Bring on the sun!

2010-09-16T12:18:00.000+10:00

An open summer sandwich, Jetter-style!

We're enjoying the warmth of the Australian sun on our faces! We are so looking forward to warmer weather...!

The sun is fighting with the rainclouds at the moment. The weather changes rapidly and in short succession.
Whenever possible, we steal a few moments out in the garden. We received a swing seat from some neighbours who moved away, and we are enjoying it a lot! Don't worry, though, we still love our hammock. :-)

Waiting, waiting, waiting. That is my feeling at the moment. We're waiting for warmer weather, we're waiting for Gunnar to arrive, we're waiting for the end of the year when we will move. But I am reminded today that God is in no hurry to bring us further down the track than where we are. There is always good reason and purpose for the amount of time we spend wherever we are in our journeys. We're just never able to see it at the time, only in looking back afterwards.

I often get impatient and want to fast-forward to the next step, but I would not be able to handle it there if I did that! There is so much that I want to do and experience in life, but I must let it come slowly and in His time. I'm just so thankful that He is patient with me and that He reassures me, "There's plenty of time for everything."

Spring has sprung - or it's trying to!

2010-09-06T11:00:00.001+10:00

The weather is turning! We've had so much rain this winter that it's causing floods in northern Victoria, only about and hour and a half drive from here! It's great for our garden, but the lawn is always soggy.

So what have we been doing this winter?? We've been hybernating by the looks of it! But the sun is coming out again, so we will too! ;-)

There's not much to tell about our winter.... Our Father continues to teach us many things, growing us and healing us and loving us. And teaching us how to love each other, and other people too! We're so thankful for His love and grace. We would be nothing and nowhere without Him.

The routine of life goes on as usual... Ulf continues to clean at the high school, spends time with the guys in Elisha Care, and reads lots of books. Emma does some administration for Elisha Care, cleans for our landlady, spends time with girls in Elisha Care, and continues to be creative and craft-y. To see what she's been up to, go here EJJ - Emma's Art. To see what we get up to with our Elisha Care friends, go here Elisha Care.

It's lovely to be able to spend more time in the garden now that the weather is easing. Cuttings of roses, lavender, and fig in pots are busy sprouting roots and leaves, and some raspberries are hopefully coming to life again after a spell without dirt. The beetroots are growing steadily in the garden bed from all the rain and, next to them, the strawberries are resting for now, waiting for their new home.

Our current home will be up for sale in a few months, so we'll be moving in mid-summer! Please pray for a great new home for us! We don't know where God wants us, nor what He has in store for us next, but I feel like the move is part of a change of season for us.

There'll be lots of activity in the coming months, centered around the move. There's lots of work to be done in the backyard to make it look decent for the sale of the house. There's packing and cleaning and inspections to be ready for. And then there's finding a new home and moving in!

In the near future, we look forward to:

* The arrival of Gunnar! Ulf's youngest brother will be staying with us for a while.

* Otto's wedding! Emma's oldest brother is getting married soon and it will be an opportunity to see my family again!

A visit from an old friend...

2010-07-19T15:40:00.001+10:00

Amy just moved to Melbourne, from New Zealand, and I got to catch up with her last week! We spent a couple of days touring around the hillsides, poking around in the op-shops, and drinking excellent hot chocolate! In the photo above we are at the top of the tower on Mt Donna Buang, even though we weren't supposed to climb it due to 'extreme conditions' LOL! There was no wind and no snow! In the distance we could see the towers of Melbourne's city heart. It was about seven years that I hadn't seen Amy, during which time we both travelled around the globe! We connected again easily, and I'm glad she chose Melbourne out of all the cities in Australia! ;-)

6th Anniversary in Daylesford

2010-07-07T12:52:00.000+10:00

As it happened, a friend of mine was going to get married on Sunday 4th July, near Ballarat. So Ulf and I decided to book a B&B for a couple of nights up there, to celebrate our wedding anniversary at the same time. And as it happened, the wedding was cancelled and brought forward, leaving Ulf and I with a paid B &B booking in Daylesford, 2.5 hours from our home in Melbourne. We still wanted to celebrate, so we went anyway and had a really lovely time together!

We stayed in a cosy little cottage in someone's backyard, complete with wood fire and spa bath! And it was freezing there!!! The first night we just relaxed and enjoyed the spa, watched a movie, etc. The second day we went touring around, seeing some of the sights... Above: In the centre of Daylesford is a botantical gardens on a hilltop, complete with lookout tower. The gardens are full of huge old cypress pines and many other varieties, which block the view!

Above: Here's Ulf in the Bell Tower of the old Convent, now an art gallery. The very top floor has been left in its direlict state, full of character and history.

Above and below: Ulf and I tasting the natural spring water at the Central Springs in Daylesford. It's naturally carbonated and full of sulphur and other minerals. The springs were first discovered in 1836, and many more were uncovered during the gold mining exploits of the 1850s and '60s.

Above: Some yummy treats that we enjoyed in the spa!

On our last day we relaxed at the Hepburn Bathhouse in Hepburn Springs, which was first built in 1894. After a couple of hours soaking, we felt refreshed and rejuvenated. Above: This bridge spans a deep gorge, allowing pedestrians access to the Bathhouse and springs in the valley beyond it.

On the way home, we stopped by the Creswick Woolen Mill, which is the last operating coloured wool mill in the southern hemisphere. In the photo above, you can see the wool moving down over the conveyer belts. After we left the mill, our little red car died! We got as far as the other edge of town and it just wouldn't go anymore. Upon walking back to town, we discovered a mechanic's workshop in the middle of the main street, in amongst groovy cafes, galleries and gift shops! God is so good! The mechanic went and rescued our little car, and after a couple of hours he had found and fixed the problem - the ignition coil was kaputt! Through the whole ordeal we were calm. I just felt that God was with us, and I knew in my heart that whatever would happen, everything would be okay. God gave me peace that He would take care of us and I'm so thankful.

It was so nice just to get away from the everyday routine of life at home and spend some quality time together. We had some great times just sharing our hearts with each other, our desires for the future, and encouraging each other. We really feel closer as a result.

Winter Sun

2010-06-28T00:32:00.001+10:00

Winter sun is one of my favourite things in the world. Feeling the warmth of the sun on your face on a cool day is such a blessing! It's like a reminder that the cold is temporary, just a season. And it's a reprieve from the grey days of winter.

I want to share something of our latest struggle on the journey... For many years now we have believed that the church today is not what Jesus intended it to be. Instead of Sunday church, we have sought to live our lives with God on a day-to-day basis, aiming to love those around us, no matter where we are or what we're doing. For us, being a Christian is not about meetings.

So the question has arisen in the past few months - how can we still go to church without criticising and judging everything that we see happening in that place? We have always felt that as the people we care about go to church, we want to go also, so that we can be there for them. It was another point of contact with them. As time has gone on, our opinions about church have become stronger and our attitude towards the system has made it very difficult to be there at all.

Recently, God has been helping us to see things differently. A few weeks ago, after a conversation at church with someone who wanted to see God supernaturally change things around them - people they cared about, for healing and salvation - I realised that several years ago I was seeking similar things from God. I was very focused on spiritual gifts, the movement of the Holy Spirit, prayer meetings, etc., but I didn't stay there. My understanding of God and His interconnectedness with me and life around me has changed so much..... But during that one conversation I found myself with very little to say. A simple truth that I have learned on my own journey was not enough for them and I simply didn't have the energy to convince them otherwise. It was pointless to try. Simply telling people the truths that I've learnt on my own journey won't change anything for them - they have to go on the journey themselves and discover life with God for themselves.

So we need to allow people to be at a different place on the journey than us. But it is difficult to see people chasing after things which we've discovered to have no life in themselves at all. True life and freedom and love comes from seeking Him alone. And that takes time.

Amazingly, God also found a way to communicate to Ulf the same need for the acceptance of others' journeys. His mother sent him something of a scrapbook as a gift for our 6th wedding anniversary this year. In it were all of his meaningful emails, from the time he first left the family home (2000) to today. In his own writings he found understandings of God and Christianity which he no longer has - he has moved on, grown out of them. And he realised that just as he has been on a long and convoluted journey with God, so too can others.

The desire for peace in this matter has been in us for some time, and we are thankful to see God working on us in this way.

Above: Ulf manning our free BBQ for the first time (tonight).

Marysville

2010-05-10T12:37:00.001+10:00

This is a great picture of us and God. We are small dots on the canvas, He is the bigger picture.

We went for a drive on Saturday to get out of the house of a while. We went up the Black Spur to see what Marysville is like these days, as it had been one of our favourite hang-outs a few years ago. It's not much to look at now. The big trees on either side of the main street are still there and there is some autumn colour to be seen, but either side of the road is pretty bare. No buildings bar the bakery, the shops next to it, a ski hire place in a removable container and a lolly shop in the same. The local pub survived the fires and a newly built Foodworks store is on a side street. Hardly any houses have been built, especially in comparison to Kinglake, and people are still living in caravans. There is plenty of green to be seen, especially in undergrowth, but the tops of the trees are all burnt and stick-like. If ever there was such a thing as a desert forest, this would be it.

Podcasts

2010-04-24T19:15:00.001+10:00

One of the things that we really enjoy at the moment is listening to 2 different podcasts (audio recordings that are released regularly online). One is called "The God Journey", the other is "Into The Wild". In both podcasts the 'hosts' are talking about topics very close to our hearts, challenging, and changing the way we perceive life & God. The underlying theme is "to live loved by Father (God)", embracing the freedom this brings, not being bound by human traditions.
We just love it, and can only recommend them to all of yous. The great thing is too, that after we listen to a podcast, we usually dive into some deeper conversation between the two of us, which is great.
It's also a great thing to have in your ear while you're working.

Bike and breakfast

2010-04-20T13:22:00.000+10:00

This morning Ulf and Em went for a bike ride around Lilydale Lake, then afterwards had breakfast at the Chapel Cafe in Lilydale. It was fun, relaxing, romantic, and a good bit of exercise as well!

And autumn falls...

2010-04-18T13:30:00.002+10:00

Hi everyone,

Not too much exciting stuff to report...

Ulf is happy plodding along in his job cleaning the high school. He downloads podcasts and teachings from the internet and listens to them on his phone while working.

As always, there is the challenge of loving people - both those in Elisha Care and each other - and although we learn a lot along the way, it doesn't seem to get easier. Ulf read/heard a great quote which said something like, "As soon as you have responsibility for other people, you have possibly friction and/or conflict. Without it responsibility for people's lives, there is no friction and no conflict." So when we live very seperate, insular lives, protecting ourselves with our high fences and structured lives, without relationship with others, then we have 'peace'. But we'll also have loneliness, lack of purpose, and no possiblity of joy. To love others is to be uncomfortable sometimes, to be vulnerable, to be hurt sometimes, to bear the pain sometimes. It reminds me of a picture from Hannah Hurnnard's sequel to "Hind's Feet in High Places," which described the purpose of the whole of creation as one of giving. The trees grow and bear fruit, giving food to the animals and birds, leaving seeds behind to grow more plants from which to give food. Animals have babies and give to them, who in turn mature and have their own young and give to them. It's a cycle of giving for which all creation was made. And yet we are broken, corrupted and selfish in our existence, which goes against the very nature of life itself. There is no joy in getting, there is no fulfilment in storing up for ourselves, there is only emptiness in taking from others, from being only focussed on receiving. Even those who know or say they know our Creator, are focussed on receiving. And it doesn't work. To experince love is to give love to others. That's when we'll truly know love. God Himself is love by nature - He is always giving, and yet we seem to think that He is an angry parent trying to discipline His children with pain and punishment. What's gone wrong? Why are we trying to earn His love or pay Him back for what He's done for us? Just receive His love and pass it on to others. It's that simple.

Okay, besides all that.... Emma's setup a new website for Elisha Care. At the moment it's at http://elishacare.blogspot.com/, but soon it will be moving to http://www.elishacare.org/. Ulf helped a lot with it, too.

Emma's also been running a craft group out of the girls' garage. It's been a great learning experience, and she's really enjoying it. She is in need of some ideas for craft activities and some sewing equipment and craft tools... If you can help with some, please let us know.

That's all for now...
Tchuess!

Rabbit Care

2010-03-29T11:11:00.000+11:00

Rabbits need fresh water, grass, some grains and dry food, straw/hay, and other vegetables and herbs. They also need something hard to scratch and gnaw on to keep their claws and teeth short. Some hard, dried out grainy bread is best for this. A salt lick stone is also recommended as rabbits occasionally need a source of salt. They will know when they need it and will go for it themselves.

Dry Food

Adult rabbits can have 2-3 tablespoons of dry food each day. A mixture of pellets (lucerne) and grains is best. We give ours their dry food each morning and check on their water supply.
They also need straw or hay on a regular basis. If your rabbit's droppings are particularly soft, then they are in need of some fresh dry straw. Put the straw in a dry, sheltered corner of their cage (once it gets wet, it loses it's healthy qualities for rabbits).

Fresh Food

In the wild, rabbits eat a variety of grasses and plants. However, in captivity they rely on us to give them the variety they need. Below I have grouped together their main foods into two categories – what they can eat large amounts of and often, and what they can eat small amounts of and less often.

Large amounts and often:
A variety of grasses
Plantain
Sorrel
Young stinging nettle leaves
Comfrey
Carrots – all parts
Carrot weed (make sure it's the right one)
Endive
Chicoree

Small amounts and less often:
Broccoli – all parts
Apples
Parsley
Sunflower leaves
Lemon Balm
Dandelion*
Young mint leaves
Celery – all parts
Celeraic – all parts
Lettuce (cos or butterhead, avoid iceberg as there is too much water in it)
Kohlrabi with leaves
Pears
Fennel, dill, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, coriander
Corn - all parts of cob

We give our rabbits a handful of longer grass, picked from our back yard, sometime in the morning or during the day. At night we give them either carrots; something from the 'small amounts' category; dry, hard grainy bread to gnaw on; or a combination thereof. Each night we alternate between different things. If you give your rabbit the same thing every night, you may find that they will not eat it after three nights of it!

When picking any grass or other plant from a public area it is important to wash it well before giving it to your rabbit/s. This is because of the possible presence of dog or other animal urine or faeces which may be on the plants and which are harmful to rabbits.

*Dandelion can cause a bladder infection if too much is eaten and too often. You can choose to give your rabbit dandelion more often and monitor your rabbit's normal toilet area for signs of blood. If any signs appear, lessen the frequency and amount.

Do not feed your rabbit any artificially preserved produce or anything that has been frozen.

Likewise, do not feed your rabbit any produce that is old or mouldy. Remove any uneaten food from the cage after a day or two of serving it.

Poisonness plants – there are many plants and vegetables which rabbits should not eat. Among others – potatoes, rhubarb, cabbage, beans, anything from the marrow/pumpkin family, bulbous flowers, onions and garlic should be avoided. Despite this, a hungry rabbit will eat or at least try to eat anything that it is given, so don't rely on your rabbit to know what is good for it and what is not.

General health

In summer place a frozen bottle of water in your rabbit's cage so that it can keep cool. They are susceptible to heat exhaustion.

Rabbits eat some of their own droppings, often directly from their bottom. It is a special kind of dropping that they eat, which is full of necessary vitamins.

Parasites

Rabbits are susceptible to fleas and ear mites. They can 'catch' fleas from dogs and cats, but there is a special type of flea that likes rabbits, which carries a deadly poison (from wild rabbits?). A product like 'Revolution' takes care of both fleas and ear mites for rabbits.

Toiletry

Rabbits will generally only do their business in one corner of their cage and that corner should be cleaned out at least once a week.

Grooming

Rabbits are very clean animals, as they lick themselves like cats do. (And as with cats, people can be allergic to the saliva in their coat.) However, you can brush them if you wish. Their claws and teeth can grow quite long if they have nothing to scratch or gnaw on. Hard dry bread helps, but a commercial scratching stone doesn't hurt either. Their claws can be clipped, but be careful to not to clip too short as their flesh comes down into them. If their teeth become too long and interfere with their eating, a vet will need to cut them.

Activity

Rabbits are particularly active at dawn and dusk (grazing). They generally rest during the middle of the day, especially in summer, and should not be handled for long periods throughout the day. They need their space, especially if your rabbit is an outside rabbit and their cage is directly on the ground.

Sociability

Rabbits are very companionable animals and like to have one of their own for company. If they do not have a companion, make sure you say hello and give them a pat at least once a day. They do not like to be completely alone. Rabbits do not mix well with cats, dogs and other predator animals, as rabbits are prey animals. They are rather shy and easily scare from sudden loud noises. Rabbits are known to die of shock, so make sure they are in a place where they will feel safe and have some quiet.

Rabbits can be affectionate, but they are not affectionate and companionable like cats and dogs are. They are happy to see you whenever you bring them food, but they will not run up to you and lick you. When you are holding them, they may lick your skin. Some say that this is an act of affection, others say that it is the salt in our skin that they like.

Your rabbit will get to know you according to your smell, so if you change your deoderant or perfume, your rabbit will notice! It is best not to have anything on your hands that might have a strong smell, like moisturiser or onions. This will cover your natual scent and your rabbit will not respond to you the same.

Rabbits generally won't urinate or do their droppings on you when holding them. They generally won't feel comfortable to do so anywhere other than in their cage (at 'home').

Other sources of information:

House Rabbit Society (U.S.) - http://www.rabbit.org/care/index.html
RSPCA - http://www.rspcasa.asn.au/page?pg=399&stypen=htmlprint

Em's Dad visits

2010-03-23T16:03:00.002+11:00

It was actually about a month ago now, but we were really blessed to see Emma's Dad for a night. He was on a ride with his motorcycle club, and popped in for a stop-over (from Queensland).
Es war eigenlich letze Monat, aber zu Emma's Papa wiedersehen war eine Segen fuer uns.

Above right: Em shows her Dad the view from upstairs.
Em zeigt ihre Papa der Ausblick von oben.

Right: Em's Dad preparing to leave.

Em's Papa bereit zum fahrn.

Right: Em's Dad on his bike.
Em's Papa am sein Fahrrad.

It was really nice to see Em's Dad again. We had some good chats and lots of laughs as well.
Es war sehr schoen Em's Papa wieder zu sehen. Wir hatten ein paar gute Gespreche und viel lachen war auch dabei.

Satisfied

2010-02-18T11:46:00.003+11:00

The other day the 'Herald Sun' featured an article about a pack of cheetahs that hunted down an antelope, even though they weren't hungry. "For more than 15 minutes they remained with the young antelope without doing anything other than licking it or putting their paws on the impala's head". The antelope escaped without a scratch. God used this story to trigger some thoughts about being fully satisfied in Him, which I put into a poem:

One of these days I will be satisfied
by my Father's love, planted inside
No more need to protect, kill and fight
Insecurities gone, selfishness out of sight

A satisfied world, what glory indeed
When all want is lost, there won't be no greed
The fullness of love leaves no room for need
and all this is growing out of one tiny seed

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for the Father's love, seeking His kingdom first
As they die to self a new species is birthed
Bringing life to dead places, blessing all that was cursed

Ulf at Tarrawarra Abbey

2010-02-08T19:12:00.005+11:00

From the 4th to the 7h of Jan, Ulf spent 3 nights at a Cistercian Abbey, in the beautiful Yarra Valley, about 15km from our place. He used this time of solitude and peace, to reflect and to just spend some quality time with Father. There was also chance to partake in the daily routine of the Cistercian monks, who would schedule their day around set times of prayer and singing the Psalms. The first of these "offices" starts at 4am (I never managed to get up for that) followed by personal prayer and meditation, then 6am followed by breakfast, 8am followed by work or study 11.15am followed by the main meal, 1.40pm followed by work, 6pm and finally 8pm. Their main work and way of provision is cattle farming. They have a large property, with paddocks filled with Red Angus, that goes right down to the Yarra River, featuring many beautiful spots to sit in the shade of a tree and just relax...
Der Ulf war da mal im Abtei und hatte eine schoene Zeit... ;-)

The entrance to the 1.5km drive way. The bus took me only thus far, the rest I had to go pilgrim-style. :-)
Die Einfahrt zur Abtei...ein 1,5km langer Weg. Der Bus hat mich hier abgesetzt und den Rest bin ich zu Fuss Pilger-maessig gewandert. :-)

The chapel on the left and the guest house on the right.

Die Kapelle links und das Gasthaus rechts.

The view...
Der Ausblick...

Christmas 2009

2010-02-07T17:23:00.041+11:00

So it's a little late, but at least it's finally here...! Emma's younger brother, Aaron, came to visit for about 10 days over Christmas and New Years... and here's how it went...
Also, es ist ein bischen spaet, aber endlich ist es hier...! Emma's juengerer Bruder, Aaron, hat uns fuer 10 Tage ueber Weihnachten und das Neues Jahr besucht... und hier ist wie es war...

Right: Here we are together at our place in Lilydale.
Hier sind wir bei uns, zu Hause in Lilydale.

Right: Aaron with his Christmas present. We opened our presents on Christmas Eve, according to German tradition.

Aaron mit seinem Weihnachtsgeschenk. Wir haben unsere Geschenke Heilig Abend geoeffnet, wie in Deutschland.

Right: Ulf opening a present.

Ulf oeffnet ein Geschenk.

Right: Em got a bike for Christmas! Big surprise, that one. And yes, it was cold enough to be wearing a warm jacket outside!

Em hat ein Fahrrad bekommen! Das war eine grosse Ueberraschung! Und es war wirklich so kalt, dass man eine Jacke anhaben musste!

Right: Hanging about at Mt Lofty, with the 'Roos...

Right: For two nights we enjoyed the peaceful solitude of a retreat in Torquay. Here's Aaron enjoying the campfire while Ulf works on his third wooden kangaroo.
Fuer zwei Naechte waren wir in Torquay und haben die ruhige Atmosphaere genossen. Aaaron und Ulf am Lagerfeuer. Ulf schnitzt sein bereits drittes Kangaroo

Right: While in Torquay, Em finally finished her knitted blanket!
Emma und ihre fertig gestrickte Decke!

Right: It was cold on the clifftops, at the beach!

Es war kalt auf den Klippen am Strand

Right: Shadow creatures!

Schatten Kreaturen

Right: Em and Aaron watching the sunset.

Em und Aaron schauen sich den Sonnenuntergang an.

Right: On our second day at Torquay, we went for a drive on the Great Ocean Road...

Am zweiten Tag in Torquay fuhren wir die Great Ocean Road entlang.

Right: ... on the way we enjoyed the beach, but stayed out of the freezing cold water!

Wir genossen den Strand, aber trauten uns nicht ins eisige Wasser!

Right: Aaron trying to get reception... so much for solitude...
Aaron versucht das Internet einzufangen...Schluss mit ruhiger Atmosphaere...

Right: Sunset at retreat

Sonnenuntergang

Right: Aaron likes big stores...

Aaron liebt grosse Einkaufshaeuser...

Right: At the start of the Warburton Trail, which is the old railway line from Lilydale to Warburton, 40kms long.

Am Start vom Warburton Wander/Radweg. Dieser Weg ist die alte Eisenbahnlinie von Lilydale nach dem 40km entfernten Warburton.

Right: "Can you believe it!? The chain came off my bike already!"

"Kaum gestartet und schon ist die Kette abgesprungen! "

Right: Em and Ulf enjoy the moment...
Em und Ulf geniessen den Moment

Right: Rest stop number one.

Erste Pause

Right: Woori Yallock station. All of the all platforms are still to be seen.

Halte Woori Yallock. Die alten Gleis Plattformen sind alle noch da.

Right: Rest stop number two. Bear in mind that we picked a 30 degree day on which to do this ride!

Zweite Pause. Es war ein ueber 30Grad Tag.

Right: The beautiful Yarra Valley.
Das schoene Yarra Tal.

Right: We made it - yay! Last stop, Warburton station.
Geschafft-juchuh! Letzter Halt, Warburton. Endstation.

Right: We cooled off in the Yarra River, right in the heart of Warburton.

Sofort sprangen wir in die Yarra direkt in Warburton.

Right: Ulf and Aaron made a last dash to the city to see the sights, on New Years Eve.

Ulf und Aaron in Melbourne an Sylvester, um noch mal schnell alle Sehenswuerdigkeiten abzurattern.

Right: We went looking for a cafe on New Years Day, in Sassafras, but none were to be found.

NeuJahr... war nicht einfach ein Cafe zu finden das offen war.

Right: Instead, we checked out the view from the 'Dong', as Aaron called it. (Mt Dandenong)

Der Ausblick vom 'Dong'.

Right: On the last night Aaron was with us, Em and Aaron took Ruthy, a friend's dog, out for a walk, under a pink sunset sky and a double rainbow.

Am letzten Abend an dem Aaron zu Besuch war, gingen Em und Aaron mit Ruthy der Huendin unter rosa Sonnenuntergang und doppeltem Regenbogen spazieren.

So it was a fast, full on and fun ride into the New Year!

Es war also ein schnelle, entspanende, und froehliche rutsch ins Neue Jahr!

Poking around in the garden...

2009-12-12T19:50:00.006+11:00

Em: I love to watch things grow. A tiny seed breaking open, giving way to a tender shoot which struggles skyward, producing leaves and flowers and eventually fruit, and once again seeds and returning to the ground as compost, is just amazing to witness and be a part of! The power of life that God put into creation speaks volumes to me of His presence with me, His purpose for all life, and His activity in life.

Above: I discovered this bird's nest with two pale blue/green eggs in it today, tucked into the fig tree which grows along the fence.

Right: Lemon flower.

Left: Strawberries, yum!

Right: Cucumber flower

Merry Christmas to all our family and friends,

whom we could not be with this Christmas.

Ulf's 30th Birthday!

2009-11-10T16:01:00.008+11:00

On Saturday, 31st October we celebrated Ulf's 30th year! We had a joint party with Brooke, who also turned 30 on the same day!

It was a wig party and we had heaps of fun!

Right: Ulf and Chris.

Emma dressed up as Pippy Longstockings and won the prize for the best wig! Here she is with Brian...!

Right: Carolyn, Esther and Jeanette.

We played a few games, enjoyed a great Barbie spread and birthday cakes and dessert afterwards.

Right: Leanne, Matt and Raechelle.

Ulf had a great time looking silly with all his friends!

On becoming me

2009-10-16T18:05:00.002+11:00

"When I sing that song now, I think about the girl that I was. I didn't believe that I was beautiful, I didn't believe that I was pretty. I just needed somebody to keep telling me that. I was like the bottomless well of love-need. I just wanted to be told and my husband would be like, ' I tell you every day,' and I'd be like, ' just tell me one more time.' And this is a bit of history, but it is a mark in history that changed me. I remember the Lord coming into my present and speaking to me and going back and healing some wounds in my heart from decades before, when I was a little girl. And speaking to that person, speaking the truth into those places. And now when I sing that song, I think about how every day of my life now is different because I think that the salvation that He meant to happen every day has finally come, where I every day believe that I am totally and completely loved just like I am. I'm truly adopted as a daughter and I don't have to do anything - I can't do anything to really just please Him except besides just being me. And I didn't grow up with that. I grew up thinking that if you just do these things, inside of Christianity and being a good believer or whatever, then you'll please the Lord. And that is just religious crap. It's just not true, it's a lie - really.

"I just want to encourage your heart tonight, that the Father's love for you is rich and wide and deep enough to not just tell you tonight but to reach into your heart and touch the places that have believed lies for ages and set it right. And give you a new, fresh mark in your history - to be able to go,' that's the day that I became me.' " - Robyn Pasley, House concert KC IHOP, 2007.

"It's one thing to be a professional worshiper; it's another thing to be somebody who receives love." Ben Pasley, House concert KC IHOP, 2007.

At home

2009-10-15T11:49:00.013+11:00

Right: Ulf trimming a tree that leans against the house and makes creepy noises when it's windy.

Ulf hanging out the washing...

We now have a desktop computer which we got for free! Hallelujah! Hard rubbish is the best! So that makes everything a bit easier because it's heaps faster than our laptop was.

It's been raining on and off the last few weeks, this week being a rainy one. Great for the garden, but it keeps us indoors. We've put a few seeds in - tomatoes, eggplant, pumpkin, zuchinni, etc - but not many have come up, probably because it's still quite cold outside. It feels like a long winter this year!

A few weeks ago Ulf converted the rabbit cage into a chicken coop! We're just waiting on the chickens... Snowbell is enjoying the space for now. Lily and Butch went to a new home about two weeks ago.

Ulf continues to enjoy his cleaning job at the high school. He's even found some wood scraps to continue his carving with.

Emma did a new painting today. If you want to check it out, it's at http://emmajetter.blogspot.com/

Home again; Em's trip to Ballarat

2009-10-01T10:57:00.019+10:00

After a couple of very long flights, we arrived safely home again - to spring!

Not too much had changed since we left, but it took a week to settle in again after such a long time away. It was great to see friends again and be so missed!

We've already put in our tomato seeds for the coming season and have sold our mating pair of rabbits, with the idea of getting a couple of chooks at some point.

Last weekend Emma went to Snake Valley, near Ballarat to visit a good friend Sherry and to help plant a garden at her new home.

Right: Just out of Ballarat, this sign shows the distance to Snake Valley.

Right: Sherry digging holes in her front garden so we can put the plants in.

Right: Freezing wind, rain and mud were all part of the experience, but we enjoyed it!

Right: The sun came out onthe day we finished the garden, so we went exploring. We found this cute little cafe in Buninong, south of Ballarat.

Right: Next stop was Bird World. Here's Sherry with a red tailed Black Cockatoo.

Right: This one thought I was a great perch!

Right: Sherry gets a cuddle from this Black Cockatoo.

Right: A friendly King Parrot flew over to us in the large free flight enclosure.

Right: A beautiful blue sky bade me farewell. It was really nice to see Sherry again and bless her with a garden. The countryside was beautiful.

Valley and Mountain

2009-09-23T15:30:00.005+10:00

There is only one way, and that way leads up the mountain, to meet with my Lord who calls out "Draw near to me, and I will draw near to you".
How often do I still choose the easier way of staying down in the valley, building my golden calf according to the knowledge that I have of how I should behave as a Christian. It all looks nice and shiny, and people admire my 'refined life', but it's just a fascade, made with my own hands, like an upgraded fig leave covering my nakedness.

In the valley my 'self' thrives,
on the mountain it surely dies.

In the valley all I see is ME,
On the mountain HE gives me true identity.

In the valley I make God into an image of my own,
on the mountain I'm changed into His, the image of a Son.

Isaiah 32:17 [my paraphrase]

2009-09-23T15:14:00.003+10:00

"...till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest.
The Holy Spirit poured out is like judgement that turns the desert into a fertile field of righteousness. The fruit of this field will be peace; and whoever eats of it will receive quietness and confidence forever.
I have peaceful dwelling places for you, my children, to live in. In me you'll find secure homes, undisturbed places of rest.
Even in times of storms and trouble, you will be save and blessed; giving of yourselves, knowing the source, and sharing your gifts freely."

A Caribbean adventure on Curacao

2009-08-27T14:55:00.001+10:00

In the middle of the rainy season we spent 9 days on Curacao, a Carribean island off the north coast of Venezuela. 33 degrees every day, approx 75% and higher humidity, sunshine, misquitos, sticky skin all day, beautiful beaches, sunsets, reef fish and coral, sunshowers, and of course, beautiful people!

Right: Volker, Naraleska, Samuel, Hope and baby yet to come, our friends who made a corner of their very full house into a bedroom for us. You guys are amazing!

Right: The island has some mountains! Unfortunately they are covered with cactus and other prickly bushes which were brought there by outsiders, but they look nice! The island was the main port which received slaves from Africa and were then taken to all parts of America. For many years the island was covered by plantations owned by white people and worked by dark people. For this reason, any sort of cultivation of the land is associated with slavery and the locals (mostly African in origin) do not grow anything that doesn't grow itself. Amazingly, apartheid existed on the island until the 1980s, when it was abolished, and a tension between white and dark people still exists today. For more info about the island, go to http://www.curacao-travelguide.com/about/

Right: The second beach that Volker and Nara took us to. We went snorkelling many times at different beaches around the island, and everytime was amazing! There are so many fish and interesting things to see, and very close to the beach, too.

Right: Happy snorkellers!

Right: Everywhere on the island there is rubbish to be seen and, sadly, the beaches and the ocean floor are no exception. The locals use the beaches as a place to go to 'party'.

Right: Ulf and Samuel in the water as the sun sets. The ocean is the nicest place to be during the day to escape the heat, despite the sun.

Right: Volker and Nara's freshly painted yellow house. The houses on Curacao are painted in bright colours, with concrete walls and guard dogs. Volker and Nara also have a dog, but she is friendly and goes for a run with a YWAM staff every morning - something which amazes the locals as they just feed their dogs to keep them for security.

During the day the iguanas scurry about the yard, foraging for food, eating fallen mangoes, chasing each other and running from Samuel and the dog! You can see as many as five at one time. Mocking birds were also about and we had a theory that they loved to play in the trees in this yard because of the yellow coloured fence!

Right: Downtown Curacao is likened to a colourful Amsterdam and is split in the middle by the harbour entrance. A floating pedestrian bridge connects the two sides, which has an engine to push it to one side whenever a ship enters the harbour. A free ferry also takes passengers from side to side throughout the day. The coloured tents and the boats are the markets - fresh fruit and vegetables, some fish and souveniers.

Right: This beach was covered in coral, not sand. From here we swam a short distance to see a small sunken boat and loads of reef fish. We saw, among others, Banded Butterfly fish, Yellow Goatfish, Trumpetfish (agressive), Yellowtail Snapper, Spotlight & Princess Parrotfish, Sergeant Major, Blackbar Soldierfish, Carribean Reef Squid, French Grunt, Bluehead... that's all that we can identify at least. The following sites have photos:
http://www.reefnews.com/reefnews/index/fishes.html
http://www.reef.org/resources/galleries/caribbean

Right: Ulf enjoying a rest after the exhausting return swim from the boat wreck. The wind and waves had picked up, making the return swim a lot harder physically than the swim out.

Right: Emma, Sarah, Naraleska, Hope, Corina, and Malena (Nara's Mum) enjoying a drink and some special desserts in the city.

Right: Flamingos at the Curacao Zoo, which has free entry. They looked like statues at first, until we saw them close up. They also had many species of monkeys and birds that are native to South America.

Right: Cocktails at the old Fort in the middle of the harbour - great views of the city at night. Ulf was glad to finally try the famous Blue Curacao, which is produced on the island.

Right: The airport is right on the edge of the island. This is just before takeoff to Amsterdam.

Well, that's our Carribean holiday in a nutshell! Of course, the photos just show the snorkelling and sightseeing, but we had many good times with our friends and the YWAM staff who live on the same property. We really appreciated the times of worship and prayer, and of course the times just hanging out. Volker and Nara were very gracious hosts and we are thankful for all the time that we could have with them and their family. Misquitos were a common enemy and much time was also spent swatting and zapping them!

Our trip to the Carribean was amazing and I'm so thankful to God for allowing us to be able to go. He doesn't miss any opportunities to speak to us and teach us things, and for me Curacao was no exception. Some things were difficult to hear and painful to surrender to. But as the journey of dying to self continues, so to does His refining of our souls. - Emma.

Visting our nephew! and other adventures...

2009-08-10T22:39:00.029+10:00

As we have had so many little adventures in the last weeks, it seems easier to describe them just with photos...

Ulf's finished wooden kangaroo.

We spent a week and a half with Ulf's older brother Bjoern, his wife Sue and their first child Robin. Here is Ulf and Robin playing on a see-saw together (with Em on the other end)!

During our stay with Bjoern and Sue and Robin, we went to an underwater world. Unfortunately all the photos we took inside were too dark, so here's one of Ulf playing in the gift shop! Sue and Robin are in the background.

We were blessed to be able celebrate Robin's 1st birthday on 31st July. The hat didn't stay on very long, though!

Emma and Robin playing on his 'Bobby Car', which he got for his birthday.

In the middle of our stay with our nephew and his family (he he), we went camping on the Baltic Sea for two nights. This is where we stayed the first night - ont he edge of a cliff! The view was beautiful, but the 10 o'clock winds which lasted through the night, were not! We didn't sleep a wink as the noise was so loud and our tent was moving around so much that it would bend inwards and touch us.

The beach there was also not that enjoyable - all rocks! We did go swimming, but it certainly doesn't compare to a nice sandy beach! Here's Em on the cliff, showing the rocks below and the wind!

The next day we drove around the island Fehmarn, checking out the small lighthouses, rocky beaches, sheep, and the ferry to Denmark.

For the second night we found a small camping ground with a sandy beach (with a few pebbles, but it was the best that we had seen). The camping ground was mostly full and through some unlcear communication we had some diffulty getting a spot for our tent. But in the end, they gave us a sheltered spot which is normally for caravans, and we thanked God because it was so nice!

On our way back to Bjoern and Sue's place, we rented a rowboat on the lake in Eutin. That was relaxing and fun!

Last week we spent some time with an old friend - Steffi and her fiance Richard. Here we all are, off on our bikes to spend a day in the water and the sun!

We spent the day swimming, playing in the sand, laughing at passers-by falling into Richard's big hole at the water's edge, eating and resting on the beach.

Here's Richard and Ulf, behind our 'Ritter Burg' - 'Knight's Fortress.'

Yesterday we spend the day in Brake/Lemgo with Gunnar, visiting a Bible School where Ulf's family went for their summer holidays for many years. We had lunch in Lemgo, and here we are playing around in the old city centre...

Gunnar and his ice-cream.

It was a relaxing day for us, which finished off with some volleyball which was cut short as we were making too much noise and interrupting the missions evening that was taking place in the chapel...!

Unfortunately we won't be able to make it to Paris this time, but we are thinking that all our adventures and our trip to the Carribean will be enough fun this time! Until next time!

Summer in Hurlach

2009-07-20T18:56:00.008+10:00

Ulf's Opa is a very good wood carver (Whittler) and has made many pieces over the years. As a boy Ulf was always interested in trying it, but it never happened, until now! Ulf's Opa has shown him how to whittle - carve - and Ulf has finished his first piece - a kangaroo!

On Sunday, 12th July we drove about 7 hours south to Hurlach, our old home town.

Right; Ulf & Em eating ice cream in Landsberg am Lech, the closet large town to Hurlach.

God provided an amazing place for us to stay in while we were there (an apartment), and blessed us very much through the owner who lives downstairs. We had good times of worship and prayer together and God spoke many things to us. It was refreshing!

Right: Ulf, Em and Ursula, who took us into her home.

It was great for Em to see Nancy and her family and spend time with them - baking Poppyseed cake, going swimming and just hanging out together.

Right: Josua, Annalina (Nancy's sister), Nancy and Liesbeth.

While we were there, we also picked up all of our things that we had stored in Sokol's basement! We drove back with a very full car on Friday 17th. Now we have the job of sorting through everything and storing it in Ulf's parent's attic.

Our little trip to Hurlach was a blessing to us.

Rain turns summer to winter

2009-07-10T20:02:00.009+10:00

The last three or four days it has been raining on and off, turning our beautiful summer holiday into a cold Melbourne winter! God provided us with warm clothing, and today Ulf's parents lit the fire for Em so she wouldn't be too cold!

Right: The Jetter family home in Wehrendorf.

Right: Oma and Opa Meya's house, next to the Jetters.

Right: Em at the old Wehrendorf train station.

Right: Ulf and Em check out the St Nicolas Lutheran church in Bad Essen, the nearest major town.

Cherry picking!

2009-07-07T18:11:00.007+10:00

Yesterday we went cherry picking!!Yum! A friend of the family offered us the opportunity to pick as many cherries as we liked from their very full tree. So Ulf and I spent one and a quarter hours picking in the morning. We picked about 50 litres of cherries and happily took them home to make cherry jam, preserved cherries, cherry juice (cooked), and a cherry cake as well! It was a very full day, but lots of fun!

Oma and Opa were also working - preparing apples for juice making. The Jetters don't like to waste anyhing that their garden produces, which can make the summertime a very busy time!

We have landed!

2009-07-04T15:54:00.008+10:00

On Thursday, 2nd July, we arrived in Amsterdam, and after a three hour train ride through the Netherlands we were met at the station by Ulf's Mama and Papa.

Right: Papa and Ulf picking sour cherries this morning.

It's so good to see Ulf's family again and were pleasantly surprised by how beautiful everything here is. The garden is full of flowers and bushes and trees with green leaves on them! Most of the time that we have spent here has been in autumn and winter, so it is a nice change to experience summer here (fresh raspberries every morning before breakfast!). In the next two weeks we would like to visit Hurlach, in the south of Germany where we lived before. We hope to visit friends and enjoy the scenery there as well!

Right: On the 30th June, in Melbourne, we celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary at the Pancake Parlour.

Right: One of the last rabbit babies, giving Ulf a cuddle.

Right: Emma with the only white rabbit baby.

Up, up and away!

2009-06-04T15:36:00.008+10:00

On Tuesday, 2nd June 2009, we finally took our hot air balloon ride! We had been trying to go for almost a year - the dates we picked never agreed with the weather until now!

It was a really nice experience - to float along in the breeze and see things from a different perspective.

We went with two other couples, so we were 7 people in all including the pilot.

Although we were passengers, we also had crew duties and were involved in the setting up and packing up of the balloon - not what we expected, but it was still good.

We took off at a vineyard and landed in a cow paddock!

Afterwards we enjoyed a champagne breaksfast at Chateau Yering, which was scrumptious! Unfortunately for us we had to share our breakfast experience with the other passengers from our flight. It wasn't that bad, but it would have been nice to have some time to ourselves in that nice place.

Back on the home front, we have been busy organising the little bits and pieces for our trip to Germany. Ulf now has his visa stamped in his passport and we're working out what to do with our little red car before we go. We still need to find a housesitter, organise someone to take us to the airport and pick us up again when we get back, and, of course, sell our six little rabbit babies! By the end of June they will be six weeks old and ready to leave their mother. So it's all happening here at the Jetters!

We can't wait to see our German family and friends again! Yipee!

Second litter

2009-05-16T15:34:00.004+10:00

Three day old rabbit babies - Lily's second successful litter to Butch.

Meanwhile, Snowbell has taken a liking to our

windowsill!

We're going to Germany!

2009-05-15T16:39:00.009+10:00

Yesterday we bought our tickets for flights to Germany!

On 1st July we will leave Melbourne for Amsterdam, via Kuala Lumper and on 29th August we will return the same way. Praise the Lord for making it possible for us to visit our German family and friends! He is so good to us!

Right: Ulf looking up flights on the internet.

On the home front, our rabbit had babies again yesterday. One died at birth, but six remain and are healthy! This time Lily made a nest with much more hay and much more fur to cover them and keep them warm. She is doing well.

Right: Snow peas growing in our garden.

The autumn leaves give a splash of colour to our back yard and I can't help feeling excited about the 'coming snow of winter'... except there is no snow in Melbourne winters, only in southern German ones... and we will not see winter this year in Melbourne, due to our trip to Germany (our 'other home'). There we will enjoy two months of summer!

Right: Harvesting rhubarb to make wine.

Emma has joined a weekly craft group, which her friend Sherry attends, and is really enjoying doing crafty things with others who are just as enthusiastic as she!

Right: Sherry and Emma.

Ulf is enjoying his job at the school - 3 hours of exercise each day! ;-) In the first week he was a bit sore, but now he enjoys his daily workout cleaning at school.

Please pray for us as we prepare for our trip to Germany. There are a few things that we need to do before we go, and we are looking forward to see how our time in Germany unfolds, according to His plan.

The harvest continues

2009-04-13T16:40:00.004+10:00

The first two beets out of the ground. We're gradually harvesting our carrots so the rabbits can eat all the tops and inedible ones. They're all a bit gnarly, but quite yum! Meanwhile, the red onions have taken off and the 'year round' carrot seedlings are doing well. I just put in more parsnip and kale seeds today after waiting almost a month for some to come up. To my surprise there were two parsnips up from the first lot I put in about two months ago!

Butch continues to harrass Lily, uggghh! Lily has also started digging again today - possible sign of pregnancy. Snowbell seems quite happy on her own with no other rabbits to bully her. We give her plenty of cuddles to make sure she doesn't get lonely.

I have a hankering to plant a raspberry patch, if I can call it that. God will have to do that.

Ulf has been out of work for a few weeks now and as it seems that nothing will come from the usual places anytime soon, he's looking into getting a cleaning job at a local school again. That will at least be some regular work for him and will help the finances.

Community - what is that and is it feasible in today's society? Ulf and I have found ourselves part of a group which reaches out to those in need. The thing is, we are all in need in reality - we are all on the same level before God. After about a year with this group and six months in the 'position' of housing administrators/overseers we find ourselves no closer to what we would describe 'community'. It doesn't feel like a family, it feels like work. So there has to be something more... more from God and more of God to be seen in our relationships with others. Perhaps part of the problem is that is takes so long to build a relationship of any depth with others when you don't live with them, or maybe even when you do...? People only open up to you if they choose to, but sometimes it's hard to stick it out and wait for that day.

After being thoroughly impressed and inspired by my friend Naraleska's art blog, I have set up one of my own - http://emmajetter.blogspot.com/ I haven't done a lot of art in the last year, but lately I have felt the urge to put some colour on a canvas again.

Rabbit deaths

2009-04-08T17:04:00.002+10:00

Lily and Butch, our pair of rabbits, had their second litter last Friday. On Monday Ulf discovered seven dead babies. They lasted only 3 days. We believe their deaths were caused by the mother not feeding them as she was under stress. It was a sad day in our little home, but we do have hope for future litters.

ONE

2009-03-30T13:49:00.003+11:00

I reckon the real problem with us humans is not that we don't know how to become one, but that we don't know that we are one.

How different would the world be if we found out that we are one?
How would my life be changed if I lived in the knowledge of being one with every person I meet (beggar or buisness man)?
How much differently would I treat my neighbor if I really understood that I'm one with him?

Same substance, same breath.
Same father, same maker.
Just a different person(ality),
but ONE.

First, one in Adam.
Now, soon and forever one in Christ.

Em's Mum visits

2009-03-23T17:48:00.009+11:00

For two and a half weeks, we had Emma's Mum staying with us from Tinaroo, near Cairns. It was a great time and it brought back many good childhood memories for Em.

Right: Mum and Em took out the corn plants, which were finished, and erected a trellis for snow peas in its place.

Right: Mum and Em at Federation Square, in Melbourne City.

Right: Mum and Em outside Regent Theatre, where we saw 'Wicked', the musical. (Better than the Wizard of Oz!)

Everyone who met Em's Mum seemed to comment that Em looks like her! In actual fact, we have the same frame, but we look rather different in the face.

Love you Mum!

The Answer

2009-03-23T17:41:00.002+11:00

I know now, Lord, why You utter no answer.

You are Yourself the answer.

Before Your face questions die away.

What other answer would suffice?

- C.S.Lewis

Worship and Coffee

2009-03-13T11:16:00.001+11:00

Worship is like coffee... It comes as 'instant' or as 'freshly ground and brewed'. The flavour and aroma will tell the difference.

Just as instant coffee is ground and brewed before it is granulated or freeze-dried, so are the songs we sing written by people who have, figuratively speaking, gone through the process of roasting, grinding and brewing, before putting the words on paper.

As we sing those songs they can give us a 'kick', just as instant coffee does, but the flavour will not be quite the same as 'freshly ground and brewed'.

The question is:

Will I just be addicted to 'instant', or will the 'instant' compell me to a journey that will lead me to my own 'freshly ground and brewed' with the aroma of deep intimacy?

Also:

Am I willing to be the bean (roasted, ground and brewed)?

and:

What about organic-fairtrade???

Emma's 30th

2009-02-21T12:01:00.010+11:00

On Sunday 15th February 2009, at 17 Stuart Road, Lilydale, we celebrated Em's 30th birthday with a teaparty! We dressed up with hats and ties - what fun!

Right: Em with Snowbell, the only rabbit baby we are keeping.

On the same day, four of our first litter of rabbits were sold, and the fifth went the next day! So that was a bit sad, but we know that they have all gone to good homes. We are left with Lily and Butch, the 'parents', and Snowbell, who was the lightest coloured baby and the runt of the litter.

Right: Snowbell, doing a 'hat trick'!

Right: Ulf and Roland

Right: Matt, Raechelle and Greg. Great hats!

Right: Izobelle - great dress-ups!

The party was great fun, and at the end of the afternoon we did a quiz about Em!

Rabbit growth; Torquay Camp

2009-02-06T10:43:00.013+11:00

The first litter from Lily and Butch are now five weeks old. They are very active, running to and fro, jumping and eating like crazy! They are a delight! There are five females and one male in the litter, as far as we can tell. In about three weeks time we will begin selling them.

Last weekend, our group went away for the weekend to a woolshed in Torquay. We like doing this about twice a year, to spend quality time with each other and God. This time we felt like people in the group knew each other better and there was a real feeling of trust and friendship developing.

Right: Josh (left), Ulf and Noel man the barbie.

Right: Bob has some quiet time.

We are enjoying spending time with Elisha Care and serving them by looking after the houses (two boys houses, one girls house and one family house). Emma does all the administration work for the houses, and we both care for the community of people living in them by hanging out with them and having meals with them, prayer groups in each house and general sharing of our lives with each other. We are honoured to be part of their lives.

Bunny Cuteness

2009-01-08T20:47:00.004+11:00

How cute is that! Today Ulf and I were enjoying playing with the baby rabbits by putting them in our pockets and giggling about the strange positions they would find themselves in! Although they can't see yet, they are quite active and are growing stronger every day. One baby bunny fits easily in the palm of your hand.

Christmas holiday

2009-01-07T14:05:00.010+11:00

On Sunday afternoon, the 21st of December '08 we set off, via the inland roads, for Queensland! About 2,000kms later we arrived in Gladstone and spent one week with Em's family for Christmas. It was great to see them all again! Otto's fiance Tamara came, and Aaron's girlfriend Sarah and her parents were there as well, so for the first time Em can remember, we were eight people around the table for Christmas! We received unexpected gifts and ate wraps for lunch! Aaron showed us the sights, which was a nice distraction from the sweltering heat!

From Gladstone we took the coast road down to Byron Bay, visiting some friends in Brissy on the way. Four nights in Byron were really nice - lots of beach, ocean bathing, and sun (to avoid!). We headed south again on the 1st of Jan, but by the 2nd of Jan we were both busting to get home to our garden and pet bunny rabbits, to see how they're doing. Lo and behold, the garden was huge after two weeks and we now have zuchinis, squash and green beans coming out of our ears! Add to that baby bunnies, ripe figs, and lots more vegies on the way and what you have is spring rain!

Kms travelled: 4,563

Road kill: 19 kangaroos/wallabies; 4 rabbits; 2 possums; 1 fox; 1 echidna; 1 goanna; 1 wombat; many birds; several hundred locusts (on our windshield); and many other insects.

The fam.:

Back L to R: Esmond, Em, Kerry, Sarah, Tamara and Otto.

Front L to R: Ulf, Aaron and Mum.

Baby Bunnies!!

2009-01-06T12:23:00.006+11:00

We arrived home from our Christmas 'holiday' at about 1.30am on 2nd January. In the morning, Ulf came in jumping up and down, saying, "Come look, come look!" so I followed him and we discovered that eight little squirming newborn bunnies were warmly tucked away in Lily's nest (in an old lawn mower catcher)! What a wonderful surprise to come home to! Most of them have dark skin and will have dark fur also, but two have light skin. Their eyes are currently shut, but they should open in 8 - 10 days time. We have seperated Butch (the 'father') from Lily ('mother'), to avoid her becoming pregnant again straight away. In about 8 weeks time, we will sell the babies.

Happy New Year!

Here they are:

It is day 5 and we have lost two little ones to starvation. Lily simply can't feed more than six babies... However, there are still two that are smaller than the others, and there is one particularly fat one!

Christmas Greetings

2008-12-20T11:42:00.006+11:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

On Sunday (tomorrow!) we leave for Queensland - a two to three day car journey to Gladstone, where Em's family is gathering for Christmas this year. We look forward to seeing them all, especially Aaron, as we haven't seen him for about four years now! We should arrive back in Melbourne by January 5th, ready to get into all that God has for us in the New Year!

Left: Elisha Care's last Friday BBQ on the main street of Croydon was our Christmas party!

Left: Sants's little helpers got carried away with the idea of a clothing shop (the clothes are free)

Left: Geoff and Noel get into the Christmas spirit!

Spring Rain

2008-12-09T15:05:00.019+11:00

On Thursday 28 November 2008 we traveled into Melbourne city to lodge Ulf's spouse visa application (for permenant residency). Amazingly we only had to wait about an hour to see someone (we didn't have an appointment so we didn't expect to see anyone), who went through our documents [see photo, right] and 'interviewed' us and took our money. We were very surprised and blessed by the kind nature of the man that took our application. He was very polite and respectful and very positive about the possible outcome. We still needed one more official document, then our application would be complete and he would have to make the decision. We have now sent in this last document and should know an answer in the next weeks, hopefully by early January. Praise the Lord!

Photo gallery:

Left: Em & Ulf outside flat in Lilydale

Right: Riding on the old city circle Tram

Left: Sons of Korah concert at Christian City Church in Nunawading

Right: Em and friend Amy (left) at German 'Cuckoo' restaurant for Bible College Staff Xmas breakup party

Left: Some of our garden/backyard. The green thing in the background is a shade cover for the rabbit pen.

Right: Our bunnies - Lily in front and Butch behind.

Left: Our garden (zuchini flower in front). It has been raining a lot this spring - a nice surprise really.

Right: Lily rolling on the grass.

Left: Clare (right), Kimberly, Pam and Leanne, with whom Em made a gingerbread house

Right: Em and her gingerbread house

Time for the Spouse Visa

2008-11-05T12:17:00.003+11:00

It is now time for Ulf to apply for a new visa and it has become apparent that he is not eligible for a second Working Holiday visa. So this leaves us in the position of having to apply for the Spouse visa for him now! Not what we had planned, but we have to do it sometime, so here goes! The application requires a lot from us, including a lot of money, heaps of documentation and proof that our relationship is real, police checks and statutory declarations from us and friends.

Please pray for us!

New Friends and Joy

2008-10-13T12:51:00.013+11:00

For several months Ulf and I have been spending time with a ministry group called Elisha Care. On Wednesday nights we go to their home group, which was being held in a public place in the main street of Croydon (a neighbouring suburb). There would be a time of worship, someone would speak/share, followed by some prayer time. From the first time we went, we could sense something different about this gathering - the people were being real with God and each other, and His quiet presence was felt there. It felt like coming home. We had longed to be a part of a community where people were real and where God was allowed to do whatever He wanted, for so long that it kind of snuck up on us. It took us a few weeks to realize that this is where we wanted to be, so we said goodbye to the small Vineyard church in Mitcham that we had been struggling to attend and decided to just go to the Vineyard here in Lilydale.

On Fridays from 11am to 3pm Elisha Care holds a free BBQ outside a house on the main street of Croydon. People come and hang out, kick the footy, get some free 2nd hand clothes, get a free lunch and some conversation. It's all about loving people and we enjoy being part of this! It's not without it's challenges, but it's worth it.

Ulf attends a guys' fellowship on Friday mornings and Em has started to go the girls' fellowship as well and we both find these times a blessing.

This weekend we went on a camp with Elisha Care at Torquay (near Geelong, on the Great Ocean Road). We were so blessed to be a part of what God is doing among these people! Many struggle with drug and alcohol addictions, but are reaching out to God for help. It was a beautiful time with God and with these beautiful people. It brought us both much joy to see people being touching by His love! And it was a great privilege to serve them and love them too.

Here are some photos of the camp:

Left: The guys sitting around the
campfire. (View out from the woolshed that we camped in.)

Right: Morning worship. There are many people on the balcony in the shadows. There were about 25 people in total.

Left: Worship and prayer on the
beach just before three people were
baptised in the ocean.

Besides our involvement with Elisha Care, Ulf is now looking after three young children in the mornings (getting them breakfast and ready for school, and taking them to school) for a single Dad. He also tutors a high school student in German once a week and does some cleaning on the weekends. Em still works at the Library at BCV one day a week and babysits a 10-month boy two days a week (lots to learn!).

On the home front, we now have two pet rabbits! They are now 10 weeks old and are enjoying their moveable pen on our lawn. We enjoy them very much - they're like family. We've also planted out a vegetable garden this year, which we are both enjoying a lot, especially Em. There's something very special about nuturing life and watching it grow.

Until next time, Aufwiedersehen!

Home at last

2008-05-13T09:41:00.004+10:00

After a whole two months of silence, we finally have something to say!

After a long journey of 'homelessness' [house-sitting, staying with people we hardly know, staying with friends, a week in a cold cabin in a caravan park, visiting family], we have finally moved into our own little flat/apartment in Lilydale! It has a combined living room and kitchen area, and a large bedroom with small en suite bathroom. It's underneath a really big house and we can both walk to work! Em - I feel more and more God saying that this is our home and this town is our home, though I don't feel settled in yet. But I think that just takes time. There is much that we still need for our home, but God is providing!

We're both really enjoying our jobs - Ulf cleaning the primary school in Lilydale and Em working one day a week in the Library at Bible College and soon two days a week in the Accounting office. We are really happy with working part-time hours. It provides enough money to live and it gives us spare time to serve others (and setup our home).

Praise the Lord, O our souls!

The Morning Star

2008-03-12T21:40:00.002+11:00

a reflection on reflection aka worship, by Ulf.
click link.

Chinese: Language of God?

2008-03-07T13:03:00.004+11:00

Check out this link!

It's incredible!!!

Moving around in Melbourne

2008-02-04T16:29:00.000+11:00

After staying at four different places in Melbourne we are ready to stop! But we are learning to wait for what the Lord has for us. It's not easy. He continues to change us within and take unnecessary burdens from us. The refining/cleansing process never really ends, it just moves us into new dimensions of our relationship with Him. We are His garden, which He plants, waters, feeds, removes weeds from, causes to bloom and bear fruit when it is right to Him.

After Christmas we moved to Greensborough and stayed with Stuart and Jackie, friends of ours. We welcomed the New Year in while resting (sleeping). The next weeks were spent helping around the house - cleaning, rearranging furniture, sewing curtains (Em), and making a compost crate-bin (Ulf). Stu and Jak had had several house-mates coming and going over the past few years and this was the first time that they could have the house how they wanted it to be. So we were happy to help!

It was (and is) still a time of waiting. We stayed in Greensborough for about a month, which was enough time to get our heads straight after the long journey down from Cairns. We started praying about getting part-time jobs and about where we were to live in Melbourne. This was an exciting new situation for us to be in but we did not want to go ahead and do whatever we wanted or felt right about. We were (and are) waiting for God to move and bring us into what He has for us in Melbourne. At the time, Ulf felt to contact his last employer in Lilydale about cleaning in schools, while Em felt led to apply for a job at Kmart.

After Greensborough, we house-sat a family's home in Watsonia for the Australia Day long weekend. It was a beautiful house and garden (vegies!) - we were so blessed! We were really longing for our own place and God gave us four beautiful days of rest there.

After our little holiday we came to Ringwood to house-sit some friends' house for a couple of weeks. We arrived here on a Monday and the next day Ulf started working part-time at Lilydale West Primary School! We both feel that God has placed him there and we are thankful for this job. Ulf is very much enjoying working again, but we are both aware that we cannot fall into thinking that that is all that God has for us here - to find a place to live and start working. Working is only a small part of the picture - a big picture of which we cannot see in its entirety.

We are continuing to trust the Lord that He has a home for us to dwell in here in Melbourne. In the process we are learning that God Himself is our Home and we will be happy wherever He is.

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Psalm 23: 6

Photos, from top to bottom: Ulf and Stuart cleaning in the lounge room; Getting into the garden; Em sewing curtains; The neighbour's ginger cat that kept coming to visit us for affection (at Stu and Jak's place); The back garden at Watsonia house-sit, complete with vegie patch!; Zuchini flower; Em has been experimenting in the kitchen... this is Honey cake with Strawberry Sauce. Check out her recipe blog at http://emmas-ekitchen.blogspot.com or click link on left.

Byron Bay to Melbourne

2007-12-26T10:32:00.000+11:00

God is good!! In Byron Bay we found a great little car within our price range... The car dealer got it ready to go the day after we first saw it (it wasn't registered yet).

So at 7am on Thursday 20th December we set off for Melbourne in our new wheels. We made many stops on the way to rest and eat, and we took turns driving, which helped us both a lot.

At 8pm (and after 1,000kms) we pulled into a caravan park in Goulburn, NSW and stayed in a cabin overnight (all the cheap caravans were taken, a fact Emma was glad of because she doesn't sleep as well in those compared to fixed structures). 7am Friday 21st December saw us setting off again to complete the 600kms that were left between us and our destination. The terrain between Gouldburn and Melbourne does not vary very much and is very sparsely populated compared to the NSW coast. The day before had been quite warm, but after lunch on Friday the rain hit us and didn't stop for the rest of our journey. [Photo, far right: Our new wheels parked in front of the YWAM base in Byron Bay.]

Kristin and Shalvin's wedding

Kristin was Emma's bridesmaid when we got married, so Em was really thankful that we could be at Kristin's wedding on Saturday 22nd Dec. She was honoured to read a Bible passage during the ceremony. [Em's the one on the far right, photo's not so good.]

Christmas Day

This year we celebrated Christmas by having a picnic on the Dandenong Ranges, complete with BBQ turkey & roast veges, reading the Christmas story, and the exchanging of gifts. The first photo on the right shows our view.

Catching up with old friends

Andy and Viv Harvey recently moved back to Melbourne and we have been blessed to be able to stay with them over Christmas. It was also great to catch up with Nigel and Rachel Tilley and their two boys. They are also many others whom we want to see and hopefully will get time to visit them in the New Year.

We are so thankful to God for all He has done for us and how He has safely brought us to Melbourne. We are enjoying being here again and are looking forward to seeing His plans for us here unfold.

Merry Christmas

2007-12-24T19:07:00.000+11:00

May you know the peace and joy of Christmas as you celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ this year.

Jesus Christ was born - God came near.

Laidley to Byron Bay

2007-12-19T11:55:00.000+11:00

In Laidley we spent some time with Emma's family - her Dad, brother Otto and one of her Uncles was there too. It was really great to see them all again. One day we climbed a small mountain with her Dad and his dog Zack. It was a very enjoyable day.

As we felt time moving on and our deadline for being in Melbourne getting closer, we looked for a way to get down to Byron Bay. Otto was going to Brisbane on Friday 7th December, so he could take us with him, which was a real blessing. From there we caught a bus to Byron, really cheaply, which was amazing.

In Byron the YWAMers were in the park having a free BBQ (which they do every week, we did this too when we were there two years ago), so we wandered over with our luggage and said G'day. They were happy to see us and welcomed us warmly.

The YWAM base is currently running a DTS (Discipleship Training School) so the house is full of staff and students (!). It was really different being in a familiar place again. Just over two years ago, we stayed here for three months and helped out as 'mission builders' after our DTS. A lot has changed. Our journey is so different from the DTS world now and so it seems odd to be in the middle of it again.

How do we get to Melbourne??

This was our biggest question since we arrived. We were wanting to have our own vehicle somehow, but we were open to flying or taking the bus if God closed all the other doors. So we were on the hunt for a car, trusting that God would give us the right one and that if it's not what He really wants then we wouldn't find one and have peace to fly. After checking out the local noticeboards for cheap used cars and getting nowhere, a friend took us to a local used car yard down the road from the base. A little red car with low kms and the right price caught our attention and after a short test-drive we took it. It's not registered, so they need a day or so to get it ready for us. By God's grace, we'll be off to Melbourne on Thursday at the latest.

Em - At first I didn't enjoy being in Byron again. I was feeling out of place and a bit overwhelmed by the amount of people who suddenly filled up our personal- and living-space. But through sharing my DTS and outreach experiences with the students here God has shown me what that season was about. I had never understood it or even thought about it before, but God had special little lessons in that season just for me. Thank you, Lord.

TRUST and FAITH are the two things that God continues to encourage us with and teach us about. It's so easy to lose hope when you look at circumstances that are beyond you, but when we lift our eyes to Him and remember again the faithfulness, compassion and loving care of our Heavenly Father, our spirits are lifted and hope is rekindled.

Cairns to Laidley

2007-12-11T12:11:00.001+11:00

So here's some snaps of our Australian journey so far...

Cairns

Stoney Creek, a favourite swimming hole.

Ulf trying to camouflage himself as a kangaroo.

Rainforest - so beautiful and green, but very hot and sticky!

In the cemetary we found this large tree growing out of an old grave - a very meaningful picture of the kingdom of God - death and life.

Laidley

Emma and her Dad.

Otto's house. (Emma's brother) It looks like a shed (it is a couple of sheds together), but actually it's a house.

Otto and Ulf enjoying computer games.

Australia!!

2007-12-04T17:21:00.000+11:00

On 28th November we flew from Frankfurt to Sydney and then onto Cairns!! The flight wasn't great for Emma as something she ate made her sick bigtime... but she's okay again now.

Australia is such a beautiful place and we're so thankful to be here. Even in Sydney Em was struck by the beauty of the sky - so blue!! And Cairns is even more beautiful - trees, flowers, birds, mountains, beach and ocean are all breathtaking here.

Emma's Mum is taking really good care of us and spending time with us and taking us to see some of the sights. We're staying in a caravan park for a week. Such a blessing!

On Friday 7th December we will fly down to Brisbane and stay at Em's brother Otto's place in a small town called Laidley. God has blessed us so much since we arrived - we a truly blown away.

The inner work of waiting

2007-11-07T05:54:00.000+11:00

"There are no idle hours in My Kingdon. Waiting may seem a time of inactivity, as far as the outer world is concerned, but it can, and should, be a time of great activity in the inner life, and the surrounding material plane." - GodCalling, a dalily devotional, edited by A.J. Russel

This quote pretty much sums up our time in Wehrendorf. We had no idea how long God wanted us to stay here, we only knew that He wanted us here and that He would move us on when it was time. It's hard to put in words what God has done in us here, we just know that we are leaving this place having been deeply changed.

Already in the first couple of weeks God put something before us - we were invited to go to the Tabita House to pray, as they were in need of prayer support. This was a great opportunity as it meant that we had a place to go to be completely alone with God - like a prayer room all to ourselves. We also got involved with helping out at Tabita - sorting, packing, weighing second hand clothes and goods. They are receiving so much at the moment that it piles up into a mountain in the corner! [Tabita is a ministry which receives second clothes and goods (generally not furniture) and sends it to people in need in Romania, Ukraine, India, Brazil, as well as locally.] It has been a blessing for us to be part of this 'service' to others.

On the 30th of October we celebrated Ulf's 28th birthday! It was really nice for us to be able to celebrate another birthday with Ulf's family before we headed off to Australia.

Another blessing came out of the blue when Emma was asked to help a day-care Mum with her day-care kids (a paid job). After the first week, Ulf turned up as well and ended up being the one watching over the kids while Emma helped out around the house. We really enjoyed spending time with the kids, even though it wasn't always easy.

Baking Christmas cookies, cooking the occasional meal for the family, helping in the garden to get it ready for winter, spending time with Oma and Opa [see photo above], sharing with Mama (Ulf's mum), playing games with the family, long walks along the canal with God (Em), spending time by the fire with Belle [see photo, right], family birthdays, autumn colours, and getting up while it's still dark have all been part of our days in Wehrendorf.

We are all wretched, but we are also beautiful.

2007-10-25T19:55:00.000+10:00

"Some of us have been told our whole lives that we are wretched, but the gospel reminds us that we are beautiful. Others of us have been told our whole lives that we are beautiful, but the gospel reminds us that we are also wretched. The church is a place where we can stand up and say we are wretched, and everyone will nod and agree and remind us that we are beautiful." - Shane Claibourne, 'The Irresistable Revolution.'

Autumn in Wehrendorf

2007-10-21T02:26:00.000+10:00

Bad Essen, the nearest major town to Wehrendorf.

The slightly taller building in the middleground is an old storehouse on the canal.

We're not completely crazy about rabbits, but we did have a look at the local rabbit show, just for fun! We left our little Belle at home, though...!

Autumn colours - so beautiful!

Wehrendorf-Hurlach-Amsterdam-Wehrendorf

2007-10-18T04:56:00.000+10:00

We landed safely in Bremen, Germany, last Monday and have hardly stopped since! The first few days were restful and Emma was recovering from a cold. We planned to go south to Hurlach the first weekend after we returned to Germany, to sort through some of our things we had stored there and to farewell some friends who were moving to Amsterdam. Despite Emma's niggling cold, we felt from God that we should still make the journey south for that particular weekend.

Seasons

Thursday night we found ourselves once again at YWAM Hurlach's Castle evening, and much to our surprise all of the former Mobile Team members were also there! The little things God plans and does without us knowing it are just amazing!

It was a really good time for us to see old faces again, especially our good friends Volker, Nara and Samuel. We were able to be a part of their farewell from the YWAM Hurlach base. The interesting things is, that everyone from the old Mobile Team either has moved on or is moving on from the base. It's amazing to see God moving His children through seasons in this way. His ways are higher than our ways!

It was also a very good time for Emma in Hurlach as God showed her some things about her time in the Mobile Team and gave her closure and peace about that chapter in her journey. Thank You, Lord.

Flea Market

We also were able to take about half of our stored possessions to the flea market and we managed sell most of it, praise the Lord! Our goal was not to make money, rather to get rid of stuff, so we are very happy with the result! There are more things that we wish we had the chance to give away or sell, but our time was too limited.

Amsterdam

It came about that our friend Volker needed a ride to Amsterdam on Monday, the same day that we planned to leave Hurlach for Wehrendorf, so we decided to drive him there. We wanted to visit Amsterdam anyway, so this was a perfect opportunity. Another friend, Tilman, also came with us, which was great because he shared the driving with Ulf (9 hours!). We hadn't booked any accommodation with the YWAM base in Amsterdam, but we went anyway and were allowed to sleep on the floor with friends for one night.

The next day we attended the YWAM staff meeting in which our friends were officially introduced and prayed over as new staff/a new team for the base. Their team has a heart for the Dutch island of Curacao. For more info see http://www.myspace.com/ywamcuracao but their blog entries are only in German at the moment. We also checked out the city and had a ferry ride too! Amsterdam is beautiful, and in our eyes, a taste of Venice only more alive! [Photo: From left to right - Ulf with Samuel on his shoulders, Volker and Tobi in the front, then Salome, and Nara on the very right.]

Yesterday we drove back to Wehrendorf, only three hours from Amsterdam! We'd really like to go back for a longer visit, but we'll have to wait and see...

Christmas 2007

At the tail end of our stay in England we started to feel more and more that God was saying something about being in Australia for Christmas this year. We know nothing more than that as yet.