December 2009 – “Merry Christmas”
Hello and Christmas Greeting to our many friends,
It’s that time. The houses in our street blink happily with their festive decking. The furniture is rearranged to fit in our Christmas tree. My shopping list includes unusual cooking items like copha and suet. Fred has dusted off the carol DVD. It takes twice as long to get from A to B in the car and twice the volume of petrol seeking out that illusive car park. Well its Christmas and we celebrate the most significant person of our lives.
Christmas 2009 closes on an interesting and challenging year for us. We have survived! We love God more. We are a bit wobbly about the hyper faith everything is wonderful stuff. We know that His grace is sufficient for the trial, and we draw on His help day by day to do this season in our lives right.
One highlight this year was a trip to Cairns with compliments of Queensland rail. There are some perks to being Centrelink funded! The tilt train was splendid- roomy seating, meal service, hot showers, individual entertainment, and FAST! It was great to catch up with family and friends in Ingham, Cardwell, Murray Upper, and Cairns. We took the slower trip home in the Sunlander with the comfort of a compartment and sleeping facilities. As we travelled towards Brisbane it felt like Noah’s ark with swirling waterways, submerged cars and wheelie bins floating around from the rain deluge at that time.
We also visited Adelaide this year to celebrate our friends 50th wedding anniversary. It is a fact that distance or time does not diminish the bond of friendships. We enjoyed meeting up with friends.
A highlight of that trip was a visit to Whyalla to catch up with Ted and Kylie and the folk at Whyalla church. It’s a great church and the church and Ted and Kylie are doing well. Ted , Kylie and the boys will visit us in January.
It has been good to have David with us for some of this year. He has experienced some very painful health issues and is now much happier without his Gallbladder. David has plans coming together for 2010. His continued faith and purpose for the kingdom of God blesses us.
Mary and Dan and their 5 children, have settled in Sandgate which is about 20 minutes from us. Fred often drives over at bedtime and tells the kids those scary missionary stories and prays for them before they go to sleep. They are all such beautiful people.
Since graduating Uni, Philip is working for a Christian Graphic Design Company at South bank in Brisbane. He has announced his engagement to a delightful lady, and he and Emma plan their marriage mid 2010. We are very happy for them both.
Last month Fred travelled to India with his brother Andrew to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Zion Pentecostal Church in Khadki, near Pune, India. Their father TL Evans pioneered and founded the church back in 1934.
What a thrill it was for them to fellowship with the extended family of their Mother’s first convert when as a young single lady she ministered in the slums of Bhosari. To see the thriving churches that exists today under such Godly and competent leadership made up for the childhood sacrifice of sharing their parents with the people of India for the Glory of God and the extension of His Kingdom.
I guess when one is 70 health becomes newsworthy. We are well! Praise God!
We wish you all great happiness for Christmas and the new Year.
Happy Christmas
Lovingly, Fred and Betty