Spring

We're home. Lego is everywhere, baby dolls are scattered and hiding behind doors and the remnants of a nerf war linger in the basement. It has always amazed me how fast my lovely children can take a clean, peaceful place and turn it into a space of abstract art (or a dump depending on how you choose to view it). Books are back on the shelves, clothes are washed folded and put away (or thrown out) and I'm wondering how long it will be till I attempt to rouse my lawn mower from his long winter nap. The robins are back, probably been here for a while...and they look cold in my opinion. My tan is disappearing and any remnants of an accent are packed away. The first offering from Tim Hortons have been scarfed down and soccer cleats are tuned up ready for the season to begin. Its barely been a week back but already Australia feels like a distant memory. There's plenty to get caught up on and plenty of people to see and hear.
This was on one of the coffee cups I had in Australia, thought the writing on it said well:

I'm looking forward to catching up again in person and not via media alone. warm (I mean chilly regards). Ken 

Good bye Southland

In a few hours we'll wake up and begin the immense journey back home, to reality as the kids said tonight. We finished 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' this evening and in essence we are returning perhaps a little like Eustace (he's one of the characters) in that we probably have changed in ways we didn't expect. The kids are taller, I've lost more hair, Shonet's more beautiful (was that possible?). But we're excited to come home, excited to see family and friends and return to our home land and home church. We've learned a lot, but more than technical skill or new big ideas I think more than anything we are returning with a sense of calm and peace after investing in soul work. What does that mean? Well it doesn't mean that we tried to finish something necessarily measurable (how do you measure maturity or patience, grace or kindness?), but by eliminating the clutter of needs around us I do think we have experienced a true sense of Psalm 131. We made time for the long talks needed, of confession and conflict, room was made to laugh and let go of somethings and in that, time was made to listen with ears open and defences down.
I re-read an opening chapter from a book I was given at the Kirith Retreat and was struck again as to why we took this sabbatical. Just a warning, these are some of the ugly truths about pastors and their wives, here's a bit from the book:
*1,500 pastors leave the ministry permanently each month in America
*80% of pastors and 85% of their spouses feel discouraged in their roles
*70% of pastors do not have a close friend, confidant, or mentor
*Over 50% of pastors' wives feel that their husband entering the ministry was the most destructive thing to ever happen to their families.
*71% of pastors stated they were burned out, and they battle depression beyond fatigue on a weekly and even a daily basis.
*One out of every ten ministers will actually retire as a minister.
These stats came from a variety of groups including Barna research, Fuller seminary, and Focus on the Family.
The author of the book continues, "We have neglected the fact that a pastors' greatest leadership tool is a healthy soul." Then to quote an old quaker, "A leader is a person who must take special responsibility for what's going on inside himself or herself...lest the act of leadership create more harm than good." This was why we got away, to slow down and listen to God in His word and be together as a family in a special setting.
I will have more things to post I am sure in the days to come, perhaps when I am bleary eyed and jet lagged, but for now we are incredibly grateful and humbled for the chance to experience this adventure as a family. Its something we will forever cherish and believe we slowed down enough to hear and once again encounter God in more personal ways than we have in a long time.
To our friends and family and to our church--thank you for praying for us and for allowing us to enjoy this time away, we look forward to seeing all of you again and hearing your stories, the ones that happened while we were away. In the meantime, there's time for one more paddle pop.

Dolphins and ice cream

I didn't publish this article on the day it happened but has been one of the great highlights of this trip for me personally so felt I should put this up. Keep in mind the date is about 3 weeks ago while we were still on the island. 

March 20, 2019. Today I turned 43 and enjoyed two luxuries on the island that have been expected but not experienced. Dolphins and ice cream. I had it in my mind to see the sunrise coming over the ocean, so I waited till the morning of my birthday...crawling out of bed before anyone (and the pesky lorikeets) and gathering  a mug of tea, my journal, Bible and camera I saddled my rusty steed (bike) and trekked the 1km ride up to the coast. Sunrises and sunsets are two of the most amazing natural wonders of the planet...and they happen everyday in every part of the world. A Canadian sunrise over a calm lake in mid summer with a loon calling on the far side of the shore is just about the closest thing to heaven I know. But today, after discarding my sandals and waddling up the dunes to find myself tumbling onto the beach looking at the miles of surf this was something difficult to describe. The colours: purple, orange, pink, hues of blue and white clouds dotted the horizon with the perpetual sound of the crashing surf, it was completely surreal and such a special moment. I just sat in the sand and watched it all enfold before me...the sun slowly coming up, the songs of the birds rising with te light, and seeing the landscape changing colours and contours by the minute. A friend of mine quoted John Calvin who said something like, 'Its a great tragedy when a Christian loses their sense of awe'. A sunrise is a good remedy for that I believe. While I was enjoying this view a flash in the water caught my eye...a fin? No way. Looking intently again at the spot in the ocean I figured I must have imagined it...but sure enough two fins poked out of the surface. I've seen Jaws too many times and my instinct was to run off the beach in case it was a 30' great white coming to eat me, but that passed quick enough and I realized I was in the presence of a pod of dolphins about 50' out. There were four (that I could count), jumping out of the water, riding down the crashing waves, they seemed to be simply goofing off. They were literally right in front of me and for the next half hour I watched with stunned joy at these four mammals playing in the surf. They would jump out of the water, slide down a wave then turn around and do it again, as if they were pleased to have a captive audience on the beach. I don't know much about dolphins or why they do what they do much less how often they frequent that part of the beach, but it did seem to me a very special gift on my birthday to encounter them and have a half hour to myself watching this display of fun. (see if you can spot the dolphin in the picture...I took this b/c I liked the way the water was washing over the beach...it wasn't till I looked at it after that I discovered a dolphin photobombed the shot!)

But a deeper question struck me--did God plan this? What do you think? Does God smile...is He up to mischief for our joy? Have you ever experienced a moment that seemed prepackaged by God to lift your spirit and settle your soul? Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will bring you quietness with His love. He will delight in you with shouts of joy." I wonder how often I miss those moments God prepares for me. So thankful I was up and able to catch this one.
The other treat was less exotic but wonderful--ice cream with my family! Because of our long and hot commute we don't bring ice cream with us and to buy it on the island feels like I'm supporting piracy its so expensive. But for this day we splurged and enjoyed a few 'paddle pops' and cones...such a treat to enjoy this time with my family. A day to cherished for all its textured delights.

Lost phone

I actually remember something from a sermon years ago, I mean YEARS ago, when I was quite young. The preacher said something like this, 'when you kick a bucket over you find out what is inside of it--honey or acid' (not sure who's the guy that only puts honey or acid in a bucket...but that's another story) and similarly with life life he said 'when your life gets kicked you find out what is inside of it'. This weekend we took an adventure to the coast involving a train, a tram and eventually a bus to end up at a waterpark designed to hurt both the body and ego. I haven't fallen so hard since I was a kid, the whole place seemed designed to find ways to make you slip and fall as awkwardly as possible, it is basically a floating obstacle course. One of my favourite memories of this trip will be laughing so hard at seeing Shonet slip, panic, grasp at futility only to be absorbed by the salty brine below...and in my laughing stupor to lose my footing and in a half second see my feet in the air above my head in a contortion that could get me a job with Circue du Soleil. I have a new respect for those I have mocked on the show 'Wipeout'.  We had a blast but by the end I wasn't sure if I would be walking properly or if my spine would need some serious realignment. The kids did great and were off to the next physical adventure, Shonet and I caught our breath and counted ourselves fortunate to be walking. This is the course behind us...all smiles before heading in (notice Olivia's brave face...a typical posture of hers on this trip).

When we finally stumbled back to the tram station we had picked up a few groceries and in the moments before the tram arrived we reshuffled the bags. A bell rung, the tram arrived, groceries were stuffed into packs and we hopped on, happy to be heading home. 

A tired body + tired mind + an urgent pack up = something will be forgotten. I had been using my phone to navigate around the area and had put it down on a bench by the station while we packed our bags, 20 minutes later when had to switch trams I realized to my horror--I left my phone at the station we came from. Have you ever lost your phone or your wallet? In a foreign country? This was a kick for sure and what made it more painful was I had no one to blame, my kids didn't do it, my wife didn't do it, I wasn't victimized...I simply left my phone on a bench in a sketchy area. 

I wish I could say that I responded with the faith of Elijah or the patience of Job; but rather I responded more like a pouting child. Its these moments that the kids remember, how did dad handle it when he lost his phone at the tram station...how did I handle failure and disappointment, what do I do when I lose my way...one day they will face these 'kicks' in life and they're watching and learning so they too know how to handle these moments. We have said from day one of this sabbatical that God was taking us on an adventure, that we are trusting Him and learning what He has for us in each day...lets keep our eyes open to what God has planned for us. But what I wanted to see was my phone...

We prayed together on the tram station and then I anxiously parted, frantically wondering what critical info was on my phone that someone could take. But after hours of searching, talking to the police and tram staff (one police officer frankly told me that the station I lost my phone at was a notoriously uncharitable area). And after missing my final bus home, I took the long walk back to our place as the sun set. Life has been incredibly good, God has been more than kind yet I couldn't help feeling despondent at this loss, I wish I could have echoed the apostle Paul's words--'consider it all joy my brothers when you face trials of all kinds...', in my long walk back I wasn't considering this very joyful and was coming up with a plan for how to find this phone the next day. But really in the end, we prayed again and though I was quite sorry I felt peace to just let it go. 

That's when we got a phone call...from MY phone! A university student picked it up shortly after we left, didn't know what to do with it so he took it home to show his dad. I had been texting and phoning my phone from Shonet's phone and they simply called back. Long story short, they were happy to hold on to it till we could pick it up no strings attached. Another undeserved mercy and grace to us...I am currently typing this while using my phone for a hotspot. Kind of cool how it all worked out. Yet it revealed that there are many areas in my heart that I find difficult to trust God with, that when I get kicked (to be honest this is a minor kick compared to what others experience) my go to reaction is to take control, pout and demand my rights...ridiculous. Am thankful for the day that it was, for the laughs with my family, and for my phone back...but also for what it revealed in me (not proud of it but thankful to be aware of it). I believe it was Socrates who said, 'An unexamined life is not worth living'. Thankful for many things today.  

Off the island

So after 5 1/2 weeks on South Stradbroke island we have once again become mainlanders. We were supposed to stay on the island for another 4 weeks but an opportunity presented itself we couldn't pass up. If you've been following the blog you'll remember how cyclone Oma chased us off the island and we ended up staying with a friend of mine on the Gold Coast. Well in the providence of God, my friend (Darcy) married a gal from Norway 20 years ago and they settled into ministry on the Gold Coast coast leading discipleship schools for young adults. Eventually my friend and his wife had children, bought a bigger house and his mother in law (also from Norway) wanted to be near the grandchildren so she bought a little house near them...but she's become a bit of a summer hunter, meaning she moves where ever there is summer weather. She spends half the year in Norway and half the year in Australia, only enjoying the hot months. Side note: as a Canadian every month here in Queensland is hot...but that's my opinion...for example this morning was 15'celcius and people were dressed for a blizzard but felt like a lovely spring morning to me.
So what does this mean? Darcy's mother in law was getting chilly in these frigid temps and moved back to Norway needing someone to house sit her little place...just pay the electricity bill and you can stay for free. Darcy asked if we'd be up for staying here for our final weeks and we jumped at the chance. Our host at the airb&b we were staying at graciously gave us a refund for the weeks we didn't stay (not expected!) and that settled it.

So packing our bags, cleaning the cottage, a last dip in the pool, a last buzz on our bikes and some tearful good byes' to some of the kind folk on the island we caught our last ferry across to the mainland.

This is our last photo at the cabin, its the place behind Shonet.

We've been at our new place for a few days and only now do we realize how the island seemed to take more energy from us than we expected. Some of you reading this have cottages or enjoy camping, its great for the first few days even the first week is a delightful change. The bugs and the heat are somewhat a novel change from the hustle of life, but eventually you're so sunburnt and bug bitten and swelled with humidity you're craving some a/c and a greasy Big Mac...we didn't realize it but as the weeks passed on that is how we have begun to feel. I haven't mentioned much about the bugs but we had plenty, imagine the mosquitoes in the Whiteshell (Manitoba) after a hard week of rain in July...that is pretty much what we had for most of our time here. It was expected but still eventually tiresome. As well, there was the constant awareness of the snakes, lizards, spiders and sharks that keep one on edge in this kind of place...it makes it magical but you also get used to sleeping with one eye open.

It got to a point about 2 weeks ago that Shonet and I had prayed (without each other knowing it) that God would make a way for us to stay on the mainland (without sending a cyclone)...but all places we checked out were out were far too pricy. So, we settled in believing God would teach us perseverance on the island. That was when Darcy sent me his note, totally unaware of our prayers...it took Shonet and I about 10 minutes to decide...our confirmation was the kids answering that they too would like the change.

The place we're staying in is quiet with a/c and we have all slept more than expected. We're back to our routine again but this time our adventure takes us more inland, looking forward to driving up into Lamington National Park soon and seeing what God has prepared for us here. We've found a new church, Liberti Carrara (a mother church to the one in Coomera). Already we've dipped in the ocean at Surfer's Paradise and Talabudgera Creek. New days, new adventure, same sun, 4 weeks left. 

What the birds knew

Today is Anthony's birthday...8 years old, hard to believe! The day started with him searching for his birthday presents hidden through the house...then b/c the heat was so intense it was off to the pool. For a cake, I made cupcakes...on the bbq, that's right--on the bbq. We don't have a stove here and the bbq is the next best thing...turned out pretty good once you cut off the bottom burnt layer.

But we ended the day with a swim at the beach. We've made friends with another family (they also homeschool) and they came along to the beach as well, a mom and 2 boys close to our guys ages.
It was just us and a few fishermen further down, a beautiful blue sky surrounded us, it was so hot even as the sun was setting and made jumping and splashing in the ocean that much more delicious. There is something awe inspiring about swimming in the ocean, being tossed by a wave and ground into the sand like I was nothing more than a seashell. Something awe inspiring and thrilling.
As we were swimming I remember a warning an Aussie friend of mine gave me shortly after we arrived. He said, make sure you don't swim between 4pm and 8am...'how come?' I asked...'Its feeding time'.
It was currently 4:15pm. So I asked myself, are sharks on time? Surely its not 4pm sharp is it? Its not like the old Bugs Bunny episode where the sheep dog and the wolf go to 'work' chasing and protecting and a horn blows exactly on time...is it?
So we played on...okay, relax we were not very deep...we were only knee deep...okay almost waist deep for Nate meaning it was waist deep for me as well (he's grown, I haven't). But at that depth surely we would see something swimming around right? We had a jolly time, riding the waves, we were a bunch of boys challenging each wave with adolescent bravado only to be tossed like an acorn.
Such fun.

I kind of noticed but didn't take too much concern to the amount of seagulls that had been gathering on the beach near us. They seemed quite interested in us, like they were enjoying our little fun. They seemed to be waiting for something, but no worries they were not bothering us.

Finally, the parent of the other children joining us came running to tell us we should either get out of the water or move in shallower (ankle deep). The birds are gathering because that is what they do when the sharks feed, they clean up the mess on the beach.

Isn't it interesting how your mind and actions can change so quickly when fear replaces fun...adrenaline is a lovely thing. I'm not sure Anthony touched the water on his way, Nate and the other boys are at an age where they want to test fate and they continued to play around deeper than my comfort level. It was one of the fishermen who came by moments later and said a 4 ft shark just got away on him and advised us to get out of the water pronto. Out we came.

The sharks weren't on time, it was after 4:30...but the birds seemed to know they just needed to wait...apparently they have seen this kind of stupidity before.

If we make it home with all appendages it will once again be a moment of unmerited grace from God. But we still had a lot of fun and Anthony is a bold 8 year old...he can confidently say he swam with the sharks on his 8th birthday...and lived to tell the tale.

Routine...might be a long boring read.

Now just because we're on a tropical island doesn't mean we don't need and even crave routine. There is a lie that goes something like this--paradise is being able to do what you want when you want it with no consequences...I believe it was Alfred Hitchcock who took that 'dream' to its fullest extent to realize it was in fact not paradise but hell itself. The reality is we need routine, tasks to complete, responsibilities to fulfill and a chance to serve others and be part of something bigger than our own whims. So let me give you a bit of a rundown of our routine that we have burrowed ourselves into, many of you have been asking what our days look like so here's the thrill of our week:

If this isn't of your interest, feel free to skip it...fair warning, its kind of boring...like a routine.

First of all, a little about the island. Its an 'eco' island, meaning the original intent here was to keep it green and quiet and embrace all the nature possible. There are no cars here, but paved bike paths much like what runs through Waterfront drive back home; these trails connect the entire resort area. We live in the middle of the island, about 1km from the harbour where we catch the ferry and 1km from the surf side (ocean facing Peru). With that, if we want to go anywhere we go by bike generously provided in the place we're staying in.

Much of our routine is based around how hot it is. The average temp here is about 29'celcius with humidity around 80%, by noon its so hot its hard to think straight.

Monday-Thursday:

Shonet and I wake between 5:30-6am (depending on lorikeets). I head off on a bike to an exercise room here...seems I have been unable to run as I have either pulled or torn a muscle in my calf. Shonet's attempts to massage it out has only ended with me squirming in pain and her snickering. In my workout I'm listening to all the sermons at EMBC, with the odd message by Alistair Begg thrown in. When I return, she heads out for a run up to the beach, takes a peak at the ocean and then heads back (hoping not to disturb pythons).

Kids are not allowed out of their room before 7:15am.
We do our devos while the other is out exercising. I sit on a comfy chair on the deck, sipping a cup of tea while reading John's gospel and a myriad of other books. With Lent starting we have begun reading A.W. Tozer's book on Easter.

Breakfast is usually around 8am, not much different than back home...however muesli is a big deal down here...haven't tried vegemite yet (shudder). At breakfast our family reads through the Long Story Short Devos for family, today we were introduced to king David. The kids are doing Bible memory (Proverbs 3:1-8).

By 8:30am I'm usually out the door...depends how fast my french press is working. At this point our day splits:

Me: I take a bag of books and find somewhere relatively quiet, bug free to read and write. I've written another post about the books I usually take with me at this time. Sometimes I'll bike up to the beach and take a walk along the waters edge...a good time to pray and think...though not too long as the sun is ferocious. But for the most part I find myself overlooking the harbour facing the mainland.

Shonet and kids: They work feverishly to get their school work done...(Nate grade 5, Anthony grade 2, Olivia grade 1). And by 11am they're sun-screened up, in their togs (swimsuits) and head to the pool. They will bike through a rainforest, fully paved pathway for about 1km to the pool where they frolic for about an hour, they usually have the whole pool to themselves during the week as the island is quite empty.

We meet up again for lunch...sandwiches are beautiful and read a chapter of Narnia.

For the afternoons: The kids and Shonet take a quiet time for about an hour...something we have instituted since Nate was born...more for our sanity than anything. While they start their rest I'm off again reading or writing at the harbour entrance, where there is free wifi.

We'll meet again at the pool around 3pm and I'll take the kids from there. Lots of swimming, wrestling, random games with pool stuff or just chatting with other travellers/staff. We'll bike back to the cottage around 4:30 to start making supper.

Each day the kids have chores which rotate through the week: dishes, vacuuming, meal clean up each chore comes with a splash of complaining.

Our evenings are varied, either we play games (UNO, BANG the dice game, Monopoly, chess) or we bike over to see the sunset. A cold shower and perhaps a short bit of tv.

Fridays are a little different. I take the kids for the day typically and try to give Shonet a break. She takes some books, journals etc., and finds a quiet, cool place on the island to read as the kids and I find ways to have some fun or enjoy a new adventure. Geocaching, swimming at the beach or pool, tennis.

Saturdays are cleaning days for us, but once all that is done there are kids activities organized through the day which the kids try to take advantage of; Shonet and I usually get an hour or two in the evenings to sit at the cafe for a date while the kids are at a movie hosted by one of the staff--an amazing blessing especially since we did not think we would have babysitting for 3 months.

Sundays are our craziest day. We wake early, pack our bags and bike down to the ferry. We then catch the ferry across to the mainland, takes about 45 mins; there we catch an UBER (cheap taxi) and ride for another 20 mins to church. We've been attending Liberti Coomera, a church plant in a fairly new area; I found it on the T4G church finder website. After church we grab a brief snack as we hurry out the door with all our bags, walk about 15 mins to a new mall and grab a light lunch there (usually KFC). From there we spread out, this is our one chance to buy anything we need and we're on a time limit...we need to get back to the ferry before 3:30pm or we're land bound for the night. Shonet will usually then take the bags and go to the grocery store in the mall (very similar kind of place to Sobeys), I'll take the kids to explore the shops and give them a chance to spend their allowance. We'll meet up again at the grocery store and help Shonet finish up the shop. From there we catch another UBER back to the ferry hopefully on time to ride back.
Once on the island all our bags get loaded up on our bikes, no one is spared a heavy bag...even Olivia carries a heavy load. We're a site to see I'm sure and with not a little bit of grumbling we bike back (about 10 mins) to our little cottage. After unloading we're a sweaty mess...so its off the pool again for a dip before making supper.
Sunday evenings are kind of a family meeting time, talking about what's working, what's not, what are our hopes for the week ahead, are there any unresolved conflicts/issues, any fears or new discoveries from last week, and we give some updates on plans that may be changing. Then we usually watch a couple shows on the tv before bed routine.

That's our life here on the island. If we didn't have a routine like this, I'm not sure we would make it, it gives a sense of normalcy and stability for each of us.

There, you made it...now back to your routine! 

Perspective

So I'm typing this at 10am overlooking a small harbour on our island; its 30' celcius with 90% humidity. Between typing and swatting off some strange green or blue unknown bug, there's been something on my mind since late last year (2018...still hard to believe that 2018 is last year!). We made our final plans to come to Australia in early September and as details began coming in, there were the usual challenges of discerning a budget, navigating an overseas flight and culture/time change but for the most part our spirits began to rise as we imagined spending a portion of winter Down Under. We also looked forward to the rare experience (for most people) of taking a sabbatical, I know there are few professions that allow something like this or even value its importance and so in a way the sabbatical date (Dec.30) became a bit of a marker to get to. Four months of planning and anticipation would seem like a very long time as summer drifted into a lazy (wet) fall and then abruptly torn asunder by the awakening of winter...but all the time looking forward to the sun, beaches and the bevelled British accent of my Aussie friends. Its funny how you can withstand challenges and trials anew if you know a break (or an end) is in sight, you have an ability to push and sacrifice afresh. Throughout the season though, the verse from James 4:13-14 was hanging in the back of my mind:
"Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there and do business and make a profit.” Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring ​— ​what your life will be! For you are like vapour that appears for a little while, then vanishes.
 Instead, you should say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” But as it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil."
Perhaps James was inspired by Luke 12 where Jesus tells a parable of a rich man who makes a lot of money and wonders what to do with his great riches-so he builds more barns and stores his wealth all the while telling himself to sit back, eat, drink and be merry. But the Lord comes to him and says 'you fool, for this very night your life will be demanded of you and what will become of your riches?'
We are but a vapour. Hard questions and hard words...but they penetrate don't they?

Around the time of our preparations a friend of mine pointed me towards another blog from another family in Winnipeg going on a very different journey. We had never met but we travelled in similar social circles. A young father around my age was diagnosed with bladder cancer in June and in the fall was in the throws of battling for his life. His wife began a blog that we would soberly follow; Shonet and I would read, cry, pray, read some more and then wonder. I would wonder--why. Why do I get to on a trip with my family, plan it for months (...tucking money away for years), enjoy complete health, only complaining about how my kids are outgrowing their clothes. Why is there a family, similar to mine, following Jesus and genuinely desiring to make a difference in the world--now having to answer some of the darkest questions of our existence--long before an expected time? Why do my children, who battle with a glorified sense of entitlement get to anticipate holding koalas and getting sun burnt when kids the same age will be processing the slow death of their father and transitioning into a new painful reality? Why?
I have no answers. But its given a perspective of our time away that not much else could.

This young father passed away in January shortly before we would fly to Australia; as our family would soon board a plane to a season of adventure, their family would enter a world of new discoveries of sorrow, grief and weariness. In her writings, his grief stricken wife and mother of his children would share how the family is leaning upon Jesus for strength just to make it through the next hour.

So I wonder why? Reading Narnia has been helpful, Aslan (the Christ character) tells the children when they ask similar questions: 'We're only told our own stories, not someone else's'. So there will be a mystery in this yet comfort that the Lord knows each story very well.

Job asked why he suffered...and was only given more questions; Paul asked 3 times why he suffered and was told God's grace will be sufficient. We're not told why. But we are told what we are to do--Jesus' admonition for us who are near those who are grieving is to weep with those who are weeping--for that is all that is required and is right--the church we're attending at the moment talked about this for those impacted by the New Zealand shootings;  and secondly live life with a constant dripping of gratitude that won't turn off--gratitude for toes that work, tongues that taste, eyes that see, fingers that type, brains that comprehend, voices that laugh (and cry), skin that replenishes itself, loved ones to hold and be held by...let the list go on.

We're simply a vapour, a puff of smoke...here for a while and then gone. I am a fool if I think I am entitled to a warm weather life with no troubles. Our lives will be demanded of us in the most inconvenient of times, it seems wise to plan and prepare for that journey trusting the only One who can walk with us on the lonely road through death (Psalm 23). In the meantime, be thankful and mindful for what we are given to do for today, for today is all you and I have.

This has been a helpful, sobering perspective for us on this little adventure.  

Close encounters...

So after being on our island for about a month now (just short a few days), I am realizing we are becoming quite accustomed to the creatures of the land. So accustomed that we're not really blinking our eyes at some things anymore, whereas the first week we were here...I was looking for a shot gun to ward off all the new strange beasts. But as life goes, we seem to have blended with the rhythm of the island, we're sunburnt, bug bitten, salt caked with a constant layer of sweat mixed with +50' sunscreen...we've become oddly comfortable. 
Our first week here was pretty nuts though, we would go to bed with the sound of fruit bats either having an epic UFC style fight or hosting their own cricket match in the trees right outside our windows. We don't have air conditioning and the lows at night are about 23', so we hear everything. Toss in the odd possum screech and you have the sound of a poltergeist...terrifying our children and wondering if we had made a big mistake. No one has explained to me yet why fruit bats break large branches off trees and then (apparently in my mind) chuck them with vitriol at our house to clang off our metal roof...such a lovely sound at 2:30am.  Just picture an angry baby screaming (with wicked diaper rash, not fed and overtired) right outside your window only to be answered by an equally upset partner just a few metres away banging sticks together. This went on for at least a week...screech, chuck a stick and hit the house, screech some more, etc. The sound would die down around 4:30am....yes I checked. We had a heavenly one hour of quiet till the sun began to rise around 5:30am, this was declared boldly by the small but proud flock of kookaburras on the island--you have to look them up online to hear what they sound like but just imagine monkeys that have had their way at the espresso bar. Their calls would then invite the lovely flock of lorikeets to answer. These are classic east coast Aussie birds, you'd probably pay a pretty penny to have one they are so captivating. Green outside with red and blue under their wings and round their heads, they are beautiful with one fault. Their sound is atrocious. Sooo, imagine being kept up for a chunk of the night with a baby screaming (fruit bats in our case), to drift off to heavenly sleep to be wakened to the sound of some idiot grinding the gears of his 1988 Toyota Tercel right outside your window...but there's 50 idiots in front of your house all grinding their gears....ahhh, the sound of lorikeets in the morning.
What's most interesting now is that we hardly pay any attention to these sounds any more, either they have ceased or my ears don't hear them.
Perhaps a couple more examples confirm that we are melding with the culture. On the weekends one of the staff here host a movie night for the kids allowing parents to have a couple hours at the cafe to watch the sunset...a lovely unexpected discovery for us.  If you've seen Shonet's instagram photo you know where this is going. Towards the end of our evening, as the dark was setting in a large 'moth' came flying right at me, instinct told me to wave my hands (I obediently complied) and the 'moth' dropped flat in front of me and would have landed on my plate (had I been eating). So again, imagine a lovely evening, with the moon coming up, drinks around a candlelight overlooking a harbour full of parked boats and a moth disrupts the romance. But the moth was not a moth, it indeed was a bat...it must have hit a window nearby and fluttered down into the cafe to wind up perfectly landing in front of me as though I had ordered an appetizer of bat. We didn't scream or overreact, but rather pulled our chairs back, called a waiter and kindly asked him to clean this up. Whilst the young waiter scurried off to find something to pick it up with, the bat woke up. He lay there with wings spread out, cocked his head up, looked one way then another, decided he didn't want to be an appetizer and up he flew, fluttered around again and off he disappeared into the black. After a brief apology from the staff, and some disinfectant, we sat back down (at the same table) to finish our time time together...not really commenting about the 'bat incident', and everyone in the cafe got back to their conversations. When you get 1 1/2 hours of free child care/week it takes more than a bat to dislodge a date.
I'll share one more experience, I believe this happened the same evening of the bat. So after the movie we have to travel back to our little cabin all on bikes (there are no cars on the island). So in the dark with some headlamps off we go. Shonet and the boys launch out far ahead of Olivia and I, and we slowly enjoy the warm dimly lit nighttime ride. In the distance I can see a fairly large bird on the side of the road, its rearing itself up and then striking the ground only to jump back in one movement. I thought to myself--no way! I had imagined this but didn't think I would see it...this birds eats snakes. As we got closer there was an all out 'Wild Kingdom' event occurring (without Marty Stouffer) between a brown snake (one of the fiercest snakes in Australia) and this strange bird. Attack, dodge, strike...repeat. What a show! I I had Olivia stop and I put both our flashlights on the event, which looked like was going in favour of the bird. It was only when we stopped that I realized what predicament I may have put us in. Olivia cannot get on her bike here without an adult holding and helping her get started, that would be me. I had regrettably positioned ourselves between the snake and the forest which it had come from and may want to return to. As the snake and bird exchanged blows they were drifting closer to us, now maybe 7 feet away. Its pitch black outside, there's no one around and I'm surrounded by jungle...watching one of the most dangerous snakes alive fight for its life. What a bonding moment with my 6 year old daughter. Once again, a dumb landlocked Canadian experience. Thankfully someone driving a golf cart came along the opposite way and distracted the creatures enough for me to get Olivia on her way and me to quickly follow; I'm not sure how the fight ended but I think the snake got the better of it as I heard the bird give a screech and hobble away. This was a highlight for sure but has been forgotten amidst Tim Tam runs and layering on more sunscreen.
So we're adjusting to island life. Shonet gets up every morning and jogs along a lonely path even though she came across a 6 foot python just the other week. The kids have come up with cute names for the 3 foot iguanas that lumber past our cabin every day. We're back in the ocean occasionally as long as there's only a handful of blue bottles. And this Friday, Shonet and I will sit out again to watch the new shade of the moon come up and perhaps this time I'll order my bat deep fried. :)

Books

Well the storm has blown out to sea and remains a sharknado out there, but for the rest of us we've returned to life 'as normal'. With that we are re-starting our routine while on sabbatical, Shonet is teaching the kids at the cottage whilst I pack up some Kickinghorse coffee (brought from home) and a bag full of books and look for somewhere quiet with no mosquitoes or iguanas.

My mornings are spent reading both introspective and more thought provoking material, I'll rotate through these in particular:

Jordan Peterson:   12 Rules for life. His opening chapter is worth the price of the book.
Nancy Pearcy:      Love thy body. An intense read, systematically looking at how the west has embraced a disregard for the human body and has embraced 'the cult of the young and healthy'. Wrestling through subjects of bioethics, abortion, euthanasia, transgenderism and a few other critical issues. A must read for Christians today.
Lance Witt:           Replenish. This came recommended from the Kirith Retreat folk--basically a book written for those in ministry to develop patterns for spiritual and emotional health.
David Powslison: How does Sanctification Work?  He looks at how God changes us through His word, other people, and through suffering.

Whereas in the afternoon I am reading more intentional material on the church itself:

Tim Keller:         Center Church, this is basically a textbook for churches working in the inner city...its incredibly dense, pastoral and packed with classic Keller guiding principles. I've read it before but a refresher is needed.

Peter Scazzero:  The Emotionally Healthy Church. A great read for churches and Christians that are good at playing church/Christianity and yet are incredibly frail emotionally--they have few friends, are often paralyzed with insecurity, believe God loves them for what they do rather than who He is and who we are, are unable to take criticism (and can't give it without tearing a strip off someone or manipulating them).

Mark Dever:    Preach. Because I preach a lot I need to read about it a lot or I won't be good at it a lot.
Alec Moyter:  Preaching. As above.
Andrew Davis: Revitalize--about revitalizing churches, a great resource and quite helpful for me right now.

For fun I brought Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings...Frodo just got stabbed in the dark.

Morning devos include:
Tim Keller's Proverbs (a GREAT find!)
The Gospel of John (chapters 12-17)
The Valley of Vision (a prayer book).

Shonet is reading:

Eric Metaxas biography of Martin Luther
Tim Keller's reflection on the Psalms

With the kids we are reading:

C.S. Lewis--Chronicles of Narnia (again)
Irene Howat:  10 Girls who made History
  "        "      :   10 Boys who changed the World
Marty Machowski: Long Story Short (we're following what our church is doing back home)
Daniel Dafoe:  Robinson Crusoe (because we are kind of stuck on a sandy island)
The Action Bible.

Gifts in the storm

February 23

So with being in the Gold Coast it turns out there is a church planting conference nearby lead by Acts 29—a worldwide church planting movement. I knew this event was happening but wasn’t sure if I would be able to attend, but with the cyclone hitting we shacked up at the YWAM base which turns out was only 5 minutes away from the event. Best thing was that one of my favourite speakers was there, Matt Chandler from the US. Chandler is a pastor, author and leader of Acts 29 and perhaps one of the most gifted speakers I have heard. What a treat to sit under his teaching the last 2 nights. He spoke on the eminence  and transcendence of God (I’ll let you look those up)-we need both otherwise we drift into either fearing God and not trusting him or liking him but unsure of his power…both are pretty brutal. And then he tackled the warm fuzzy verses of Romans 8:28, 31 and didn’t skip the controversial texts in between (again, I’ll let you look those up). The cool thing was that the kids came along for the second evening (not a lot of childcare out here!), and they were captivated…I don’t think I could keep 3 elementary kids spellbound while talking about justification, predestination, and how all things work for the good of those who love God. Some guys have the gift. But it is a reminder to me that God’s word, rightly taught, does revive the soul better than anything.

Perhaps a fresh moment for me in his teaching was his comment about effectual calling, that God does not force anyone to love him but rather when we meet him we are instantly drawn to love him (or for others to reject him outright). Our family is reading through the Narnia series while we travel along and I couldn’t help link this with how C.S. Lewis refers to the Pevensie kids when they hear about Aslan (the Christ character) for the first time—their hearts are warmed and cheered…they want to celebrate and feel like its a fresh spring morning full of life and hope. Its that way with Jesus, when he shows himself to us, no one is forced to love him, but rather we instantly are warmed to cherish him and can identity with the apostle Paul when he says in Philippians that compared to Christ everything else is rubbish. 

The other surprise in this storm is where we are right now. A friend of mine from YWAM days has generously opened his home till the storm passes, and so here we are up a small mountain overlooking the coast and enjoying warm hospitality from distant friends. The kids have other kids to play with, a pleasant home to rest in. It feels a little like a Rivendell experience after the tumult of the past couple days. Very thankful today for where we are and the comforts of the mainland. 

Let Oma rage on, God is working all things for some good here! 

Chased by Oma

February 22

The other day I woke early and went for a walk on the beach, its about a 1/2 km from our cabin, there was just me the beach and billions of litres of ocean crashing on the shore. Its hard to describe how infinitely small I felt…just one rogue wave and I’m gone to Venezuela. That didn’t happen but little did I know that a cyclone was building about 900kms off shore; but still naive to this we decided to go for a swim in the ocean (its a hot sunny day so why not), after getting pounded by the waves for about 15 minutes we realized the current was exceptionally strong and the waves seemed strangely big and erratic...and then Anthony says 'hey, what's this?' pointing to dozens of smallish blue blobs on the beach. Turns out we were swimming at king tide (the highest tide of the year), on a full moon (so its even higher) with a cyclone stirring the waters like a slurpee machine thus delivering millions of blue bottle jellyfish (look them up)...and Lord only knows what else (!) into the shore. Dumb landlocked Canadians. 

By the sheer grace of God we didn't get sucked out to see or get stung by the jellyfish. But we knew something wasn't right. Heading back to the cabin, some of the locals seemed surprised that we didn't know what was going on. A cyclone named Oma was bearing down on the coast and thus the beaches were treacherous and everyone was tying things down and taking shelter for what was about to come. All the major beaches across the coast were closed and people were bracing for the worst.  

I wouldn’t say we panicked when we heard the word ‘cyclone’, but when you live near the ocean in a remote cabin with the only help nearby being a 3 foot lizard one gets a little nervous. With a few more talks with the locals Shonet and I decided to pack a few things, bundle the kids up and catch the ferry across before the storm would have a chance to strand us. 

So, here we are on the main land staying at the YWAM base (feeling like refugees) in the Gold Coast hunkering down while the winds are building to 50km/hr. The storm has been downgraded today but the potential for torrential rain and flooding still remains. We’re used to snow storms not cyclones. Glad to be on the mainland. Kids had fun talking about how Oma is chasing us off the island, they love their Oma back home but this Oma doesn't bake cookies. 

Churches

For our time away we have truly missed being in church and part of a church. The faith community is something that is more special than we know...those who play with the idea of leaving church I don't think really know what they are playing with. Here we are in a lovely place, secluded and beautiful, we have everything we need but a church and the fellowship with other believers is missed.
That being said there are some great churches here down under that we have visited...if you have time check these out:

Enogerra Baptist church: https://www.enoggerabaptist.org/home

Liberti Church on the Gold Coast: http://liberti.church/coomera/


Back home before we left we visited

Nassau Street Church (my home church)
Grant Memorial Church
The Meeting Place

South Stradbroke Island

February 16

So after a whirlwind day of travel we finally arrived at our eco-cabin in the middle of South Stradbroke Island, about a 1km off the Gold Coast. We intentionally wanted a place that was quiet and restful for much of our time in Australia and I think we found it. Thanks to a sweet airb&b deal we are looking at staying here for much of our time and why not—a pool for the kids, crashing surf nearby, and a break from the busy city life. We’re surrounded by wallabies, 3 foot iguanas, thousands of parakeets (I only wish their song was as beautiful as their colours), and sharks (in the ocean). There are no cars on the island just bikes, so we are living a rather simple life now, no a/c and limited wifi. The kids are back in a school routine now and I have begun to read and write again after a lengthy mental break from thinking all things church. Its good to be back in routine. 

Bumpy roads…calm waters…generous hospitality

February 9

Still jet lagged we got up today at 4am and drove to the north of the city to meet some good friends from way back…John and Tracy Harmer. You know how you can have a friendship with someone and due to circumstances (or geography) you lose touch…but when you see each other it feels like everything is back the way it was? That’s how it was seeing John again, he’s a big hearted and a barrel chested man able to put anyone at ease, with a classic Aussie accent and a ‘have a go’ attitude John contagiously spreads joy and optimism wherever he goes. Tracey is his match with gentleness, and grace and she quickly became Olivia's favourite for the day that was full of new sights and unnerving experiences. And so it was John's idea to jump into a 4x4 and drive 3 hours up the coast (2 of those hours were on the beach) to a secluded and calm beach where we could frolic in the waters without care of rip tides, sharks or jelly fish. I think we drove up there for the sheer adventure of it all, we had to go early so as to drive on the beach at low tide...get stranded on a beach during high tide and then race back in the evening at low tide. These are things that a Winnipeger does not know much about. 
A note about beaches in Australia…its not like home where you can see the end; on the east coast of Australia  much of it is blanketed with glorious unending beach with the surf crashing upon it. Its a common hobby for Aussie’s to go to the beach with their 4x4 and drive off to adventure and their own secluded beach. Lots of the trucks are set up with bbq's, tents and all the luxuries of camping on a beach. So with a few friends from his church and a few other trucks we headed up the coast past a place called Noosa Beach heading to Rainbow beach. A rugged adventure with some rugged Aussies. If you can't tell by the faces...no one is complaining about getting out of the polar vortex. 

Brisbane!

February 7

Ahhhh…sunshine, humidity and no bugs (at least no mosquitoes). Brisbane. Such a special city for me, a place of adventure and good friends, a place where God really sharpened my faith…hard to believe we’re actually here! Jet lagged and tired but full of joy and anticipation, staying at a lovely airb&b in the city itself. 

Flying

February 6-?

To quote Adrian Plass about the flight to Australia: “All there ever has been and ever will be is this plane”. 15 hours on a plane in the middle of the night is quite something. We flew directly from Vancouver to Brisbane and attempted to sleep on a bumpy dark plane. The kids did great (they could watch whatever kids movie they wanted). A God moment happened in the Winnipeg airport, we were able to say hello and good bye to Colin Rivard who was on his way to a job up north, but even better than seeing Colin (as great as that is) was connecting with a young girl who was also travelling to Brisbane. Our kids, full of excitement couldn’t help but tell everyone around us that we were going to Australia, and this immediately caught this gal’s attention. Turns out she was on her way to YWAM near Brisbane--here we were about to head in the same direction to visit some of the people who would be leading her. I couldn’t help remembering how I felt 24 years ago when I first travelled to Australia to study with YWAM, scared, hungry, lonely and excited...it was a delight to travel with her all the way to Brisbane. 

Miscellaneous movement...

January 16-February 5

After a very full start to our sabbatical we had about 3 weeks to take care of important family matters, in particular helping Shonet’s mother move into full-time assisted living. Shonet’s mother (age 62) was diagnosed with an aggressive form of dementia about 2 years ago, as we have found out—the younger you are the more intense and fast moving it is. Around the time her mother was diagnosed, Shonet felt a strong sense to start backing out of many responsibilities—from serving all over the place at church (she’s a pastor’s wife!), to resigning her role on the board at ICYA (which she really enjoyed)…to make room for what? Little did we know that much of that time would be absorbed in taking her mother to the many doctors, arranging home care, addressing the many financial and legal issues involved, moving her (3 times-thanks Warren and Amy and other family!) and keeping family and friends updated on her mothers' changing situation.  I always knew my wife had immense capacity to handle diverse responsibilities but this really challenged her in so many ways. But she has handled these tricky waters with grace, discernment and patience--signs of the fruit of the Spirit. I'm very proud of her and am often in awe of her sharp reasoning and joyful disposition during intense seasons. But it has not been easy becoming your mother's caregiver; in a season when we see others having parents able to care for needs we find ourselves in the opposite situation--having to care for a parent along with 3 children. I was grateful I was on sabbatical so I could help carry the load with the kids and other daily routines. Much of my time in these weeks was cooking, cleaning and helping out at home (and sometimes getting in the way…). There was some home renovations and small projects I tried to tackle while but the polar vortex we experienced at the end of January kept some of that in check. 

Even in the cold we were able to squeeze some of the fun out of a Winnipeg winter at the Forks. 

With Shonet’s mom finally moved into her suite we could begin to pack and get excited for Australia…REALLY hard to believe we were about to head overseas but the visa bill confirmed that we were going to spend the next 2 1/2 months in the land down under. After raking my roof and getting my drain pipes ready for spring, a few final good byes with family and we were off.

Kerith Retreats

January 8-15

Proverbs 4:23

Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.

What a special week Shonet and I had at Kerith Pines Retreat, a ministry of Focus on the Family. For seven days we were lead through teaching and private counselling sessions focused on couples in full time ministry. Some of the topics discussed were personality types (Myers Briggs stuff), depression and discouragement in ministry, marriage in ministry and boundaries. Outside of being hosted and pampered in a beautiful location we were given plenty of free time to rest, read and be refreshed. This verse, Proverbs 4:23 “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.”, sums up much of the focus of the week and we are very grateful for the time and the opportunity to unhook from pastoral work and have others feed into our hearts. During the week I was also very encouraged through listening to the 2018 Basics Conference (online) being fed by speakers such as Christopher Ash, Tim Savage and Alistair Begg—talking about issues such as burnout, marriage in ministry and perseverance. Needless to say it was quite a special week, it was the longest we have been away from our kids (thanks Rob, Marni, Megan and Anika for watching our crew). I think the camaraderie experienced with the other couples at the retreat was a real highlight, some were pastoring while others were in para-church ministries but all of us were at a similar stage of life facing similar challenges. The medicine of laughter and shared struggles with these fine folks was a surprising delight for us. 

HUGE thanks to EMBC for making this week happen, such a blessing to be part of this church. 

Redirected post...

So for some bizarre reason my 'Curry to Candy Canes' blog has been scuttled so I am reverting back to an old blog Shonet and I started about 8 years ago. Could be our overseas situation or more likely its due to PEBCAC (problem exists between chair and computer). There's some old posts/pics you're free to check out but nothing current. I'll use this site now for the rest of our sabbatical, if you know of others who have been looking for updates on the 'Curry' site please send them here. Many thanks--Ken