Church Activities

It’s been a month since Vi-Lay’s visit.  Lots has happened to keep me busy.  We have had some typical Autumn weather with cool nights and warm days in fact the past few days have been in the 30’s which has been lovely as we haven’t had much of a summer this year.

The Saturday after Vi-Lay’s departure there was a fundraising night at church raising money for outreach in Nepal.  We had a Nepalese dinner and a speaker who spoke on the work being done there.

The following Tuesday and Saturday I helped out on the barista for two conferences, the Scripture Union and the Baptist children’s church teachers and workers.  It’s fun helping out at these and similar events as you get to meet lots of interesting people.

On the Friday before helping out on the barista I was booked in to do a sleep study at Charles Gardener Hospital.  I decided I’d take the bus so that I didn’t have to park overnight at the exuberant hospital parking rates.  After an early dinner with Mum I took the bus to the station then another straight to the hospital.  Here I was shown my room which had an amazing view being so high up.  After showering I was wired and hooked up to the monitors.  I’d forgotten to bring my own pillow which was annoying as the one they’d given me was as unforgiving as a stone! Although I tossed and turned all night needing the nurse to stick one of the monitors back on my leg, surprisingly I was able to go back to sleep fairly quickly unlike at home.  Also very annoying was that I had none of the problems I usually have at night so all in all this second sleep study I feel was again a waste of time.  Still it will be interesting to hear what the doctor says at my next appointment in August.

I was also surprised to have been woken by a doctor at 6 am to unplug me.  I’m usually awake long before 6 am.  The doctor was obviously Muslim wearing her headdress, I asked her if I was able to leave after she had unplugged me as I was needing to get home before helping out at church.  She asked what I was doing and when I said I was helping on the barista she asked if I was being paid.  I told her I was volunteering and she asked if the coffee was being sold.  I explained we only charged a small amount to cover our costs.  She was quite surprised we would offer to do things for free.

After a quick shower to get the gunk out of my hair I raced off to the bus stand.  It was before 7 am, I had two choices, wait for the 7:30 bus to take me to Stirling Station to change busses for one home or to take the next bus which would take me to the city where I could take the train to Stirling for my bus home.  Not thinking very clearly, I decided to go to the city.  Here I found out that the trains were delayed and they didn’t know when the next one would arrive.  Bother!  I wanted to be home early to have breaky before helping out at the church at 9 am.  Never mind, I asked directions to the nearest bus going north and was given some vague directions from someone whom I suspect didn’t really know.  I hunted around for a bus stop and flagged down the first to arrive.  He also had no idea but suggested I stay on the bus and he would drop me at the CBD bus terminal where I could take a bus back to Charles Gardener and the bus I had originally planned to take.  There was quite a wait for both buses with the one at the hospital eventually came at 8:30.  An hour later than the one I should have waited for in the first place!  I’m sure if I had had a good night’s sleep I would have figured this out and waited for it instead of going on a wild goose chase around Perth!  Praise God I had told the church I would be a little late.  After all the run around I finally got home had a quick bite to eat and arrived at the church at 10 am.  It was a busy day and I was paid, a free coffee 😉

Now that I’m feeling a bit more settled into life in Perth with a bit more of a routine, I decided had time to look into joining a home group.  There was one at the church on a Monday morning which was very convenient.  I started 20^th March.  I’m known as the young one of the group as all the ladies are in their 70’s.  It’s a smallish group of 12 ladies, five attending at present.  We are covering a series of studies taken from ‘Just Start Talking’ which is accompanied by several videos.  It has been a very encouraging and inspirational series of studies which have challenged us all.

This year’s Fridays Share In crafts started with a few hold ups for me and my oversized mosaic.  I’m told most people start with a small project like the number to their home but not me! My first attempt at mosaics is 36 cm by 59 cm.  I was already late at getting started due to having missed three Fridays while I was in Sydney.  I had prepared my pattern over the Christmas break and collected some of the tiles, our instructor provided the board on my second visit.  My first job was to cut the white boarder tiles.  This was a bit tricky and I still haven’t got the knack of the cutting tool.  The tile is scored then taped to snap along the scoured line.  My tiles seemed to snap across the scoring or any which way!

The second week I received the board but with no carbon paper I was unable to transfer the pattern to the board till the third week when I traced the pattern ready for our last week of term.  Before this last Friday I hunted high and low for the coloured glass to use as the centre of the flowers.  The flower centres need to be the first to be glued into place.  It is from this point the tiles are cut to fit around the glass.  I had a few glass buttons, blue and red, which Mum provided from her days of teaching pottery.  I just needed some large yellow ones to complete the pattern.

The previous week I had bought the red, yellow and blue tiles so with all the materials on hand I am looking forward to start gluing this coming Friday.

The first Saturday of every month a couple from church hold a prayer breakfast where we pray for those involved in missions.  We usually have a guest speaker from different missions groups speak then we pray together for any needs.  It’s a lovely way to get to know others with a heart for missions as not all attend the North Beach Baptist Church (NBBC).

That evening we had another fundraiser for Nepal.  A movie based on a true story of a Ugandan girl living in a slum in Katwe.  “The Queen of Katwe” is an amazing story of how a game of chess rapidly changes this young girl’s life.  I had given flyers to my neighbours.  Several in our units said they would love to come.  Kath then invited us to a dinner at her home.  Our units are a special place.   Many are owner occupiers but even so the tenants are also lovely people.  There is such a friendly atmosphere here which we are so blessed to have.

I picked Mum up early to join us for dinner before driving her and neighbour Ann, who has a gammy leg, to the church while the others walked.  We all, bar one, thought it was a lovely film.  There was popcorn, fruit, ice cream and lollies to buy.  After the movie I dropped Mum home before joining the unit dwellers at Bob’s house for coffee.  It had been a lovely night.

Another church incentive is our Community Sunday Lunch where some of the congregation open their homes for lunch.  All invited take a plate to share with our hosts and guests.  It’s a special occasion giving us another opportunity to meet and better get to know people from church.

Then on Sunday 2^nd of April we had a big 80^th celebration for a very active NBBC member, Eleanor.  There must have been over 250 people including family, NBBC members as well as people and friends from various churches and activities she had initiated or is involved in.

In the area of work, I have not yet heard back from the applications I have submitted, it’s still early days and I’m still hopeful.  Just recently I have been working on my new business ‘Senior’s Benefits & Rewards’.  Grace my partner and I are only in the very early stages, paperwork has been finished, URL’s registered and website being worked on.  It’s very exciting.  There’s a long way before it can be launched but I’d appreciate your prayers as we piece things together.  At the moment we are in the process of opening a business bank account, setting up post office box in both Sydney and Perth and getting ideas for a logo and the website.

On Wednesday 5 April I was invited by my neighbour Ann to a volunteer’s garden party put on by the Stirling City Council.  I suggested she pick me up from Mum’s at 4:15 pm as I needed to prepare Mum’s dinner and put out her tablets before going.  When she picked me up I realised I was a little under dressed so rushed back to put on something a little more appropriate.  We were running late but finally arrived parking her car across the road from the gardens.  The road we needed to cross was under constructions so we were ushered up to the lights which were some distance along the road.  Finally across we signed in, received our arm bands so that we could collect our food and drinks then wandered around looking at what was available.  On approaching the marque Ann tripped.  She has a bit of a limp at the best of times and bad knees!  There she was sitting on the makeshift path with a crowd of people around her and the first aiders rushing to her attention.  I was just joining her when she went down but was just out of reach to catch her.  It took about half an hour for all the paperwork to be filled in before we could join her friends who had been anxiously waiting for us.  Thank God no harm was done other than a bit of a shock to the system.

And that brings me up to the present day!

Photos:    1. Grevillia flower      2. Nepal fund raising dinner      3. Friday Share In     4. Movie night     5. Eleanor’s birthday

Prayer & Praise Points:
Praise the Lord for this wonderful Autumn weather.

Give Him praise for all the events of this past month with work applications, business opportunities, successful fundraising events, for friends and family. For all the activities we are involved in.

Praise Him for Ann’s safety.

Please continue to pray for my sister Jenny and I to find work and for us both to be ready for the interviews. Jen has been given two weeks of work back in Broome as one of the workers has dies suddenly.  Please pray for her, the family and friends of her colleague.

Please also pray for my youngest sister Kath that she too will have work as her casual work as a FIFO is unpredictable.

Praise the Lord for mum’s continual good health and safety on the road.  Please pray that she will gracefully accept the cancelation of her driver’s licence which expires on 21 April.

Please continue to pray that I will know the Lord’s leading, strength and wisdom as I encounter the challenges that lie ahead.

Thank you to all my supportive friends and prayer partners. I really do appreciate you.