Being part of YWAM has got this amazing benefit that we are like a big family with the same values.
Whenever I think of investing into disaster zones, I've got no hesitation to help through YWAM. YWAM staff are all volunteers (no salary) and - for the most part - extremely motivated, hard working, with excellent morals and integrity.
So, if you want to give to help in Haiti and want to do it through people you can trust, all you need to do is to go directly to this page:
https://www.ywam.org/secure/donations/donate.asp?project=10
To get a brief report on the situation and YWAM-Haiti's previous work in relief, it's right there: www.ywam.org under "NEWS".
Let's be generous and share the little we have. Even a little - given by many people - will go a long ways in Haiti at the moment!
"We make a living by what we get. But we make a life by what we give." Churchill
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Oh Lord, have mercy!
We just heard the news of the earthquake in Haiti - - - and our hearts are shattered - - - crying for the hundreds/thousands+ people in despair - as I am typing...
Lord, may you bring comfort to the grieving, hope to the despairing, healing to the hurting and practical help for all who need it. May your body rise up and be your hands and feet to the precious people in Haiti that are already so terribly impoverished!
Rich was asked by Rescue-Net if he was willing to deploy to Haiti.
Willing, YES, he would absolutely LOVE to go, but unfortunately it won't be possible.
Rich is more than busy for the next few weeks:
Did I mention that we'll be hosting a few people at our home for these events?
A group of 10 Koreans will be sleeping here tomorrow night, and all of next week, we'll have the pleasure of housing 10 Samoans, Yehaaaaa!
Lord, may you bring comfort to the grieving, hope to the despairing, healing to the hurting and practical help for all who need it. May your body rise up and be your hands and feet to the precious people in Haiti that are already so terribly impoverished!
Rich was asked by Rescue-Net if he was willing to deploy to Haiti.
Willing, YES, he would absolutely LOVE to go, but unfortunately it won't be possible.
Rich is more than busy for the next few weeks:
- 2 days of training as ambulance officer. He has started a EMT-course with mostly online learning and occasional classroom time, the first of which will be this Sat/Sunday.
- YWAM's 50th anniversary celebration, the JUBILEE, is starting here in Tauranga on Sunday.
- Call2All Next Generation is starting next Tuesday - for 3 1/2 days.
- Next: IWT leadership meetings from Sat next week to Monday
- Tuesday, Jan 26: Auckland for more meetings - YWAM Pacific
- Jan 27 - Feb 2nd: Great Barrier Island for yearly IWT staff retreat.
Did I mention that we'll be hosting a few people at our home for these events?
A group of 10 Koreans will be sleeping here tomorrow night, and all of next week, we'll have the pleasure of housing 10 Samoans, Yehaaaaa!
Friday, January 8, 2010
Getting away with my beloved!
This blog has been quiet - very quiet. - I know - - -
Life has been full-on - in a good way - and I am just starting to recover.
Before the next wave of busy-ness, with YWAM's Jubilee coming up in a week, then Call2All, then Auckland (Children's hospital for an exam for Shayden/YWAM meetings), then Great Barrier Island for a week (IWT yearly staff retreat), Rich and I get to go away this Sat/Sunday to have some time catching up with each other. YAY!!
AND - pre-celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary that is coming up at the end of February (with Rich away).
Nathalie and Lewis will take over the parenting-role of Kylie and Shayden. Wonderful!!!
And good practice for them, too - hihi!
Here's a photo of us, taken at the wedding:
Life has been full-on - in a good way - and I am just starting to recover.
Before the next wave of busy-ness, with YWAM's Jubilee coming up in a week, then Call2All, then Auckland (Children's hospital for an exam for Shayden/YWAM meetings), then Great Barrier Island for a week (IWT yearly staff retreat), Rich and I get to go away this Sat/Sunday to have some time catching up with each other. YAY!!
AND - pre-celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary that is coming up at the end of February (with Rich away).
Nathalie and Lewis will take over the parenting-role of Kylie and Shayden. Wonderful!!!
And good practice for them, too - hihi!
Here's a photo of us, taken at the wedding:
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Derek Loux Memorial Service
My heart has been shaken by the death of 37-year-old Derek Loux- husband and father of 10 children, (8 of them adopted), one of the leaders of the International House of Prayer.
Although I didn't know him personally, his story and life message has impacted me.
I am broken and grieving for this wife and family and I have been in prayer a lot ...
Tomorrow morning at 7am New Zealand time, I will be watching his memorial service on webstream from Kansas City, USA.
What a legacy this man leaves behind!
Although I didn't know him personally, his story and life message has impacted me.
I am broken and grieving for this wife and family and I have been in prayer a lot ...
Tomorrow morning at 7am New Zealand time, I will be watching his memorial service on webstream from Kansas City, USA.
What a legacy this man leaves behind!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wedding photos - the real thing!
Here's a slideshow of the wedding photos. The cover photo is not the one I wanted on top, just couldn't figure out how to put another one :).
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
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| Make a Smilebox slideshow |
Saturday, December 12, 2009
first wedding photos
These are not the best quality, but while we are waiting for the professional photos, here are a few.
Rich was speechless for the first 5 minutes after he saw his beloved first-born daughter in her wedding dress and made quite a few of us cry when he walked her down the aisle, visibly struggling to hold himself together.
It was beautiful and moving. And then he was the one performing the actual wedding, with Lewis' father doing the message (and our pastor the welcome and intro).
Lewis' father's comment afterwards: "I'm definitely NOT going to be the one marrying my daughters."
It was pretty emotional, but Rich did well nonetheless.
radiant flower girl Kylie
here comes the beautiful bride
Look at this young man!
Monday, December 7, 2009
OVERFLOWING...
... WITH GRATITUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whew - - - if you have prayed for Nathalie and Lewis' wedding - and us - THAnk YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
It was an absolutely fabulous day and I can't keep my tears back for feeling SOOOOO blessed!!!!
The ceremony did take place at the chapel instead of the beach, because of the weather, but it didn't matter at bit - not even to Nathalie, she said! She said it was the perfect day and there's nothing she would have wanted any other way (and she is easily disappointed). The weather was perfect for the photos, too.
It was very intense all the way - with me not being able to sleep for almost a week - just too much excitement for me all at once - and Nathalie coming down sick.
In the end, all worked out marvelously, I did get a good night's sleep on the last night (should have gotten those sleeping pills earlier - duh..) and Nathalie did, too, and she was feeling all better and looked radiant!
All I can say is - THANK YOU JESUS!!!!
There is no better way to plan and have a wedding than with Holy Spirit!
He's the BEST - reminding, prompting, inspiring, helping, strengthening, enabling...
And the blessing didn't end with the day.
Yesterday is still like a dream - sitting in our sunny garden (first time since winter) with my brother from Australia with his wife and 4 boys, my other brother from Germany, my niece from Germany, and close friends from Tahiti - - - enjoying a brunch and catching up!
Rich's parents had already left in the night.
We hadn't seen my brother from Aussie and family for 8 years!!!
In the afternoon, we all went to the beach and the kids had a blast in the waves.
Kylie discovered her new "best friend" - cousin Gabriel. It's too precious to see the 2 of them hand in hand, playing in the waves, eating at our little table...
BLeSSED BEYOND MEASURE!!!!!!!!
AND - God provided for all our financial needs, too!
How else could it have turned out...
GOD, YOU ARE GOOD AND YOUR MERCIES ENDURE FOREVER!!!!!!!!
Photos to follow sometime...
Whew - - - if you have prayed for Nathalie and Lewis' wedding - and us - THAnk YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!
It was an absolutely fabulous day and I can't keep my tears back for feeling SOOOOO blessed!!!!
The ceremony did take place at the chapel instead of the beach, because of the weather, but it didn't matter at bit - not even to Nathalie, she said! She said it was the perfect day and there's nothing she would have wanted any other way (and she is easily disappointed). The weather was perfect for the photos, too.
It was very intense all the way - with me not being able to sleep for almost a week - just too much excitement for me all at once - and Nathalie coming down sick.
In the end, all worked out marvelously, I did get a good night's sleep on the last night (should have gotten those sleeping pills earlier - duh..) and Nathalie did, too, and she was feeling all better and looked radiant!
All I can say is - THANK YOU JESUS!!!!
There is no better way to plan and have a wedding than with Holy Spirit!
He's the BEST - reminding, prompting, inspiring, helping, strengthening, enabling...
And the blessing didn't end with the day.
Yesterday is still like a dream - sitting in our sunny garden (first time since winter) with my brother from Australia with his wife and 4 boys, my other brother from Germany, my niece from Germany, and close friends from Tahiti - - - enjoying a brunch and catching up!
Rich's parents had already left in the night.
We hadn't seen my brother from Aussie and family for 8 years!!!
In the afternoon, we all went to the beach and the kids had a blast in the waves.
Kylie discovered her new "best friend" - cousin Gabriel. It's too precious to see the 2 of them hand in hand, playing in the waves, eating at our little table...
BLeSSED BEYOND MEASURE!!!!!!!!
AND - God provided for all our financial needs, too!
How else could it have turned out...
GOD, YOU ARE GOOD AND YOUR MERCIES ENDURE FOREVER!!!!!!!!
Photos to follow sometime...
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
still alive...and well
For anybody out there that's still checking my blog - - -
We're all well and just about ready for THE WEDDING on Saturday. Yaaaheeeee!!!
It's been really intense and an incredible amount of work, but I know it'll all be worth it when the day rolls around!
Nathalie's just about packed up all her belongings and is emptying out her room - - - moving it to her new house on the farm - 25 minutes from here.
It's all pretty emotional - leaving home - getting married - us letting go of our first child - 12 visitors arriving from overseas... including one brother with family that we haven't seen in 8 years!
God's been so good along the way, sending help - and finances - just when and where needed.
We feel so blessed already!
We would appreciate your prayers for the next few days - and the weather, too!
At the moment, strong winds are forecast for Saturday, in which case we'd need to move the wedding from the beach to our planB venue...
We're all well and just about ready for THE WEDDING on Saturday. Yaaaheeeee!!!
It's been really intense and an incredible amount of work, but I know it'll all be worth it when the day rolls around!
Nathalie's just about packed up all her belongings and is emptying out her room - - - moving it to her new house on the farm - 25 minutes from here.
It's all pretty emotional - leaving home - getting married - us letting go of our first child - 12 visitors arriving from overseas... including one brother with family that we haven't seen in 8 years!
God's been so good along the way, sending help - and finances - just when and where needed.
We feel so blessed already!
We would appreciate your prayers for the next few days - and the weather, too!
At the moment, strong winds are forecast for Saturday, in which case we'd need to move the wedding from the beach to our planB venue...
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Samoa Update
Just want to pass on this update on what's happening in Samoa through YWAM. Make sure to read to the end of the article - there's an amazing testimony!
And once again - THANK YOU, IF YOU HAVE GIVEN FOR SAMOA!! We did send off exactly NZ$2,000 this week. Praise God!
And once again - THANK YOU, IF YOU HAVE GIVEN FOR SAMOA!! We did send off exactly NZ$2,000 this week. Praise God!
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