Jessica (back) and Emma (front)
hello, just thought I'd share some pics from our day out with Jessica and Emma (her little sister) it went so well and it was such a joy to take out two such beautiful and special little girls and spoil them rotton!
We just laughed all day, even though the 'long hot summer' broke for the day into downpours on and off - typical!
The funniest moment came on the way back to Rangiora as we drove into a garage after the car started making funny noises; as Chris and I looked under the car (not sure what I was looking for..... dead possum or something I suppose!Chris spotted a load of liquid dripping round all the mudguards and the tyres were all wet, fearing a petrol leak or worse she grabbed the nearest useful looking person- a handily-close man in a boilersuit who ran the tyre centre there. 
After a lengthy explanation of the situation and examination of the leak with much concern all round, he looked at both of us and said (in the cheery but pitying manner that only Kiwi's have mastered.......) "er....tyres are all wet because you've just driven through that big puddle over there...."
we followed his gaze along the length of the wet tyre marks from the roadside across the garage forecourt leading all the way from our car back to the rather waterlogged kerb.....
oh.
On to other news... well I have been very busy whilst the family are away on hols, starting in earnest on projects around the church.... first things first.. the noticeboards! Hold onto your hats!!!
Seriously though, This kind of thing is where my passions lie.... I think this is important, its the face of the church... the only 'window' that so many people using or passing the building see into the church and currently whilst there IS a lot of good stuff happening at the church, the face they are showing to the outside world perhaps suggests otherwise.
I was exploring Kaiapoi (the neighbouring town) the other day and came across a local guide in the Tourist Info office. Turns out that St John's Church is in a lot of the guidebooks as Rangiora's main attraction!! (no comment) The building IS beautiful and is one of the oldest buildings in the area, built only five years after the first settlers arrived in the Canterbury region, and also it lays claim to being one of the largest of Canterbury's numerous wooden churches.....
...anyway so I reckon that a few tourists may well come this way and I think its a crime that they come and find a tired, old-fashioned and seemingly unloved church. (think Vicar of Dibley territory,and double it then add five)
It's tricky working with so few resources, I think I took what I had for granted at HTB, they are very blessed there. Everything takes twenty-times as long as I have to keep stopping to go and find what I need, buy it , or -more likely- improvise!) Today I spent half an hour wrestling with a dodgy stapler, I never realised that its possible to fully staple your finger to a noticeboard.. but believe me it is!! I thought for a while I was going to become a permanent fixture on the new display... Consequently I am typing this with one hand (so good news for the slower readers amongst us....)
I realise I'm making this out to be Third World stuff, of course its not at all, a million miles from that! Its just that in the areas I'm working on, nothing has been touched for years (if ever) and it all needs to be started from scratch. That's something I always wished for when I was churning out the same old stuff that had been happening for years at HTB so moral of this story is... 'be careful what you wish for!!!' (p.s. I thrive on it really!)
Other excitements of the week (are you sitting comfortable on the edge of your seats?) I got a phonecall from my friend Jarrod who's just arrived back in NZ, how lovely to hear a friendly, familiar voice and talk about familiar things and know that they're not on the other side of the planet! Can't wait to meet up with him and Debra soon and their new son Levi!
Also my flatlining social life will experience a significant, but highly positive, blip tomorrow night as I head off to Alexandrea and Paul's for dinner!! yey!
thats all for now! Oh just one more thing.... it's been 39 DEGREES here today.. yes I know you've probably had the same temperature but Im talking celsius not fahrenheit...(don't be cross)
and email with all your new year's news! I'd LOVE to hear it! If you cant email via this blog then just use my normal email.. all goes to the same place!
Charlotte x
ps I'd love to commend to you a fab talk you can download off the 'plumbline ministries' link on this page.... It's called 'Surrendered to Love' and whilst the title may well want to make you vomit, as it did me, the story itself is absolutely mindblowing! Something I certainly aspire to!
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2 comments:
greetings from Canada to you in NZ
Very cool noticeboard! What a difference! Most impressed.
Yeah you typing the blog slower, helped me reading it - thanks!
Cheers, Steven :-)
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