Allbutt Journalings
What have we been doing in recent days
An online web journal (weblog) of Mike & Vanessa Allbutt. (Updated as often as we remember to.)
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
End of 2008
Another year has raced by...and we would all like to share our personal highlights of 2008 with you.
Mike's highlights:
Just being here in Puerto Escondido and feeling at home is a big highlight. We have been living here over a year now and have settled in well. It has been a pleasure watching my family adjust and grow to life here. Things are not the same in Mexico as they would be in Australia but our family has adapted well and enabled us to be involved in the call God has on our lives.
I personally really enjoy being out and about connecting with people from the surfing community. There have been many good surfing days throughout the year and just as many good days simply talking with the local and travelling surfers. There are many opportunities to do ministry and it is always exciting to look back on a day and know that you were right where God wanted you to be so you could be a blessing.
Each Thursday evening we have been involved with a surfers bible study and it was exciting to see the group grow in numbers and consistency of attendance. Those who come have been hearing the word of God proclaimed and experiencing the love from a caring community of believers.
At various times in the year some things have not gone as planned. We have had all sorts of issues with vehicles and electronic items every month. Through these trials I have been able to see God's hand on the situations and in His timing the issues have been resolved.
Vanessa's highlights:
The biggest highlight was the arrival of a baby girl into the family. Everyone said that it would be a boy because of the way I carried, and I was convinced it would be. But God gave me the desires of my heart, and Olivia Joy was born on October 30th. The birth experience is something I would like to forget, but having another little princess has been a real joy.
Having family and friends visit is always a highlight. This year we enjoyed the company of Mike's sister and brother-in-law, two Christian Surfers staff members, friends from our Melbourne church, who took a detour here especially to see us, and my parents. Each of them were generous enough to replenish our stocks of goodies that I miss so much from home.
All the packages, letters and emails we received have been a huge source of encouragement to me. I feel as though most of my heart is still back in Australia, so it's always nice to know that we are remembered.
This year I have also had the chance to meet and get to know some of the women in the community. I look forward to furthering these friendships in 2009, especially as we launch our playgroup in January.
Priscila's highlights:
I turned three this year, and since I am a big girl now, I started first year of kinder. I don't like school much because it's an effort to learn Spanish, and I don't really like to do anything that requires a lot of effort. But I can say lots of things in Spanish now, and I understand a lot too.
This year I also learned to swim, because I love to go to the beach and the pool without wearing floaties. I love playing with my brother (or bossing him around), cuddling my new baby sister, dressing up in my Mexican outfit, dancing, singing and watching princess movies.
Joel's highlights:
In September I entered the 'wonderful' twos. I am discovering how unsuccessful trantrums can be, as well as how much I like to have my own way. Mum and Dad are forever telling me to quieten down, to share my toys and to not hit people or bite them.
But they also tell me how much they love me, and what a big boy I'm growing up to be. I love going out with Dad on the motorbike, going swimming at the beach or pool, Mum's cuddles and holding my new baby sister.
Olivia's highlights:
I'm out!! I have room to stretch and move, and I'm loving being held and cuddled. I was a whopping 4.3kg (9lb 5oz), and I haven't stopped growing since.
Now that I have my ears pierced, no one asks whether I'm a boy. People were never really sure, even though mum had me wearing pretty dresses. There are no doubts now!
Thank Yous:
In November we received a huge red box sent by sea mail, that was full of all kinds of goodies. To the person/s who sent it, thank you very much. Since there was no note or return address, we have no clue where it came from. But we are very grateful.
To all the people who donated toys, books and money for the start of the playgroup, a HUGE thank-you. Things are coming together now and we hope to be starting late January.
2009 Prayer Calendar
The brand new 2009 Christian Surfers International Prayer Calendar is now available for purchase! It features Mexico in October and is a great way to visualize and pray for Christian Surfers around the world, showcasing breathtaking line-up photos; along with updates, prayer requests and key dates for 2009 from each Christian Surfers affiliated nation.
Buy one of these calendars for $12 from Mike's parents in Brisbane. brian@allbutt.net or 07 3261 7368. The profits will support our ministry expenses, including the purchase of the newly released Spanish Surfer's Bible. These Bibles are the perfect tool to sharing the gospel with the local surfers.
Adios y feliz año nuevo. (Bye and happy new year!)
PS. Connect with us via Facebook.
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[By Mike 7:14 AM ] +
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Now on Facebook
Today I got onto Facebook.
[By Mike 3:39 PM ] +
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
End of the rainy season
Family News
They say that time flies when you're having fun. Well, we are not sure if it's all been fun, but the past two years have flown by. We still have vivid memories of arriving home from hospital with a new bundle of joy. And the other weekend we got to celebrate that bundle's second birthday. We did it in style, having a traditional aussie BBQ on the day Mexicans celebrate their shout for Independence. We had snags in bread with onions, kebabs and salads, and the necessary fruit salad with ice-cream and pavlova. We even set up an inflatable pool for the kids to swim in. It was great fun, especially for young Joel who turned 2.
Mike has well and truly dived into Spanish and the conjugation of it's verbs. Not always fun, but we trust it won't be long before we see (or hear) the fruits of his labour.
The school year started in October, and with it started Priscila. She began first year of kinder at a public school. It has taken her a while to get used to it. We think she feels a bit lost in a large class of Spanish speaking children. But her Spanish is certainly coming along, as well as her English! We are continually surprised with the things she remembers and says.
There are only about a month left until we have baby number three. Although looking back, it seems this pregnancy has flown by, it hasn't been the easiest. And it is getting a little harder for Vanessa. She is feeling more uncomfortable and sore, and not enjoying the humidity or lack of sleep. But things are coming together. We have been blessed with what we need, having borrowed most baby items. We have also found a doctor to attend the birth, so Vanessa is feeling more settled with the approaching labour.
Our visas seem to be a very drawn out process. We are currently awaiting our original certificates (which seem to be lost in the world postal system) to be authenticated. We have missed the deadline for these documents, and may have to pay a fine, but we are trusting the ball will get rolling again quickly, to finalize the process.
Current Ministry
Mike has just finished taking a 4 week bible study on the book of Jonah at the weekly Bible study we attend. He continues to go to the beach each morning, and seeks to spend time with the locals, encouraging them in their walk with God. We continue to see young men in the surfing community who fluctuate with their commitment to God, or simply hold out from making a decision to follow him.
Vanessa has taken on the preparation of the ladies Bible study every Monday night. In the past few months we have seen that while young men fluctuate in their walk, it's the wives who have drawn closer to God. The ladies began a book 'The Power of a Praying Wife' and have been encouraged to faithfully pray for their husbands, accepting that as women they cannot change them, only seek the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
Future Ministry
It's almost a year since we have arrived in Puerto Escondido. We feel settled into life here, and as the year comes to a speedy end, we have been thinking and praying about our ministry with Christian Surfers, it's purpose and involvement here.
These are some ideas of what we'd like to see next year:
- The board of directors for Christian Surfers Mexico to be set up and running (initially based in the US with the view to a fully Mexican run and owned organization in due time). This board overseas the ministry decisions and effectiveness here in Puerto Escondido, and eventually, Mexico.
- A weekly surfer's outreach event at the local beach, involving some food, surf videos, plenty of interaction with surfers and a simple message of hope. We hope to see this as a contact point to invite young surfers to the weekly Bible study and/or church.
- A weekly Mother's Group or Playgroup, hosted at our home, as an outlet to build relationships with the mothers and wives in the community (we recently sent out a document outlining the purpose and needs for this ministry. If you did not receive it and would like to know how to get involved, please download the Playgroup document).
Praise
- For a year of protection, health and settlement in Puerto Esondido
- For an uneventful and safe pregnancy
- For the possibility of Vanessa's parents being able to visit in November
- We killed the 1.9m snake before it did any harm to us :)
Prayer
- For safety in upcoming labor and birth
- For a special time as a family, as the dynamics change with the arrival of a new family member
- That the visa process will be completed quickly
- For wisdom and guidance with plans for next year's ministry opportunities
- For speedy sale of Mike's website business, that we might finalize payment of the land we're purchasing
Thanks again for taking the time to read our newsletter. The next one should be a month away and include news of our next baby.
We are keen and able to talk with friends over skype for free. Our skype id is mvallbutt or mikeallbutt.
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[By Mike 6:43 AM ] +
Monday, August 25, 2008
New Surfer Mums Ministry
We are writing to inform you of a new ministry that we would like to see happen next year. As this year comes to an end (rather quickly) we have been thinking more seriously about our roles here in Mexico, and what God would have us do. It is almost a year since we arrived here and we have been grateful for the chance to settle in to culture, routines, language and ministry. But we are also keen to do the work laid out before us.
One of Mike's biggest priorities over the past twelve months has been to spend time at the beach, networking with the locals and getting to know them and be known. While Mike is doing that, Vanessa has spent most of her time at home with the children. We recognise that this is her role and her priority at the moment, while the children are young. But we also recognise that there are many women within the surfing community who are in the same situation, that is, at home with young children. We have been considering starting a Playgroup or Mothers group next year, with the vision of furthering the relationships. While Mike has come to know the men at the beach, this group can provide the opportunity of Vanessa getting to know the mothers and children in a fun, relaxed way.
For this group to go ahead though, there are many things that need to happen. Attached is a document outlining the vision, purpose, structure of the group, as well as the many needs, from prayer partners, to donations of toys and materials, to finance. With this information, we would also like to offer you the opportunity to get involved and help us start this new ministry opportunity. So if you are interested, please see the attached document for more info. And if you have any questions about it, please just click on 'Reply' and write away.
For more news about how we are going, please keep your eyes out for the latest release of Re:Puerto, coming soon to your very own email inbox!
Labels: playgroup
[By Mike 12:44 PM ] +
Monday, June 16, 2008
Change in Seasons
Greetings to everyone. Many things have been happening in the past few months, so sorry this is a lengthy newsletter. But we trust you enjoy the read!
Family Updates
We recently celebrated Priscila's third birthday with a party. Priscila had been asking for a pink and yellow party for months before hand, so that is what she got! We also organised a jumping castle for the event, which was a huge success with all ages.
Now that she is three, Priscila has started to attend Kinda two mornings a week. She has taken to it like a duck to water, and always comes out with a big smile and with stories of dancing, singing, playing and coloring. She has also picked up a lot more Spanish. The first words I noticed were: 'It's mine!'
We also enjoyed two weeks with Mike's sister and brother in law, who were able to stock up our supplies of veggimite and beetroot (among many other things!). We travelled with them to the states' capital of Oaxaca, and visited ruins, museums and craft shops. We also spent considerable time relaxing by the pool.
We visited El Tule tree, which is the biggest tree in the continent. During the visit, Joel went for a trip and landed with his forehead on the corner of the metal bench. But after the shock of seeing all the blood and the screams, and the great care of the local medical center, he returned to his normal self.
Our biggest event for the year will occur in late October, when we expect the arrival of our third baby. Vanessa is currently five months pregnant, and after surviving the first three months of nausea and horrible home sickness, she now only has to deal with the increasing size and uncomfortableness.
It's rainy season! This means it actually gets fresh when the sun doesn't shine. It also means it gets very muggy when it does shine. With all the water falling down, we have discovered all the holes in our ceiling. So Mike has been working hard to patch it up and clear the property so water can drain away quickly. It has been an eye opener to see the amount of water that can fall in 24 hours. And the season has only just started!!
Mike has arranged for a private tutor to commence formal language learning. This way Mike can learn at his own pace. He has reached a point in his Spanish where he can communicate what he needs, but using incorrect tenses. He feels ready now to take the next step.
Ministry Updates
We continue to attend the Thursday night Bible studies, building relationships and encouraging those we meet. Mike continues to go to the beach most mornings for a surf or catch up. He seems to have been made for this job, as he is able to start up conversations with so many people, seeking to bless them and help them.
He has also been spending some time practically helping friends in the surfing community with their needs, such as building a web page for a small business, setting up a website business for a family to run, translating menus and designing logos for a new business. He seeks to use these opportunities and his skills to further relationships and be an encouragement to our friends.
We recently attended a skate contest, the second oneorganised by our fellow workers, Mando and Myra. The aim of it was to build relationships with the local kids from the area, to encourage them and share God's love with them. It was a good time, with plenty of food and laughs.
Vanessa continues to attend a ladies Bible study every Wednesday night. It has really grown into a support group, with many of them struggling with relationship problems or facing decisions or changes in their lives. Vanessa continues to pray for guidance in terms of setting up a mothers group.
As it is summer now there are more tourists around, as well as community activities. There are two mission teams from the churches that Mando and Myra are affiliated with who will be visiting in the coming weeks. They will be running evangelism and beach ministries while here, and we hope to get involved with the work they do.
Other Updates
We continue to wait regarding visas. We are currently 'in process' and haven't heard anything negative so far. We are grateful for the provision of a lawyer based in Mexico City, affiliated with our local Baptist church, who is completing the entire process on our behalf.
We have entered into an agreement to purchase some land here in Puerto Escondido. It is a thriving community, quickly growing into a very popular tourist destination. Because of this, land value continues to grow. We have found a block of land close to town and the beach, with great views and the sea breeze. Our aim is to sell Mike's website business once the current contract ends. We trust the sale will bring in enough to cover the remaining cost, as well as provide some left over money towards building a suitable house for us.
Prayer Points:
- Health for Vanessa, as she has struggled with pain in her pelvis while lifting Joel
- For continued protection and development of the baby
- For a smooth completion to the visa process
- For the right outcome to the sale of Mike's business, which will be available in July
- That Mike will quickly understand and learn Spanish grammar
- For the community we seek to reach, for spiritual breakthroughs in individual's lives as well as the community as a whole
- Visiting summer mission teams
- Guidance as we continue to spend time with a couple with marriage difficulties, as they are currently considering divorce
- That we will continue to support each other in our marriage
Praise Points:
- For a good relationship with fellow workers Mando and Myra
- For the amazing continual support we have received from home, both financially and prayerfully
- That Vanessa has a good friendship with a local lady also with young children, and they are able to spend time together for the children to play as well as encourage each other with everyday frustrations and challenges that come with raising children and keeping a home.
Thanks again for your interest, support and correspondance.
Mike, Vanessa, Priscila and Joel
P.S. On Sunday just gone, we celebrated 6 years of marriage.
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[By Mike 8:21 AM ] +
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
4 months in
Life
The days just seem to fly by. Mike's day consists of going to the beach in the mornings for a surf and/or chat with the people he meets. He continues to practice and learn more Spanish during the day. He hasn't started formal classes as yet, as he finds it more helpful to keep his own pace.
We continue to attend the weekly Thursday night surfers Bible study. Mike has lead it a few times, and Vanessa contributes with meals every second week. Through this study we continue to build relationships with the young people that attend, as well as be encouraged to keep Jesus at the centre of everything we do.
Every fortnight we also meet with Mando and Mayra, the other family we work with. We meet to encourage each other and pray for the town and the ministry. The beach front continues to be a spiritually dark and oppressed place, with many christians slipping into old habits.
Vanessa has also just started to attend a small ladies Bible study group on Monday evenings. This has been an excellent opportunity to encourage younger women in Christ. Many struggle with non-christian or luke-warm christian husbands, all of whom are part of the local surfing community.
We have also found ourselves spending time with a young married couple who have really struggled in their relationship. Due partly to the culture and partly to the local church, we have found very little resources and support for these situations. We really want to help them to sort out their difficulties and share our own experience, but without taking over their decisions and life.
Our family has grown, from two children to four (no, we have not adopted twins!). We have taken in two street pups, who have given us just as much work, if not more, than two babies. The children adore them, and slowly they are learning not to pull on tails or ears, or grab them or throw them. The pups are getting bigger now, so they are learning to fight back with their sharp nails and teeth.
The children continue to settle in. Priscila spends time with the workers here, and she has surprised us with the number of Spanish words she has learned. She hasn't started kinder as yet, as we feel she isn't quite ready.
Joel has a larger range of sounds and even says the word 'mama'. We are now entering the stage of continual fighting between the children, as they both learn to play together and to share their toys.
Where to from now?
Our biggest priority right now is to change our visas from tourist to a more permanent volunteer-worker one (called an FM3). We don't anticipate any problems, but it may take a long time, depending on who we deal with.
The vision of the Thursday night bible study group ('El Faro': the Lighthouse) is to start free surf lessons for the local kids who have no resources, and thus exposing them to a friendly christian environment. Many of them are exposed to negative lifestyles at home and grow up doing following the same paterns if they aren't shown another way to live. This vision for surf lessons also includes surf and skate contests throughout the year.
Vanessa also has a vision to start some kind of playgroup/mothers group later in the year, as she knows there is very little support and activities for mums and children.
One of Mike's priorities is to continue to learn the language. He is aiming to finish the current courses/books he is doing before taking on formal lessons soon.
Prayer points:
- quick and easy visa application process
- provision of surfing boards for the surf lessons
- wisdom in helping our young friends in their marriage
- wisdom in knowing the timing for this mother group and the resources required
- for speed in language learning and continued motivation
We can't thank you enough for all your continued support, prayers and communication. It is such a joy to see photos, hear news, even receive packages! as well as know we are in your prayers. We feel so close to home because of these things. So THANKS!
Mike, Vanessa, Priscila and Joel
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[By Mike 6:45 AM ] +
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Happy Year New
Welcome to our (late) Christmas edition. First we wanted to thank all of you who replied to our previous newsletter. If we didn't respond to your enquiry, it's because we are still working our way though the many responses. We felt so encouraged by all your emails and news. Thanks so much for keeping in touch with us.
Settling In
We are finally feeling more and more at home. The house and yard are looking much cleaner. We hadn't seen any scorpions for a couple of weeks, and I (Vanessa) was feeling more relaxed, thinking that with all the cleaning and fumigating, we must have gotten rid of them. Then Mike found a rather large one in OUR bedroom, just under the backpack, and it had 45 babies on it's back! We are yet to find the male, which shouldn't be too far away and which should be bigger than the female. I no longer feel too relaxed!!
Christmas
This has been our first Christmas without extended family. We have done our best to make it Christmassy, getting a tree and a few decorations. We celebrated with a roast lunch and cheesecake, and even had a pinata for the children. Although it is winter here, it is still hot where we are, so it isn't too different to home. We have enjoyed the lack of advertising and materialism since the season still seems to be very much a religious occasion.
Address
Many of you have enquired about an address. The house where we live has no street number, so a friend has lent us their business address. Mail is more likely to arrive there, since it is a well known address. Here it is:
Bikini Brasil
Ale Noguera/ Mike y Vanessa Allbutt
Calle Del Morro S/N Esq. Bajada Las Brisas
Edificio Pacifico Surf 150
Puerto Escondido
Oaxaca, 71980
Mexico
Finances
Many of you have also inquired about making a financial contribution. Please pass these on to the Pioneers Office in Australia. They are able to better manage our finances for tax reasons. You can contact them on 1800 78 78 89.
Thank you again for your emails and news, we trust you had a lovely Christmas and a good start to the new year.
Mike, Vanessa, Priscila and Joel
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[By Mike 6:43 AM ] +
Monday, November 26, 2007
We've arrived!
Greetings everyone, and welcome to our new edition, live from Puerto Escondido, Mexico.
Travel
After leaving Melbourne, we spent a week in Tassie resting and catching up with family. It was a much needed break. We then flew 14 hours to Los Angeles. We didn't get much sleep, but it was quite a peaceful flight. We stayed in San Diego for a week, adjusting to the new time zone.
We then headed to Florida (about two days before the big fires started in San Diego!) for the US Christian Surfers conference, and we stayed on with the regional coordinator of CS for a few days.
Then the big day arrived. We left Orlando at 6 am and arrived at our new home that afternoon. Praise God, all our travel went well, and all our suitcases arrived intact. The children travelled extremely well, considering all the different connections we had to catch.
Our new home
After three weeks on the move, and sleeping in eight different beds, we finally arrived home. The view from this house is simply breathtaking. We look down to a small beach in a cove. We get the beautiful ocean breeze to cool the house down, and we fall asleep to the sound of waves crashing. We feel so blessed to be able to live here.
The house had been empty for three years, so it needed a lot of work. We've trimmed, cleaned, fixed, moved and painted. There is still more work to do, but it is now at a stage where we can live in it comfortably.
We have been so blessed to have very supportive friends, both locals from the church and expats, who have helped in so many ways. The only problem with this house is that it is removed from town, so there are no buses or 'collectivos' (utes that carry people on the tray). So we invested in a car, to help us get around without relying on taxis.
Mike
Mike has waited months and months to get here, to where there is a perfect wave almost every day. But he hasn't gone surfing too often yet, as he has put in many hours into fixing the house and purchasing a car.
There are still a few big jobs that need doing around the home, and once these are done, he will start to settle into a routine, which will include surfing, meeting the local guys, and learning the language.
Vanessa
The first few weeks haven't been easy for Vanessa. It was hard trying to clean, prepare meals with foreign ingredients, be a mum to unsettled and unhappy children, adjust to the humidity and heat, and unpack. Things are settling down a lot now. It helps knowing your way around, having a car to go shopping in, and knowing what ingredients to get where. The house is also feeling more like home.
The hard thing to get used to is all the cleaning. Because of all the dirt and sand around the home, the house has to be continually swept and mopped. The constant cleaning also helps minimize the number of the other permanent residents of the house (i.e. scorpions, cocoroaches, ants, gheckos).
To help her out, we have a local lady who comes three days a week. She not only does some cleaning, she is also showing Vanessa how to cook some local dishes.
The children
Both Priscila and Joel are more settled now than they were previously. They both struggled with the heat, and having very different routines. They've also both had very bad nappy rashes, due to constant diahorreah. We're continually reminding them to keep their shoes on (so they don't accidently step on a scorpion) and not to drink the tap water. They both get lots of comments from strangers. People come up to touch their hair and skin, and even pick Joel up without asking.
The children at church are always wanting to play with them and hold their hands. Joel doesn't seem to mind the attention so much, but poor Priscila gets tired of it. She burries her head in my lap and refuses to talk to anyone.
Priscila now says three words in Spanish (Hola, Adios and Gracias). She gets a bit upset in Sunday School because she doesn't understand the language. We are considering sending her to a Christian daycare a few mornings per week, so she gets exposed to the language and children her age. Joel doesn't seem very interested in talking as yet. He doesn't say a single word yet. But he is very good at pointing and grunting!
We wanted to share so much with you, we appologize this is such a long newsletter. Please join us in praising God for the way He has watched over us in our travel, and as we have settled in. We can't thank Him enough. Some prayer points include:
- that the children will continue to settle in,
- getting used to the weather and the language
- that Mike will have opportunities to meet locals as he surfs
- for deeper relationships with people we already know
- that we may be a blessing to our local church and community
We trust you are keeping well, and remember to write often. We love hearing from you, especially now that we are so far away.
Mike, Vanessa, Priscila and Joel
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[By Mike 6:40 AM ] +
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Praise & Pray
We have so many things to praise God for:
- The relatively smooth operation to have Vanessa's wisdom teeth removed, and the speedy recovery
- The provision of the finances to pay for the surgery, as we had to go privately due to our limited time left in Australia
- Accommodation has been arranged for us for some of the time we will be in the US
- The availability of a home in Mexico, fully furnished and close by to the beach and town
- Our finances are almost 100% (we are still trying to finalize the finer details of our budget)
- We have been able to pay off an outstanding loan
- The provision of travel visas for the USA, valid for 12 months, which will allow us to enter the country as needed
- God has even been faithful in providing for the small things, such as us purchasing suitcases at 60% off the original price!
Things are quickly coming together, which is both encouraging and scary. In the next week we travel to Brisbane to farewell family and friends. Then we return to Melbourne to pack up our house. Finally we spend one week in Tasmania with family and friends, prior to flying out of Melbourne to the US.
There are so many things happening, we trust you will be able to pray with us for the following things:
- Safety as we travel backwards and forwards
- That the children will be flexible with so many changes
- For memorable quality times with family and friends
- That we can sell our household belongings quickly and to the right people
- For wisdom in making decisions about visas for Mexico and all the paperwork involved
- That we can finalize our financial situation (and Mike's business arrangements)
- For inner rest in a time of stress and change
We will send another update in a few weeks but since there are less than 44 days left until we leave Australia we better get back to the departure preparations.
Mike, Vanessa, Priscila, Joel.
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[By Mike 6:35 AM ] +
Friday, July 27, 2007
Fond Farewells
Update
We are still working towards leaving on October 10, flying out of Melbourne to LA. Mike has until the end of August to finalize all his websites and find someone to hand his work over to. This is currently a big issue for us, so please pray that he will find the right person to take over his work, that it will be someone we can trust and that will do a good job of it.
Our support level is around 82%, so we continue to trust that the remainder will come in before we leave in 75 days (and counting!)
Victoria
Christian Surfers Melbourne is putting on a Trivia and Auction Night as a fundraiser to help us. This will be held on the 25th August at Knox. If you'd like more details please talk to us or Paul Lacey on 0423 623 121. It'd be great to see you there!
[Download a printable flyer for the Trivia Night (1.24mb)]
Queensland
To all our Queensland friends and supporters, we are making a final trip to visit you and spend time with family. Since our time is limited, and we hope to see as many of you as possible, we would like to invite you to an afternoon with the Allbutt's. We don't have all the details as yet, but we hope to have an open house (somewhere!) on Saturday the 1st September, so please leave this afternoon/early evening free.
Tasmania
We will return to Melbourne after our Queensland trip, pack up our house, have a commissioning service at our home church on the 30th September, then head to Tassie for a week to recharge and spend time with family. We would also love to catch up with as many friends and supporters from Tassie, so we hope to also have an open house on the Saturday 6th October. More details to come.
Vanessa loosing her wisdom (teeth, that is!)
Vanessa is scheduled to have her wisdom teeth taken out on the 30th July, since she has had some trouble with them lately. Praise God that we can have it done prior to leaving! Please pray that it will all go smoothly, and that it wont disrupt the children (and husband) and their routine too much.
Thanks again for taking an interest in us.
PS: Keep an eye out for the new prayer cards, coming soon!
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[By Mike 7:30 AM ] +
I trust that this Allbutt Journalings helps bring you up to date with what I have been up to recently. If you want to contact me then click here. Thanks for reading some of my thoughts. If you want to read some of the older files then they have been stored in the archives here.