Heading Home

Tomorrow we head off for home. It has been an incredible time of meeting new people, sharing our experiences of God and His church and encouraging one another in the faith.

We have been well looked after, with a different restaurant every night and most lunch times. I've tried to avoid overdoing the food, but the running shoes I bought today will be needing to get a workout in the next few weeks.

I am really thankful to our hosts Kenn and Cheryl Gill. I have never met a couple as generous and kind in my life. They have modelled a lifestyle of not just giving of gifts but also giving honour and respect. I am hoping to develop in our church this value, so that the church can be seen as genuinely expressing love for one another.

This evening we had dinner at a Chinese Restaurant. It was good simple food and lots of it. When we had finished, the people with whom David is staying demanded that we all go to their place for dessert, as David had been negligent in failing to eat buckets of ice cream.

While we were there, Radica and Kurt came with more gifts for us. We each received a "light catcher", which is basically an ornament. But Radica had prayed what to give each one, and had decided on a lighthouse for me because the Lord had told us that my church is meant to be a source of light for our community. We have had this particular word given in many forms over many yeard, so I was excited to hear this, as was she when I told her.

So our itinerary tomorrow (Wednesday) is:

9.30 am (1.30 am Thurs Aust time) leave for airport
12.05 pm (4.05 am Thurs Aust.) plane leaves Calgary
2.12 pm LA time (5.12 am Thurs Aust.) arrive in LA
10.20 pm (1. 20 pm Thurs Aust) take off from LA-- yes an 8 hour lay over :(
6.05 am Friday- arrive in Sydney
10.45 am- Take off for Tamworth
11.50 am- arrive Tamworth
2 pm approximately- arrive home!

I'm sorry to be leaving all my Canadian friends... and I use that word friend carefully.I feel in many ways it's like coming home to meet people with one heart in a way that is rarely experienced even among christians.

But I am really looking forward to the reunion with my family and friends at home.