[LoOpY_cHoOk]

Originally Posted by beanie

I just happened to pop back...

South Island is pretty nice. And so is Nix. I met her and other people from her church and it was awesome! I had a great time up there in the north island!

Still need a job and a house. I'm tired of living out of a bag and mooching off people to help me life. I feel so unproductive and so like the bum I've been professing to be for the last 3 months. C'mon GOD!!!!!!!!!!

Kez - I miss you so much!

BOn, I miss you heaps too. Don't worry... God's working on it... You'll be fine...!

Luv ya heaps
KEz :0)

[nix]

Hey girl! You certainly rocked up here in Auckland! Horizon is just not the same with out you

What happened to that job at the fudge factory?

[guitarfan01]

Hey Bonnie! It was great to get to know a little piece of you over this CGR thing. From what I can tell, you would rock my freaking socks off if I got to spend some time with you face to face. If I ever come to Australia (or where-ever you'll be), I hope we get a chance to meet up. If not, I'll see you in the Kingdom! Thanks for being an example to me of someone ready to go anywhere or someone ready for God to make her go anywhere, or someone who God made go where He said, despite early objections. Whichever it was, God has recieved much glory from you and your obedience, just from me seeing Him in you. Keep rocking it for Christ, forever and always!

<3,
Galen

[Becky]

hey ya! how are you doing?? what's up?


thought I'd ask you the question of the month!

What are you doing to bring hope to people this month?

[beanie]

Hi everyone... who still bothers to read this?! I thought my journal was gone, but I did happen to stumble across it.

Here I am at Flinders Uni, Adelaide, Australia in a computer lab. I'm so freaking hungry, but, as the whole world knows (or those who live in the reality of it), uni students can't actually afford to eat, so I guess I'll go hungry... again. Luckily, in this country, water is still free. Who cares if it's not awesome quality!? We uni students understand and value what is free.

So, what's happened to me in the last few YEARS since I wrote last…

[beanie]

I went to the Philippines for a few weeks and worked with some Wycliffe Bible Translators in some community and culture studies. I’ll share a couple of special memories from that….

The whole group (8 of us – 4 boys, 4 chicks) went on a tour thing of the village we were in, learning about their traditional ways of farming. Though my dad would have loved it if I came home full of this kind of knowledge, I found some kids who needed entertaining. I sat with them by a creek thing and we just pulled faces and drew in the dirt. It was the best thing ever!

Another day, we were hiking around the mountains selling copies of the New Testament, recently published in their tribal language. On such a day, everyone was out planting their rice and weren’t carrying money, so it was pretty unsuccessful. However, there was a small primary school perched on the side of a mountain and we were asked to go in and say hello. They took all their kids out of class and we speedily made up a play about the Good Samaritan and had it translated as we were acting. Then, we taught them Father Abraham and they wanted to play us in sport. I got together with a group of other kids not involved with volleyball and taught them duck-duck-goose. It was the funniest thing watching these little kids walk around the circle saying “buk, buk, buck, doose” and tearing around on the gravel – with no shoes on! Ah, fun times.

While touring a missionary kids school (Faith Academy) in Manila, God told me to be a teacher, so that was a pretty defining trip for me.

PIC 1 - Mayoyao village
PIC 2 - Mayoyao New Testaments

[beanie]

When I got home at the end of January 2005 and met Third Day at a concert before going back to the farm to see my family, our area had just experienced a massive bush fire. The wind changed and missed our farm, but destroyed many friends’ land, families, children, houses and stock. My brother and his then pregnant wife lost their house and shed, which they’d only just moved into a month before and had only taken out house and contents insurance a week beforehand! Pretty incredible to fly over the area and just see black scorched hills and trees etc. So barren.
I wasn’t home a month before I left again….


PICS - Some pictures (provided by ABC, Australia) of the fire....

[beanie]

I moved to New Zealand for a while. It was actually more like... ran away to New Zealand. God finds you ANYWHERE. Sneaky guy. I had the best time there, just travelling, meeting people, working in pubs and climbing the most amazing mountains I've ever seen in my life. I danced in falling snow for the first time. I worked at a really fancy golf resort for a few months. I'm the most un-fancy girl I know and I hate golf, so go figure that one out. Worked in a few other places, pouring beers and serving counter meals. Hmm yes. A lot of other things I did, besides work... Travel, beauty, snow, moutains, hiking, travel, canoeing, not sleeping, going out, good food, cheap as fish and chips (you beauty!)... met a few CGR's... or former ones at least. Ian (Phats), Nicola (Nix)... probably some more, but I can't remember. I also worked on a family farm – it was so incredible. I was even there for the opening of their nature park! Nearly a year old now, and still going strong.

Ah, it was good. I hope to go back there this summer and catch up with some ol’ friends.

Oh and while I was there I became “AUNTIE BJ” for the first time ever – Renee had a baby boy in April, LOCHLAN JACK. And they’re all doing well after everything that happened to them in the fire. My brother opened his own business, rebuilding farm fence lines and they were able to get really good rates on a really awesome house in town. God always provides.


PICS - Hanmer Springs... I stayed here the longest... 2 months. LOVELY! I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK!

[beanie]

I came home from New Zealand, under God’s specific instruction.
I started going out with an incredible man named Ryan (10 months on Sunday and still goobers).
I’ve moved 6 times and I’m finally settled into a crazy house with 2 of my cousins in Adelaide.
I got a job at Woolworths (again) but at another store and I’m now one of the supervisors.
I’ve been to Melbourne to see Ryan 3 times and he’s come to see me 3 times too! (Yeah, been together 10 months, but have actually only spent about 6 weeks of those in each other’s company!)
Was accepted and then enrolled into Flinders University.
Currently studying a double degree in Secondary Education and Arts, which basically means that at the end of 2009, I’ll graduate and be able to teach English and PE.
Church – Frontier… Going swimmingly indeed.

What else…
Been camping, hiking, driving, road trips, skurfing, body surfing, sunbaking, sleeping (yeah baby!)… Normal stuff, you know.

[beanie]

I am waiting for my cousin to finish her Chem practical so that I can go home and eat before going to life group…
Me and Kez are planning a surprise holiday trip to Sydney and the Blue Mountains with a couple of friends (well, they don’t know about it yet) who’ve never been on a plane or out of the state before. This is by far one of the most exciting things I’ve done in a while….!
I need to pee and it’s already dark outside and I have to walk a million miles to my car which is in SIBERIA!!!!!! (The furtherest away carpark on the whole campus…!)

Much love to you all. Hope you’re having fun and loving life. I sure am!


bonbon

[nix]

HEY! YOU GOT A MAN

Exciting stuff man! I got your email but have been so, so, so busy at work... working my self to death really I told Kim I got an email from you and forwarded it to her... did she reply to you?

Did you ever get to see out wedding photos?

You have been often thought of and we miss you dearly! Even if you did run away from Australia to NZ.... I'm glad you did, because we got to meet you

[beanie]

Originally Posted by nix

HEY! YOU GOT A MAN

Exciting stuff man! I got your email but have been so, so, so busy at work... working my self to death really I told Kim I got an email from you and forwarded it to her... did she reply to you?

Did you ever get to see out wedding photos?

You have been often thought of and we miss you dearly! Even if you did run away from Australia to NZ.... I'm glad you did, because we got to meet you

Hey Nix,

Kim probably did write to me, but just after I wrote to you, I forgot my password to my email, so that's that. They had a baby right!? Oh, can you give her my email again: einnob27@hotmail.com.

I did get to see some wedding photos, the ones on CGR and the links from here. You looked absolutely stunning!! And now it's been a year! Oh my goodness how time flies! How is Maximus? I miss all of you quite often, but I was so stupid not to get emails and phone numbers of everyong: Kim & Clint, Steve, Tina & Bernie, Marissa... Oh my, I'm so crap. Tell them I all say hi and that I still remember them.

And yeah, my man. He's rad, I just love him. I'll see if I can't get a photo sometime and put it up on here.

I'm glad I ran away to NZ too... !

[nix]

Kim and Clint tried for a baby but had a miscarriage unfortunately. They are still trying but it's been very difficult for them. They are in the process of putting in a new bathroom and tiles on their kitchen floor.. they are excited! They are also thinking of going to Brazil this year for an LTT. Did you know they are deacons and we host their homegroup.. lots of fun!

Steve has been very distant lately since he's been studying at the peforming arts school. We don't see him that much at all anymore which his pretty sad really.

Tina and Bernie and Marissa are all well

Max is in the process of trying to sell his business or at least trying to get someone to partner with him.. the options are looking good!

We visited Queensland in April for 4 days which was great fun getting to see surfers paradise, gold coast, sunshine coast and noosa... I truely love Australia!

I look forward to seeing that picture

[beanie]

Last week, this woman came up to me and demanded a refund on an opened packed of cough lollies.

"I want a refund because these make me nauseous and I can't eat them."

I'm all like, "Dude, it's not really our problem. We can't give you a refund just cos you don't like them. They're not off or out of date. You've already opened the packet and eaten some of them, so we can't even sell them again. I can't give you a refund."

Unbelievable. She went on about her rights to a refund and I got sick of her whinging and she didn't understand my english too well I don't think - well, she at least played at she didn't understand. I reckon she just didn't want me to be the one to talk with her about it.

Next customer I served, who overheard the whole thing, goes, "I'd like the biggest packet of the strongest ciggarettes. I'll go and smoke them all now, then come back in an hour and demand a refund because you're trying to kill me."

[nix]

Great line!

I know all abot complaints! In our instance people need to ask questions or do a little bit of research before complaining or accusing.