Merry Christmas!

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Christmas in Vila

Merry Christmas everyone!

Well, in case you haven't been getting our emails... we are here in Port Vila, Vanuatu. We are pretty well settled in. Our visa applications have been lodged (we should hear back after the first of the year), we have a mailing address, phone, and finally an internet connection (which explains why we are just now getting a post onto the blog). We have even put up a Christmas tree. It is a bit 'Charlie Brown' but we think it is just perfect decorated with seashell garland and paper snowflakes. It makes a great centerpiece for our coffee table as there really is no other place to put it =).

Yes, the traditions look a little different here. Instead of stockings, we do beach towels and instead of a roast feast and Christmas cookies, it is cold salads and no-bake cheesecake. But the celebration is not about the traditions. It is about the celebration of our Savior who loves us so much that He was willing to come to this earth to dwell with us in the flesh, to reveal the Father to us, and to die for us so that we could be reconciled to Him. What greater love is there? Let us not keep it to ourselves but share it with the people God brings into our lives.

Much like back home, Christmas in Vila is a very busy time of year. Town and the market are packed. School is out for the summer holiday. Just about everyone we talk to is planning to leave Port Vila to go back to their home island to spend time with family. This was the scene in the harbor yesterday...


The place was absolutely packed as this cargo ship was being loaded with people on their way. They were taking with them lots of rice, watermelons with delivery/owner information carved into the rind, and pigs. As we were walking by I noticed one pig lying on the ground (just like all the others his legs were tied so that he couldn't run off). He wasn't squealing or anything, he was just looking up at us and wagging his little piggy tail.

Right now is typically the hot season though this year, to our delight, the weather has been very cool. It is still humid, but not smothering hot. I take it as the Lord being gracious to us and allowing us to adjust slowly.

We are settling in and working on learning Bislama and culture. Lord willing, after the holidays we will be able to make arrangements for language helpers to meet with us on a regular basis for more in-depth language learning than what we have been able to do so far. In the meantime, over the next few days, we are going to relax, celebrate Jesus, enjoying being together as a family, eat some good food with some good friends, and generally just be thankful for the abundant blessings the Lord has been so gracious to lavish on us.

Check out the contact page for our new mailing address and phone numbers. We may not get it updated right away, but we will get to it very soon.

Merry Christmas!

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Here we go...

Well, this is it. First thing in the morning we are headed out. We are excited to get there. As soon as we get settled and get back on the internet we will be in touch with you guys. Until then... thanks for praying with us. Lord willing, you will hear from us soon.

Love,
Jim, Tania & the kids

Here we are with the Richards and Laura after our 'farewell for now' pizza party... Lord willing, they will be joining us in Vanuatu in about 2 months.

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Packing and saying 'Good-byes'

In case you didn't get the email...

Five days to go (now only four days) until we depart once again for Port Vila, Vanuatu. We are packing the last of our things, starting on the cleaning job that always goes along with moving out, and enjoying the last days we have with friends and teammates before we head out.

Grace and Josh had their last day of school today. It went well. It is a bittersweet thing for them, no more school, but also saying good-bye to friends. Thankfully they have been able to exchange email addresses and will try to stay in touch. Plus, they have friends they are looking forward to seeing in Vanuatu so that is just a really great blessing.

God has been blessing us with relative peace up to now which we are really thankful for. As you would expect there are a lot of things we could get really stressed about, but we are just making sure we have all our ducks in a row, and trusting God for the outcome.

All of you that have been praying... thank you.

We are not sure what the internet situation is going to be once we get to Vanuatu so this is your last chance to email us ;0). Hopefully we will be connected soon enough.

We will write again just before we leave.

Love,
Jim & Tania

The Finish Line

November 20th marked the end of our school year....






Classes are over, graduation is behind us! We praise God for all we have learned and how he has grown us over this past year. It feels really good to being moving on to the next phase of the ministry.

What now –
We are spending the next 2+ weeks getting ready to head back to Vanuatu.

What next –
Settling into life in Port Vila. That will include…

• settling into and enjoying ‘normal’ family life once again,
• resident visa and work permit applications,
• getting back into learning the national language (Bislama) and the local culture,
• getting ready for the coming year of homeschooling for Grace and Josh,
• and last but not least, anxiously looking forward to when the rest of the team will be able to join us (likely in February, but, Lord willing, it will be sooner).

You can pray with us…

• Praise for the training we have received this year
• Praise for the personal, family, and team growth we have experienced this year
• Pray for our last couple of weeks in Australia be spent well – preparations, relationships, closure, rest.
• …and this is a big one… Pray that God would put the right people in the right place at the right time to make shipping, travel, resident visa applications, etc. all go smoothly and without complications.

Love to all,
Jim & Tania

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30 days and counting...

As of today, November 9, we have 30 days to go before our departure to Vanuatu. Tickets are purchased, housing is arranged.

This coming week we are visiting the police station for Australian law enforcement clearances, and the doctors office for medical clearances. All this is paperwork needed for our resident visa applications. The Vanuatu immigration department has cracked down over the last year and even deported some missionaries, so we are being careful to 'have all our ducks in a row', so to speak. We appreciate those of you who are praying with us about this matter.

This weekend, amongst the essays and other homework, we started going through our belongings to decide what goes and what stays. We are being allowed half the baggage that we came here with, anything over that we have to pay extra (plus duty). So we are being very selective, going through every item of clothing, and every piece of paper, to pare down to the essentials.

We'll stay in touch!

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Class of 2009

Here we are...
Not a bad lookin' bunch if I don't say so myself ;)

Equip Training Class of 2009

I think you can click on the picture to see a larger version.
Days to graduation.... 14!

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