After a busy first semester we felt well in need of a holiday during the semester break. We have just returned from two weeks away at Tinopai on the Kaipara Harbour at Helen’s Aunty Jill’s bach. We had a lovely time. Tinopai is a small harbourside township and so the two weeks were spent walking, fishing, oystering, playing games, eating yummy home-baked food and making occasional trips to visit extended family in the Northland area. One of the highlights for Henry was going to see Cars 2 with his cousin Matai at the movies in Whangarei. One of the highlights for Daddy was seeing Henry catch his first fish, a snapper, off the Tinopai wharf.
On our return home we had a somewhat of an unfortunate accident. Everyone was excited to be home, we were in the middle of tidying up and putting our gear away when we heard a scream from Eva, we turned to see Henry looking frightened, blood streaming from Eva’s hand and also on the bedroom door. Her finger had been crushed in the door by her brother. We rushed to Waitakere Hospital, Simon holding Eva’s finger so as not to lose it, there were X-Rays, a trip to Starship Childrens Hospital, surgery to save the finger and a cast put in place which is to be removed this coming Friday after two weeks. The finger tip was 80% lacerated and just hanging on, the doctors are sure however that she will recover well and have the full use of her finger, for which we are grateful. Ah, family life!
During the break, Helen has enjoyed taking Thursday mornings off for herself. She has enjoyed some retail therapy and a manicure, plus a walk along Piha beach. Simon has enjoyed being a part of Youthserve at our local church in the first week of the school holidays. Youthserve is a Scripture Union initiative where teenagers engage in practical work in the community and also have an opportunity to share their faith. Simon trained the teens in sharing their faith and then took them out on afternoon mission trips to the local mall where they engaged others in conversation around faith with some very encouraging outcomes.
Last weekend the whole family travelled to Te Puru on the Coromandel Peninsula - just North of Thames. Here Simon preached and shared a little of our journey toward mission with OMF. We were very warmly welcomed into this small community and are looking forward to continuing on our relationship with them.
Today is the first day of semester two; so it is back to the books and the routine for all of us after a few weeks of change. This will be our last semester studying; all going well Simon will graduate in December. At this stage we plan to keep living at College next year as we continue to raise support toward our mission goals in Taiwan. We have been booked in to attend the July 2012 International Orientation Course in Singapore after which we will fly to Taiwan to begin language study. This is contingent upon raising the necessary levels of support.
I have uploaded some photos from our recent holiday to Tinopai you can view these photos by clicking on the 'our photos' link to the right.
For those of you who are up to praying for us, please pray for:
For those of you who are up to praying for us, please pray for:
· Thanks for good health for all of us over the winter months
· Thanks for a refreshing holiday over the last couple of weeks
· Perseverance into our last semester of study
· Healing of Eva’s finger
· For Henry to learn to be more gentle and caring
· The raising of financial and prayer support
Thankyou once again for your ongoing support,
God Bless,
Simon, Helen, Henry and Evangeline Johnson.
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