Praying for rain

5th Sunday of the month = Guest Service
30th of September = 5th Sunday

In McKinnon we didn't have a single guest. Nonetheless, we still stuffed chairs in our van to bring down to Frankston even though we have more then enough in Frankston.
We pray that as the rain waters the earth, so will the gospel water the hearts and minds of the people in the country. We pray for rain, but how many of us bring along an umbrella?

We brought umbrellas, hoping and praying, that tonight, the chairs will be filled up

Please join us in praying that we would have effective outreach to the McKinnon/Frankston area, and that the people would hear Gods word preached, and respond to it.

The cooolest Cole Cousins

Watch the video of me, my sisters, and my two amazing cousins Hannah and Paige.

How talented are you we?

This was taken the last night we saw them (actually they surprised us by coming to G'ma Coles to see us again). So many memories.

So this song, and this post is dedicated to them, and the whole family.

Goodbye my friend

Yesterday evening I said goodbye to my dear friend Elli. For the sixth time since we have been in Australia, I went to the Melbourne airport. This time to say goodbye to Elli Wetzel.
The past five weeks she has been staying with her Aunt and Uncle in Australia (she is German and lives in Germany) whom we girls babysit for.
We have been hanging out with Elli a lot the past five weeks. We went to the city twice (three times if you count the airport), she has come over for dinner a few times, gone to bible study together, she came to church a few times, had sleepover, had movie nights, even made scrapbooks together. We had sooo much fun! It was great to have a friend our age, right down the road to stop in and say hello, or to go up to the city together just to go to the city, or to walk to church or bible study. And we took heaps of pictures!!
Yesterday, we parted. I rode up to the airport with the Wetzels. When we got there we ate Hungry Jacks until the line opened. Elli went through, then we waited around until her gate opened. We walked around the airport, Elli and I took the boys on a few wondering, and just waited around until the time came. We said our goodbyes. I cried, I don't like goodbyes. The ride home was relatively quiet. I cried more, it is hard to be sad around 3 giggling young boys though.


I had to put this picture up, it is pretty much the cutest picture EVER!

After five wonderful weeks, she is now gone. I miss her greatly! Lord Willing we will see each other again some day.

Elli, ich liebe Dich so sehr viel! Ich bin so froh, daß ich Sie als mein Freund habe. Ich vermisse Sie bereits!

Had a grand day!

I....
woke up
ate brekky
went to maths class
came home
watched 'We are Marshals'
at lunch of oatmeal and a crumpet
Drove to Aldi's
went grocery shopping with mum
we went in
My list was still in the car
I walked out
got stopped to have my bag checked because I was walking out with an empty trolley
came back in (mum had the list with her all along)
did our shopping
bought a coffee maker
I drove home
put away groceries
made coffee
made breadsticks
I tried to put chicken seasoning rather then cinnamon in my coffee
I laughed uncontrollably
drank my coffee
...after that....
well that's it, the after hasn't happened yet
I may do a small amount of school before the time comes to make tea
I may go to Benji's game
or I may stay home and do school
I may go to Tuesday night fellowship
I may come home and go to bed and sleep until tomorrow comes
....Lord Willing

James 4:15 "You ought to say 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'"

Martha and Ruth

I am officially using my brand new (okay, second hand, but new for me) very own laptop.

The past two weeks have been computer weeks at the Blackwood home. We had one of us kids computers just die last week, so we got some new computers. Charity and I got laptops (Martha and Ruth ) and we got two new ones for outside, Tamara and Benjamins computers ( I am pretty sure they are still Matthew and Mark). Charity and I are renaming them though. Tamara and I are trying to convince Chaza that Bob Jr. is a grea name for hers. :) So far I have decided on Hezekiah, but after Robert Lachlyn Charles Laptop (Bob lachy Charlie Lappy for short) I figure I need at least one middle name if not two. Any suggestions?

Chaza and I are both pretty excited about them, hopefully we can tear ourselvs away from them at times to get other things done. :)


Quote of the post:
Charity: Woah! Its just like Bob!
Dad: Charity, this computer is ten times the man Bob was

Psalm 121

A Song of Ascents.

1 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD is your keeper;
The LORD is your shade at your right hand.
6 The sun shall not strike you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD shall preserve you from all evil;
He shall preserve your soul.
8 The LORD shall preserve your going out and your coming in
From this time forth, and even forevermore.

EXCITED!!!!

making peanut butter choc chip cookies
running in and out of the kitchen to check on them
doing school
preparing Sunday school,
PREPARING FOR YOUTH CAMP!!!
I am on a high
This weekend will be a BLAST!!!!!
Tuesday is our Biology exam, but lets not put a damper on things
THEN......AMERICAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!


“Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one.”

Joshua david

With too big pajamas on, his hair all in a mess, he looks up at me. He is so small, so young and innocent, so happy. It does not take much to make this gorgeous little boy happy. Just a bottle of warm milk and a bedtime story is enough to make him perfectly content. A smile spreads over his small round face he is so charming. He reaches to give me a goodnight hug and kiss before he lays his head against the pillow. His eyelids begin to droop as he gives into the sleep that is taking over. The smile is replaced by a somber look, no longer caring what is going on, except for in his dreams. He looks so peaceful when he sleeps. There is now no reason for him to worry or fear. Nothing can touch him now. He knows he is safe. Goodnight my adorable little friend Joshua.

Check out the music video below on the right hand side

Driving

I got my first try at driving a manual car today.
So it was only in the driveway, but it was still fun.
I wasn't very good at it.
My mum was a little scared.
It gave my siblings a good laugh.
Towards the end I finally figured out how to use the clutch.
Maybe next time I will be a little better at it...Maybe :)

In an automatic car, I am a little bit better. I drove half way home from church a few weeks ago. Only half way because Dad wasn't sure if I am ready for the freeway. That was my only drive longer then 5 minutes. I have a little trouble with the round-a-bouts. I have been doing little drives such as to and from bible study and evening church, but other then that not much. It has been great driving. I like it a lot. :)

updating

I know I haven't updated in a while, school has been keeping me busy. But here I am updating when I should be doing school. :)

Reasons for me to smile today

1. I am listening to storm ( and yes, it makes me smile mostly because I love that song)
2. Its Friday!
3. Its getting colder
   
4. Its almost the weekend
5. Tonight we girls are going over to the Glovers to eat Chinese and watch Pride and Prejudice
   
6. Saturday we are having a sleepover with Hollie and Hannah
7. Sunday is the Lords day
   
8. I am almost done with school for the week
   
9. I just got off the phone with a dear friend ( I love you Mary!)
   
10. I have an amazing family
11. I have incredible friends
    
12. Because school will end someday even if learning never will
13. I am eating a butterfinger
    
14. Because I am blessed
    

Life

Thanks to my wonderfully amazingly talented brother Zachary, I now have an official website. So check it out. Go here to check it out.

In other news, the rain just poured down, and is still coming throughly soaking all the clothes hanging out on the line. Rain is such a blessing, I have never appreciated rain more then when I have been living in Australia.

Spend Tuesday night curled up on the Glovers coach, after having put the kiddles to bed, with one of my favorite books, their dog Polly, and a tissue box (no, not because I was crying, because I was getting a cold) Well,I am not getting it anymore, I have a cold, so am sneezing and sniffling all over myself, hoping to be better soon. The cold weather is coming, which makes me happy. I love bundling up in hoodies, and even without snow, winter is still fun.

Wednesday night , we (mum, benji, and we three girls) watched you've got mail for the second time in less then a week.

Thursday night we three girls went to the Glovers for the 7 C's and had the worlds best coffee and to chat with Matt and Justine. It was fun, except was was cold and shaky, but it was still fun. I love spending time with the Glovers. :) Then I stayed up late and woke up early so I could read 'A series of unfortunate events'. I still don't know how the series ends.

School holidays start tomorrow. We are planning a few things for the next two weeks, but Charity and I still have to do school, so it won't really be much of a holiday, except, no classes.


Countdown
2 days until Sunday! I LOVE Sundays!
7 days until mine and Bethany Glovers birthday
11 days until I get my permit
73 (I think) days until Youth camp
79 days until our family holiday to America

longing for the future, but living here and now to glorify God with all that I do

I can't wait

I need to see them
I need to hug them
I need to be with them
I can't wait till tonight!!!
Too little sleep
To much school
I am pumped
I am on an adrenalin high
Together again!
The whole family at family camp
I couldn't be more excited!

Chasing the sun

Black clouds above me
Blue skies ahead
Chasing the sun
I am pedaling hard
in slippery shoes
Chasing the sun
The rain falling down
Getting all wet
Chasing the sun
Soggy papers
Soggy me
Chasing the sun
Getting tired,
but continuing on
Chasing the sun
Over this hill,
and up ahead
Chasing the sun
Suddenly it has stoped
As soon as it had begun
I stop
I think
Has it stopped raining,
or did I catch the sun?

Taking on the Jellys

The temperature has been in the hight 90's F lately, so it has been pretty hot lately especially since we don't have air conditioning in our house, so it can get pretty hot around our house. So last Saturday our family (except for Charity) packed up and headed down to the Mt. Eliza beach. Because of a recent strong onshore wind there has been heaps of jellyfish in the bay lately. It was the first time our family had encountered them. Benji and I were just harmlessly swimming along when Benji squealed "EEEIKK". Dead ahead was this red jellyfish. Dad was visiting Robbie, so we decided we should catch one and show dad when we came along. So we got out the swimming caps to catch the Jelly's. We got the one after lots of trying, then Benji spotted another one! So we caught it too and added it to our collection. We went on like this spotting more and more till we had nearly a dozen. It was so cool to watch them swim or whatever they do. They kept getting their tentacles tangled with each other. After dad arrived and we showed him our wonderful collection. Benji was afraid that we were being cruel and unusual to the poor little guys getting their tentacles all tangled with each other, so we let all but 4 go. There It was pretty sweet, Tim-Tam, Mum, and me even got stung by one. It was really weird. More of an itch then a sting. It was very strange, but didn't last long. I love going to the beach, despite the deadly animals. Ok, so there really aren't any deadly animals in the water in Victoria....at least no that I have heard of. You never know though. :) Well, there are a few pictures ^ of our adventures. Enjoy!

Happy Valentines day

My daddy is my valentine. He got us three girls and my mum roses. I know we are weird, but as soon as we got them, we girls decided to dress up just for pictures. So, the only place I went for valentines day was my living room, but hey, we got some good pictures, and it was fun. So what did y'all do for valentines day?

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

To Raymond and Carolyn Hughes on the birth of their firstborn son, Thomas James Wilson Hughes. He was born on Sunday February the 4th, he weighed 7 lbs and 12 oz ( I think. I am not positive about those, but pretty sure). He is a beautiful baby! We went and saw him in the hospital today. Here are some pictures that I promised I would put up:



















Me with baby Thomas




















Thomas and his mummy















The whole family















Such tiny hands (his and mind)




















Daddy with his tiny baby


We are all pretty excited about a new baby in our church. It is the first birth since we have been in the church. Ray and Caza are going to be such amazing parents. I am so happy!

Quote of the post: "All new born babys kind of look the same. They all look like little possums." -Carolyn Hughes

10 things that make me joyful

Thanks to Charity's blog. It inspires me. I was reading through old posts on her blog and found a post from October 2005, and it was a bit like this.

1. When the Aussie people call me beautiful

2. Eating good ice cream (yes they have it here)

3.Sleepovers

4. Sundays

5.Benji asking me to play xbox with him

6. Hanging out with my sisters

7. Paper round

8.Singing

9.Going over to the Glovers

10. Going to the beach

I am not saying that these are the only things that make me joyful, just a few of the many things.

quote of the post: "Anyone who says only sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain"
--Anonymous

It's the simple things in life that you miss the most

Exactly one year ago me and my family followed Gods will for our lives and found ourselves in this strange country of Oz. We arrived on a Saturday and on the following Sunday Alistair McEwen took us four Blackwood kids out to see the bay. He encouraged us to keep a list of the weird things that we encounter in Australia because before too long they won't be weird anymore. I really didn't realize how true that was. I look at things differently now. Most things that I thought were weird then are now completely normal. There are a lot of things from America that I really miss. It's the simple things, the things that I took so much for granted that I miss so much. Things (in no particular order) such as...

• My friends and family
• Square milk jugs
• White eggs
• Yellow stop lights
• Wall mart
• Sams Club
• Deal$
• American ice cream
• Movies 8
• Toco bell
• Biscuits and gravey
• McDonald's breakfast
• Rice crispy treats
• American marshmellows
• S'mores
• Papa Johns breadsticks
• Motzies pizza
• Northside classes
• Southside
• The drives to different places in Indy
• Peoples houses and cars
• 12 and 15 passenger vans in the church parking lot
• Snow in Christmas
• Thanksgiving
• Fourth of July
• Our home in Indy
• Our pets
• Burger King
• Driving on the right side of the road
• Dill pickles
• Robins
• American trees
• Places around Beach Grove (feed and seed, the library, NBO, the bank, the Benedict Inn)
• Dads work
• Snow days
• Our pool
• Grandma and Grandpa's house
• Clogging
• Seek classes
• The orthodontist and dentist (I know I am crazy, but yes I really do)
• Choir
• Streets around our house
• The dear cows
• My mooter scooter
• The lawn mower
• Our go-cart
• Our shed
• Indiana tomatoes
• Conner prairie
• GCA
• Bulldogs
• Sunday school
• CYPU events
• Youth group
• Corn fields everywhere
• Corn detasseling
• Good radio stations
• Fazolies
• Holiday in with the lights in different shapes for different holidays
• American flags everywhere
• Aunt Laura and Uncle Roberts house
• Doing crazy things with the Rays
• ECHO
• Covie/Calvin
• My old bike
• Dandelions everywhere
• Squarles
• Ugly possums
• Family fun night
• Shepherding groups
• Darbie and Dale
• Ultimate Frisbee
• built in dressers
• Grandpa Blackwoods animals
• Colored cups
• Sams club pancake mix, pizza, and samples
• Babysitting for women's prayer
• Hot chocolate and Lemonade after church
• Blueberry bagels with Strawberry cream cheese
• Sledding behind Grandpa's tractor
• Riding horses at Grandpa's
• Charity and Tamara's old stereos
• Our Blue van and mini can
• The mini
• Downtown Indy
• Dairy Queen
• The wood stove in our basement
• Cole gatherings
• Blackwood reunions
• Green money
• The children's museum
• Popsicles
• pink milk on Saturday mornings
• koolaid

I do miss these things so much, but they don't seem so important when I realize that I am here in Australia serving God.

Check out Charity's blog for Anniversary 2

Quote of the post: Don't count the days till you go back, just live each day as it comes because the time will go by fast enough.
-Brett Pluke

The other side of the world to me

I apologize for the longness of this post

After very few hours of sleep it was 6:00AM. I was lying wide awake on the Longs downstairs hide-a-bed. The minutes ticked by like hours, but I didn't want this day to start, so I didn't get up. Finally at 6:30 the alarm went of forcing me to get up. I woke Flo up. It took a while to do so, but eventually she got up and I went up stairs to have coffee with Beth, Cathy, and Charity who hadn't slept at all.
Eventually we were all up and moving. After I completed getting ready for the day I went down to the Longs basement where I found Kathryn, Flo, Beth, and Anna. I sorta broke down saying 'I didn't want to leave'. Beth made it very clear that we were not aloud to cry yet, so I held back the tears.
So we (Kathryn, Flo, Beth, Cathy, my sisters and I) headed off to Southside RPC with Mr. Long driving some of us. We arrived at church and sat down in the front row for the last time. Pastor Keddie preached on 'What it means to be a prophet'. I must sadly admit that I didn't pay as much attention to the sermon as I should have. Most likely because of lack of sleep the night before. As I look back on my sermon notes I can hardly read them because me sentences ended in squiggles where there should have been words.
After church came Sunday school. I spent the first half of when I should have been in class talking to the Soma's before I quietly snuck into class. After church came time to say goodbye to some of the people that weren't going to be able to make it to our going away party.
I said goodbye to the Elders crying when I hugged Charlotte.
Then the Parton's said goodbye to us. Mrs. Parton told me to think of her whenever I saw any fish. I told her I would. The goodbyes had to start then. It was very sad. Rushed goodbyes are never fun.
After church our family headed home. Dad made us look through our basement for a lost item. So we had to do that before we could eat lunch. Lunch was all the leftovers from meals that people had brought us the week before. I went up stairs and sat in my old room (Allen's before mine) on the floor (because Eleni had already taken my bed) with a blanket and pillow. I heard Charity in the room next to me on the phone. I didn't know who was on the other end, but I overheard that someone wasn't going to be able to make it to our going away party. I couldn't help myself I started crying and must have cried my self to sleep (which is never fun) because the next thing I knew, Dad was telling me it was time to get ready for church.
I completed getting ready then got in the car with Grandma Wallace, Charity, and Tamara and we headed off to church. The car ride there was very quiet besides sniffles. My Grandma commented that it hadn't even started and we were already crying.
Walking towards the doors I was already crying and it didn't help to see heaps of my friend standing at the door waiting for us to arrive. I was greeted by Faith Hovee and Laura Nelson before I even got to the doors. The tears just kept falling. I cried on my friends shoulders, then headed toward the sanctuary which was packed.
Ruth came over and gave me my Christmas present and gave me a hug before I sat down next to my Grandparents for my last evening service at Southside, at least for a while.
I was in tears most of the service. During the requests form the congregation we sang psalm 146A. Charity, Tamara, and I, along with most of the Southside girls were crying. That was the last time, at least for a long time, that the descant was sung by the Blackwood girls.
Pastor Keddie preached about 'The God that glorifies us'. This was a really good sermon for me to hear. In his second point that God watches over us, he mentioned that God will always be watching over us and not just as a spectator, but as a God who is near to us. That helped remind me that God will still be there watching over me in Australia.
Following the sermon came a time of prayer for the Blackwoods and their ministry in Australia. We all got up on the platform along with the Elders and they prayed for us. I was standing there trying not to cry up in front of everyone when Tamara asked me for a tissue. I just lost it. The tears spilled over. I couldn't help it.
I didn't realize how many people were there until I stood up and looked around after church. We all headed off toward the fellowship hall for food and farewell.
We Blackwoods were supposed to be the first ones in line for cake, but unfortunately I didn't even get to see the cake whole except for in pictures. I was to sad to eat and to busy saying goodbye to everyone.
There were more then 100 people ,besides the Southsiders, there to say goodbye to us. Everyone made us feel so special. Saying goodbye to this wonderful church family that had been so great to me in the past five years was very hard.
There were lots of hugs and tears on my part. Mr. Bishop did a little talk about the weird things in Australia and about how special the Blackwoods were and how we would be greatly missed. Then came time to really start saying goodbye to people.
The Longs had to leave pretty soon after. I love that family so much. Beth and I shared a long hug. They were really the first people that we had to really say goodbye to, and then they headed home.
The Harts tried to leave without saying goodbye, but Tamara caught them before they left.
The Mangan family was all there. It was hard thinking about the school year to come without all the classes that we had with them.
Saying goodbye to the Southside friends of mine was very hard. I love and miss all of them so much!
The Saunders attempted to cheer us up by making smiley faces out of food.
Hannah Ray came over and told us that we had done it, we seceded in making her cry. She said she felt like she was loosing her little sisters.
I had to say goodbye to Ruth and Elizabeth and that was pretty tough. I felt like a lot of my goodbyes were rushed. I guess that was what happens when you try to say goodbye to more then 300 people in one night.
When I hugged Liz Neel goodbye, she commented that she was crying on my hair, and so was I on hers.
Flo was convinced that she wouldn't cry during the evening, but she broke down on Charity and that didn't help seeing that.
Micah Humphrey's did his best to make us smile through out the evening and he did a pretty good job of it. Emily was really good at encouraging us to remember all the good times we had and that we were following God's will for our lives.
When the time came to say goodbye to the McKlintocks that was hard. I couldn't believe that they and the Moores had come down to say goodbye to us. Even though I had only known them for a year, we had become great friends.
Andrew Doerr gave us his CD including the song that he wrote for us and that was exciting. He was the first guy that I hugged goodbye, but not the last.
Kathryn Held was very smiley until she asked Benji to hug her but he wouldn't because he was embarrassed. When he finally did it made her smile through her tears.
Joseph Ray gave us three girls some of his special gel pens. As Zachary said it was like a banker giving up his gold.
One of the hardest parts of the evening was when the car with Kathryn, Anna, and David Held, and Flo was pulling out. They were almost the last people to leave. They all got in, rolled down their windows, and David started them all singing friends never say goodbye. I couldn't even stand watching them pull out, so I waved and then walked back toward the church tears clouding my vision. That was it, most everyone was gone.
When the Kreigers and Grandma Wallace were the only ones left, we stood around not saying much. Zachary made us smile, and we took pictures of where we and the fishers were headed, and where Josh and Sarah already were.
The car ride home that night was very quiet. I stared out the window most of the time. Remembering every detail about that drive home from Church for the last time for a long while.
When we got home the Soma's came over and cleaned out our fridge. We gave them most everything except for lucky charms, milk, ice cream, Jam, and bread (we had to have something for breakfast the next morning).
I was looking through moms desk when I found two American stamps. I had to use them, I couldn't let them go to waste, so I sent out two last letters. I ended up having to make envelopes out of construction paper because the envelopes were packed.
I read my bible, lay down in my parents closet with only a blanket and a pillow and fell asleep right away, tears rolling into my ears. Crying sure makes your tired.

It has been a whole year since that day at Southside Reformed Presbyterian Church. Leaving my church family behind was pretty tough, but I have come to love my church family here so much. Everyone in the Frankston/McKinnon churches have touched my life in many amazing ways. A year ago I never could have even imagined how much I would truly love these people. I still miss my church family in America, , but eh amazingly wonderful people here have made it less hard.

Check out Charity's blog for a bit more and Zachary's pictures from that night.

Memories

the memories come flooding back when I look through these pictures. Below are a bunch (sorry there really are a lot you don't have to look through all of them) of photos from my life in America from Evensville to Indianapolis. I would have put some more from when I was younger, but we didn't have a digital camera back that far, so therefore all of those pictures are in photo albums boxed up in Aunt Carla and Uncle Davids garage. I hope you guys enjoy looking through these and hopfully it will bring back some memories of your own.

Thanks to Allen for the song. I don't know what it is called, but we kids used to run around the living room while listening to this song. Is sure brings back memories.