We have been in huge change for the last several months - and for the next four or five! Closing our warehouse in December-January and shifting stock to Kennedy International in Sydney was a massive task, made more difficult by having to say farewell to faithful and loyal staff.The step was inevitable for financial reasons, but we hope it will also be to our benefit with less administrative responsibility.
Coinciding with this move, we are relocating our home (not something we all relish!) to be closer to the church we helped pioneer a number of years ago in Heatherton/Clarinda in Melbourne - the Christian Resource Centre. It is a thriving church of three or four hundred, with a Christian school, excellent ministry to the needy, a drug rehab programme and more.
The site has now moved - go to -
http://www.resource.com.au
They have been very kind in giving us an office (our address there is 316 Kingston Rd., Clarinda, 3169; Ph.03 9551 7476) and space to place a container for the balance of our stock not sent to Sydney.
A factor not insignificant in this move is that Nolene has 28 relatives attending the church! (Albeit mainly anklebiters!) Our son Matthew and his wife Rachael have also just moved back there after their church closed down, so that makes 30. (Matthew is currently working on an MBA and Rachael continues her PhD in Water Purification, having won a couple of scholarships this year which have enabled her to study further overseas.)
In the midst of all this, we returned from (shortened) holidays in January when our daughter Kirsten and husband Kristin produced our first grandchild - Kiara Josie -weighing in at 9lb. 12oz. There is a law of nature that says no grandparent is capable of objectivity when talking about their grandchildren. All boast that theirs are the most beautiful on earth. We were blessed by the fact that this grandchild really IS! If you have a spare half day, ask Nolene to show you photos.
Then, on top of all that, we are planning a trip to Russia in May where our second daughter Rebecca is getting married to Alexei. That would have been enough except that, with fares all booked and plans all made, about six weeks prior to leaving our visa applications were refused - for six of us. Can you imagine that! (We have contingency plans in place that we can't talk about yet.)
In the thick of that our beloved dog Jessie fell sick and we had to have her put down - after 16 happy furry years. Dog lovers will understand.
The day after Jessie's demise, a family friend, Jocelyn, phoned to say she had had us on her mind for several days - what was going on? Jocelyn has done that several times before and continually prays for us. Kris and Kirsten chose their baby name "Josie" in her honour. She is such a blessing.
On our trip overseas, we are planning a stay in Singapore - to attend a conference and meet with people interested in publishing our material. The worship resources are already sold in Malaysia and our book "Eternity" in Singapore.
On our way home, we spend about a week in Nairobi in Kenya. A large church there is planning to publish our song resources in Kenya and beyond and we will conduct a worship seminar there in Nairobi as well.
In all the above, we have been preparing this release - gathering songs, training the choir, co-ordinating resources, etc., as well as conducting a seminar in Canberra and other kinds of ministry. Life has not been dull these last few months!
In all the difficulties of life, what a relief it is to be able to turn aside and draw strength from God. Sometimes the answer is not there right then, but God is. Philippians 4:13 tells us not to be anxious but to pray and give your requests to God, following which "the peace of God that transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus". God and his peace are our ultimate prizes.
Love from Nolene and myself, Dennis.