Spring has Sprung, and Our New Lives have Begun

Sorry that it's been a little while between blog posts.  In case you don't know you can see more regular updates on our Facebook page even if you DON'T have a Facebook account.

We are now living in Toowoomba in our new home.  The last few weeks have been soooo busy with moving, camping and moving again, and unpacking, etc.

During the first week of September, we moved all our gear to a storage shed in Toowoomba with the help of a number of people, including Albert and Beatrice Roth, Tim and Cari Esychen, John and Sue Erbacher, Braedan Mitchell, Erika Hansen, Betty & Phil Skillington, and Lindsay, Christine, Dawson, Jett and Noah Ginn.  Lindsay, Dawson and Braedan were kind enough to travel down with me to help unload, with Lindsay driving the big truck.  Thanks again guys.

Lindsay also organised for us to stay overnight at their friends' place, Phil and Nori Albury.

As we unloaded the truck and loaded up the shed, it became obvious that not everything was going to fit, probably because we didn't pack it as well as the truck.  Phil Albury arrived to help and kindly offered to store the remaining items in his shed.

We returned to Hervey Bay the following day to an empty house and I spent that night with my family at Phil and Betty Skillington's place (Rayleen, Hannah and Josh had already stayed there the night before).

On Thursday 4th September we finally moved from Hervey Bay to live in Toowoomba.  During the drive, as we pulled up at Crows Nest for a break, my mobile phone rang.  It was a lady from Ozcare asking if I was still interested in a job that I'd applied for a month earlier and had already been notified that I was "unsuccessful" in that application.

Of course I said that I was still interested and we organised an interview for a week and a half later as she was about to go on holidays for a week in Hervey Bay.  :)

After arriving in Toowoomba we spent the next two weeks and one day in our van in a caravan park.

Hannah and Joshua started at Toowoomba Christian College for the last two weeks of the term, and both really love it there.  Even now they are both keen to get back to school after the holidays (yes, even Josh).

Much of our time over those first couple of weeks was spent looking for a house to rent, finding the ideal house and applying to rent it, having my job interview with Ozcare,  and for me working on ThePath training.

God is good and continues to provide.  We were successful with the house application and with the job interview.

Last weekend we moved in to our new house with the help of Robbie Skillington and a couple of his friends, and have been busy ever since with unpacking boxes and setting up furniture.

Tomorrow morning I start my new job as Support Worker in Ozcare's Mental Health Recovery Program.

We've also been attending Toowoomba Community Baptist Church over the last three Sundays and are all enjoying the worship, teaching, and fellowship.  We're starting to make friends and becoming part of this body of believers.

So, our new lives here in Toowoomba are definitely beginning, and we continue to look forward to what God has in store down the track.  We continue to be amazed at how He has caused everything to come together and we trust that He will continue to unfold His plan in our lives.

As I'm writing this I'm mindful that Verge in South Australia and Immerse in NSW and have both just begun for the week.  Please pray with me for both teams and for all the participants, that God will work in and through each one, writing His Story into theirs.

Blessings in Christ,

Mike Smith