A couple days ago I was watching Ratatouie with my family. It’s a Disney movie made in the traditional morals and ethics that Walt Disney (the company’s founder) would have loved. It’s a story about a rat who inspires to be a cook.

Basically, without spoiling too much, Reme (the rat) becomes a great cook and lives happily ever after. But it wasn’t this that amazed, but rather the meaning that this movie implied.

(quoted by Anton Ego, a food critique from the movie.)
‘Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.’

How cool is that!!!
It reminded me of a book my dad bought. It was about a fifteen year old proffesional artist. Her name was Akian……

http://www.artakiane.com/

Her parents were fully atheist. THey refused to have anything to do with God. But suddenly at the age of 4. She came to her parents and said that she had met God, had visited heaven and he was teaching her how to paint.

She then began to paint. Her paintings were so amazing that her parents became believers, because they saw that she was telling the truth and were amazed by God’s power. Painting after painting came and she soon became nationaly then internationaly recognized. At fifteen her paintings have been placed ib some of the greatest museums and art galleries. The Smithsonian Institute to name one…..

Why do I tell you this…. because she started out as no one important. Her parents were atheists of all things. Yet God began to use her in ways she and we….. never thought possible. All of you have different kinds of gifts. Music, Poetry, Art, Public Speaking, helping people even. You may not even know what your gift is.

But God has given each of us the choice to serve and honour him with whatever we DO have. And if we honour him he will honour us. That is what Akiane, Mozart, Bach, Ronan Hardiman and (even) Reme the rat have in common with us. If we give God the gifts he has given us, God will give them back to you tenfold. And will honour you for praising him with your God Given Gift.

Thanks Ratatouie and Akiane and of course you too God… You did teach us something today.

Age 8

Age 9

Age 11

Cheers

A couple of days ago was Anzac day and I thought it fitting that I should have a talk about this wonderful day that our band participates in.

Our band in the Anzac Day March

I’ll never forget my second dawn service though…..
We got up at about 4:30 A.M and we were off by 5:00 down to Brighton to do the dawn service there. We got there tuned up and then proceeded to march down the street with all the veterans.

When we arrived at the service I thought we would only have to stand there for about fifteen minutes. An hour and a half later my whole body was complaining. Yes even my stomach. When we began to march back I felt so sick that I thought I was going to….. Well you get the picture. It wasn’t very pretty. Then we’d be off to march in a parade which moves down the middle of the city. Followed by a 4 – hour job at the union hotel. Woot!!!!

The Veterans

You may be wondering why I even bothered to do all those things. But the answer is simple. I am only doing what millions of other people are doing on this day. Saying thank you to the men and women who gave their time and even their lives for wars which kept our country safe.

That is why I do it. I’ve seen what these people have gone through. I’ve read diaries, history books and biographies. Watched documentries and movies and they are all saying the same thing. Wars are HELL on earth. Those people lived and died so that we could be free. I have often wondered what would have happened if Hitler had taken over, or if the Japanese had invaded our land. Persecution, bloodshed and toil would have been the profit, but thanks to these men and women. War is no more and we live in freedom. Thankyou ANZACS for doing that for me.

Lest I forget……
“They shall not grow old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning
We will remember them.
Lest we forget.”

Cheers!!!!

On the saturday night before Anzac Day, our band was asked by the Police Department, to be part of the 2010 Special Olympics Closing Ceremony. It was held in the “Distinctive Homes Dome.” Our job as a Pipe Band, was to march the different teams out at the end of the ceremony. When it was time to start and we walked out of our room. All I could see was hundreds of kids and adults, all with mental disabilites, dancing and having fun. Awesome.

When we marched them out of the dome. They were yelling, shouting, dancing and having all kinds of fun. You couldn’t help but smile when you saw this. So with the bang of a drum we sent them home buzzing with happiness.

The Flame in The Closing Ceremony

But here is the really cool part. At that Ceremony there was at least one hundred volunteers. One hundred volunteers who had all taken time off of work to come and make mentally disabled people happy. For no pay. Isn’t that awesome!!!! Nothing beats a good bit of servantship. Which is why I’m glad to say we didn’t do that job for money. Because that makes us a servant to.

Volunteer Helping a Boy

It reminds me of how my family once every three or four months. Travels up to the Barossa and puts on a show for the old folks home. The people there love it and our family loves it as well. But to me that is just a way to say thankyou to the people who paved the way for our generation. A chance to serve them where I otherwise could not. To be a servant is an awesome feeling. Anyway here are some pictures from the Special Olympics.

Typhoon “Undoy” was not a very big typhoon to Manilan standards. But according to stats it RAINED 1 months worth of MANILAN RAIN in ONE day. Now the people in fairview are pretty well protected, But  the dams surrounding Quizon (which is the province fairview is in) where starting to show signs of breaking. So the Council: not wanting to have the dams break (which could have very likely wiped out all of Quizon.) Decided they would open the dams and release a little bit of the water…. Well that little bit happened to be quite a lot. And the “creek” in fairview, burst its banks. Destroying the surrounding area. A few thousand people lost their homes and a couple their lifes. But it was NOT THE COUNCILS FAULT. Because if they did not release the flood gates. ALL of Quizon AND fairview would have been destroyed.

But anyway after the typhoon, Mark was approached by some of the AOG churches in Australia and they asked if we would appreciate if they collected some money. For a relief effort. Mark said yes and so they started collecting money. And we started figuring out what we would give as a relief package and where we would give it.

Seeing that Fairview was in such a plight. We decided to set up shop there. The packages we would be giving out would include: Money, Sacks of Rice, Cooking equipment, Student start again money, and Blankets, pillows and such. So it was and still is a fair bit to give out. And for 100 hundred families that is a lot of stuff.

Now for the first couple of handouts. I didn’t get to go, but eventually I did go.This day we where handing out the cooking equipment and sleeping equipment. I wont bore you with the details. I’ll just say two hours later we where finished. And we celebrated with Jollibee.

But anyway occasionly we did have a few problems like: Because we only where doing a hundred people. The REST of the people thought it wasn’t fair. But after explaining to them the situation. They appeared satiated and left. So……. they didn’t get to use their pitchforks. But I dont think they care. Any way it is still going good and I think that we are really touching people. Like the man I will talk about in Part 2. But first here are some pictures.

Annie with the Huge pile of Dish racks and Water Jugs

ONE of the piles of Washing "Buckets" and cutlery

A pile of tin pots

Pastor Marco and Marevick with the complete week relief kit

A lady with her complete package

The Tricycle that we used to carry the packs

All right be ready for the second post coming soon

Hello again,

My apologies before-hand, this blog will be a fairly short one. I never got to spend a lot of time with the Victorian Team. Because I was sick for part of their stay in Manila. ANd I also have limited pictures.

But any way, the I got better. We went building and Gasangan shelter was the finished product. I think it’s amazing what you can do with 4 pieces of tin and 10 pieces of coconut wood. Hehe it took us 3 quarters of the day to finish. But the finished product was awesome.
But to get to the finished product…. Well it took some sweat. First we had to dig rather deep holes. With our hands, sticks, knifes and pieces of wood. Which we then sunk four poles into. This was the basic shape of the structure. Then we hammered on four pieces of bracing wood and slowly began to build the rest of the frame. 6 hours later the frame was finished and the phillipinos where putting the tin on the roof.
But then we had to stop for lunch so we left to get our food, and some of the Phillipinos stayed behind to finish the rest of the roof. When we came back the entire thing was nearly finished. So after banging about fifty sharp ends of the nails we had finished.

I will provide pictures of the shelter. But I will have to go there and take the pictures. So expect the pictures on Thursday.

Cheers

The Childrens Church the pictures all show is in at Place called Aplaya. Which is about ten minutes walk from our house (Pastor Mark and Chris’ house). The kids there all live in weatherbeaten-scraps of tin, wood and tarpaulin- houses. So when we show up with our cool songs, funny games and (of course) the prizes; the kids show up in a pack. Ready   for fun……. Cool

The role I play in the meetings is varies. From doing a short object lesson to Dancing around like a nut with the kids. From judging the colouring competition to…… gaurding the door.  Yes I do a fair bit in these ‘Parties.’

Oh the running goes as follows.

First Praise and Worship (usually Hillsong Kids songs led by three people doing actions).

Followed by testimony time (some of these kids have amazing testimonies).

Then it’s on to Lesson intro (usually a short story or object lesson).

Object Lesson (uh….. yeah).

The Actual Lesson (yep this is usually about God’s Love, justness or forgiveness).

Possibly a second object lesson (yep).

Then the summary. (hmm)

Closing Prayer. (done by a John 14:12 youth)

Finally the Colouring competition.

That is a typical service. Good fun for us youth and awesome fun for the kids.

There will be some pictures. I have to take them this Sunday so hang tight till then.

Cheers

Cheers Joshua

Friend

Wandering the death vales, chains hold me tight,

looking for healing sunshine, but finding only despairing night.

My body feels like a cave, void of all but the dark,

and worldly pleasures which I place in their, seem to leave no mark.

A burden is on my body, one that laughs at my pain,

any tries to loosen the burden, all come to vain.

Tears fall from my eyes, for they are clouded in despair,

With no one to hold me, to no one to help me, my lungs finding no air.

My body is now covered in scars, all within bruised and beaten,

nothing can keep me going now, and to the blackness my body weakens.

Stumbling now I fall on my hands and try to push myself back up,

but strength alludes me and beaten I sink into the dust.

Sobs rack my chest as hope leaves my heart,

as my weakened, despairing body lies there lost in the dark.

Then slowly hands encircle me, cradling me like a babe,

and slowly the hands embrace me, so I feel the warmth he made.

The hands have healing, the hands hold hope, and thankfully, I breath these ‘to me,

then with a snap my burden leaves and then I know I am free.

Slowly he picks me up and places me, gently, on my feet,

and gives me a light, bright and burning, to search out what I meet.

Healer, redeemer, deliverer, saviour, my lord, all these things to me.

But when I stumble again and gently he lifts…….

One more word shall I delightedly add,

and that one I believe is friend.

So without further ado……

Leonard (New rose’s son) and Nicolae ( Pastor Marevick and Marko’s son)

Roslyn and John-Ray (New Rose’s younger son and daughter)

Nicolae (again) and Andrew (younger son of Pastor Marko and Marevick)

Chicken-Joy (Ati Weng’s youngest daughter)

From left to right Chicken-Joy, Rea (Weng’s second youngest daughter) and Beverley (Pring’s second oldest daughter )

On the left Marylin (Pring’s oldest daughter) and Meryl (the second oldest in Marco and Marevick’s family)

and last but not least

Chun-Chun (old rose’s oldest son)

I will get some new pictures soon, but it is so hard to catch them standing still!!!!!! So I will try my best and while you are waiting for my new set of pictures. Stay tuned for the next part of this blog.

Cheeeeeeers Josh