The Montifiore Manse

How We're Going 

Dear friends and family, 

We have been settling in well here in Chilliwack.  We have been here for 3 weeks now.  In that time I have been able to get a Social Insurance Number (like the US Social Security Number) and a British Columbian driver's licence.  As a family we have been able to purchase a car, chase out the details of our immigration status, assess our options for medical care, and get a Thermomix.  I have been able to set up accounts at a local credit union and gotten back in touch with my credit union back in the US.  Between the two credit unions we seem to have things sorted financially.  

Martha is making friends with the ladies of the congregation and I am enjoying being with the folk and working with my fellow office bearers.  This past week the kids seem to be get a handle on the fact that Chilliwack is now our home and we will not be going back to Tasmania.  Our second week here Julia would ask, "When are we going back to Tasmania," or say, "I like Tasmania better."  Now she seems to have adapted here.  Before we left Tasmania one of the families gave us a CD of some of the family members reading different stories.  That story CD is played more then anything else in our home right now.  Job and Julia are always requesting to hear, "Aunty Jaslyn read stories."  Earlier this week some of the men from the church took part of their holiday to build us a swing set and sand box.  The kids absolutely adore them.  

Things have been going well on the church side of things too.  I was Installed as Pastor on Tuesday May 7.  There was an Ascension Day service Thursday May 9.  My first Sabbath preaching, and administering the Lord's Supper in Chilliwack, was May 12.  I had my first Consistory meeting May 14.  

During that time we have been doing visiting as well.  Some visits as a family.  Martha and I have been able to do some visits as a couple.  I have done some visits myself and one with a fellow office bearer.  We have also had other people stop by for coffee, meals, and even simply hang out for the afternoon.  

There are still more visits we need to make but the folk are patient and understanding of our situation.   

Thank you for your prayers through this time of transition for our family.  We miss the folk in Tassie more then we can say.  It is still hard, and strange, thinking that we will not be going back to them in a day or two.  Our new church family here has been wonderful and done more then we could have expected or hoped.  I have felt particularly blessed in having a sense of picking up where I left off here several years ago.   

We still have to sort out the new name for the blog.  We might simply start a new one with a link back to this one.  Wait and see.  

The Lord be with you all, 

The Klaver family