At Last

We are pleased to announce a new Canadian blog where you can continue to view snippets of Klaver life at http://theroyalwoodreview.blogspot.ca/. Happy 2016!

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 

Dear family and friends,

We have safely arrived at our new home in Rosedale BC ! All our flights went well. The kids behavior was very good. We landed at 7:35am and were through immigration by 9:30am. Some of the church family met us and drove us back to our wonderful new home.

We unpacked. I switched over some funds and got a new computer and unpacked a few boxes of books I sent ahead. The kids had a bit of a nap. Lord willing we can get off to a good start overcoming the jet-leg by getting to bed on time tonight and not sleeping in too late in the morning. 

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. 

We hope to be updating a bit as we settle in more here.

The Lord be with you.

“Beware of aspiring to such purity that you will not wish to be looked upon as a sinner, or to be one.  For Christ dwells only with sinners.”              

-Martin Luther to George Spenlein 1516

Going to Chilliwack 

After much thought and prayer, Saturday March 16, I accepted the call to become the pastor of the Heritage Reformed Congregation of Chilliwack.  I know the Lord is calling me to go to Chilliwack and leave Tasmania but it is still quite hard for me to grasp.  The word that keeps coming to mind is surreal.  

It seems strange to be leaving now.  We have two new elders.  Some of the things I have been praying about since arriving here have begun to come to fruition.  Apart from the burden of the Lord to go, some would consider it foolish for me to leave.  

I asked a good friend for counsel and he thought I should stay in Australia because no place needs the Reformed faith more and I would never have nearly as much freedom (in my work and approach to the ministry) as I would have in Australia.  He is absolutely right.  But the Lord would have me go to Canada and where He sends is where I need to be.  But why do I need to be in Canada?  Why would the Lord call me there? and how do I know the Lord is calling me there?  

As I have sought the Lord three main things (there were many other things as well) stood out powerfully to me.  The first was how our congregation has developed here.  Things have just begun to reach the point of development I was praying for (as I mentioned earlier).  I prayerfully envisioned these advancements in a more mature and developed state but they have begun in principal.  I trust the Lord will send a teaching elder to continue the work here but with the elders that have been ordained and installed have the gifts to continue developing the work here. 

The second main thing has been developing relationships with like minded churches in Australia.  By "like minded" I mean other denominations we hold very similar convictions with regarding worship, subscription to the Westminster standards, and even shared history.  Particularly our relationship with the Evangelical Presbyterian Church.  

The Evangelical Presbyterian Church was the denomination the Southern Presbyterian Church split from in 1986.  During my time here there has been growing personal and denominational reconciliation.  Hard feelings have been overcome.  Estranged families have reunited.  There are denominational differences but at least now we can talk together as denominations and consider the possibility of working together.  I am very thankful for these developments.  I would encourage further development between the EPC and the SPC but any further steps should be taken by indigenous SPC folk.  

Third, I felt the Lord was calling me to Tasmania because it was in greater harmony with my gifting and challenged me more to depend on the Lord.  As I sought the Lord I found that my gifting and the challenge was now in Chilliwack.  

As I pondered these reasons, and searched the Word, a few Scriptural themes were driven home to me.  The first theme was that the work of the ministry in Tasmania and the SPC, and especially the future, was in the hands of the Lord and not me.  Even before the call came Psalm 119:126 "It is time for thee, LORD, to work:for they have made void thy law" was a pleading ground for me.  As I pondered the call Psalm 119:126 became even more of a burden.  The second theme was waiting.  All of Psalm 25 became precious and encouraging.    The third theme was obedience to the Lord and His calling, particularly from I Samuel 15:22 "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice" and Luke 9:62 "And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God."  

In light of the above reasons and strong impressions from His Word I was convicted that we have to go to Chilliwack.  I shared these thoughts with Martha.  We prayed together.  The whole time I was considering the call Martha was open, and willing, to go wherever the Lord called.  

Though we cannot imagine leaving Tasmania the Lord has opened the doors powerfully and clearly for our move to Chilliwack.  Ezra's US passport, and Julia's passport renewal, worked out despite challenges.  Plane tickets for Chilliwack have worked out well.  We hope to have a moving consultant come and give an estimate in early April about moving.  

It maybe surreal to leave Tasmania but we must go and the Lord is opening the doors.  

Please continue to remember us, the Southern Presbyterian Church, and the Heritage Reformed Church in Chilliwack in prayer.  

The Lord be with you, 

terry

 

Matter for Prayer 

Dear friends and family, 

February 25 I received a call from the Heritage Reformed Church of British Columbia.

Please pray that the Lord will give me wisdom and clear sense of His will.  

Thank you.

terry 

Dear friends and family,

The Lord has been blessing our family and our congregation over the past month.

Since I last posted our family has had a couple rounds of gastro (flu/cold, etc.).  It started with me getting sick, then Julia, then Job.  Then later round two went Job, then Julia, then Martha, and then Ezra.  We seem well and truly over it now but it took a lot out of our family and there was plenty of extra laundry and clean up.  We have been blessed to see God's healing hand.

Job has continued with his potty training.  Some days he has no accidents at all and even potties himself.  Other days he has accidents but not usually in his clothes; it is a matter of keeping in mind of only going in the toilet.  Fortunately when he does have an accident it is usually outside and fairly easy clean up.

One of the highlights of the past month has been the instillation and ordination of two new Elders in our congregation: Nathan Patrick and Stuart Coles.  The ordination service January 27 and a fellowship luncheon after the service.  We hope to have our first Session meeting this Wednesday.  I greatly look forward to it.

I have continued preaching through I Peter and have begun a series on Revelation.  At our Tuesday night Bible study we are covering the major doctrines of Scripture.

Sorry I have not put up any pictures yet but I seem to be having some technical difficulties.  I hope to get on top of it so check back from time to time.

The Lord be with you,

terry