The Montifiore Manse

Finally Another Post

Dear friends & family,

If we are not told by friends and family in the US, or friends in Canada, we told by new friends and church family in Tassie: UPDATE YOUR BLOG! So we are. Finally.

What is there to update you on? Updating for one thing. We hope to update once a week or so.

Why?

Martha and I have been praying through a few things and resorting a few things. We've been examining our hearts and lives before the Lord and we have drawn up a new schedule for ourselves. We've been here in Tassie a little while now and the initial settling stage is over. Note that I said "initial."

Tassie is our home. Our church family is our new family. We belong here. We not only know it, but we feel it to the core of our bones too. But it sure does feel weird to be in December and not have any sleet, snow, or ice (and to our Oz friends, the mountain tops do not count). Plus, biological family is far away, and that is not an easy thing anytime of the year- but especially around Christmas. Thus, "initial."

Since November, Martha and I have gone out on a special picnic date (maybe it was a little before?), gone on several visits, and had several people over.

Our home has been decorated a bit and it truly is ours. There is still more to do in the guest room and nursery, but we are taking our time a bit on those. As you can see below, we already have many of the big things for the nursery and baby.

The garden is growing like crazy and there is a pic of that further down too.

I have been preaching on I Samuel in the morning and I John in the evening. Preaching is a constant battle, just as personal devotions are as well, but that is how it shall be as long as we are on pilgrimage here below. Though it is a challenge week by week, I would trade it for nothing in the world. I pray the Lord continues to provide strength and grace for the task.

The Tuesday night church Bible study on Colossians continues to go well, as does the once-a-month "Puritan" Bible study an hour up the Tamar river in George Town. We are currently taking a summer break from them though. Lord willing, we'll begin the church study again the middle of January and the George Town study the middle of February.

Christmas holidays will be spent with Rev. Iain Smith (my Scottish counterpart in Hobart) and his wife Mary. It will be nice to spend a few days with them at their vacation "shack" (that's a holiday house in Tassie) and do some fishing too.

We miss you all very much and we hope to begin the once-a-week-or-so updates in the New Year.

Lord's Blessings to you all.

terry

P.S. Martha here - just want to thank you for the kind comments on last post and let you know that we DID have another pumpkin pie, a scrumptious pumpkin cheesecake, and pumpkin cake with cream cheese icing too. The pie and cake were shared at church Bible studies. Many of our friends were surprised at how good the pumpkin desserts were. The universal reaction was, "This tastes kind of like carrot cake!" It's the spices you use with pumpkin - cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, mostly, that bring that reaction. Anyways, it was great. And thanks again, Mom, for the can of pumpkin. It was a treat for all. :D

Here is our organ! It was given to us by a good friend and member of our church family. It is such a blessing to have it. The organ is very helpful for Martha to learn the Psalm tunes they use here as well to sing our old favorites we would not otherwise have opportunity to. Note that this is the unfinished guest room. Martha decided it was a little... TOO... pink. So it's awaiting a repainting for now.

Here is our little wardrobe in the nursery full of all sorts of goodies that were given to us!

From left to right, a pram (stroller), high chair, and rocking seat that we got from some friends for a very reasonable price.

Here is the cot (crib) we got from them as well. The picture does not do it justice!

This is our garden. On the far left is the corn, and it is over 6 ft. tall! Then proceeding right, potatoes (the foilage growing to 4 feet or so), broccoli (yielding heads over 10 inches across), and tomato plants covered in growing fruit. Off pic there are 4 lettuce plants producing so much we cannot keep up, and capsicums (green peppers), carrots, and a few silverbeets (spinach-type stuff) on the way.