Pre-Wedding Parking Difficulties in Manhattan

After a busy few weeks, I finally made it to posting a bit. The following post is a photo recorder of a little unexpected adventure I, Todd Munson (one of the groomsmen), and my sister Tristan had two days before the wedding. My sister Tristan and I drove into New York to pick up Todd from the airport. From the airport, we decided to head into Manhattan for a few hours. The few hours were extended due to some car problems.



Seeing as finding parking was difficult, to say nothing of trying to drive in downtown Manhattan at rush hour, we decided to spend some extra money and park in a parking garage. Note in the above photo how low the clearance down into the parking ramp is. This will become significant later.


After a few hours' whirlwind tour of Manhattan, we returned to the parking garage a little late. Upon arriving, we found that the car would not start. I was told a special trick to get it to start, but no matter what I did the car would not start. So I started making phone calls.


After receiving some more advice, and a couple variations on the trick to start the car, we gave it several more tries. We tried moving the car to level ground. We tried pumping the gas a lot more. We prayed the whole time.


Here we are calling for reinforcements. Martha's brother Pete and sister Joanna were on their way with the promise of help from AAA (Triple A).


Hours went by as Pete and Jo were caught in traffic. Eventually, Pete and Jo arrived but more waiting was ahead. We called AAA on hourly intervals as the truck they said would be there in the next half-hour or so never came. Eventually, the tow truck finally came at around midnight. We had been trying to start the car, get help, and have the car towed since 4pm.


Once the truck finally arrived we rejoiced greatly, but there was a problem. There was no way for the tow truck to get to the car. We were again discouraged. However, an idea was put forth in hope: we could use Pete and Jo's car to push our car up the ramp to the tow truck! The idea was our last chance, so we gave it a shot.


We pushed the car that would not start into position at the bottom of the ramp. Todd was designated pilot for the ride back up the ramp. Pete and Jo's car drove down the ramp and took position behind our car to push it up and out.

Up we go!

Once at the top, Todd hit the brakes and kept the car from heading straight out into the late-night traffic. Also, note the stack of card board boxes acting as a pad to keep the cars from being damaged.

Success!!

We then pushed the car out into the street to load it on the tow truck.

The car in position.

The city's garbage had been put out on the sidewalk for overnight pick-up.
Garbage was all over the place and almost knee deep.

Pulling the car up on the tow truck.

Todd lending a hand.

Pete and Jo supervising.

Todd and I decided to play a little garbage baseball with a cardboard tube and Styrofoam. My pitch was a little high and did not make it in the picture. Todd knocked it down the block.
What better thing to do in downtown Manhattan at 1 a.m. than garbage baseball?

We had the tow truck take the car to the mechanic's. We rolled it down and backed into place.


Jo made sure the keys were in the car for the mechanic and we headed back to the Lipsys'. When all was said and done, it was around 2 a.m. or so.

Even though we were in Manhattan a lot longer then we planned, spent a lot of time waiting, and got very tired, we had a great time and got to see Manhattan in a way many other people haven't.

The Lord was very good.

Please rejoice with us at the news that a new Klaver plans to make an appearance on or about April 25, 2008 the Lord willing. We are glad that this Aussie baby has decided on ANZAC day (Australia New Zealand Army Corps day) for a due date. We would appreciate it if you continue to remember all three of us in prayer during the pregnancy.

With love,
Terry, Martha, and baby Klaver

The hen's party was held a week and a half ago on September 1st. Here are some photos from the event. About 14 ladies from church came to welcome me to the rank of "hen" or housewife. It was an absolutely lovely time.


Here I am laughing with Mrs. Carins, Julie Kingston, Louise and Bromlyn (Mrs. Carins' daughters), and Lorraine tenHaaf. Mavis Connors is just slightly visible in the right-hand corner.


Here are the thoughtful ladies figuring out little conundrums of grouped symbols on paper that represent a common phrase or idiom. For example, E C N A L G stands for "backwards glance." From left to right, you see the heads of Jaslyn and Lorraine, Debbie, Roweena, Ava, Mrs. McNeilly, Mrs. Faulkner, Mrs. Rodman.


Apparently the great challenge for the modern housewife is to take down laundry quickly in the midst of a busy day. All of us ladies got to prove our skills by using one hand to gather pegs from the line and see how many we could get in that one hand without dropping any. The competition was fierce!


Unexpectedly, the American who scarcely has used a clothesline before (dryers being much more commonly used in the States) won with 15 pegs held haphazardly in one hand. As you can see, it was not a matter of careful method. "Beginner's luck," it's commonly called.


After that we opened gifts, each being themed to begin with one of the letters from the phrase "kitchen tea." Believe me, the cupboard is now well-stocked! But more importantly, the ladies all showed a very kind and welcoming spirit to the new pastor's wife. The whole display of kindness and generosity was very sincere and touching.


After the games and gifts, we read a few verses from Proverbs about the energetic, loving, wise housewife of Proverbs 31. It was a lovely way to remind us of the beautiful ideal of Scripture for our high calling as managers in the home.

I wish I had pictures of the spread we had later for midmorning tea. The fine china tea set was out in celebratory style; the delicate sandwiches and scones were scrumptious; the chatter over cups of tea and coffee was cheery. Overall, the hen's party was a total success.

P.S. I just realized I forgot to mention the marriage survival kit! It is a very creative and humorous box of resources for when I hit rough spots or just need a little something. Perhaps you can guess a couple of the contents; chocolate, Kleenex, etc. But some of my favorites were marbles for the ones I've lost, buttons to keep my lips closed when necessary, a virtually indestructable mug for when I need to throw something across the room, a 5 cent piece so I'm never truly broke.... and the best of all, a bunch of cards to refer to for sympathetic advice when I'm really frustrated with some situation and only for use after having committed the matter to the Lord.

People also brought some tried and true recipes and a book to paste them into, which promises to be really handy. Before long, I'll learn to be a well-rounded housewife... with a bit of time and practice, that is.

Dear friends & family,

Sorry we have not posted much lately but we have had more then enough to do getting settled back here in Tassie.

Martha has certainly turned the manse into a home.

Martha is well but I seem to have "an extremely nasty case," or so said the doctor, of tonsillitis. I am on some Penicillin so I should start feeling relief in a day or so.

Lord willing we'll have a more substantial update soon. Martha's "Hen's Party" went very well, and we have a couple of pics, and the people from the churches in Hobart and Launceston hope to have a wedding celebration for us Saturday.

Love through Christ,
terry

The Lipsy and Klaver families in Yellowstone

Dear friends and family,

We're getting settled now, and what a wonderful thing it is to finally be home! Due to steering problems (which were eventually fixed), our flight out of L.A. into Sydney was delayed a bit. this meant that we missed our connecting flight to Hobart and sat in the Sydney Airport most of Friday. But no worries, we made it in Friday evening at about 8pm or so. There we were warmly welcomed by Pastor Iain and Mary Smith and Mr. John Coles. We later found out that our delayed flight caused the cancellation of a surprise welcome-home barbeque. Oops!

The Smiths kindly extended their hospitality to us; it was pretty late and we were exhausted. The next day, we got up in time for brunch (long after the proposed breakfast time!) and then spent some time chatting and showing wedding pictures to the Smiths. In the end, we did not return home until early evening on Saturday. On the drive up from Hobart to Launceston we passed through a rainshower at sunset and were delighted at the sight of an inexpressably brilliant double rainbow. It was a visual reminder of how very loving and faithful our God is.

At home, we were treated to the generous gift of a "wallabee" in the fridge to ensure we would be well fed until we could run to Coles or Woolworths for groceries (actually it was regular stew and soup). On Sunday, Mr. Coles took services so that Terry and I had a quiet, relaxed day with our church family. Between services, there was a fellowship luncheon kindly prepared by the church ladies. It was truly a day of rest.

Since then, we've been settling in and taking things easy. We were strictly charged by the Smiths to not begin visiting right away so that we'd have a chance to get settled together, and we've been doing just that. I must say it's quite good advice and a pleasant way to begin new. The progress thus far: Saturday I arranged the bathroom, Monday we went grocery shopping so that the cupboards and fridge are now well stocked, and Tuesday I worked on putting away our clothes while Terry worked on the Bible study for last night. The study went quite well, and we look forward to going through Colossians together with our friends on succeeding weeks.

Yesterday was also our one-month anniversary!! It's been so wonderful already, and this is just the first month! God has truly blessed us both richly in one another.

The amount of pictures we have is really overwhelming, so for today I'll just post a selection of pictures titled "flowers of Maui." Enjoy!

P.S. In the future, look for postings on Martha's "hen party" with the ladies from church on Sept. 1st (the equivalent to Terry's "buck's party") and our second wedding reception with church family here to be held Sept. 8th in Ross, a lovely historic town midway between Launceston and Hobart.

Dear friends & family,

Just a quick note to say we are leaving Maui in a few hours. We hope to fly to Yellowstone National Park and meet family (Martha's side) for a camping trip before we head out to Tassie.

We leave Maui rested, blessed with a renewed sense of the Lord's power and faithfulness, and longing to return to Tas and continue our life together there with our church family.

Hope to be updating once we arrive back in Tassie.

Love through Christ,

Terry & Martha

Well, well, what clamor through cyberspace! I suppose we can spare a few minutes for the anxious friends who want to see and hear from the wedded couple even though we're on our honeymoon.

It's hard to put into words what all has been going on the past few weeks; everything is so novel and there has been such a whirl of experiences and emotions. One fact is abundantly clear - God has been overwhelmingly gracious to us in the details of these special days. The wedding day was perfect... and though I did put the ring on Terry's right hand, no one noticed except my sisters the bridesmaids. :D I asked him to switch during the last song before we headed out; no harm done. There were so many friends and family there to celebrate with us that we wished we could have spent more time with them all, yet at the same time we certainly missed those who because of distance or other constraints could not be with us. The reception with my brother emceeing went off wonderfully too.

And the honeymoon, what can I say so far? Being married to Terry is more wonderful than anything I could ever have imagined. God knew what He was doing in bringing us together! Our love story is another amazing testimony to the love which first found us, reconciled us to Him, transforms us into His image, and flows through us to each other and to those we strive to serve faithfully. Certainly, it's that way with all of His children's lives. But what fine attention to detail God shows in each life story! We were commenting today when we'd just been exploring some rocky shoreline how wonderful that God delights in all of the beautiful works He has made on so many levels and in so many places at once. We, on the other hand, are overwhelmed with wonder at a glimpse of one place in one time. What a God we have!

Of course, I know that the "mountaintop" experience, the "honeymoon phase," the glimpse of glory is not enduring. I know that it is but a part of the whole scope of life, of marriage, of the walk with Christ. Certainly there have been many rocky and dark moments during the stress of preparation and leave-taking, and certainly there will be many more during the adjustments and pressures to be faced ahead. But a refreshed sense of God's faithful care and a refreshed knowledge of the joy and pleasure which ultimately will await us in His presence in glory (Psalm 16:11) is a wonderful blessing of God which is now to be reveled in and given thanks for.

For the rest, let a few pictures suffice. Below are just a few of the first download we made off the camera.

We look forward to returning to our dear Tasmaniac friends and spiritual family on August 17. Until then, God's grace be with you.

our table set for tea on the lan'ai (patio) overlooking the ocean

sunlight streaming down the greenery and rocks

a marvelous place called Dragon's Teeth that was formed by an old lava flow

the man himself in a stunningly sharp shark shirt (say that five times!)

sunset over Lana'i, the island opposite West Maui

moonrise on the opposite horizon, after it rose out of the clouds

Back in the States

The picture above is one of down town (the CBD) of Newark. Martha picked me up from the Newark airport last might around 12:00am or early Tuesday morning.

After a total of about 33 hours travel I arrived at the home of the Lipsy family in Pompton Plains New Jersey.

In the last few days before our mariage there are a few details to take care of. Please continue to remember us in prayer.

Love through Christ,

terry

Tassie Send Off



Some good friends saw me off at the aiport in Launceston this morning. Pastor Iain Smith, his wife Mary, and Lorraine Ten Haaf picked me up from the Montifiore Manse at 4:45am and took to the airport. We had a nice but all to brief time of fellowship before I went through security to fly out for Melbourne (pronounced "Mel-bun" for some reason here in Oz).



This send off was truly rare. Iain called it, "once in a life time." Why? Because Mary Smith is known throughout the SPC as someone who truly appreciates a good nights rest. She is rarely seen at such early hour. Iain thought I should note such a rare moment by enshrining it on the Montifiore Manse Blog with a photo of his beloved, sleep appreciating, beauty.





This is the only picture I had of Mary on my laptop (I am taking advantage of the free internet connection in Melbourne airport). It was taken at Iain and Mary's vacation "shack" (cottage) in the later morning as breakfast was being grilled by Iain.

Flying Out

Dear friends & family,

I just a quick note to let you all know I am flying out in just a few minutes to go be with she whom I love 2nd best in this life.

The Lord be with you all.

terry

p.s. I just realized the plane in the picture I chose for this post says "Austrian" and not "Australian" as I had thought. I guess that is what happens when you post at 4am with very little sleep. I ask all my Oz friends to please take no offense.

Tasmanian Pre-Wedding Celebrations

The Cakes Shared at the Tuesday Night Puritan Bible Study Before the Bible Study on the Doctrine of God

The Last Single Night Party

My "Mates" Dressed me for the Party

1. A Wedding Veil

2. A Flower Lei for our Maui Honeymoon

3. A Genuine Ball & Chain Around my Ankle (I Truly Have Come to VanDiemen's Land!)

A Fine Amount and Variety of Tucker (Food) was Provided Generously by Ladies From the Church and the Wives of Some People From the Puritan Bible Study. It was Great!


Here is a Picture of Pastor Iain Smith (From the Hobart SPC Congregation) and I Having Coffee After Tucker.

The Big Party Game was "The America's Cup." It was a Game Test Which Minister Had the Most Hot Air. We Had to Race our Paper Boats Across a Pan of Water. Iain's Boat was "Hagus 1" and my Boat was "Yankee 2."

Here We are in Starting Position.

In the Midst of the Race One of the my Mates Slammed a Rolled Up News Paper in the Water and Shouted "Watch Out! STORM!"

Iain Caught Most of the Water From the Storm too.

The Books! The Books!

Dear friends & family,

I am happy to report to you that my books finally arrived Tuesday June 26th. With some help from a friend I was able to get them all on the shelves. The commentaries, creeds & confessions, worship, reference (Philosophy, Theology, Old Testament & Hebrew, New Testament & Greek, General Biblical Reference, English), Homiletic & Hermeneutics, Systems of Theology (including Biblical Theology), Pastoral Theology & Ethics, Sets of Works of Various Theologians, Puritans, and Terry's fun section (Prolegomena, Philosophy {mostly related to historical/epistemological/metaphysical worldview type issues}, and Neo-Calvinism) are all basically in order. Leaving history, church history, individual doctrinal issues, and miscellaneous yet to sort out.

Below are a few pics of the office with the books in place. As you can see their is still a lot of clutter to file away. I already filled one filing cabinet with College and Seminary papers and various research items I have done over the years.

Many thanks to all who helped work on the office and sacrificed time and money to give me such a tremendous work space. May the Lord fill it with His presence and bless the work done it to the furthering of His Kingdom!

Brief Catch Up

Dear friends & family,

Greetings from Tasmania. Things continue to roll along here. I have been busy with the various duties of the ministry. However there have been a few developments to pass on.

Winter is setting on here. It has not gotten down to freezing yet, although several people I have talked to in the shops say it is. At times it still gets warm enough to go without a coat or jumper (sweater or sweat shirt) but I am told that these days are running out. I have a little portable heater in my office, courtesy of one of the elders in the church, and it keeps the office quite comfortable to work in. The house has a heat pump (kind of like an air conditioner that pumps hot air) but I do not use it. I am usually just inside to eat and sleep. I eat fast and the blankets are warm anyway.

The church continues to grow. Since I arrived in Tasmania one family has joined the church here and Lord willing two more families will soon join. It has been marvelous to the see the Lord working in the lives of the people that have chosen to cast in their lot with the Southern Presbyterian Church. He was working in them, guiding His people in a more and more Reformed direction, and the Lord providential brought me into the mix in His time. It always rejoices my heart to see the Lord's plan continue to unfold for the good of His Kingdom and people with a force, a subtle one at times, none can stop.

We recently began a Bible study Tuesday nights at 7 pm. We are going through the 10 commandments together. Last Tuesday we considered the 4th commandment, focusing on the principles upon which practice is based. Several people attend (usually between 12-17) and we have a nice time of tea and biscuits (cookies) afterward. Lord willing, the Bible study will not only be away for us to study the Word together but that it will also help build community and fellowship.

We also began a Puritan Bible study about an hour or so North of the church in George Town. It is called a Puritan Bible study because we hope to consider a portion of the Scriptures together and consider it teachings, noting specifically what the Puritans thought of the passage and why they did. The focus is not so much on the Puritans but rather what the Scriptures teach, the Puritans usually being in strong agreement. First we get together for tea (evening meal) and then we sit in a friends living room and consider the Word of God together. Our first meeting considered who the Puritans were and what they were best known for: Experiential Christianity (seeking to consistently live out your faith). In that connections we considered portions of Psalm 19 and 139. There was about 10 of us (perhaps a couple more) who got together and Lord willing we will continue to once a month.

The wedding grows closer and as the days get tick by I become more and more eager to be wed to the marvelous Martha Julia Lipsy. The wedding planning is coming together with help from friends and family. The dresses, order of service, songs sung, reception, rehearsal dinner, photography schedule, and flowers are all coming together.

Until next time,
terry