11 weeks 2 departure

Less than 3 months/11 weeks before departure........

We have entered the stage where the count down to departure is now in weeks, rather than months. Heeee HA!!!

11 weeks to our first flight, but only 8 weeks to moving out of our house.... it all start coming together now.

So let me give you a quick wee update:

We are so thankful to God for sending us a buyer for our house. Just short of two years on the market, His timing was and is just perrrrrfect!! The missives still need to be concluded, but we are standing in faith that everything will be sorted by the 8^th of July.

I am working through all the paperwork of the various companies who gave me quotes to pack and ship our earthly possessions into a container, ready for their next life in South Africa. We had 4 companies round:

*a local Kilmarnock Removal company- doing international moves too

*Britannia Movers

*Anglo Pacific World Movers

*Doree Bonner International

According to to consultants our 'effects' will fill (and just a little bit over) a 20 foot container, so the questions is: to take or not to take..... We can go for a 40 ft and put one of the cars inside it, or we can sent the cars ro-ro (roll on and roll off) from Southampton to Port Elizabeth with a private company.

Now this is not the end yet....our 'effects' can only arrive in South Africa with us in the country, otherwise we might be charge income tax on the South African side,which will be VERY unwise. This implies that we need to have our 'effects' in storage for at least 6 months. So me thinks, the company that I can strike a deal with...or negotiate on storage...they might be the one!!! So that's a bit of number crunching ahead for me for tonight!!

We are also so pleased to have new South African friends who just moved into their home. They needed some furniture, so we've passed some things on to them already. Start of a tidying up process that will last for another few months!!! We are looking for a new home for a confection-tumble dryer, a rocking/feeding chair, TV-solid wooden stand, cot-bed and a lovely glass-ware display cupboard...let us know if you are interested or know of somebody who is.

Another pleasant announcement is that we have found the perfect family to re-home Thandi to. Tasha(originally from South Africa) her Scottish husband, Andrew and two daughters will welcome Thandi to their home in late July. Thandi will also have a older dog-'sister' Cloe. I think she will be on cloud 9!! The Duthies live in Aberdeen. Thanks to our mutual friend, Donna, we got connected. This was one of those things that I can only give God the honour for. I've trusted Him with our pooch, to get us in touch with the RIGHT family. And He did!!!

                                                                                                                                                        I've completed my last Women's 10k Sunday passed. It was such a great day! I enjoyed every minute of it.

Not my personal best time, but I made a few stops to take some pictures en route, and to hug and kiss my mini-support crew. I lost count of how many times I have taken part in this event over the last 14 years....the first time I completed the race was in 2001. 4 children later and still running!!!! I made this my Scottish Celebration Run. Will always host fond memories of this great race.

Arno will be departing on Saturday on his celebration-trip. Together with a few blokes form Bridge Church, he will be cycling form Lands End(most southern tip of England) to John O' Grotes(northern most tip of Scotland). They will attempt to have a rider on the road around the clock and to complete the 800 miles in 3 and a half days. This will be done to raise cycling road safety(one of the guys was knocked off his bike last September) and to raise funds for investing into the young generation here in Ayrshire.

I've just complete my second last exam in the run up to achieving a Degree in Practical Ministry through the Christian Family Church International Campus. Over the next month I'll sit my final exam and do a group presentation of a business plan we've been working on over the last year. The vision of the business plan is to create a structure to be built and developed upon with the aim to enlarge the church through the younger generations. I found this topic very interesting and very refreshing!!

Tour update: We've booked most of our accommodation. Still need to sort out the trekking in Nepal and finalise the itinerary for northern Thailand and India. We are slowly starting to work inwards....flights, accommodation, excursions. We've had a main frame, made up with all the destinations and BIG flights. Then we decided on the actual towns and villages we wanted to visit. Now we are booking excursions and activities. What an creative process....and I am loving every minute of it!!

The response and encouragement we are getting from people are overwhelming. Just by listening to us talking about our dream and how we are planning to accomplish it......I can see it in their eyes...it's giving people the permission to start dreaming their own dreams again. It is such a joy to see how we are encouraging people to start thinking out with the box and take a good look at their own 'impossibilities'. With God ALL things are possible!!

So what lies ahead for me, for us?? Sorting out, clearing out and loadsa tidiying-upping!! Do not forget all the partying that needs to be done......... Saturday, 28^th of June is definitely not to be missed!!!! We will be having Painting and Polli-filla Party....... Let us know if you can make it!!!

SCOTLAND!!!!!!!!