A SPECIAL VISITOR

What an absolute THRILL it was to have Mary a'Beckett (Snowball) visit us for 3 days from 18 - 21 January. As Glenda and Tom were still with us, it was a bit like sleeping in a dormitory, but it was lots of fun and we managed in our little home.

It was good for Mary to see firsthand a little of what we are trying to do here amongst English speaking people. Mary travelled with us to a 'Seed' network afternoon led by Derek Webster, which was held in Zurich. Mary did not join in for the afternoon, but instead enjoyed a good walk on Lake Zurich and a rather hefty climb back up to the Conference Centre. She was also able to meet Derek Webster, and this for us was exciting as Mary is a member of our Support Group in Adelaide and has been with us from the beginning as we had our initial discussions with Derek.

Saturday night we celebrated Tom's 25th Birthday with a Roast Dinner and cheesecake and special bottle of wine! Mary felt privileged to be 'in the bosom of the family!!'.

Sunday morning Mary came to the German (FeG) Church that we attend in Loerrach. She has eventually made sense of FeG and what that stands for Free Evangelical Church. (Mary took a photo of the sign)! I'm sorry I didn't get a copy. Maybe I should take a photo myself!

In the afternoon Glenda and Mary accompanied us to our Mosaic get together at FeG. We were so pleased they both attended to give them an idea of what we get up to each week.

Thanks Mary for a special visit, for your love and encouragement and especially your prayers.

BEGINNING A NEW YEAR

Roger and I are looking forward to 2008 with excitement, anticipation, a little trepidation and with much enthusiasm and energy!

It was wonderful to have a holiday with Glenda and Tom and be spoilt by them! We did have a little difficulty keeping up with them at times, but nothing that a good nights sleep couldn't remedy. They flew back to Melbourne on 22 January.

So, what are we looking forward to?

• Continuing to build on our team at Mosaic Basel/Loerrach
• Beginning our gatherings in the next couple of weeks
• Running 'Nooma' nights to stimulate discussion
• Continuing to build on friendships we have already made and making new ones
• Trusting God to keep us here!
• Growing in our relationship with our Heavenly Father and allowing him to guide us as we continue to move forward and look for direction and creative ideas
• Visitors

to name a few things.

We hope to update this blog more regularly and keep you posted each week with what we hope to be up to (good accountability for us as well). Also it will help you to pray for us in our ministry here. We appreciate your prayers, emails, feedback, etc.

TEXAN NIGHT - 20 OCTOBER 2007

David and Tom opening the evening with a skit about Texas

The Girl's - Amanda, Laura, Donna Kay and Tara

Marianne and Ilona (with Johnny in the background)

The food!

Amanda and Kim

We had such a great night together (around 50 people came) and it was a lot of fun for us all, especially finishing up with the line dancing. I just didn't get it at all. Give me bush dancing any day! Still, we all joined in and it was lots of fun. A great hall in Riehen very close to public transport, so easy to find (well, for most people anyway!!).

FeG Youth Camp August 2007

David, Simea & Lia Gut
(Youth Pastor)







View from the Chalet
(peak in the middle
is where we climbed
to - unbelievable!)





Group photo of the
Aussie Night
(all dressed in
costume of course!)





Aussie Bush Dance
(Brown Jug Polka)






Sermon on the Mount
- literally!
Roger spoke from
Matthew 5
(what a climb - 1.5hrs
U P )



We had the most wonderful time at the Youth Camp. What a joy for us both to be amongst young people again. We have returned home tired but very happy.

Moving ahead

Things have been a bit quiet during August with many of the team away due to the summer holidays. We have met though and continue to make progress and move forward. Seven of us met Sunday 12 August to discuss the leadership of Mosaic Basel/Loerrach. At our next meeting on 2 September we hope to be able to appoint a team of leaders which will then free Roger and I up a little. Roger will still be one of the leaders. We also looked at a chart of the Church - Apostolic, Evangelism, Prophetic, Teaching and Pastoral and realizing as Christ followers we all fit in to one of these categories. It was a great meeting. A small group from the team have begun to meet to put together a theological statement of what we believe. Interesting times ahead.

Tomorrow Roger and I go on the Youth Camp of FeG Loerrach for a week. We are really looking forward to getting to know the young people better. The camp is to be held At Schwarzsee which is somewhere near the middle of Switzerland and near the Alps. It will be about a 1.5hr bus drive from Loerrach. We come back on 29 August and the camp goes till 1 September. Please pray for us and for David and Simea our Youth Pastor and wife and for the other leaders of the youth.

Attendance at our first German Wedding

We attended the wedding of Gerd and Brigette Folk at our FeG German Church in Loerrach. The service went for 2 hours and was filled with much celebration. Gerd has been a missionary with OM associated with the Doulos outreach ship.

The newly formed Gospel Choir. Spot Roger!!!!!!

I love the way the couple sit facing their family and friends throughout the ceremony. I think this is a special thing to do.

The Alphorn being played after the Wedding. This is a traditional Swiss music instrument.

Mosaic Picnic

Apologies for the silence. Here is a picture of (l-r) Ilona, Laura and Roger at our Mosaic Picnic in the Dreilander Park. It was a warm day and we had lots of fun playing with the frizbie, talking, bike riding and eating. About 18 people came and went at different times during the afternoon.