This a portion of the "Sorry Speech" given to the Australian Aboriginal people from Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. The sorry speech was given on February 12th, 2008
Friday, February 29, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
We're off!!!
Our tickets are now fully booked. We will leave Cleveland, Tennessee on Sunday evening via Atlanta. We will then spend 5 days with our children and have a chance to catch up with some friends in Colorado. We will fly out of Denver on Saturday the 8th in route to Australia. We will arrive in Darwin on the 10th and spend a couple of nights in Darwin before flying out to Pickertaramoor on Melville Island.
I don't think it's really sunken in yet concerning this adventure. All we know is there is a joy and excitement as we go and can't wait to dig in there at Tiwi College. One thing we do know is we will terribly miss the children and staff at Crossnore School! Many we will never see again which is a hard thought.
We have been getting some interesting reports out of Tiwi college the past couple of days. It's been a very tough start-up there. They have had the worst monsoonal rains this season than they have had in 25 years. Construction has slowed and halted in some cases because everything is mud. The school building is still under construction and most of the housing is incomplete. Classes are being held under a roof with no walls. At times there has not been any running water. Looking at that situation and looking at our past experiences in Papua New Guinea, we see how Gods hand has been there as he has prepared us for this awesome work with the Tiwi people! The wet season should end around April and the dry season will be around till late in the year.
We have also heard stores about the students. It sounds like their ages range from 12 years old and up. We have heard an estimate that 70 % of the students have only a first grade reading ability. There are also a lot of disciplinary issues already as they begin to settle in there at the school. Along with that, various social issues are evident among the students. We also see how Gods hand has been there to prepare us for this work during our time at Crossnore School over the last 3 years!
We understand the Internet is not functional at the school yet although the installation is in progress. We are not sure if we will have Internet access right away when we first arrive. If you don't hear from us at first know that we are waiting for the service to be functional.
Please keep the students and the staff at Tiwi College in your prayers. Please also keep us in your prayers as we go. Thanks Love ...Bill & Linda
I don't think it's really sunken in yet concerning this adventure. All we know is there is a joy and excitement as we go and can't wait to dig in there at Tiwi College. One thing we do know is we will terribly miss the children and staff at Crossnore School! Many we will never see again which is a hard thought.
We have been getting some interesting reports out of Tiwi college the past couple of days. It's been a very tough start-up there. They have had the worst monsoonal rains this season than they have had in 25 years. Construction has slowed and halted in some cases because everything is mud. The school building is still under construction and most of the housing is incomplete. Classes are being held under a roof with no walls. At times there has not been any running water. Looking at that situation and looking at our past experiences in Papua New Guinea, we see how Gods hand has been there as he has prepared us for this awesome work with the Tiwi people! The wet season should end around April and the dry season will be around till late in the year.
We have also heard stores about the students. It sounds like their ages range from 12 years old and up. We have heard an estimate that 70 % of the students have only a first grade reading ability. There are also a lot of disciplinary issues already as they begin to settle in there at the school. Along with that, various social issues are evident among the students. We also see how Gods hand has been there to prepare us for this work during our time at Crossnore School over the last 3 years!
We understand the Internet is not functional at the school yet although the installation is in progress. We are not sure if we will have Internet access right away when we first arrive. If you don't hear from us at first know that we are waiting for the service to be functional.
Please keep the students and the staff at Tiwi College in your prayers. Please also keep us in your prayers as we go. Thanks Love ...Bill & Linda
Monday, February 25, 2008
Visa's approved!
Our visa's have just been approved!!! Timing is everything and the timing was perfect! We just learned of the approval this evening about 12 hours before we go off shift from our current employer, Crossnore school Inc. This has been another lesson to us of Gods faithfulness and fact that His timeing is perfect!
We will arrive back to Cleveland, Tennessee late Tuesday and begin the marathon of all the last minute stuff including travel plans before heading out. We want to stop in Colorado to spend a few days with our famlily there before flying overseas.
Please keep us in your prayer during this time.
We are very thankful for this new opportunity!! More to come on our travel plans.
We will arrive back to Cleveland, Tennessee late Tuesday and begin the marathon of all the last minute stuff including travel plans before heading out. We want to stop in Colorado to spend a few days with our famlily there before flying overseas.
Please keep us in your prayer during this time.
We are very thankful for this new opportunity!! More to come on our travel plans.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Mount Hagen Cultural Festival
We had a chance to attend this festival a couple of times during the time we lived in the Mt. Hagen area of Papua New Guinea.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Waiting for Visa
Linda and I are very excited... concerning our new adventure to serve with Tiwi College on Melville Island in the Northern Territory of Australia. We should be hearing concerning our visa approval any day now. Once we hear of the approval we will be heading off in a matter of a week or two.
We have mixed feelings about leaving being our family is here in the states and the fact that we are leaving behind a very good ministry working with children from families in crisis at Crossnore School, Inc. in the high country of North Carolina. It was a tough decicion to leave but we feel like God has new things for us with Tiwi College and we do not want to pass up a great opportunity. We are thankful for the opportunities we have had at Crossnore school over the last 3 years after returning back from Papua New Guinea.
At Tiwi College we will serve as house parents to 12 students while they attend the school. Our duties will be many as we tend for the students needs, spirit, soul and body and also serve as needed on the campus and around the islands aboriginal communities.
Melville Island is Tiwi customary land and was officially handed back over to the Tiwi people by the Australian government in 1978. Tiwi College is located in Pickertaramoor on Melville Island. Melville Island is located about 50 miles North of Darwin, Australia.
We thank God for the opportunity to serve the Tiwi people. Please pray concerning the finalization of our visas and a smooth transition as we leave the states.
One can view the college website here... http://www.tiwilandcouncil.net.au/WhatsBH/Whats_BH_college_eduall.htm
We have mixed feelings about leaving being our family is here in the states and the fact that we are leaving behind a very good ministry working with children from families in crisis at Crossnore School, Inc. in the high country of North Carolina. It was a tough decicion to leave but we feel like God has new things for us with Tiwi College and we do not want to pass up a great opportunity. We are thankful for the opportunities we have had at Crossnore school over the last 3 years after returning back from Papua New Guinea.
At Tiwi College we will serve as house parents to 12 students while they attend the school. Our duties will be many as we tend for the students needs, spirit, soul and body and also serve as needed on the campus and around the islands aboriginal communities.
Melville Island is Tiwi customary land and was officially handed back over to the Tiwi people by the Australian government in 1978. Tiwi College is located in Pickertaramoor on Melville Island. Melville Island is located about 50 miles North of Darwin, Australia.
We thank God for the opportunity to serve the Tiwi people. Please pray concerning the finalization of our visas and a smooth transition as we leave the states.
One can view the college website here... http://www.tiwilandcouncil.net.au/WhatsBH/Whats_BH_college_eduall.htm
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