Sunday, February 12, 2012

actual Feb 2012 update

Hello brothers and sisters!

We wanted to write again soon, not to overload you but to keep you up-to-the-minute updated!

Thanks

For a fantastic commissioning service! It was a great occasion, and the presence of so many of you, and the apologies of others, really meant a lot to us. A special thanks to all who helped out, prayed, brought afternoon tea, and so on; also to Simon for coming up to preach the Word of God to us all.

Generosity
Praise God, we have 100% of our budget pledged now. This is fantastic, and as we speak to other missionaries preparing to go, we are aware of how great it is! So thanks to God for his generosity, and thanks to you for being the instruments of his grace.

This doesn't mean it's too late (or pointless), if you still wanted to support us financially. 100% promised does not necessarily mean that everyone will be able to give as they have said - life changes, things happen, and so if you're committed to giving to us, we don't want to dissuade you from that. We can give you other good reasons too if you need more convincing.

Departure

As we announced after our commissioning, we have set a fairly firm departure date of the 20th March. This is a little later than perhaps we'd originally planned or been talking about (don't hold it against us!), but gives us plenty of time to wait for visas, deal with minor mishaps, and allows Seumas to attend his overdue MTh graduation on the 19th (kilt and robe guaranteed). So if you're planning to see us and have some final hugs and tears, please make time early.

Thanks to all the people who offered accommodation - so nice to think that you would put up with us for a week or so. We're planning to stay in Wahroonga for about 2 weeks before our departure.

Stuff

There's plenty more of our stuff to be carted away. Here's a little reminder of the great bargains (cheap as free in many cases) that could be yours! We're hoping to finish and move out of our place around the 8th.

  • washing machine (four years old, front loader)
  • bookcases (wooden, on extended loan)
  • dining table
  • wardrobe
  • drawers with mirror and overhead compartment
  • wardrobe with shelving unit (Ikea)
  • couch
  • coffee table
  • TV unit

Staying in touch

In addition to our previous vast list of ways to stay in touch, we have added the Macdonalds in Mongolia twitter account: @MacsinMongolia.

Prayer
Keep praying for:
- good goodbyes
- smooth handling of practicalities of packing up and moving across the world
- continual and growing trust in God and his faithfulness
- God's gracious favour in using us for his redemptive purposes