Noosh News : June 2007
Farewell Sydney!!
It is with great sadness that I write this final farewell newsletter to Sydney … I began this letter while I was still in Sydney but unfortunately, time got away from me and with only 2 more sleeps to go at the time, I had to pack up my computer and acknowledge the fact that my departure was tangible and the journey ahead was imminently close. As a result, I am now completing this newsletter from the comfort of my parent's home in South Africa at 6.00am thanks to jetlag!
Gosh, I don't know where to begin … I give ALL glory to God for the work that He has done in my life since April 2006 when I realized that it was time to really set foot into the world in obedience to His calling. I give God Thanks and Praise for His faithfulness in showing me that He is in complete control of my life and that "with God, ALL things are possible." (Matthew 19:26). For those that know me well, my two greatest fears about being a missionary were my financial and personal security. Yet, each of these fears have been completely dealt with … smashed into tiny pieces so that they no longer present any barrier for my journey to the world! Without the support - financial, prayerful, and practical - from so many wonderful friends, I would not have dared imagine I could embark on such a journey. I would like to thank and acknowledge each and every one of you who have contributed in various ways. You have assisted me to take this life changing step as a result of your generosity and kindness. I will uphold you in my prayers and continue to give thanks to God every time I remember you and I will pray that I will not take your support, love and commitment for granted.
I have been on a massive rollercoaster of emotions in these past few weeks … happiness and excitement about what the future holds, and then a deep sadness and heartache at the thought of leaving so many beautiful friends behind in my beloved Sydney. I am comforted to know that I take with me so many happy memories of times gone by. I know that we have lived life together in all it's real and authentic rawness and I've grown so much as a person and in my faith through your encouragement and guidance. We've cried tears of sadness, tears of joy and we've shared many laughs until we ached. We've been there for one another in the good times and the bad and I consider it a privilege to call Australia home and I am excited to know that I will return one of these fine days …
Ahoy Me Hearties
My farewell party was an absolute blast of fun! Everyone got into the Pirate spirit and Ricky's dance music ensured that plenty of heels were kicked up and "plank walking" was undertaken as the good ship "Calabria" hosted us to a farewell "Bon Voyage" to remember. There were many great moments captured in some superb photos which have been posted to my BLOG for future reminiscing.
Packing & Moving
My packing and moving seemed endless and I think I've had the "long pack goodbye" … my room looked like a bomb site of boxes and piles of stuff which were in decision mode - do I pack, do I chuck, do I store or do I sell? This move was not a normal one, as in moving house, where you can take the stuff you are not sure about and decide what to do with it once you get to your destination. Everything that I possessed had to have a definitive decision made on it and I found this to be particularly draining. However, I can say that my furniture move went successfully and I am ever so grateful to all those generous friends who have taken on the role of "box sitting" all my gear.
Next Steps
I flew out of Sydney on Monday, 2 July 2007 at 10.00am on my way to South Africa. I arrived in Johannesberg to the welcome arms of a beautiful old school friend, Gail. With her husband Jon, we went out to a gorgeous restaurant called "Batouk" and were joined by my cousins Alison and Juliet with her husband Owen, and two other dear friends who I camper vanned around Europe with in 1995 - Kirsten and Pips. It was really great to see them all again and catch up on their news and what has been happening in their lives. Gail and I spent most of the next day in our pyjamas chatting up a storm and then had lunch at a little French Provencale style café called "Nice" before I flew down to Durban. My folks greeted me at the airport and it was fantastic to see them again - on our way home though, a rock was either thrown at our car or bounced off a big truck and smashed a big chip into the front left windscreen which gave us all a big fright … WELCOME to Africa I suppose?!
Anyway, I was so excited about seeing my family and friends here in SA as it has been nearly 2 years since I went to Africa. I met my baby niece, Nicola for the first time today and catching up with my little nephew, Guy was a lot of fun. We baked biscuits, painted, played in the garden, played the piano, read books and did puzzles. I will be in SA for 5 weeks and will then fly to London on 5 August 2007. My folks and I have planned to visit a game reserve called "Hluhluwe" about 2 hours north of Durban in mid-July which will be brilliant as I love the wilds of Africa and it will be awesome to see elephants, giraffes, zebras and the big cats again. I am also looking forward to relaxing and rejuvenating my energy - my journey has definitely begun!
Travel Concerns
My biggest stress was excess baggage! Getting a 2 year supply of medication to Europe has proved to be challenging. My hand luggage was filled with over 3,500 tablets and I have to go through 5 sets of customs - Australia, South Africa, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands. So, if ever there was something that required prayer, it is that God will pave the way for a smooth passage through these potential nightmare scenarios of being stopped at customs and grilled or charged excess luggage.
Leading up to my departure, I felt so stressed regarding what to take with me as I need clothes for all weathers and terrains. However, I also knew that the general rule about packing is to pack, then halve what you have, then halve again. At my point of maximum stress, I sent out a prayer request regarding having peace over my luggage and God stepped up and answered these prayers. In my last few days, I felt a real peace come over me as I was prompted by God to think about my calling again and I was reminded that He promised to provide for my every need. This was so comforting and so convicting that it enabled me to make the decision that instead of trying to shove everything into my suitcase till it exploded, I would not exceed the 20kgs allowance for my suitcase. Instead, I decided to trust again in my calling which confirmed that I will not want for anything - Praise God for this peace alone. And the amazing thing was, that once I had re-packed what I initially thought I needed, I put the suitcase on the scale and it clocked in at exactly 20kgs! Thankfully, I can now report that in addition to that, I sailed through the check in, customs and security checks both in Australia and South Africa without any hassles or questions being asked. Praise God, his faithfulness was again evident in my life and He does answer simple prayers!
Ship News
Above is the latest image of the ship in Croatia. A recent newsletter from the Ship indicated that it will be setting sail from Croatia to Bremerhaven in Germany in the next few weeks (end of July) for the final stage of the reburbishment which is expected to take 4-6 months. This news has confirmed that I will most likely be in Germany until December until the ship is ready to sail. Check out the website and read about how the ship survived a mini-tornado which broke it’s ropes loose from the ship mooring and nearly caused a disaster last weekend – www.logoshope.org I was fortunate enough to chat over Skype with an Aussie, Donna, a family friend of some friends of mine. Donna has been working on the Logos Hope doing project work for some months now and so it was brilliant to get a first hand idea of what I can expect. I am confident that I am going to love ship life once I have settled in.
Other News
I finished work on Tuesday, 19 June which was such a relief as I had so many things to organize before I left. My dear friend Ode arrived from Brisbane the next day and spent 4 nights with us. She was such a great support and kept me sane and focused on getting things done as my panic button was constantly being buzzed for trivial things … Where are my keys? What have I done with my phone? Where is the parking ticket? I must have asked these questions 100 times over in the 3 days that Odes was with me - driving myself dilly!
My flat mate Amanda and I managed to get away to the Blue Mountains staying one night at the Hydro Majestic which is a magnificent old hotel in Medlow Bath with sweeping views of the Megalong Valley. We had a room with a view however, it was absolutely freeeeeeeezing!!! We had dinner at the local pub in Blackheath and had such fun with the locals joining in a sing-a-long with the local piano player! What a hoot it was and how lovely it was for the two of us to spend some quality time together before I left, reminiscing about life and all the fun times we have had together as flat mates in the last 5 years.
My last night in Sydney was spent at St Matts which was sad but lovely. After church, a bunch of us went to "The Last Train to Bombay" - my favourite Indian restaurant. I felt so sad to leave everyone behind … I tried not to cry too many tears otherwise I would have spent the whole night in floods and although I am sad to say Goodbye, I know that this is God's will for my life and that he has purposed me to go out into the world, because I have had this desire in my heart for many years.
Finance Update
I have been incredibly blessed in seeing God's mighty hand at work in providing financial support through so many wonderfully generous gifts and commitments. Thank you again for all your support which has made this journey possible.
Praise & Prayer Focus
Thank you for taking time to intercede on my behalf in prayer to God.
* Praise God for His peace about my luggage and smooth travel transitions through Australia and South Africa
* Praise God for His faithfulness in raising up supporters who are contributing generously in finances and prayer
* Pray that God will enable me to rest, relax and refresh my mind and emotions following departure from Sydney
* Pray for safety whilst in South Africa
* Pray that God will continue to work in refining my character as I prepare for ship life
* Pray for a time of fun and relaxation with my family and friends in SA and the UK
Food For The Soul
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things." (Phil 3:7-8)
I have lost much in leaving Sydney but I know that I will gain much from obeying God. Australian friends, I will miss you all more than words can describe and I will uphold you in my prayers and thoughts always. I long for the day when we will be together once more … so until we meet again … God's richest blessings in Christ to you … Vanoosh :o)
It is with great sadness that I write this final farewell newsletter to Sydney … I began this letter while I was still in Sydney but unfortunately, time got away from me and with only 2 more sleeps to go at the time, I had to pack up my computer and acknowledge the fact that my departure was tangible and the journey ahead was imminently close. As a result, I am now completing this newsletter from the comfort of my parent's home in South Africa at 6.00am thanks to jetlag!
Gosh, I don't know where to begin … I give ALL glory to God for the work that He has done in my life since April 2006 when I realized that it was time to really set foot into the world in obedience to His calling. I give God Thanks and Praise for His faithfulness in showing me that He is in complete control of my life and that "with God, ALL things are possible." (Matthew 19:26). For those that know me well, my two greatest fears about being a missionary were my financial and personal security. Yet, each of these fears have been completely dealt with … smashed into tiny pieces so that they no longer present any barrier for my journey to the world! Without the support - financial, prayerful, and practical - from so many wonderful friends, I would not have dared imagine I could embark on such a journey. I would like to thank and acknowledge each and every one of you who have contributed in various ways. You have assisted me to take this life changing step as a result of your generosity and kindness. I will uphold you in my prayers and continue to give thanks to God every time I remember you and I will pray that I will not take your support, love and commitment for granted.
I have been on a massive rollercoaster of emotions in these past few weeks … happiness and excitement about what the future holds, and then a deep sadness and heartache at the thought of leaving so many beautiful friends behind in my beloved Sydney. I am comforted to know that I take with me so many happy memories of times gone by. I know that we have lived life together in all it's real and authentic rawness and I've grown so much as a person and in my faith through your encouragement and guidance. We've cried tears of sadness, tears of joy and we've shared many laughs until we ached. We've been there for one another in the good times and the bad and I consider it a privilege to call Australia home and I am excited to know that I will return one of these fine days …
Ahoy Me Hearties
My farewell party was an absolute blast of fun! Everyone got into the Pirate spirit and Ricky's dance music ensured that plenty of heels were kicked up and "plank walking" was undertaken as the good ship "Calabria" hosted us to a farewell "Bon Voyage" to remember. There were many great moments captured in some superb photos which have been posted to my BLOG for future reminiscing.
Packing & Moving
My packing and moving seemed endless and I think I've had the "long pack goodbye" … my room looked like a bomb site of boxes and piles of stuff which were in decision mode - do I pack, do I chuck, do I store or do I sell? This move was not a normal one, as in moving house, where you can take the stuff you are not sure about and decide what to do with it once you get to your destination. Everything that I possessed had to have a definitive decision made on it and I found this to be particularly draining. However, I can say that my furniture move went successfully and I am ever so grateful to all those generous friends who have taken on the role of "box sitting" all my gear.
Next Steps
I flew out of Sydney on Monday, 2 July 2007 at 10.00am on my way to South Africa. I arrived in Johannesberg to the welcome arms of a beautiful old school friend, Gail. With her husband Jon, we went out to a gorgeous restaurant called "Batouk" and were joined by my cousins Alison and Juliet with her husband Owen, and two other dear friends who I camper vanned around Europe with in 1995 - Kirsten and Pips. It was really great to see them all again and catch up on their news and what has been happening in their lives. Gail and I spent most of the next day in our pyjamas chatting up a storm and then had lunch at a little French Provencale style café called "Nice" before I flew down to Durban. My folks greeted me at the airport and it was fantastic to see them again - on our way home though, a rock was either thrown at our car or bounced off a big truck and smashed a big chip into the front left windscreen which gave us all a big fright … WELCOME to Africa I suppose?!
Anyway, I was so excited about seeing my family and friends here in SA as it has been nearly 2 years since I went to Africa. I met my baby niece, Nicola for the first time today and catching up with my little nephew, Guy was a lot of fun. We baked biscuits, painted, played in the garden, played the piano, read books and did puzzles. I will be in SA for 5 weeks and will then fly to London on 5 August 2007. My folks and I have planned to visit a game reserve called "Hluhluwe" about 2 hours north of Durban in mid-July which will be brilliant as I love the wilds of Africa and it will be awesome to see elephants, giraffes, zebras and the big cats again. I am also looking forward to relaxing and rejuvenating my energy - my journey has definitely begun!
Travel Concerns
My biggest stress was excess baggage! Getting a 2 year supply of medication to Europe has proved to be challenging. My hand luggage was filled with over 3,500 tablets and I have to go through 5 sets of customs - Australia, South Africa, Germany, the UK and the Netherlands. So, if ever there was something that required prayer, it is that God will pave the way for a smooth passage through these potential nightmare scenarios of being stopped at customs and grilled or charged excess luggage.
Leading up to my departure, I felt so stressed regarding what to take with me as I need clothes for all weathers and terrains. However, I also knew that the general rule about packing is to pack, then halve what you have, then halve again. At my point of maximum stress, I sent out a prayer request regarding having peace over my luggage and God stepped up and answered these prayers. In my last few days, I felt a real peace come over me as I was prompted by God to think about my calling again and I was reminded that He promised to provide for my every need. This was so comforting and so convicting that it enabled me to make the decision that instead of trying to shove everything into my suitcase till it exploded, I would not exceed the 20kgs allowance for my suitcase. Instead, I decided to trust again in my calling which confirmed that I will not want for anything - Praise God for this peace alone. And the amazing thing was, that once I had re-packed what I initially thought I needed, I put the suitcase on the scale and it clocked in at exactly 20kgs! Thankfully, I can now report that in addition to that, I sailed through the check in, customs and security checks both in Australia and South Africa without any hassles or questions being asked. Praise God, his faithfulness was again evident in my life and He does answer simple prayers!
Ship News
Above is the latest image of the ship in Croatia. A recent newsletter from the Ship indicated that it will be setting sail from Croatia to Bremerhaven in Germany in the next few weeks (end of July) for the final stage of the reburbishment which is expected to take 4-6 months. This news has confirmed that I will most likely be in Germany until December until the ship is ready to sail. Check out the website and read about how the ship survived a mini-tornado which broke it’s ropes loose from the ship mooring and nearly caused a disaster last weekend – www.logoshope.org I was fortunate enough to chat over Skype with an Aussie, Donna, a family friend of some friends of mine. Donna has been working on the Logos Hope doing project work for some months now and so it was brilliant to get a first hand idea of what I can expect. I am confident that I am going to love ship life once I have settled in.
Other News
I finished work on Tuesday, 19 June which was such a relief as I had so many things to organize before I left. My dear friend Ode arrived from Brisbane the next day and spent 4 nights with us. She was such a great support and kept me sane and focused on getting things done as my panic button was constantly being buzzed for trivial things … Where are my keys? What have I done with my phone? Where is the parking ticket? I must have asked these questions 100 times over in the 3 days that Odes was with me - driving myself dilly!
My flat mate Amanda and I managed to get away to the Blue Mountains staying one night at the Hydro Majestic which is a magnificent old hotel in Medlow Bath with sweeping views of the Megalong Valley. We had a room with a view however, it was absolutely freeeeeeeezing!!! We had dinner at the local pub in Blackheath and had such fun with the locals joining in a sing-a-long with the local piano player! What a hoot it was and how lovely it was for the two of us to spend some quality time together before I left, reminiscing about life and all the fun times we have had together as flat mates in the last 5 years.
My last night in Sydney was spent at St Matts which was sad but lovely. After church, a bunch of us went to "The Last Train to Bombay" - my favourite Indian restaurant. I felt so sad to leave everyone behind … I tried not to cry too many tears otherwise I would have spent the whole night in floods and although I am sad to say Goodbye, I know that this is God's will for my life and that he has purposed me to go out into the world, because I have had this desire in my heart for many years.
Finance Update
I have been incredibly blessed in seeing God's mighty hand at work in providing financial support through so many wonderfully generous gifts and commitments. Thank you again for all your support which has made this journey possible.
Praise & Prayer Focus
Thank you for taking time to intercede on my behalf in prayer to God.
* Praise God for His peace about my luggage and smooth travel transitions through Australia and South Africa
* Praise God for His faithfulness in raising up supporters who are contributing generously in finances and prayer
* Pray that God will enable me to rest, relax and refresh my mind and emotions following departure from Sydney
* Pray for safety whilst in South Africa
* Pray that God will continue to work in refining my character as I prepare for ship life
* Pray for a time of fun and relaxation with my family and friends in SA and the UK
Food For The Soul
"But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things." (Phil 3:7-8)
I have lost much in leaving Sydney but I know that I will gain much from obeying God. Australian friends, I will miss you all more than words can describe and I will uphold you in my prayers and thoughts always. I long for the day when we will be together once more … so until we meet again … God's richest blessings in Christ to you … Vanoosh :o)
posted by Vanoosh at
12:00 pm
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