A New Zealand Christmas 2025

Spending Christmas with Angela's Mum and Dad was a treasured blessing and lazy summer days a much needed rest.

 

 

 

 

This rotunda marks the spot where my father sensed the Lord call him to be a missionary! 

And New Zealand always means time with aunties, uncles, cousins and life-long friends along the way.

 

 

 

 It has been a long time since we were able to be at a family wedding, such a joy to celebrate with Dylan and Chelsea!

 

August 2025: Sydney's Visit

Angela's niece visited us for a week. We loved sharing our life in La Calera with her and nearby trips to Bogota and Villa de Leyva.

 

 

Volunteering at the Kids' Club 

 

Visiting the sights in Downtown Bogota:

 

  Villa de Leyva area:

 

We traveled to Villa de Leyva with our friends and co-workers, Jose, Ingrid and Lucas, so that we would all have a brief rest and break away from the busyness of ministry. 

(FYI... let us know if you are interested in helping them financially, they are praying and saving to be able to travel back to Venezuela to get their legal ID cards and passports renewed. With the way things are in that country it is impossible to do it from here and it will cost about $5Kusd for them to be able to make that journey and pay all the fees!)

July & August 2025: Life & Ministry Highlights

 

Our youth group has grown this year. We are deepening our relationships with some and enjoying getting to know the newer ones.

 

One of the workshops with those of us who minister to kids and youth - equipping ourselves with strategies to deal with those who have experienced trauma at a young age (which is most of our Venezuelan kids!)

Using our facilities to host a conference on Knowing God as Our Father.

 

Baking with friends

 

What would you do if this was heading your way on the road? 🤣

 

Every July the bus drivers have a special day of thanking the Virgin Mary for protecting them on the roads. It is a big deal... lots of decorations on their buses, lots of honking and parading the streets!

(We just enjoyed the view, amazed at how many balloons were on each bus - they try to outdo each other!)

And a few pics from our kite flying fun afternoon with the church:

Cedric's Baptism

 

Camp View

 

And now it's been 26 years...

 ... since we vowed to cherish each other all our days:

then

 

and now

2024

 

(every few years I post a blog with our anniversary month picture for each year, last time was 5 years ago!)

2023

2022

2021

2020

 

Past pics:

21st

 

20th

17th

13th