The Next Step

After the completion of the sale of our beloved house, we moved in with Dee's folks for what we thought would be a few weeks but ended up being about 8 weeks total. Unfortunately, I had figured that the US Immigration department would be prompt with our simple request for Dee's records and they frankly didn't give a "rah-zoo" about our timeline. Finally we got the paperwork we needed and hastily executed our next move.

By this time, our plan had been formulated.... we would either move out West to Idaho or Colorado OR we would go to Australia and see what we could accomplish there. Work (CAD) seemed more profuse in Australia, according to what I could see on the internet so we decided to take the plunge and visit family at the same time.

At the end of January, we arrived in Australia and moved in with my folks for what we again thought would be just a few weeks while we got work and settled in. Not so. A few days after arriving we had a scorcher of a day 100.4° F (38° C). We headed to the beach about 9 miles from home with my sister and her girls. We were not sure how Chloe would respond to the noise of the waves but the waves weren't too wild and with the other girls playing at the waters edge, squealing and having fun. It never took long for her to venture into the water and soon was saying "Dad, I want to go out there, ...where the surfers are!!" Well not even Dad was going out that far, the first time back in the water after 7 years away. I have to say though, getting back into the surf again I felt instantly revitalised... like a dry sponge tossed in the water again.

We had several good days of Summer, and even saw some of the largest waves in recent memory rolling into Torquay Back Beach (as opposed to Front Beach) which is normally very docile because of it's orientation to the Southern Ocean and prevailing winds. On this day though, the waves were reaching between 8 & 10 feet. All I can say is, I had a blast body-surfing for about an hour catching waves that pushed me about 100 yards to the shore.

Now several months later, we are still at my parents house and if I have learned only one thing in all this time, it is this: No matter the age of the female, if she doesn't have a place to call her own she becomes very discontent. Both Chloe and Dee have taught me this lesson many times over.

God works in mysterious ways and it seems to me that while God has let me find work here and do the ministry that he has in line for me, I get the distinct inclination that this is not where we are destined to be. So to that end Dee and I are making plans once more to move back the USA and try to settle ourselves there..... probably in the Boise, ID location.