G'day, everybody. Here's our current news, and whereabouts.
Stuff older than two years is filed under older
updates. And remember, you have to be over 50 to understand that….
"God
instructs the heart, not by ideas,
but through PAIN and CONTRADICTIONS"
for
the reason we have this seemingly masochistic saying at the head of our personal website,
go
here
And,
flowing on from that sentiment... here's
the Rensford motto now - a brilliant rendering from the New Living Translation -
Psalm 119:5-6 - Oh
that my actions would consistently reflect Your principles! Then I will not be disgraced when I compare my life with Your commands. May
that be your life's reflection as well as ours...
To
save download time, all photos are hyperlinked..... click on them for a
full-sized one.
June 2010: After
yet another trip into Zimbabwe and Mozambique - and the customary health decline
that seems to accompany these trips - Brian has slowly regained some semblance
of strength.
The
next bit of news has to go on the personal section of our website - because the
family involved are not just "ministers" with us in Zimbabwe....
Richmond Chiundiza is a wise man, a true friend - even older than us -
and now he has suddenly endured the awful loss of his youngest son -
Kundai. The 17 y/o Zimbabwean sports wiz was hit in a heavy tackle while
playing for his high school here in Sydney, and died 36 hours later in his
mother's flat. She only discovered his cold body at 4am when our friend
Richmond rang to see how his son was doing after the accident. The
Sydney Morning Herald carried the story today. There is much pain,
tears, and prayers here today for the family. We knew Kundai - he loved
all sports (great Aussie, even though he had lived here for less than 5 years)
including Aussie Rules... And now, suddenly, he is gone.
January 2010: And
a happy New Year to all our cyberspace colleagues, critics, and surfers!
After
we settled in back home three weeks ago, we set about replacing our last
Cavalier spaniel (see dog stories on the menu bar) with another. For the
first time, we actually went out and paid for a puppy... The rest have
been rejects that others had given up on - we have taken them on as part of
their rehabilitation (and ours too, to be honest)! So, yes, Elizabeth
adopted two month-old Toby Rensford (named in honour of Toby - our
dog-nutty friends the Elliotts' own 4-legged family member, in San Diego.
Toby
has already half-chewed his basket to bits, discovered he loves the beach at
Budgewoi, and chases Jordan all over the place! Most Cavaliers are dumb,
but this one has got us worked out already....
November 2009:
We travelled again into Zimbabwe late Sept and all of October. Jeremy went with Brian
into
Mozambique for a week, then Deb and Elizabeth flew in a week later; We all
headed to the Midlands and the South after that. An extensive update
series is now filed under the Lifeline website; it was an exhausting, different,
and very diverse trip. A big thanks to everyone who prayed for us off the itinerary.
And we have added a page for African safari photos for broadband users.
In
the meantime, we started updating our website while stuck inside away from the cold
and miserable drizzle in our friends' - Ernie and Merrilyn Culley - house in
Vancouver. You will enjoy the 2009
- Paris Calling webpage...
We drove 120k up the Fraser Valley to Chilliwack (visiting
Dave and Fran Huebert - where we ended up sleeping on the floor after our combined weight
managed to destroy their guestroom bed!!! And no, not from what you may be
thinking either...). They drove us up to Lake Harrison - a glacial moraine
lake with an enormous hot springs hotel. >>>
Then
we stayed with the McElhoes's in Abbotsford, where we ministered in
their very friendly church. More drizzle. But their hearts were so
warm. it didn't matter! San Diego looks good after
the weather here and we can understand why our friends, ex-Kiwis, Bruce and Anne
Elliott, migrated there from Vancouver some years ago. It was so good to
put shorts on again and walk in the streets in, wait for it... yes!
Sunshine!! In winter!! And even take up jogging again, after a
12-week break - the bones protesteth at 64.
July
2009:
Since the last update, we have been back in Zimbabwe again, and was it a trip
with a difference! Not a lot o public pleasantries to be relayed on, but a
lot of "sorting out" among the areas represented at our last LifeLine
leadership get-together (10/08). Wow! A prophecy came our way before
we left that God was sending me (Brian) like an auditor while His fire (a la 1
Cor 3) burned up the rubbish in His church in Zimbabwe! How do you handle
that, I asked myself! Well.... A day at a time it turned out, as a stream
of things went belly-up (sort-of) and Loxley and I did lots of one-on-one stuff
with many people. We even got shafted in one area by a discontented former
leader, who we didn't know was angry at being replaced in a ministers'
fellowship by another leader. Sabotage wasn't too strong a word in that
situation! Go to the ministry side for a more full report and pics.
Kefas
has moved out from our home after nearly three years boarding with us. He
says it has taken him that long to understand Aussie culture (too true).
He has moved into our church office flat (with Ebenezer, a young Christian
Ghanaian recently baptised). He is planning to be married before Christmas
(THIS YEAR!), Why not? Proof attached!
Jordan
continues to sprout. 5 in October and school next year. We will so
miss not having our time with him every Monday. Starts with (second for
him!) breakfast (in bed or in our African Room (proof attached).
Elizabeth's Monday breakfasts have become legendary! Jordan is such a
happy kid, a real joy, and our hearts burst with love for him (and Craig and
Michelle too). They are a great blessing to Mum (Joyce) with their weekly
visits to her hostel around the corner. Elizabeth calls almost every day,
and the old dowager queen is still in good shape mentally, although at 88 the
bits n pieces are wearing out... Brian still picks her up for church every
Sunday and she lives for all that worship, fellowship, and food!
Brian
turned 64 on July 6; so our church played the Beatles "will you still love
me when I'm 64?" on Sunday as Gavin and David (two of our elders) pretended
to prop him up behind the pulpit!
Feb 2009:
Christmas
and Aussie holidays are over once again. In the short time since the last
update was done in November, no website originating in Australia can fail to
mention the dreadful, terrifying bushfires that roared across much of Victoria
in early February. Over 230 dead (previous worst was 75 in 1983); flames beyond description in record temperatures (46c+); whole townships wiped
out. Our church (like most others) paused and prayed the day after, in
shock.
Our
40th wedding anniversary rolled around on January 8. The February fires
reminded us that on our
wedding day 23 people were burned to death in Victoria in, for us, very scary
circumstances. We were married at 8.30pm on a farm not far from Kinglake
during our church's annual convention; the whole camp was under standby orders
until late in the afternoon, when the fire threat eased and the wedding went
ahead. We shared our wedding with Richard and Jane Kaa. Sadly, Jane
died of brain cancer last year.
Michelle
and Debbie arranged a sneaky surprise party after church the Sunday after Jan.
8. They put us off the scent by arranging a (pathetically) small one the
Sunday before! Grumpy Old Man moaned to wife, "it's like a 40th
doesn't matter any more"... only to repent a week later. Lots
of friends turned up - including our former Mayor and Mayoress, Allan and Pat
Ezzy, our two popular local Catholic priests, Michelle Allen drove up 400k from
Parkes, lots of friends from around Sydney, and topping it off, the Leimans
shocked us by flying 1000k from Brisbane to join us! We were deeply
touched by the outpouring of love. affection, and honour. We took two days
in the city, to be beach at Many and met up with Gavin and Kathy Watts who dined
us at Darling Harbour (all photos are hyperlinked)....
 |
 |
Councillors - Allan and Pat Ezzy, Ken and June Morrisey |
 |
Marcus and Patsy Leiman flew down from Brisbane |
we took two days in the city - Manly Beach |
Just
before Christmas, our "lost and found" Cavalier (Libby)
suddenly deteriorated in health, awareness, and mobility. We already knew
she had a congenital heart defect since birth, and just before her 11th
birthday, we had her put down (with tears, naturally), and buried her at
Budgewoi (see Dog stories on the menu - It's true that you learn more from your
dog(s) than you do from most other facets of life...).
Email's
great! We have restored contact with several of Brian's rellies in NZ
after our November visit to Christchurch. Even his ancient aunties in
Auckland have got the email bug now and photos flow back and forth (at 1mb
each!).
November 2008:
Brian arrived back from a month in Zimbabwe and Mozambique in early
November. The main reason for going was the first Lifeline Advisory Board
meeting (an Indaba = serious talking!) in five years. And yes, it was quiet
(roadblocks, etc, minimal, after the last trip three months
previous)...... Because of the sensitive nature of public info on the
region, if you would like an update you need to email us first. We are
still yet to update the current info on the menubar...
Healthwise,
we are all still ok. Even our recovered dog, Libby,
is ok! She's old and slow, but that means she's in the right place with
us!
We
have put Sam Gabara's Reedbuck Safari operation on our own server now (for some reason Google
didn't pick up his old one). And uploaded 35 photos Gavin Watts took last
year while Sam was giving him real close-up introductions to bull elephants,
etc, in Hwange NP!! Have a look and don't believe everything you hear
about the "dangers of Zimbabwe!" There are areas of
serious concern, yes, but they are selective, and the animals are not yet
wearing political slogans on their backsides...
In
mid-November, we spent 11 days in Christchurch, NZ - Brian's birthplace.
Photos to come of the photo page. What a delight to be there - with
rellies, old friends (the Scotts spoiled us, and nearly exhausted us with hiking
and touring the nearby Southern Alps foothills (only the height of Australia's
highest mountain...). An awesome part of God's great creation! We
did some ministry with Steve Williams' church at Darfield, then drove on to Mt
Hutt / Rakaia gorge for a wonderful afternoon of grandeur scenery, and murderous
hiking!
September 2008:
you
can see we have continued with our expressed minimalist style.... We have
read so much gunk on blogsites that we have overreacted the other way - if we
have nothing significant to say, we're gonna say nothin'! Well,
almost... Some heart and soul stuff has to get out there too.
In
the meantime, Brian has spent five weeks back in Zimbabwe (in which the
Presidential Election re-run occurred, with attendant excitement! - a
censored-for-public-viewing report on that trip is posted on the menu bar under current
trip). He's
committed enough to be returning again to Midlands for a Lifeline Network
Leadership Gathering in October, and to fulfil some other ministry
responsibilities in Mozambique (more on the Ministry side of our website).
Elizabeth
remains well (as can be expected, considering the current household of Brian,
Steve, and Elizabeth all have had serious colds/flu/bronchitis, while Kefas just
survived!). She is off mid-September flying north for her annual Royal QE2
tour of Queensland! while Brian does his annual haj pilgrimage (aka
our tax returns).....
Joyce
continues to cling to life at Cardinal Gilroy Village. She's 87,
physically very frail, but mentally and spiritually still trading words and
repartee with the best of them... While Jordan (four in October) continues
to be a delight to us every Monday (and often like right now, on other days)
when he stops over at "Pa and Ti's!" We stopped at Sydney
airport this afternoon in the small jets section, where a security guard saw us ogling
away, picked him up, clapped earmuffs on him, and carried him out to a 20-seater
Lear Jet, so he could touch the wings and look at the revving motor! He
was glassy-eyed! Aussie is a great country to live in!
April 2008:
Ahh, beautiful Merrylands. So peaceful on a Monday morning... The
birds coming down for a feed on our balcony... Hang on! What's that
noise? Sirens! Lots of sirens! We live right opposite
Merrylands High School and within minutes there are police everywhere!
Including two patrol cars in a high-speed smash right outside our
driveway. The
school is under attack from a rampaging gang of teenagers - bent on revenge,
we learn later, against a student who has stolen a girl from one of the gang
members. The school is locked down, frantic parents block our street with the
helicopters and media pouring in. Well, at least it's not Columbine...
And
tragically, I rush for my video camera to record the police action, the tension,
and the arrest of the gang members (mere teenagers 14-16 y/o), before any media
turn up. My chance to make some serious money as a media mogul. Aghhhh!
My battery is flat... Ah well, there'll be a next time...
And
in the meantime, the pile of email correspondence grows and grows.
Cyberspace is a fascinating place, the rewards are enriching, but it seems that
the days grow shorter (and we're not talking about daylight)...
Feb 2008:
Another
Christmas has come and gone. Kefas has returned from a 'shock and awe'
trip home to Zimbabwe, and normal life has resumed. Our Federal Government
for the last 12 years has been kicked out and the Prime Minister got rolled out
of his own electorate... THAT'S DEMOCRACY FOR YOU! No blood
was shed; he didn't fight to hang on in office; the rule of law
prevailed!
On
Australia Day - our national day that remembers the birth of our nation on Jan
26, 1788 - Brian spoke at the Council's citizenship ceremony on the subject of Augustine's
quote, “In
necessary things, unity; in doubtful things, liberty; in all things, charity”,
applying it to the things necessary to forging a national identity and a unified
society from disparate immigrant backgrounds (for
the speech summary, go here).
And
on the right is the next generation of Aussie citizen... Jordan with
"Pa" on Sydney's beautiful coast-walk at Tamarama as we, with
Elizabeth, Craig and Michelle, inspected 'Sculpture by the Sea'....
Oh
yeah, the prodigal dog tale ain't over either. You can get an update on
Libby's continued recovery (she's 10 this month) on the our
dog tales page.. Amazing stuff; a lesson in the power of TLC...
A FAVOURITE OLD PHOTO - HEADING BUSH IN MOZAMBIQUE 1997,
150 km up a sand
track to Inhaminga with LifeLine supplies for an orphanage and rural churches.
With Brian Morris and Joao Madeira (interpreter).
You
couldn't even walk off the road to have a pee (fun for the ladies), as there
were landmines everywhere from the civil war. The old rail track had
trains blown up in the jungle for many kms.
Nearby,
a wood cutter was eaten by a lion not long after our visit
(UPDATES OVER TWO YEARS OLD ARE FILED
SEPARATELY - GO HERE - UNTIL CREMATION)
After
we settled in back home three weeks ago, we set about replacing our last
Cavalier spaniel (see dog stories on the menu bar) with another. For the
first time, we actually went out and paid for a puppy... The rest have
been rejects that others had given up on - we have taken them on as part of
their rehabilitation (and ours too, to be honest)! So, yes, Elizabeth
adopted two month-old Toby Rensford (named in honour of Toby - our
dog-nutty friends the Elliotts' own 4-legged family member, in San Diego.
