Wednesday, July 30, 2008

SATURDAY... RIVERSIDE PARK

HI everyone...

I have been thinking we haven't really connected with as many people as we would LIKE to have!!! So as a way to help make that happen we are going to go to Riverside Park on Saturday from Noon until 6PM (if the weather is nice of course, and that means as long as it is not raining... and if it does rain and then stops we will also head down there).

SATURDAY... RIVERSIDE PARK... NOON to SIX PM!

How does that sound? We look forward to connecting with those whom we haven't had the chance to visit with and see face to face.

I am going to leave for NB on the 5th or 6th of August... that is next week... time is rushing by quickly and we are sorry that we have not been able to see everyone, and if you cannot make it to the park we will have to connect next year (if we make it out here in the summer :o))!

See you Saturday!
Charlene

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

In Kamloops BC

Hello everyone…

We just wanted to let you know that we are now in Kamloops.

We are staying at friends EMAIL FOR THE PHONE AND ADDRESS!

So here’s the plan… we will hang at the house most of the time because we are a bit sick of the vehicle, so if you would like to connect with us we would be more than happy if you would come and see us. If you call first you can know for sure that we are here… because if we get in the van to go anywhere I think it will be the lake… and you are welcome to join us… just call and let us know!

We are just thinking that after driving over 5000km’s across Canada most of you won’t mind travelling a few km’s to see us! We’ll keep you posted on how long we are staying but it will be 2 weeks for sure!

We love you all and hope to see you soon! For those of you who aren’t in the Loops… you can call us here if you would like to chat. We look forward to connecting with you all over the next year and a half!

Blessings!
Charlene and the gang!!!

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

TENTATIVE Itinerary

Hi there everyone. We have made it safe and sound to Ft. Steele (near Cranbrook) where Pete's parents are living. We had a safe and fairly uneventful trip across Canada (and a little of the USA)... of course traveling with 6 people in a van for hours on end is not the MOST enjoyable time, but we all survived!
As I sit here and look over my calendar I have decided that we must make some sort of decision as to when and where we will be places. We are having a difficult time focusing (still tired and adjusting from Africa)... but here is our tentative schedule for our travels out here in BC and then as we head back to the east coast to reside for the year (and maybe a bit) that we are home.
July 13 to 19... Ron and Marge Knightly's... Ft. Steele (near Cranbrook) BC.
July 20... Vernon, BC
July 21... Kamloops (25 to 27 Pete's brother and family from the Island will join us) BC
August 3... Ft. St. John, BC
August 4... Spirit River, Alberta
August 6... Three Hills, Alberta
August 8... Calgary, Alberta
August 10... Caronport, SK
August 11... Regina, SK
August 12... Winnipeg, MN
August 13... Ontario (somewhere....)
August 14... Ontario (somewhere...)
August 15... Quebec (somewhere...)
August 16... Sussex (back with my parents)
August 22... Proposed possession date of the house we are in the process of buying.
Talitha will probably remain west (perhaps Kamloops or NWT). Pete is also hoping to stay in the west for a period of time for some work! I will travel back to NB with the 3 kids. It's a long drive... so I am not driving at all now! :)
We appreciate your prayers as we travel, and if we are coming through or close to where you live and would like to meet up with us just send an email. We look forward to connecting with our family, friends, and supporters. Our next trip west will be longer and we will have an itinerary prior to coming, we would like to be able to speak in churches and small groups as much as possible before we head back to Africa, as we have some pretty exciting ideas of what we would like to do when we return!!! That is another reason Pete would like to work as much as possible out here in the west... the more finances we can take back with us, the more projects and things can be accomplished! After traveling through Calgary and Lethbridge we are convinced that having a container or two shipped to Namibia with things that people are just throwing outside the dumpster's would be an awesome idea. It was frustrating and downright saddened us to see what people throw away! There are so many people (even in Canada) who would appreciate a mattress to sleep on... a couch to cuddle up on... a coffee table to rest their feet on... all of these things we saw tossed along side the dumpster's.
Please continue to pray for us during this year of furlough, especially for the kids as they will try to settle into another "new" environment and hopefully construct a better foundation of knowledge before heading back to Africa, January 2010 (if the Lord is willing). We will keep you posted on our vision for the return to Namibia.
Looking forward to the weeks ahead!
Blessings,
Charlene for the Knightly gang!

Monday, July 07, 2008

Long Drive...

Here we are on our LONG drive across to British Columbia. Saturday night we stayed with one of Talitha's friends (Brenda Geneau) in Northwestern NB... we hit the road at 7AM and drove through Quebec to North Bay Ontario... LONG drive! We spent the night with long time friends Bill and Lorna Powell. We had a good visit and a great breakfast this morning before we headed on our way. In Sault St. Marie we dipped in the USA... we are now in Newberry Michigan at a hotel with wireless internet and a pool. The boys are swimming and we are having some down time in the room.

It is a LONG drive in a van with 4 teenagers and 2 parents (YIKES), but we are all still alive... some of us are happier than others :o)! We appreciate your prayers as we travel... for safety and some level of 'enjoyment' as well as the finances to cover the costs along the way. Thank you to those of you who have helped so far, and for those of you who have been praying! We are so thankful for the friends and family who have partnered with us in our ministry.

We'll keep in touch as we have an internet connection!
Blessings!
Charlene

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

Canada Day...

It is now almost 1AM on Canada day... I can't sleep, my stomach seems to be having some issues with Canadian food... hopefully this will pass soon. My time clock has also not adjusted yet, and I seem to not be able to fall asleep before 2AM, doesn't really make sense since that is 6AM in Namibia. Perhaps it is because I have flipped upside down (or upside right) from one side of the equator to another. Either way, it has not been easy.

We spoke at Cumberland Bay Baptist Church on Sunday. Pastor Mitchell gave us the whole Sunday morning service. What a blessing it was to be able to share with this little church that has given both prayer and financial support! Although no one at the church knows us 'personally' very well (since they have only spent a few Sunday mornings with us in the last 3 years)... they seemed to know a LOT about us...! They had raised funds to buy us a cow if we had stayed in Angola, but because that didn't work out they decided we could put a roof and a door on Rosa's house (our househelp in Angola). They also raised money by beading bracelets with the letters S.O.N on them... Sharing Others Needs... the money they raised from that was to go to the beading ministry but because we were coming home they told us to put it toward our plane tickets! They are also supporting as a church on a monthly basis. THANK YOU Cumberland Bay Baptist for your love and support! I shared about the beading ministry and I had the jewelery on display that I brought home from the project in Namibia... I now have just over $200 Canadian (about N$1500) to send back to Okahandja for the ladies, Care & Compassion, and to restock the beading ministry.

This week the boys have gone to Arrowhead Native Bible Camp for a week of teen camp with their Grandma and Grandpa. I am sure they will have a great time! That is also located at Cumberland Bay. Talitha, Meagan, Pete and I are spending the week together... trying to think about packing and getting ready to leave for the west!

Here are some things to pray about:
1. Talitha is seriously considering living out west with our good friend Kelly... you can be in prayer about that... pray for work and for God to show her what she ought to do with her life.

2. We are very seriously considering the house we looked at on the Miramichi. If they accept our offer we will try to get things settled before heading west, and then be back in time to settle in before school starts. I am very excited about the possibility of having a place to come back to every 3 or 4 years... it has been very stressful for me (for whatever reason) to keep wondering where we will end up this year. Please continue to pray for wisdom.

3. Pete is seriously considering working out west this year (off and on)... there are many out east that go back and forth... we would like to have some financial resources in which to go back to Namibia with to help with the project we are considering upon our return! Generally a furlough is spent resting and running around to churches raising support and sharing the vision... it is not that we have lost faith in God to supply our needs, rather Pete needs to keep busy.

4. We will be contacting a mission here in Canada that we would like to partner with when we return to Namibia, you can pray that the details will be worked out in that area, as we would really like to be able to give tax receipts to those who are supporting us financially.

5. We would also like to ask that if God has put it on your heart to support us financially during this time of limbo that you get in touch with us for our banking details (unless you already have them). To be honest very little has been put into our account since we returned to Canadian soil. If you have questions about furlough (home assignment) and what it means please contact us and ask! We would be happy to explain how it all works.

6. We need to make a trip west, and as you know fuel prices are high. Please pray for the finances to cover the trip. My parents have ever so graciously loaned us their old van for the year... it has over 300,000km's on it, but we are trusting God to keep it on the road for the year that we are home (or supply us with something else) :o)

7. We would just like to Praise God for HIS faithfulness to us... HE has been SO gracious and merciful to us throughout this whole journey, and I know that HE will continue to be with us as we seek to serve HIM with our lives. One day I will sit down and write a whole blog dedicated to the ways that we have seen HIM work in our lives and tell how much HE has blessed us!!! We are humbled and honoured to have a God who loves us so much and will never leave us nor forsake us! What a MIGHTY God we serve! ALL the praise and honour and glory goes to HIM!!!

Thank you all for your love, prayer and support! We are thankful for the part you play in our ministry, and we pray God's blessing upon each and every one of you!

Love,
Charlene (and the rest of the Knightly's)