E-BLAST - 30 MARCH 2014

Sophia and Andrew Sinclair from Christchurch are rejoicing in the birth eight weeks ago of their little baby son Guy Douglas and next weekend in Wellington, as a NZ Young Writer and a the Editor of NZ CMS magazine, Sophia is leading the major plenary of the NZ Young Writers Conference. Sophia has already hinted there maybe some small group participation as her major afternoon session is reflecting on what the young writer's are about. Sounds interesting folks. I can't wait. Wouldn't you like to be a fly on the wall.

NZ YOUNG WRITER CONFERENCE

NZ Young Writer Conference is next weekend in Wellington.  
Photo - Daniel Jang, Sam Burrows, Casey Murray, Brad Mills - attended the Melbourne Basil Sellers Awards Conf. last Sept. All four participating in Wellington: Daniel on his overseas travel and cross cultural experiences; Sam is our final speaker; Casey is our MC for the entire conference; Brad handled the air-fare scholarship donations for those travelling into Wellington from Auckland, Hamilton, Nelson and Christchurch - a huge effort. 

MERCY CORNISH IN NELSON NZ

Mercy Cornish NZ young writer graduated with Hon. Communications and Media from Christchurch in 2013 and is now living in Nelson the north of South Island networking with the assistance of media people so as to secure a full time media job. Mercy has voiced radio commercials as part of this process along with other media training assignments. We met Mercy at the Christchurch NZ young writer conference last year. Mercy will be in Wellington for the 2014 NZ Young Writer Conference next weekend.

CHRISTINA TYSON WITH DELMA

Christina Tyson (right) with Delma - Christina is one of the NZ Panellists for the Basil Sellers Young Writer Awards and has been the stalwart on the ground for the NZ Young Writers Conference next weekend in Wellington. Major Christina Tyson is the Editor of the Salvation Army's War Cry magazine. Christina is re-presenting the four 2013 Basil Sellers Young Writers 2013 winner awards from last September in Melbourne, this time before their peers in Wellington: Daniel Jang, Sam Burrows, Casey Murray and Sophia Sinclair.  

JOHN GROCOTT TO NZ CONF.

John Grocott the statistician for the Basil Sellers Young Writers Awards will be with us in Wellington New Zealand for the NZ Young Writers Conference next weekend. John & Janine at the Christchurch NZ Young Writers Conference last year and John, a railway buff, came with us on the Alpine Train from Christchurch to Greymouth. This time John is taking the Auckland to Wellington train.

E-BLAST - 23 MARCH 2014

Laguna Quays Respite - the first occasion a bbq at night using the new fluro light. We had over the Spencer's, who coordinate the respite ministry. Sean is cooking and Sue talking to Delma. Sue is a craft supplier and Delma orders craft items. 2011 we saw a scrapbooking notice, called in and connected, a Christian family. Their eldest is in the navy (Defense Academy) and second son Year 12 - aiming for the army (the same route).  

FULL MOON - LAGUNA QUAYS RESPITE

Our Laguna Quays Respite visit of 2 weeks (returned home on 20 March) saw overcast and some wet weather for all but 4 days and it was during those 4 days of sunny weather we had a night bbq in the car port entertainment area and watched the full moon rise. Repulse Bay is just past the trees of the end house in the street. This high cyclone fence which goes all the way round the property was there when we secured the cottage in February 2011.

DELMA'S LQ RESPITE CRAFTS

Delma turns one of the single bedrooms at Laguna Quays Respite cottage into her office - set up with desk, sewing machine and key board. Delma loves card making and crafts and even sews items onto cards - the sewing machine was her 2012 Mothers' Day gift from the children. To save her moving the chair back and forth we bought a $10 sewing machine chair. The facing window is a lovely treed huge hill and the rear window to the back yard and Laguna Quays Resort land.  

MARK'S VERANDA OFFICE

We usually show you a photograph of Mark's veranda office facing toward Repulse Bay, this pic faces the opposite direction to the front door. This is a very wide veranda and Mark sets up his lap top on his wheelie table, the electrician in 2011 put an external power point for him on the veranda wall under the window, and he plugs in his travelling wifi and connects to the world. Respite can be rough going! 

ANOTHER BEACH SURPRISE

Another Midge Point Beach surprise on our 7.00am morning walks.
The respite routine for Mark is PSI (young writers) 5.30am to 7.00am - the beach walk - breakfast - visiting a local - the lap top before lunch, then a doze on the 'reading' lounge chair. Delma enjoys her card / crafts, Delma sings hymns (key board a family birthday gift in 2011. And always a spot of reading and gardening.
Then it's back to "all go" in Tweed Heads.

LOTS OF GO-AHEAD

Repulse Bay Estate (Midge Point) now has 5 houses under construction - the Laguna Quays Respite cottage (Marina Pde) is two streets to the north. The Laguna Quays Resort is then the next street along now owned by a Chinese consortium. Another new Midge Point estate named Carlisle Waters Estate with 106 homes has the green light with infrastructure construction starting shortly, southern end of Midge Point.  

E-BLAST - 16 MARCH 2014

Laguna Quays Respite: a local handyman and his mate putting up the two pot plant shelves rescued from the shade house when it was crushed by the recent cyclone. We selected the shady side of the cottage - notice the huge concrete slab put in last year - this whole area became a muddy slosh with any rain - now all fixed !

FRAME BROKEN IN SIX PLACES

When we arrived at Laguna Quays Respite one of the first things I checked was the shade house and discovered that the huge tent pegs held. Rather the shade cloth was caught by the recent cyclonic winds like a sail and pushed the shade house frame over, like a crushing effect, braking it in six places. 

RELOCATED POT PLANT SHELVES

The finished job - the relocated pot plant shelves from the broken up shade house after the recent cyclone. This is the shady side of the Laguna Quays Respite cottage in the afternoons.  

POTTING THE PLANTS

Delma checking out her new pot plant shelves having transferred the pots from where the old shade house was to the new location - the shady side of the cottage. Delma enjoys potting and gardening!

THE OTHER ANGLE

Delma with the two relocated pot plant shelves and the shade cloth folded. Delma is our green thumb. The paw paw trees planted last year near the back fence have given five paw paws to date - Delma talks to them all.  

ROOTS EXPOSED BY CYCLONE

The row of huge trees along Midge Point Beach had the sand and soil washed away from their roots systems with the recent cyclone. 50 years ago there were another 5 rows of such trees and several houses (now all ocean) which have all in turn been washed away. This is the last row of trees - then comes the houses. 

MIDGE POINT BEACH

Midge Point Beach after the recent cyclone. A friend who lives adjacent to the beach said that the critical day saw a King Tide and 80 klm winds 'together' which saw the huge waves wash the sand away from the tree roots and come over the sand dunes into their back yard. 

SWIMMING CRAB

Swimming crab when we were paddling in the ocean along Midge Point Beach. We have seen many remarkable things when on our 30 minute morning beach walks during our stay at Laguna Quays Respite. Back to Tweed Heads on Thursday - 20 March.

E-BLAST - 9 MARCH 2014

Bride Salley sporting her new position in life - 'Salley Gillespie'.

The changing of the guard !!

These are 6 wedding extra photos as promised from last week's E-Blast.

Wedding extra photos No 2

Wesley reading the Scriptures during the wedding service. Wesley lives on the Gold Coast having returned from England (7 years) in 2010 in banking. He is now the NAB branch bank manager, Southport.   

Hayley was the maid of honour for Salley - see pics from last week's E-Blast. Anthea and Robert's two little ones Harriet and Edward were the flower girl and page boy.

Wedding extra photo No 3

Bride and Groom Salley and Sam greeting Uncle / Auntie Kim and Deidre Tronson after the wedding service. (Mark's elder brother).

Wedding extra photo No 4

Delma's in pink - right Ruth Cleland from Canberra, her sister now widowed; closest Jenny Scotland Sunshine Coast (Peter had to work), Lorraine and Eddie Macindoe from Cessnock, girl-friends school days (Maclean).
 

Wedding extra photos No 5

Three siblings  -  Kim (65), Susette (60) and Mark (62).

Kim and Deidre live on 50 acres near Camden (Sydney), Susette and Lanning share their time between Wodonga (home) and Melbourne (part of their psychology practice).

Notice Mark's weight loss, 19kg. If he wasn't wearing braces .....

Wedding extra photos No 6

The bride throwing the bouquet remains a big event !

E-BLAST - 2 MARCH 2014

Salley Tronson and Sam Gillespie married Sat 1 March, Kiama NSW south coast. Sam is the eldest of four of Ian and Robyn Gillespie (Wollongong) and Salley is our fourth and youngest.

They met at Flo Harris Lodge in 2009 and connected in 2011 with their first date a walk around the Sydney Botanic Gardens. It was to this same venue two years later that a proposal was offered and accepted.

Pic  -  Salley in the bridal car on her way to the church - it was a wet day but a fabulous one with the joy of the Lord. 

Salley and Sam - Wedding Photo No 2

Two became One  -  Sam and Salley Gillespie  -  with the bridal party as their witnesses.

Sam is doing Hons at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney. He composed the musical score for his bride Salley - walked the isle to the alter to him waiting. Sam had his friends from the Conservatorium of Music to play the piece (organ and violin) and also sing the hymns and his sister.

Salley and Sam - Wedding Photo No 3

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Salley and Sam  -  signing the register

Salley attended Bedford Business College Sydney in 2009 and invited to give the graduation speech on behalf of the students. Over the following three years Salley completed her accountancy degree (SCU) and found work in Sydney.  

Salley and Sam - Wedding Photo No 4

Salley and Sam  -  cutting the cake  -  then a kiss  (they were required to kiss a couple of times for the photographs).

Salley and Sam are living not far from their church - Petersham Baptist, where they lead the Children's Church program and involved in mid week bible study.  

Salley and Sam - Wedding Photo No 5

Sam and Salley - the Bridal Waltz

Sam is an accomplished composer of classic and general music with musical scores for several concerts he's initiated. He has done musical scores for short films and advertising. He is also specialised in movie 'audio' with several short and longer films and toured Europe in 2011 as a classical singer with the Sydney Conservatorium Chamber Choir. 

Salley and Sam - Wedding Photo No 6

Salley with Delma seeing her baby married!

Sam has visited us in these past two years or so several times - he is one of the 'young emerging writers' in our program with Christian Today.
 

*  next week's photos will include a selection of other photographs from the wedding.