Warm greetings from sunny Down Under!
Not much has changed for Tom and myself! Tom continues to work as a sales assistant at a store selling power tools etc. Since August, I have worked one day a fortnight working with a nursing agency - working as an enrolled nurse. I used to go into the city to the major hospital there-about 50 mins away, but the last few times I have worked closer to home at the hospital that services the northern area of Adelaide - only about 10 minutes from home. I am so blessed just to be able to work this amount in order to keep up my nursing skills, and thus my registration, so that when the kids have all finished school, I can then perhaps work more hours.
Our eldest daughter Alexandra (19), has finished her second year of a medical and pharmacuetical biotechnology degree, and is currently in India on a 3 week mission awareness trip. She has been teaching in a school for slum children in Bangalore, and also having a look at another large organisation in Chennai. Her plans at this stage are to finish her degree next year, then do a year of Honours, and then do 18 months study to get her bachelor or education, qualifying her to be a teacher. Then maybe to Africa? We'll see where the Lord leads.
Our second daughter Georgina (17) has just finished her senior year of school and we expect her to do well after all the study she did, while holding down 2 part time jobs. Her results come out next week. She is hoping to do a double degree in arts and education at the Adelaide University. However, she has won a scholarship to study at the Liaoning University in Shenyang, China from Feb 2007 - Feb 2008. It will be6 months of intensive language study (to build upon the study she did at school) and then 6 months cultural studies. While it will be a great experience for her, it will be very quiet around home here, as she is forever singing - whether it be in the shower, as she walks around the house, or as she's playing the piano. Don't know how she will cope in China, not being able to burst into song in the shared dorm room, and public showers!!
Joshua (16) has just got his drivers license. He and his brother Thomas will be changing schools next year to go to the school connected with our church. So, after being associated with Trinity College, a large K-12 school of over 3000 students for 13 years, they will be going to Craigmore Christian School, a school with just over 300 pupils! We are hoping the change will allow Josh to reach his full potential, and gain an entrance score to be able to go to university to study primary school teching, for this is what he says he wants to do. I think an apprenticeship in a trade would have been better, but he is not keen on hot days in the sun etc., etc! This may change as he matures! However, he is quite capable, but just has to apply himself and work hard for the first time in his life! He is in a band called Scarlet Brow with a couple of his mates, and he has enjoyed that, along with playing his bass at church. He has a job at Pizza Hut, working just enough to give him a bit of pocket money.
Thomas (14) HAS just got his first job working at Red Rooster, a fast food place. He has broken a family tradition!! The first 3 all worked at Pizza Hut for their first job! You have to be 14 and 9 months to get a job at Pizza Hut whereas you can be younger to start at Red Rooster so at only 14 yrs and 6 months, starting his working life earlier than the other 3! He is looking forward to the change in schools also, and hopefully this will be a positive move for both boys.
God has been good over the years and we have been truly blessed. This Christmas season, reach out to someone else - just as Christ has reached out to us.
Amy Nicholls-Day
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