Dutrieux Data...no really

This is a voice from the “duisternus” no doubt, unaccountably quiet, suddenly recognisable and eagerly anticipated! So much has transpired since our last point of news, mostly due to the fact that blogging has seemed to overtake the need for a separate ‘newsletter’. And a belief that contact and interaction with some people would negate the need for others to be kept in the loop. Sincere apologies, no excuse.

So, getting right to it: Easiest might be a point/month format to start with and an expansion with details to follow.

January: Saw us regrouping at home with family and friends, catching up what seems to fall through the cracks when travels are priority and generally getting things done. We also felt that we should start making arrangements to return to Bulgaria for a time and God was kind enough to confirm this by making finances available to purchase tickets to do this. Also, we have become more involved with a congregation in the East of Pretoria, we are enjoying good fellowship and sound leadership.http://www.rightnowthejourney.blogspot.com/2013_01_01_archive.html

February: This is the time that we shared about Bulgaria to our new congregation and at the same time started on the preparations of forming a team to join us there for an exposure and blessing trip. A great success it was.

March: Found us back in Bulgaria, fixing things that need it, re-establishing contacts and friendships, trying to decide how best to cope with the cold and snow. Making sure we had enough prepared and chopped firewood to help with this. Paperwork for vehicles, taxes etc. that are all new to us. http://www.rightnowthejourney.blogspot.com/2013_03_01_archive.html

April: Friends and partners flew in for a visit while the weather was still rather on the cool side. It was great showing them around. They were a large part of getting the Gostilitsa kitchen closer to completion. Thanks guys for spending time with us there.

May: Here the arrival of the South African church team took priority. Thanks to friends and colleagues who prepared them so well. We are grateful to have a team around us. God bless each one of you. The time with the team was a wonderful learning experience.

June: Our time in Bulgaria came to an end with a rather serious hiccup with Jean-Pierre tearing ligaments in his ankle during a motorcycle accident causing us to spend our planned ‘time out’ with our teammates in Turkey to be accompanied with a rather clumsy ‘moonboot’. During our stay in Turkey Rita did something stupid (laundry) resulting in a Lumbar Hernia which rather forced rest as doing much else was out of the question. On our return to South Africa we found some disturbing things to have taken place in our absence, causing us to get to work on setting up a ‘fool proof’ system to cope when we are not around. 

This is still in the making.

July: Empty nest has come to our family home. Dorianne moved to Cape Town and two weeks after that, Jordan left for a three month stint in Bulgaria. Rita got an abscess in her lower back and for the last six weeks has been on antibiotics to try and kill the little beast. It does look as though the nasty tablets have done their job. So very grateful. Jean-Pierre is in full swing with meeting with leaders and establishing  platforms for output…

August: Two computers, crashed and burned, causing us to call on friends in the game to come to the party so Rita can do all that needs to be done regarding bookkeeping and SARS. This is the task for the next few weeks as the financial year end is the end of September. Looking forward to getting it all done and dusted. Catching up with Partners and friends is in full swing too as we go from house to house and have visitors upon visitors invariably food is consumed and company enjoyed. We intend to catch up with all over coffee…so watch this space and keep your phones handy.

We are so grateful to God for keeping us in His hand during this recent season. Thankful for His hand in directing our every move. In Love with our Father for all He is and all we are in Him. We praise God every day for wonderful people that surround us.

This is the up to date report for now.
We ask forgiveness for not being as communicative as we should have been, and we continue to thank God for YOU.