Monday, October 8, 2012

ADEUS TIMOR-LESTE, HARE ITA FALI ORSIDA!! (Goodbye Timor-Leste, see you again soon!!)

Dawn in Dili

Bondia familia i collega! Diak ka lai .. or how ya’ll doin’? Welcome back to the Team Breuls blog! Cher and I are back in Australia now, but lets back track a bit and get the whole story ..

It was early August as Cher and I were getting set to head back to Weberek one last time (before our flight back to Australia in September) with Lucinda and her friends Lauren (another Aussie midwife) and Martha, when we slowly realised it might not be such a wise idea. My dear Cher who was approaching her third term of pregnancy was having an increasingly hard time coping with the bumpy roads in Timor and we felt it was just not worth the risk of driving so far out on such rough roads, so along with the advice of two midwives and some prayer we decided to stay in Dili. We stayed mostly with Cher’s friend Natalie and for a week and a half with our Kiwi friend Jill. Cher and I laid low during this time. Cher took it easy, resting and I did as much reading as I could. Natalie ended up moving to a new place near the beach, so for the last week or so Cher and I enjoyed larger living quarters as well as walks along the beach! Natalie in her blessed hospitality and kindness has now offered us a room in her new home permanently! (For whenever we return to Dili ..) God bless her! 

We had some great house church meetings before we left, it’s wonderful how many new friends we’ve made in Timor-Leste! We also caught up with Vasco before we left. He came over to Nat’s new place and we showed him a dvd about miraculous healings. He got really excited and told us of his own many experiences of God’s healing power. He shared about a current mini-revival happening in one of the districts of Timor-Leste. A pastor shared about it at his church, apparently there were accompanying miracle healings, speaking in tongues and salvations! We left a couple dvd’s with Vasco, which he then showed to his church youth group who were greatly encouraged! Hallelujah! 

All of a sudden September swung round and the day came for our flight back to Australia. Our hearts were heavy. We knew we would be coming back but we weren’t sure when. At one point we had been open to the idea of having our baby in Timor, but eventually after much prayer decided on Australia - at least for our firstborn. God had allowed us to witness some awesome things in Timor-Leste and yet it was just the beginning. I was a little disappointed with how little time we had actually spent in Weberek over the last 3 month period, but that’s just how the cookie crumbles .. My wife and unborn son came first and I was happy that they were both doing well.

In Darwin we stayed with some new Christian friends we had met by ‘seeming chance’ at YWAM Darwin at the dawn of our Timor adventure. Tim and Cath are their names and they‘re a mighty dynamic duo for the Kingdom of God! They have 2 young boys (3 and 4) and a little baby girl. Tim has a regular job but manages to spend most of his time praying for people at Darwin Hospital and sharing the heart of the gospel message. They visit indigenous communities, ministering wherever there is an open and needy heart. Cher and I had a great time staying with them, but were sad only in that it was so short. 

Check out Tim & Cath’s blog: http://tcsteeles.blogspot.com.au/

Back in Melbourne, staying with Cher’s parents, we got right into the swing of things: ultrasounds, hospital visits, baby fairs and markets, shopping for clothes and acquiring all our baby needs etc ..  When we saw our little baby again with ultrasound in Cher’s 31st week, he wasn’t quite as active as the first ultrasound, but he’s healthy and doing very well as is Mum. Cher and I were also blessed with a second-hand stroller and baby/toddler car seat from some of Cher’s relatives! 

So for now it’s strictly baby business and for Cher and I that’s somewhat of a change! Although ‘the change’ most people have been telling us about is the one when we are both finally and actually parents .. for which, apparently, nothing can prepare us! 

Thanks for dropping by and Blessings to you all ..

Love,

L + C

P.S. The following pics are a few I took on an early morning walk around the 'Ramos Horta' hill circuit (not it's actual name, by the way):