the linkston blog....actually just jim's thoughts!

...."the car"....part 2

2009-01-16T23:48:00.003-05:00

See what happens.....it was just left too long and someone finally TORCHED it!!!!

free to average home

2008-12-27T21:03:00.003-05:00

this car was left next to our church building...abandoned and then vandalized. everyone knows chuck likes a free automobile but even he can't get this thing to move. the windows keep getting beer bottles thrown through them....each day it gets a little more beat up....

you can't leave your car at churchfreo overnight!

2008-12-19T23:28:00.002-05:00

ohn ohn CuJAfter reading our Christmas letter some of you have asked about the high school Logan-Grace will be attending. I am attaching the bio below and the link to their website so you can have a look!

John Curtin College of the Arts offers Gifted and Talented Education programs in Artsmedia, Ballet, Contemporary Dance, Drama, Music, Music Theatre and Visual Arts. Our high quality and supportive learning environment nurtures academic excellence and makes us a leader in Western Australian Arts education.Arts. Our high quality and supportive learning environment nurtures academic excellence and makes us a leader in Western Australian Arts education.

http://www.jc.wa.edu.au/

beach baptism

2008-12-06T23:11:00.003-05:00

we were privileged to be a part of a very special baptism....kate & monica...our dear friends were baptized in the indian ocean (south fremantle)...it was a gorgeous day and even more special because these two sisters have been an amazing part of the linkston family's life...our kids adore them and so do chuck & i...monica was even a special guest in logan's class on grandparents day...which was funny because she is in her early 20's! kate is the one so many of you have been praying for over the past year....yay! i love beach baptisms :)

churchfreo thanksgiving photo

2008-12-01T01:07:00.001-05:00

i figured out how to steal rick's photos off of facebook and put them onto my facebook page! have a look if you can!!! ohhhh i don't know why this silly thing is underlining everything i type!

thanksgiving with australians

2008-12-01T00:51:00.003-05:00

it was amazing! our thanksgiving with our churchfreo family was so special on friday night. if you have facebook you can look at the photos on rick's page....i must get better at posting photos...something i can work on :)

we had 51 people at the aussie thanksgiving. berenice cooked the turkey (22 pounds) and potato dressing....she also planned the menu which we distributed to the church folks for them to "have a go" at...our menu was corn souffle, green bean casserole, cranberry chutney, garlic mashed potatoes, butter baby carrots, candied sweet potatoes, pecan & pumpkin pie, sweet ice tea, sunset punch and homemade buttermilk biscuits. sounds pretty good doesn't it????

i think the australians that attended really loved it and are keen to do it again next year. it was a beautiful evening with chuck sharing what history of thanksgiving with everyone. we also went around the (one long) table and shared what we are most thankful for....some of the best ones were:

second chances
our churchfreo building @ 408
God's mercies & blessings
green bean casserole
love & family
airplanes
our church family
just being here tonight

...and the typical answer from an MK/PK (Cooper): "I am thankful for GOD".... yep he usually answers questions (esp while at church) with "God" or "Jesus"....always a safe answer! :)

thanksgiving with americans

2008-11-27T19:00:00.002-05:00

last night was our annual "American Women's Club" thanksgiving dinner...and i must say it was FANTASTIC! we all had such a good time and the food was delicious....and get this: they asked chuck to be the guest speaker....he was pretty nervous....and the funniest (well not so funny to him) thing happened. we were walking out the door to go to the event and he went to print his "talk" and instead deleted it! he was so mad.....and of course hadn't saved it....so the "talk" was not what he had originally prepared. he is such a cutie....i love that man so much.

anyway, tonight we are preparing a traditional thanksgiving for our churchfreo folks. berenice is making the turkey (yum). i hope our australian friends will enjoy it as much as we do....

i'd love to post photos of all of these events...but blogger isn't so good with more than one or two photos. anyone have any advice on the best way or place to put photos up for y'all to see?????

the pressure is on!

2008-11-21T22:20:00.002-05:00

oh my...i just read "the trinity times" and they have published our blog address for all to see. that is a good thing....because i don't get many hits or comments...but it means that i have to update my blog more often, right? funny enough...they published rick's blog address too...and he is way funnier and more interesting than me...so i may have some competition here. please comment and encourage me...then i will be more inspired to write. i love y'all!

i just finished my christmas letter and christmas card....so they should be on the way to you guys soon. no, i am not super organized -again...the pressure was on because i had to get it all to the printers at mtw so you will get them by christmas (hopefully not like 3 years ago when y'all got them in february!)

Jordan and Ryan Mac

2008-07-31T11:23:00.004-04:00

Jordan with her friend Ryan McNamara. The McNamara family is one of the first families we met when we moved to Perth in 2002. Jordan and Ryan were in 6th and 7th grade together when we were living in Kingsley the 1st two years. Ryan and his mother Dayle are dear friends and have been part of our church planting team "churchfreo" since its onset. I think they will both miss J when she heads back to the USA in August.

school holidays

2008-07-22T10:46:00.002-04:00

our children have all been on what australians call "school holidays"....it is great and i find it to be a great way to spend quality time with my children now that we no longer homeschool them...for us it is an incredible way to manage family time and i really missed this type of schedule when we were in the usa on furlough.

this is how it works:

we are on a calendar year schedule...

school begins the last week in january or 1st week in february...

10 weeks = term 1 (early feb to early april)

then we have 2 weeks of school holidays.... (usually sometime in april)

10 weeks = term 2 (early may to early july)

then we have 2 weeks of school holidays ... (usually mid july)

10 weeks = term 3 (early aug to early oct)

then we have 2 weeks of school holidays... (usually 1st few weeks in oct)

10 weeks = term 4 (mid oct to early dec)

that is the end of the school year......usually by about dec 10th

after that it is summer/christmas break...which is most of december and all of january!!!

we try to spend the school holidays doing family events, sight seeing in australia...just making memories. the only bummer is that christmas is boiling hot (but it IS OUR SUMMER VACATION) so that part is cool...

what do you think???

watch our churchfreo video

2008-07-21T12:03:00.001-04:00

we just recorded a video recently ...just a short one introducing folks to churchfreo...have a quick look...it will give you a little bit of a vision of what "the gathering" is all about!

http://www.youtube.com/linkstons

4th of July celebration

2008-07-05T11:01:00.000-04:00

i need to load these photos into my picasa photo account...we had a really nice time with the american women's club of perth celebrating our independence day (even though it was on june 29th!) george bush sent an address which was read and we were able to indulge in american candies (reece's cups; butterfingers, etc.) one of the best things was that our picnic lunch consisted of chili cheese dogs (yum). my "booth" (fundraiser project) was the krispy kreme booth...i had 110 dozen kk's flown in from sydney and they were ALL sold and gone 20 minutes into the event!!! i wasn't even able to buy a dozen for my own family!!! next time i make it back to the usa i plan to have "hot doughnuts now" at least once a week!

camping

2008-05-28T02:11:00.006-04:00

yes...we went camping! me....jim!!! and guess what it was actually fun! i did get my share of bruises but we had a fantastic time.
the best part for me was the last day. we visited the pinnacles with our friends the turtons (kim is principal of the kids' school and cynthia is helping me facilitate our beth moore bible study).

The Pinnacles are two-hundred and forty-five kilometres north of Perth on the way to Geraldton. Closest main town is Cervantes. The Pinnacles are seventeen kilometres south east of the town.

The Pinnacles are limestone formations. The raw material for the limestone of the Pinnacles came from seashells in an earlier epoch rich in marine life. These shells were broken down into lime rich sands which were carried inland to form high mobile dunes. The Pinnacles were formed from lime leaching from the sand and by rain cementing the lower levels of the dune into a soft limestone.

Cooper's 1st tooth REALLY GONE

2008-05-21T02:28:00.000-04:00

I was begging Coop to let me pull his first baby tooth....it was just barely hanging on...but no...he was "too afraid it will hurt" so what happened???? a boy in his class named zebedee hit him in the mouth at school and the tooth disappeared. where to you ask? well he and logan-grace crawled all over the group searching for it to no avail....then when we picked him up after school we went back to the crime scene and searched....still no tooth! well, the other possibility is you know...he may have swallowed it and i am just not THAT much of a devoted momma....sorry cooper....i've finished that stage of my life!

vandalism at churchfreo

2008-05-05T02:40:00.001-04:00

drunks fighting in front of the building....threw a brick through our window....it was 2:00 in the morning so the building was empty and we have nothing of value to steal!

my picasa album

2008-03-25T01:41:00.000-04:00

http://picasaweb.google.com/linkstons

easter at churchfreo

2008-03-25T01:15:00.005-04:00

what a biblical day it was! when we read any of the gospel accounts of jesus' life and ministry we see the wide spectrum of people whose presence was recorded. there were deeply committed followers of christ; there was those who were considering christ (his teaching and observing his followers); there were those who were looking for a free meal (jesus was known to do that) and there were even those who were looking for reasons to accuse christ and his followers....such was the case for us on sunday! we had the beautiful privilege of proclaiming christ in just that context. we are excited that so many who do not follow jesus felt comfortable enough to enjoy fellowship, break bread, and even participate in our gathering for worship. by god's grace it is our prayer, that in engaging christians and hearing the true gospel others would fall in love jesus just like we are so in love for jesus.

feel free to check out more photos on my picasa web page....pictures of easter and of our building!

...not a motorcyle accident!

2008-02-22T00:31:00.005-05:00

don't fret...it isn't as bad as it looks....cooper may have to have his tonsils taken out....doc says that he has too many colds...too many allergies and big tonsils/adnenoids....but in australia he has to have an overnight sleep test to determine if the surgery is really needed....this is coop at his "sleep study" ...needless to say he did "sleep" very much with all these wires hooked up to him!

1st day of school

2008-02-19T01:39:00.004-05:00

we started the new school year in australia and i wanted to show you our "special-back-to-school" breakfast! chuck & i found these little beauties at a department store in downtown perth. the cost you ask??? it was a BIG splurge but worth it....$8.50 for a box of POPTARTS!!!!! needless to say, we "rationed" them out. as rick hawkinson would say...."the price just is NOT right"!!!!

logan-leadership skills....

2008-02-16T21:11:00.000-05:00

we received a letter from logan's principal today. he has identified logan as having leadership skills and has asked her to become part of the leadership group of her school. she will attend the "Impact Student Leadership Conference" next week where leaders in their schools will be coached in their understanding of what it is to be a leader and how to become a better leader in their school. mr. turton (logan's principal) said that this new SLG (student leadership group) will take a lead role in some decision making that will impact the student body of New Life College for the better. they would have involvement in assemblies, meeting and greeting visitors to the school and planning student functions. leaders would also have a significant role to play in the end of year presentation night and other official functions held throughout the year.
way to go logan-grace!!! and we always thought you were just BOSSY!

it's about time!!!!

2008-02-14T23:23:00.000-05:00

it is 1:30 pm on friday and that means it is 3:30 am in our other hometown (black mountain north carolina). i am sitting here at a cafe with chuck trying to teach him how to use facebook, livekite and our blog! maybe this means he is going to help me keep the communication lines open ... i have gotten a few emails from folks saying i need to update the blog....it has been what? 6 months??

chuck says that he had been having a one-man "technology revolt" over the past few months. he may be ready to throw in the towel now. he says he can't do any worse than i have. ha.ha.ha. he is not so funny.

the most noteworthy news right now is that evan has asked us to sign her up to play rugby. chuck has explained that there is actual running involved and evan is known to tire easily (ie: walking to the mailbox requires a rest halfway there). i recently took the kids on a bike ride through fremantle but evan refused to ride...she wanted to walk. so i walked with her. it was a miserable adventure....every 40 yards or so logan, cooper & ryan had to stop their bikes and wait on the bikepath for evan to catchup. there was many tears and threats of "never doing this again."

soooooo we will see if the "rugby queen" idea actually takes off!

2007-07-03T04:34:00.000-04:00

it is visitor central at the linkston house this month! rick has finally arrived with his permanent resident visa and is living in our "attic" until he finds a flatmate (apartment to rent with someone). it is great having him back and his musical gifts are so refreshing to our "gathering" on sunday evenings....the only problem is he has to move out of his makeshift bedroom for us to use the "attic" as our gathering place!!!

the baileys have been here for 2 weeks checking out australia and possibly ministry opportunities in perth. they are from louisana and have taken a lot of joking from the aussies here about their accents! sunday evening tc & richard made yummy cajun gumbo for our church dinner meal along with bread pudding.

keep praying for us to come up with creative ways to fit everyone in our house on sunday evenings....we are over 40 now and it is getting very "tight" but still heaps of fun!

jordan is home!!!

2007-06-10T11:01:00.000-04:00

i know many of you are wondering if she arrived safely and if we are ecstatic that our eldest daughter is back with us....well YES! she is here and we are very, very happy!!! our family is complete once again! praise God! yah!!! so that is how i felt when she got here and for the first 3 days....i was thinking "wow...she has really matured and changed since being away, she has grown up." then on day 4 i realized that i was tripping over her books (many, many books), her gameboy, her clothes...and much more. i walked through our once "clean and tidy" living room and found her on the sofa with a big ole quilt...watching tv....while the other 4 kids were at SCHOOL!!! now, mind you, our living room (or lounge room as they say here) is TINY so my big 6 foot tall girl watching tv, with her gameboy on her lap and books on the floor took up a big part of the family room....but still, it wasn't what an OCD mom can take on a day-to-day basis....so chuck and i needed to talk!!! it sounded something like this, "honey, she HAS to go to school or get a job....she CANNOT continue to live on the couch with a cup of tea in her hand." soooooooo that is where we are at....jordan is now the newest employee of "fresh provisions supermarket", an upscale, organic, very expensive grocery store!!! she has also been employed as 1- a babysitter 2- a weed-puller and 3- a house cleaner. Needless to say, she has insisted on enrolling in the local public high school next week!!!

cooper playing his first didgeridoo

2007-05-27T12:11:00.000-04:00

After church (the gathering)last Sunday night we had dinner/fellowship as usual. One of the singles brought her dideridoo and various folks were trying it out. In the end Cooper got his chance and blew everyone away...he could actually PLAY it. What a hoot it was watching him. This video clip was taken by our (Georgia) friend Justin (Juzzo). You can hear him in the background telling Coop to "do the Kookaburra".

The didgeridoo (or didjeridu) is a wind instrument of the Indigenous Australians of northern Australia. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe". Musicologists classify it as an aerophone. A didgeridoo is usually cylindrical or conical in shape and can measure anywhere from 1 to 2 meters in length with most instruments measuring around 1.2 meters. Instruments shorter or longer than this are less common. Generally, the longer the instrument, the lower the pitch or key of the instrument. Keys from D to F are the preferred pitch of traditional Aboriginal players. There are no reliable sources stating the didgeridoo's exact age, though it is commonly claimed to be the world's oldest wind instrument.

In the video Coop is making the sound of the Laughing Kookaburra. This bird is a large member of the kingfisher family measures 40 - 45 cm in length. It is generally off-white below, faintly barred with dark brown, and brown on the back and wings. The tail is more rufous, broadly barred with black. There is a conspicuous dark brown eye-stripe through the face.

The chuckling voice that gives this species its English name is a common and familiar sound throughout the bird's range. The loud 'koo-koo-koo-koo-koo-kaa-kaa-kaa' is often sung in a chorus with other individuals.

our rent inspection

2007-05-15T04:31:00.000-04:00

in australia when you rent a home you are required to have quarterly "rent inspections" by the realtor handling the contract with the home owner....we are use to this and have been cleaning, scrubbing, polishing, dusting, etc every 3 months for the past 5 years. ..we had a rent inspection this week and were not able to be home on wednesday when it was scheduled. the "inspector" was a lady whom we have never met or even spoken to on the phone and has no idea who the linkstons are. she left a note in the kitchen that i would like to share with y'all:

"Fabulous, what a beautiful, beautiful home you have made this. I do all of the inspecitons for Moncrieff Realty and there is something special going on in here. Thank You. Caroline"

this lady has no idea that we hold weekly church services in our home as well as weekly music practices and outreach/evangelism dinners...she has no idea who we are or that we are even from america! this is the first time we have ever even had a note/comment left...needless to say it made both chuck and i teary. God is so good and yes, He is doing something special in this house!!! keep praying!!!

may prayer requests

2007-05-07T00:02:00.000-04:00

Praise God with us that He has provided Rick Hawkinson with the VISA he needs to come join us in ministry in Fremantle! We are so excited that Rick will join us soon to lead our church’s worship team. Rick is leaving behind his job as an engineer at BMW’s Spartanburg plant as well as his church & music ministry in Greenville, SC in order to come pour his life into ministry here in Freo. We are humbled by Rick’s obedience and encouraged in God’s grace. We look forward to what the Holy Spirit will do both in and through Rick as he serves Him in Oz.

• Please pray for Rick to finish well in his ministry and work responsibilities in the USA. Pray for him as he takes care of shipping what is left of his “stuff” to Australia. Also pray that God will continue to prepare Rick for service here and prepare Oz for Christ’s witness through Rick believing that Jesus will “build My church.” that will “produce fruit a hundredfold.”
• Please continue to pray for the two young, sweet girls attending our church "gatherings" and who appear to be so very close to placing their trust in Christ for salvation.
• Please add a newcomer to the list (a sister of attender) as she is now being drawn into our “fellowship of the saints.” Pray that all of these young women will come to faith!

Thanks for your faithful prayers!

What is ANZAC Day?

2007-04-26T08:18:00.000-04:00

Yesterday our children had a day off from school (a school holiday). It is called ANZAC Day in Australia. We spent this public holiday at King's Park with some of our friends from the Freo Church. It was our first Bocce Ball Tournament and picnic! How fun it is to make these new "traditions" with a new church. I thought y'all might be interested in what ANZAC Day means so here it is....

ANZAC Day - 25 April - is probably Australia's most important national occasion. It marks the anniversary of the first major military action fought by Australian and New Zealand forces during the First World War. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The soldiers in those forces quickly became known as ANZACs, and the pride they soon took in that name endures to this day.
Why is this day so special to Australians?

When war broke out in 1914 Australia had been a federal commonwealth for only fourteen years. The new national government was eager to establish its reputation among the nations of the world. In 1915 Australian and New Zealand soldiers formed part of the allied expedition that set out to capture the Gallipoli peninsula to open the way to the Black Sea for the allied navies. The plan was to capture Constantinople (now Istanbul), capital of the Ottoman Empire and an ally of Germany. They landed at Gallipoli on 25 April, meeting fierce resistance from the Turkish defenders. What had been planned as a bold stroke to knock Turkey out of the war quickly became a stalemate, and the campaign dragged on for eight months. At the end of 1915 the allied forces were evacuated after both sides had suffered heavy casualties and endured great hardships. Over 8,000 Australian soldiers were killed. News of the landing at Gallipoli made a profound impact on Australians at home and 25 April quickly became the day on which Australians remembered the sacrifice of those who had died in war.

Though the Gallipoli campaign failed in its military objectives of capturing Constantinople and knocking Turkey out of the war, the Australian and New Zealand troops' actions during the campaign bequeathed an intangible but powerful legacy. The creation of what became known as an "Anzac legend" became an important part of the national identity of both nations. This shaped the ways they viewed both their past and their future.
Early commemorations

The date, 25 April, was officially named ANZAC Day in 1916; in that year it was marked by a wide variety of ceremonies and services in Australia, a march through London, and a sports day in the Australian camp in Egypt. In London, over 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets of the city. A London newspaper headline dubbed them "The knights of Gallipoli". Marches were held all over Australia in 1916. Wounded soldiers from Gallipoli attended the Sydney march in convoys of cars, attended by nurses. For the remaining years of the war, ANZAC Day was used as an occasion for patriotic rallies and recruiting campaigns, and parades of serving members of the AIF were held in most cities.

During the 1920s, ANZAC Day became established as a national day of commemoration for the 60,000 Australians who died during the war. The first year in which all the States observed some form of public holiday together on ANZAC Day was 1927. By the mid-1930s all the rituals we today associate with the day - dawn vigils, marches, memorial services, reunions, sly two-up games - were firmly established as part of ANZAC Day culture.

With the coming of the Second World War, ANZAC Day became a day on which to commemorate the lives of Australians lost in that war as well, and in subsequent years the meaning of the day has been further broadened to include Australians killed in all the military operations in which Australia has been involved.

ANZAC Day was first commemorated at the Australian War Memorial in 1942, but due to government orders preventing large public gatherings in case of Japanese air attack, it was a small affair and was neither a march nor a memorial service. ANZAC Day has been annually commemorated at the Australian War Memorial ever since.
What does it mean today?

Australians recognise 25 April as an occasion of national commemoration. Commemorative services are held at dawn, the time of the original landing, across the nation. Later in the day ex-servicemen and women meet and join in marches through the major cities and many smaller centres. Commemorative ceremonies are held at war memorials around the country. It is a day when Australians reflect on the many different meanings of war.
Dawn Service

The Dawn Service observed on ANZAC Day has its origins in an operational routine which is still observed by the Australian Army today. The half-light of dawn plays tricks with soldiers' eyes and from the earliest times the half-hour or so before dawn, with all its grey, misty shadows, became one of the most favoured times for an attack. Soldiers in defensive positions were therefore woken up in the dark, before dawn, so that by the time the first dull grey light crept across the battlefield they were awake, alert and manning their weapons. This was, and still is, known as "Stand-to". It was also repeated at sunset.

After the First World War, returned soldiers sought the comradeship they felt in those quiet, peaceful moments before dawn. With symbolic links to the dawn landing at Gallipoli, a dawn stand-to or dawn ceremony became a common form of ANZAC Day remembrance during the 1920s; the first official dawn service was held at the Sydney Cenotaph in 1927. Dawn services were originally very simple and followed the operational ritual; in many cases they were restricted to veterans only. The daytime ceremony was for families and other well-wishers, the dawn service was for old soldiers to remember and reflect among the comrades with whom they shared a special bond. Before dawn the gathered veterans would be ordered to "stand to" and two minutes of silence would follow. At the end of this time a lone bugler would play the "Last Post" and then concluded the service with "Reveille". In more recent times the families and young people have been encouraged to take part in dawn services, and services in Australian capital cities have seen some of the largest turnouts ever. Reflecting this change, the ceremonies have become more elaborate, incorporating hymns, readings, pipers and rifle volleys. Others, though, have retained the simple format of the dawn stand-to, familiar to so many soldiers.
The ANZAC Day ceremony

Each year the commemorations follow a pattern that is familiar to each generation of Australians. A typical ANZAC Day service contains the following features: introduction, hymn, prayer, an address, laying of wreaths, recitation, "The last post", a period of silence, "The rouse" or "The reveille", and the National Anthem. At the Australian War Memorial, following events such as the ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day services, families often place red poppies beside the names of relatives on the Memorial's Roll of Honour.

easter outreach

2007-04-24T00:25:00.000-04:00

As many of you know we rented a "venue" for our Easter Service. The first time we have met in a public place rather than our home. We met in a restaurant that is closed on Sundays and then shared a beautiful Easter meal after the service. Thank you all so very much for your specific prayers for this event. It was a great day in the life of our church as we celebrated Christ’s resurrection. We had 53 in attendance at "The Gypsy Tapas House" where the Gospel was sown liberally and winsomely by the members and elders of our body. We thank God that He is at work and ask Him to help us to continue to be faithful in response to what He is doing.

We are particularly thankful for way that Stefan (the owner of the restaurant) and his server, Katrina have embraced us, due to the way that they were so warmly engaged by our body at the service. They couldn’t say enough good things about the church afterward and we look forward to further developing our relationship with this restaurant owner and staff and the opportunities it will bring to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who called us out of darkness and into His wonderful light”.

Thank you all for your faithful prayers for us. We appreciate y’all!

rick is here!!!

2007-03-21T09:37:00.000-04:00

chuck and i (and the kids) are having so much fun with rick here!!! we love having visitors from the states....and rick just falls right into the linkston family life like he has been here forever. i guess part of that is because we have such an incredible history with rick....mission trips, family dinners, mimi's blankets, stories of his dad reggie....it has been great so far! today we picked the kids up from school and went to coogee beach for a swim and a picnic dinner. rick played with the kids on the playground afterward and after only 2 days he has resumed the role of "uncle rick" by being a referee of sibling arguments and fights (i guess practice of the years with paul and brenda makes him an expert referee!) thanks for all of your continued prayers for the Fremantle church, for rick's visa approval and for our family....God is so good isn't He????

Golf Anyone???

2007-03-17T00:51:00.000-04:00

I just finished a conversation with my husband concerning golf. It had him laughing at me and my perspective of this "gentlemen's game." Chuck's birthday is next weekend and with our friend Rick coming to visit for 2 weeks I thought I would book all the guys in for a "golf day". When I called the Golf Course and scheduled the tee-time the receptionist asked "does everyone have clubs?" I told her probably not since one of the players is just visiting from America and I also knew that one of the younger men in our church does not have clubs either. She said "they can rent them from us." After I got off the phonel, the conversation with my husband got very interesting when I asked him why did they have to rent clubs? Why can't you just share yours with him? "Because," Chuck said, "that would be like playing softball and not having your own softball mitt....you can't share your mitt!" My reply was, "how selfish....after you have your turn in golf you just stand there with your golf bag FULL of clubs....why can't you share them with the next player? I think golf is a very selfish sport....stand there and watch your friends play with these yucky-rented clubs while you perch your arms protectively around the clubs you own and ARE NOT EVEN USING!" Don't you agree?

welcome justin whitehead!

2007-03-07T01:09:00.000-05:00

....okay those of you who know me best....can you believe i am at a loss for words???? i have actually sat down to my blog 3 or 4 times this week and found i have nothing of interest to write about....what do they call that???? writers block???? i guess my life is really, really boring!!! one exciting thing that has happened of late is that we have had a visitor from atlanta, georgia. his name is justin and he is a friend of ryan baldwin's. he is in perth working for 6 months and has been coming to our core group/church meetings on sunday evenings. our children love him. he fits right in (5 children in his family too). justin and a few of the guys who worship with us went to margaret river surfing this weekend and had a great time. pray for justin as he joins us in ministry. pray that God will reveal any ministry opportunities to him and will make him salt & light to his co-workers in perth (st. john's hospital) for the next 6 months. welcome to fremantle justin!!!!!

feb 21 prayer requests

2007-02-22T00:54:00.000-05:00

Please pray for the Linkston Family in this way:

1- Thanks for praying for us to get settled. So many of you prayed that the God of Peace would comfort us and help the feeling of being overwhelmed to subside. Well God heard you and I for one am starting to get my feet under me!

2- Pray for the folks in the USA we have been trying to recruit to come over and help us with our church planting efforts in Fremantle. That they will obtain visas, raise support, and work out logistics to visit the field. Rick (worship leader) is coming for a 2 week visit at the end of March and Megan (6 month college intern) arrives in April.

3- Please pray for our small church planting core group that has been meeting a little over a year now. We have started to look for office/meeting space and are praying for the Lord to bless and direct those efforts as well. Pray for God to make it clear concerning His will in considering venues and/or office space as He provides.

4- Our 16 year old daughter is staying in the USA to finish up her 10th grade year at Asheville Christian Academy (her name is Jordan). Please pray for her (and her parents!) during this separation and also her Grandmother (Sue) who she is living with. She will be returning on May 22nd and we need wisdom in how to guide and direct her as far as her education and future goes.

5- Pray for God to unify us as a church planting movement with one common vision. Along with that, pray that we would be able to let go of our personal agendas based on tradition or expectations in favour of God’s leading us by His Holy Spirit.

6- Pray for God’s provision that will indicate His will for us as we go forward.

7- Pray that it would please God to call others to Himself through the proclaiming of Christ by our people.

8- Pray for growth in the grace and knowledge of Christ as individuals and as a body of Believers.

evan's specialist appointment

2007-02-14T20:50:00.000-05:00

praise God! evan's eye appointment with the specialist went really well. he started off by telling me that IF she did have a negative effect (vision problem) there would be nothing we can do about it because it has to be "diagnosed and fixed" by ages 3-4. but once he did a vision test he discovered her vision is PERFECT! she does still have the turning-in of one eye (or a lazy eye) but he says hopefully that will get better over time. thanks everyone for praying!! also, cooper is doing much better in school. he does the sign language for "i love you" from the gate on our way to the parking lot in the mornings. i still cry but he is better! ha.

school update

2007-02-10T02:57:00.000-05:00

The kids are settling into their new school really well. Except for Cooper crying (which I mentioned and which is breaking my heart). It is a VERY small school (Chuck thinks it is really funny that the Linkston family makes up almost 10% of the school population!) There are 4 classes at New Life College and we have one child in each class!
Cooper is in Kindy/Pre-Primary (Kindy which is like American pre-school and they go 2 days a week). He is pre-primary which is full-time. He wears a uniform and stays all day. It is a bit much for him but is equivalent to the USA full-time Kindergarten. His teacher is Mrs. Milliken so you can please pray for her!
Evan is in the Year 1/Year 2 class. She didn’t do well in Kindergarten at ACA and is now very behind as a Year 1 since she cannot read or write. I am seeing signs of dyslexia. Please pray for her and her teacher Mrs. Jong, whose dad is in Singapore and is very ill.
Ryan is in Year 3/Year 4 class and today when I dropped her off I saw the “Star Board” and here is a shock………………..she had way more “stars” than everyone else in the class. For those of you who have met Ryan-Marie you know why!! Well anyway, guess what that means? She gets to bring the class bunny rabbit “Ted” home for the weekend. I told her to quit being so good and helpful and “a blessing” as the teacher puts it "cuz I ain’t a-keeping TED-da-rabbit every weekend!" Her teacher is a real sweetie whose name is Miss Stannard.
Logan is in the biggest class it is Year 5/6/7 and she has a very young, new teacher named Mr. Trott and she loves him!!! He told us that if every student was as great as Logan-Grace he would have it made. She on the other hand, may find being the teacher’s pet isn’t the best way to make new friends! Mr. Goffin at ACA may be replaced now because everyday this week we are hearing, "Mr. Trott said this and Mr. Trott says that." Pray for him too!

okay, yes, i DID cry....

2007-02-07T00:21:00.000-05:00

it is breaking my heart...every morning cooper puts on a brave face with big ole tears in those big ole blue eyes...."bye-bye mommy" he says..."be brave" i say...."i am trying but God isn't listening" he replies....i am a wreck!!!!

i don't know if it is because he is my last to go to school full time or if it is because he is my baby or if it is just so hard to see him trying NOT to cry...he hid under the table yesterday and his teacher couldn't find him...when she did he wouldn't come out because he didn't want her to see him crying...so she went and got logan-grace out of class who gently persuaded him to come out...she gave him a picture of mommy and daddy but he says he misses jordan too.

please pray for him....and please pray for me....i don't know who is suffering more!!!

school starts

2007-01-31T08:22:00.000-05:00

The kids start their new school today. We have spent the day organizing uniforms, school supplies and labeling everything. They are excited and I pray that they really like it. I worry for them a bit since they have been in so many schools but they really do not seem to mind. They actually are happy school is about to begin. They will have new school uniforms which is always fun. The school secretary/bursar blessed us with her children's' 2nd hand ones to start the school year with and it was a blessing!

Please pray for all 4 of our children as they embark on this new and exciting time in their life. Pray that it will be a positive experience...that they will be embraced and accepted by their peers and teachers. But most importantly that they will shine the love of Jesus at New Life Christian College!

Australia Day

2007-01-26T09:38:00.000-05:00

we just arrived home from the fireworks in Fremantle to celebrate Australia Day (see: http://www.dltk-kids.com/world/australia/australia_day.htm) which is like the USA 4th of July and is celebrated on January 26th....it was a great day (very hot) but with loads of suncream and a little beach tent we kept everyone from getting sunburn....this is the first year that Fremantle has done their own fireworks...usually the big "Sky Works" display is the one we attend in the city and it is FANTASTIC! (see: www.perth.wa.gov.au/skyworks/info.htm) ...the sad part for us was that in the past we attended the big, spectatular show in the city with our friends from the Kingsley church...but that was when we lived "north of the river" so it was bittersweet to be attending a smaller show and wondering about our close friends up north..we missed them heaps....but the fremantle fireworks needed to be our focus since that is the area the Lord has called us to minister to....so many changes....but we are convinced that Freo is where we are suppose to be in ministry at this time. Anyone who wants to come visit us should really plan their schedule to be here on January 26th...the Aussies are incredibly patriot and it is a fantastic opportunity to see them embrace their country and culture.

Aussie...Aussie...Aussie....Oi...Oi...Oi
see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aussie

prayer point for Evan-Joy

2007-01-18T02:23:00.000-05:00

Evan had a doctor's appt yesterday to have her eyes checked....she is squinting a lot and our friend and doctor steve in montana suggested we have her checked out...sure enough the doc here in oz says she needs to see a specialist...it could be nothing but he seems to think it is something similar to "lazy eye" which is also called Amblyopia or Strabismus. it really doesn't sound serious but if you will pray for her that she doesn't get scared...her specialist appointment is february 13th.
thanks!
jim
more info on:
http://www.strabismus.org/amblyopia_lazy_eye.html

happy sunday....

2007-01-14T20:36:00.000-05:00

i am happy to report that one more "problem" was taken care of today. tim carlson, our friend (and computer expert) in the usa helped me set up my Outlook mailbox today. It was so cool...he was able to control my computer in fremantle, australia from his house in asheville, north carolina! bless his heart...he had to stay awake until the wee hours of the morning since it was only noon here.

i hope everyone's Lord's day was great. our little church group met sunday night as usual with much time in prayer and chuck sharing from the Beatitudes. we concluded with dinner together and a yummy ricotta cheesecake. our prayer at this time is for us to find a place to worship together that isn't in each other's houses as our group is outgrowing the living room. good problem to have tho.

christmas in january

2007-01-12T20:02:00.000-05:00

we celebrated christmas this week. it was so much fun....we've had the tree up since christmas eve but since we were not unpacked and settled we waited to celebrate the birth of jesus until we could do it properly. we had a fantastic 2 days...and i even managed to find a small turkey at a local fremantle butcher. i am starting to get my feet under me and have driven a few times around just local roads. i think i am getting more confident on the left side of the road again. thanks for all of your prayers. we have internet now at home so i may not be as faithful at blogging but i am going to try to keep with it. is anyone reading??? no comments so i am wondering if i am writing this in vain???????

...the game of LIFE

2007-01-07T01:05:00.000-05:00

today i stopped unpacking boxes long enough to sit on the floor and play "LIFE" with my children. i never realized how funny they all are....that linkston sarcasm i guess. it was ryan, logan and me (evan and i were a "team" since she can't read). in the beginning of the game ev and i weren't doing so hot...we had to keep taking out bank loans to stay in the game...she jumped up on her feet, leaped over the game board, grabbed the bank and said, "me and mommy ARE the bank so we can take all the money we want!" she was totally convinced that was the case...funny girl. logan's little car with all her people (one daddy, one mommy and 4 little girls) in it kept flipping over...the people spilling out all over the gameboard. at one point she looked down and said, "hey, where did my man go? oh no, now i am man-less!!!" when ev & i landed on the spot that says "change your career" i was so disappointed because i was the doctor. i pouted and whined and later in the game mentioned again that i was no longer the doctor...just as quick as a wink ryan looked up and said, "yeah, you were FIRED-DA" (said just like from The Cat in The Hat movie!) cooper then came into the room and being jealous that he wasn't playing proceeded to flip everyone's cars over...boys are so annoying! at the end of the game i said, "okay everyone give me your stuff so i can add up your life." ryan replied with a chuckle, "don't add mine cause my life doesn't add up to much anyway."

wow! i love my friends!!!

2007-01-05T05:23:00.000-05:00

i just received the BEST email from one of my lovely friends in North Carolina. i have taken out her personal information but wanted to share with you the way she has encouraged me:

So you're normal like the rest of us, but all of our creature comforts are in order at the moment unlike yours. You do have the memory of our Father's sweet precious comfort, He will restore you. In the meantime I will be praying for you and Chuck and your children as I know all too well how easy it is to "land" on them when I am feeling overwhelmed and things are disorganized and nothing works and life is hard in so many of the day to day "normal" areas. Here's what I learn over and over. That when I do "land" on one of my sweet precious gifts from our Father, and have to ask for forgiveness, how quickly and immediate it is given to me, and the love was never gone so there is nothing to restore as I once was thinking. It reveals to me who He is through my children. It is not their fault, yet they have taken the brunt of my sinful nature and loved me just the same if not more when I have come and with a heavy heart asked for forgiveness for "landing" on them. He will not leave you and He will provide. When the going gets tough just call Jesus out loud. Hear his name over and over. It helps me.

wasn't that great???? i so needed to hear that. i love the way the Lord puts words of wisdom into our lives from those that love us.... in His perfect timing!!!!
hugs.
jim

up late...or is it early?

2007-01-04T15:21:00.000-05:00

can't sleep...you know how it is...you wake up (ummm...with a full bladder) and then you can't go back to sleep. then you start thinking about all the things you need "to do" so sleep for us "performance based-anxiety folks" is out of the question. the budget meeting went really well yesterday. we also unpacked heaps of boxes and did our first "major" grocery store run. i have actually cooked in the kitchen for the last 3 nights in a row which my family is enjoying after the long haul of take-away fish-n-chips and hungry jacks (burger king in america). last night it was my sister-in-laws yummy lemon chicken recipe (thanks jodi!) so i received heaps of "oh thank you momma" with the kinda hugs that make you wish you had cooked a month ago! my carpet isn't seeming so bad to me now...it is growing on me....a puzzling pattern of brown, cream, caramel, mocha, black, ....logan-grace says it is like coffee carpet....latte, mocha, cafe au lait, espresso....but in like a big giraffe like pattern. by the way rick, i am not worried about the washing machine...i figure you can hand wash our clothes for us when you get here!

anyway friends...i so appreciate all of your encouraging words, your prayers, and the way you have given me Scripture that God has put on your hearts. i love you all...and am currently feeling an amazing amount of love & grace from the One who loves me most!
joyfully,
jim

prayer update

2007-01-03T04:25:00.000-05:00

PRAISE:
1- called Jordan today and her gift did arrive safely!
2- Chuck picked up our shipment from the Fremantle docks today!!

PRAY FOR:
1- our car isn't running properly
2- my washing machine AND dryer are both "inoperable" and the repairman says they are not fixable...this is hard for me to digest as they are only 5 years old!!!
3- we have our first budget meeting tomorrow with our MTW Team leader concerning our church planting budget.

okay folks...still no internet but I am loving this internet cafe coffee!
hugs,
Jim

back in oz

2006-12-31T22:26:00.000-05:00

we are back in australia for another 4 years!!! i am forced to write this blog because tons of you have been emailing and asking about us. right now we have no internet service (the house we have rented is very old and has to be "wired")...telstra is telling us it will be february sometime...they are backlogged from the holidays.... so i am at an internet cafe and guess this is my gentle prodding from the Holy Spirit to keep everyone updated together. by the way, if any of you know how to keep those annoying anonymous posting from "commenting" please tell me!!!

we are still moving in and unpacking boxes but we have cleared out the storage unit. so that is good!!! our house was built in the 60's by an italian family and they have just moved out so we are the first folks to rent it. it is very clean and quite roomy but the carpet....i can't even describe it....i will try to post a photo one day!!!!

let's see...prayer points:
1- our shipment (including christmas presents) has arrived in perth but has been sitting at the harbour since december 18th. they tell us they are back logged and can't get to it....so we keep telling the children we will have christmas in january. we actually put up a tree and it sits waiting....we keep playing christmas music....to stay in the "spirit".
2- my new apple/mac laptop that is hard to crash is in the shop....it hasn't been diagnosed as "crashed" it just will not turn on and the apple support folks via phone couldn't figure it out so i took it in on december 11th....and they tell me they are back logged and can't get to it until january. if anyone can crash a computer it is me!!!!!
3- our core group is great....they continued to meet through the year while we were gone and completed the Sonship course together....we are excited to get back and be with them...they are awesome!!!!
4- we are missing jordan and mailed her a birthday gift/christmas gift that never arrived unfortuantely (money) so i guess the post office folks aren't backlogged....

i promise i will post more...
love you all.
jim

whining...

2006-07-18T09:01:00.000-04:00

we just got in from our mtw summer conference at ridgehaven....chuck left again for training in new york city...it has been a WILD year of traveling and visiting folks...no rest for the weary! ha....this week we experienced what we deem the "linkston luck" (as much as our faith would call it luck!) anyway, you read about the burned up car right? well, this week our computer hard drive crashed and i may have lost all of my info....we are waiting to hear from tim carlson about the results...so y'all that know him BEG him to retrieve my computer "life" it has it all....and no, rick, i DIDN'T back it up like a dummy! this same week chuck's cell phone just "stopped working" my cell phone will not ring (only vibrate) and our home phone is out of order (so if you are trying to call the phone will ring busy but it isn't working!) do you think God is trying to tell me something?????

okay you can comment now

2006-07-10T10:01:00.000-04:00

i am on the phone with my friend dayle in australia....
she says she cannot comment because it only recognizes "registered users" so i tried to change the settings....let me know if this works!

the kids in atlanta

2006-07-09T20:39:00.000-04:00

i just finished a layout....a cute one....my girls went to visit ryan baldwin while their daddy was officiating a wedding...this is the photos of their time with "big ryan"...they had a blast!

to be spoiled by friends

2006-06-30T17:29:00.000-04:00

yes, it has been a week rick (aka killer hawk) but that is because our friends kenny & kathy took us to pawley's island for a week...just the 4 of us (thanks harry & jane for the beach house)....and thanks granny & liza for babysitting! it was soooo much fun; we went to the beach, laid in the sun, sunbathed by the pool, and kenny took us to dinner EVERY night! no cooking. wow. yes, i am definitely now spoiled.
very tan, very fat and very lazy. but i sure do feel good! my aussie friends would be appalled at my tan....and believe it or not chuck is now even browner! trying to look like evan and ryan i guess. anyway, we had a great time with our best buddies and are open to using anyone's beach house (smile). love y'all.

...and you think the usa government is difficult!

2006-06-23T17:48:00.000-04:00

with my dad here this week he asked me to help him apply for his passport....so we began what is a relatively familiar process with me...but he thought there were a lot of "hoops" to jump through...anyway, i told him the story of us renewing our passports at the american embassy in perth, western australia a few months back and had him laughing so hard he was crying...so i thought i would share it with y'all!

we arrived in the city of perth at 7:30 am one morning to renew our passports and had to park about 10 blocks from the usa embassy...when we arrived we were told by the receptionist to go to the 4th floor which we did...this was "security check" where our bags were x-rayed and we were wanded by the security folks. then we put our personal belongings (diaper bags, toys, snacks for the kids, my purse, cell phones....EVERYTHING) in a locker...we could only take the key and our paperwork with us....the guard then radioed to someone and escorted us to the 12th floor where we went through an airport type security scanner. whew! it was 8:30 by now but we were still one of the first in line!

after our paperwork was examined we were told that 3 of the kids photos were not the "proper" size...but no worries....there is a photographer in the city only a few blocks away....so, off chuck went with the 3 problem photo kids and i stayed at the embassy with the other two....he was gone for ages (and yes, he had to go back through the security "process" once again! upon returning we were pushed to the front of the line, only to have 2 of the kids say "i have to use the toilet" so when we inquired to where we might find a "toilet" we were told....downstairs on the first floor.....so off i went with the small-bladdered ones to go through the security "process" again.

much to my dismay when i returned the kids were terribly bored, hungry and the waiting room was absolutely chockers full. a few hours later after waiting to be sworn in by the u.s. consulate we were asked for our fee of $350 and low and behold....they do not take credit cards or cheques only cash!!!! but we were told by the friendly cashier "there is an atm in the city only a few blocks away"!!! so, you guessed it....back down 12 floors....a hike to the atm....and back through security again!!!!

needless to say we were relieved to be done and on our way well after lunchtime...but guess what???? when we returned to our car our meter had run out and we had a parking ticket for $150!!!! i thought chuck was going to absolutely scream....and i did!!!!

my dad is here!

2006-06-17T21:51:00.000-04:00

i can't believe he has felt well enough to drive from florida to north carolina to see us....he has had lung cancer surgery, chemo, a stroke, artery surgery, gall bladder surgery and more since this time last year....the man is a walking scar! we are so blessed he drove up to see us....and we are having a great time with "pappy"....i will try to post a photo soon.

our car burned up....literally!

2006-06-15T16:56:00.000-04:00

have you heard? our car was completely demolished a few weeks ago. it was one that the sullivans gave us to use while we are home on furlough. it caught on fire and EXPLODED right in front of our church/mission home. the fire dept said they have never seen anything like it! chuck was inside when it went "wosh" but he got out and started hosing down the house/roof/trees, etc. with the water hose. the worse part was that he ran in the house and screamed "call 911" in a panic...i froze...chuck NEVER panics....and my little cooper was out playing in the parking lot ...i just KNEW something had happened to him (1) because chuck is always calm even when it involves blood and (2) surely he would have screamed "coop is okay, just call 911" or "the car is on fire, call 911"....i was paralyzed...i couldn't pick up the phone....my heart hit my stomach and i almost passed out....in the end it was an electrical short of some sort...it blew up, exploded (leak in gas line)....but i am still having nightmares of little cooper being killed while playing outside....it was the worse most terrifying experience. we are still thanking the lord for keeping us all safe....silly us didn't have insurance on the car (liablity only) and chuck left his cellphone and a (new) carseat in the car....both are just heaps of melted rubber now!

okay....i promised

2006-06-13T13:09:00.000-04:00

well, to have so few "comments" on my blog ....i sure am taking a lot of grief from a bunch of y'all who have informed me that my last entry is 5 months old! so, this is a new attempt at trying to blog....but i want COMMENTS! and no more "it still reads January 9....we are now in the usa!"

today i found out that some of my "artwork" ie: scrapbook pages will be published in a new book coming out in october by the company "memory makers"....i am sooooo excited! i am not allowed to post them yet but they are entitled "love is kind" (with photos of ry and ev in matching pink dresses huggin each other) then there is "beach bum" which is a 5x7 photo of ev's booty laying out at the beach in australia; the third is called "content" and is photos of jordan with various scripture and descriptive words describing her personality. i will let y'all know more later.

comments please!

we are in the america now

2006-01-09T22:00:00.000-05:00

Our stop in New Zealand was awesome! Ryan prayed this morning during our family devotions "thank you Lord for our great vacation in New Zealand before we moved back to the USA." I guess it had an impact even on our youngest. Now we are in North Carolina, in a cute little mission house in the Western North Carolina mountains. Our transition is going well....there have been some humps with the kids and their new school....they are academically falling behind their peers in a lot of their subjects, esp math; it is taking a lot of both Chux and my time just to get them settled and keep them stable. We are so blessed with their new school (Asheville Christian Academy) and the way they have been embraced by their teachers, students and even the parents. God is good. I questioned myself continuously on whether I should homeschool them during our furlough, but am certainly not second-guessing the Lord now! Chuck and I start traveling/itinerating on Jan 23 so we will be leaving the kids with my mom which will be another hard adjustment on them (and on poor ole Granny!) but if there is one thing the Linkston family has learned it is that the Lord is faithful and He has it all planned out ahead of me regardless of my nit-pickin', control-planning nature!!!

i want to go home....

2005-12-04T21:41:00.000-05:00

that is what cooper told us last night....but where is home??? right now all of our personal possessions are in a storage unit in perth, western australia....our loved ones are in the usa awaiting our arrival for christmas celebrations....our aussie house is empty....our missionary housing in america not yet ready....so where is cooper talking about? i guess it is the tiny little campervan we are using to see new zealand in....can you believe it??? me, of all people camping! and worst of all jana, it doesn't come with an "outfit" what a bummer! i offered to get dread locks to look the hippie part but chuck wasn't biting!!! all in all we are having a very relaxing time (trying to reteach the kids "yes maam and no sir" for our time back in the usa. chuck reckons this is the most beautiful place in the world to visit. i am just looking forward to having a home again (like cooper) and one where i will not get a bruise everytime i turn a corner...seriously...i counted 9 of them this morning! yeah, i know rick....i am a klutz....and you may want my other readers to know you really do LIKE us and can't wait to see us!
farewell from kiwi country.

new zealand bound

2005-12-01T21:49:00.000-05:00

what a week! i didn't realize getting ready for HMA was going to be so hard. the most stressful week, no month, of my life. worst of all when we hit the sydney airport the krispy kreme counter was CLOSED!!!! what is up with that???? anyway, mission to the world requests we take time between leaving our host country and entering our home country for some r&r (family time...) so what does my wonderful, caring hubby suggest??? camping through out new zealand!!! me!!! of all people!!! with 5 kids!!!! what happened to the resort in hawaii stopover??? well, we are here and he owes me big time! it is an absolutely stunning country. makes montana look like little ole black mountain north carolina. breathtaking....but expensive....we brought our "joy's noodles" and peanut butter paste!!! yum, yum, all that and a campervan to boot....what more could a missionary mommy want???????

stress but worth the krispy kreme wait....

2005-11-27T21:55:00.000-05:00

it is really happening...
we are leaving perth tonight.....
on the red eye to sydney....
11:15 p.m.
our aussie church plant group is going to see us off...
we are all exhausted, tired, but the house is empty and clean...
chuck packed it all into the storage unit....
many cuts on his hands....
just hanging out for krispy kreme donuts in the morning...
we heard they have them at the sydney airport!
yes!!!!!

saturday...one week to go

2005-11-19T01:51:00.000-05:00

can you believe this ocd mom is having a birthday party as we speak? well, i am! j wanted to have some school friends over before we leave and they house is loud and fun with six 14 year olds running around (not to mention the 4 other little linkston kids)....we decided to celebrate cooper's birthday today too....one cake, no candles, chips out of bags (everything is pretty much packed!) a very "make it do" party (i learned from the best...cynthia cobb and sandy bruns always did spur of the moment parties)....so i have the camera and take photos as if it is the real thing! thanks girls for teaching me so well...hey, in 20 years coop will never know the difference right? the big kids watched a movie (thanks to napeoleon dynamite) and then we all headed to the pool (it is 95 degrees today) so i plan to come home with a tan girls....carol harrison....you hang on girl! i am sitting by the pool, with my camera and pepsi and bible and beth moore workbook (i only have one more class to do before i leave) and guess what? i got absolutely plummeted with a tidal wave....awash went my highlighted notes into a blur....my bible pages curled up ....but worst of all.....my camera!!! it is sitting in the sun...hopefully drying out, my precious camera, a gift from my loving home church....i am now ready for the party to end and the packing to resume...it is take-away tonight for the linkstons!

cooper's eggs

2005-11-18T02:09:00.000-05:00

i woke up the other morning and what did i see?
cooper standing on a stool smiling down at me!

"i was very hungry and thought I would cook,
my very own eggs...mom, come have a look!"

"get down from there," i say with teeth clenched...
as the 12 raw eggs roll off the bench.

the man i love

2005-11-17T03:02:00.000-05:00

...a scrapbook page about the man i love....

my heart loves...from song of solomon

journaling reads:

ten things I love about you chuck:
10. you treat me like a queen.
9. you are a great kisser.
8. you are the best dad in the world!
7. you remind me of my Papa.
6. your body!
5. you help me create.
4. you love the Lord.
3. you eat anything I cook.
2. you know my love language.
1. you sing beautifully!

love, jim
----------------------

dedicated to the man of my dreams, the love of my life, the father of my children. i love you chuck!

November 2005

bloggin'

2005-11-17T02:54:00.000-05:00

blogging...what a concept! i was given this idea by our dear friend tim carlson....a way to communicate to y'all all at once...without having to update my website (i know...i know...i am pathetic at that task!)

anyway, it is official, we are returning to the usa for our furlough.
only 2 more days until our first youth meeting in fremantle
only 3 more days until our last church plant core group meeting
only 5 more days until we move out of our rental house and into a serviced apartment
only 6 more days until my beth moore bible study is finished (and the girls take me to lunch for my good-bye) yum!!
only 7 more days until we host our last thanksgiving in oz
only 8 more days until we have our going-away party
only 11 more days until we depart perth, western australia

we are going from winter here....to mild summer (heat hasn't hit yet) to dead winter in north carolina....how will i ever maintain my tan????

we will be moving to the arden presbyterian church's mission house. praise God for His provision! and for the blessing of wonderful friends.
only 11 more days until we fly

the linkston family

2005-11-17T01:32:00.000-05:00

chuck, jimmie-lynn, jordan, logan, ryan, evan and cooper!

Hello Family and Friends

2005-11-16T05:43:00.000-05:00

Welcome to our blog website. This is where we'll keep you up to date with news about us and pictures too. You can also post comments here so please do! Chuck and Jim