It was a pretty warm morning in LA and as my bother and I went to a disc golf course for 18 holes of frustration and elation. We made our way down Melrose to make a quick coffee break and passed many Jewish men dressed smartly in black on their weekly circuit to synagogue. As you might have guessed, today is Saturday and we were driving through the heart of Hollywood on the eve of our flight out of the US.
Today was filled with family, World Cup and packing….the packing never seems to end! It’s been a wonderful road trip down from Port Townsend where we set off nearly three weeks ago. Along the way south we’ve been hugely blessed with the generosity, hospitality, and fellowship of our relatives and friends who’ve taken our troop in for visits often lasting multiple days and nights. Thanks again for hosting us and dealing with the added stress of our large family. Thanks to all of you for your many prayers, the van and trailer have done really well and we’ve had no breakdowns or mishaps so far.
Sunday, we plan on heading out to church, packing more, and spending the rest of the day with family. What an enjoyable blessing to receive all the love and encouragement but we are definitely ready to arrive in Townsville and settle in to our new digs. It turns out that the home we were going to share with another family did not work out and so the folks at Reef to Outback (RTO) have worked to secure another rental for us near the base. We’re told that it is a three bedroom with one and a half bathroom home, fairly spacious with a nice patio and jungly vegetation out back. Apparently, it is difficult to find affordable and adequate housing in this area so we feel very blessed to have it arranged for us at such short notice.
The kids have had a blast with all their cousins and other family over these last few weeks. They are now eager to jump on the airplane, see their new home, meet new friends, and to settle back into a routine. We’ve been reading up on Townsville and studying the maps on Google Maps to try and get a good lay of the land but there will be plenty of exploring done soon after we arrive. With that in mind, the staff at RTO informed us that a few days after we arrive, we will be joining the eighty plus staff members and their families on their annual three-day camping trip out in the bush. This is a time of fellowship and relaxation where everyone gets to know each other and spend quality, focused time together. We “just happened” to have our travel arrangements line up perfectly with this exciting event and so we are looking forward to starting out on the right foot.
It’s getting pretty late, but one last note. We’ve ended our cell phone service, so our 360-640-4627 phone number is no longer working. As a result if you need to get a hold of us you’ll need to use one of the many IT ways. SKYPE: jrbotkin7, Facebook: Jeremy Botkin, Email: jrbotkin777@gmail.com
We also have a calling card which we will use constantly to keep in touch.
God has been wonderfully faithful in answering our every prayer…The list has been long and sometimes daunting in our estimation, but God’s powerful hand has moved on our behalf at every juncture, especially when it seemed like we hit wall after wall and this whole thing wasn’t going to happen. But though we might be at times faithless, He remains faithful and I am really glad for that!
►Please continue to pray for our trip:
For no lost kids or bags,
For opportunities to shine for Christ to those around us,
For good attitudes and patience through the trial that traveling can be sometimes,
For all the loose ends to be tied up back in the States,
For continued financial provision and wisdom as we get settled in and adjust to a different country’s economy,
For continued vision for our family’s role in walking in God’s will in Australia both in the short term and long term,
For perfect transition into serving with our new family at YWAM RTO and acceptance in the community.
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