Regent College

I am currently here at Regent College in Vancouver, Canada. It has been a great day experiencing a little of life here on campus and learning. I caught up with the President and have visited a couple of classes. It would be excellent to study here at some time in the future!

More updates to come...

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Posted with LifeCast

Arrived in Canada

Hey all,

Just a quick one to say that I'm having an amazing time with my parents. It's been refreshing to spent time catching up, sharing Mexican life and culture and just seeing them again!

We've just arrived for a week in Canada where we will be catching up with some friends and seeing Regent Bible College.

Photos to come...

International Teams Latin America Conference

Wow! It was great to travel again and see new sights, meet new people and be refreshed in the word of God and in community. Last week I had the privilege of going to Quito, Ecuador to participate in the International Teams Latin America Conference. It was a huge encouragement to see what God is doing around the world through teams and individuals committed to sharing the love of Jesus in innovative and transforming ways.

We had some great bible studies shared with us by Mark that were both challenging and encouraging. I personally had a real time of growth in my relationship with God as I was in a different context for a week and had time to reflect and catch up.

The location was excellent, both getting to know the city of Quito and the Youth World ministries there, and the San Luis Hosteria where we stayed.

Here are some photos of the experience.

Can't wait for my parents to get here, they arrive next Monday!

Goodbye 2008

What a huge year! 2008 was a year of immense change and growth for me. I moved to Mexico, started in mission service, made new friends, moved house in Mexico and so much more. Here are some of the scenes and moments from the year that was...

A forced vacation...

Last Wednesday night I started to feel sick. Well, not super sick, but I didn’t sleep well and had a temperature. With a true blue Aussie, she’ll be right, I decided to rest on Thursday but not take any action. I went to eat with some friends in the afternoon but totally didn’t feel myself. When I got home, I planned to go and rest in my room, but I thought – hey, maybe I’ll go to the doctor on the corner, it’s only 20 pesos and get checked out. The doctor examined me and took my temperature… 39.5 degrees! She was surprised that I wasn’t convulsing. Anyway, she injected me with medicine to lower my temperature and sent me for some tests.

I went home and had a shower and followed the doctor’s orders to keep my temperature down. By this time I was feeling very uncomfortable. In the morning, I went to get the blood tests done and I was shivering with fever. I went to a friend’s house and their family looked after me for the day until we could go for the test results and back to the doctor. The doctor saw the results and was worried about my platelets being surprisingly low so sent me to the hospital for more tests and observation.

Wow – my first Mexican hospital visit… as the patient! I got to go to urgencies and got a rude doctor to start with, they took more blood and then left us there for about 3 hours with my temperature and very little attention. Eventually my friend went to ask what was going on and they said that they were waiting for the doctor to come and take my case seriously. We weren’t very pleased with that! Anyway, they moved me up to a hospital room to wait for the doctor. We waited. And waited. At about midnight we called the nurses and they said the doctor had been around the floor and had left for an emergency. About 1:30am, finally the doctor arrived. Funnily enough, the only food we could find (we hadn’t eaten) was biscuits and coffee from a machine. I drank the coffee and finally my temperature went down! Dr. Phil now prescribes coffee for fever.

Anyway, I had another two days of solid fever in the hospital before on Monday morning finally it went down and got under control. They did a stack of different tests, poked and prodded and still don’t know what was wrong with me! I had a throat infection, but they thought that there must be something more going on, but haven’t found it! Overall, I’m feeling better, still a bit tired from being in the hospital and having a fever, but much, much better.

Maybe it was God saying – Phil, take a real break!

Christmas in Queretaro... part 1

Queretaro is an amazing city to be in at every stage of the year. I love the atmosphere, the markets, the street stalls, the energy and vibrance of a city that loves to share and showcase culture. Christmas brings even more vibrance to this city with all the streets of el centro decorated with lights and Christmas ornaments and the famous Christmas scenes in Jardin Zenea.

From Christmas in Queretaro 08

Nativity scene (apparently the baby Jesus doesn't appear in the scene until the 24th)

From Christmas in Queretaro 08

Wise men

From Christmas in Queretaro 08

Adam and Eve

From Christmas in Queretaro 08

They even have a scene for the devil trying to attack the Christians however the truth is that the power of God has overcome the devil and he is condemned for eternity

Thanks to everyone who reads my blog, is patient when I don't get around to updating it and who supports me in one way or another. I wish you the very best for this Christmas season and my desire is that you would encounter the reason for Christmas in Christ Jesus, the Savior of the world, who longs to be your Savior, friend and Lord.

Merry Christmas!

I've moved!

Ok... so I'm still here in Queretaro, Mexico, but I've moved house. I've had a fantastic nine months living with Yola, Ruben and during the holidays, Alex, but now it came time to move house. Alex has finished his studies in music and worship in Monterrey and has come back to Queretaro and another family member is going to stay with Yola.
So... after much prayer and waiting on God, he provided a place that is excellent and provides exactly for my needs. In my new place I have a great balance of care and independence. I now live with a Señora, an older lady who is the mother of the family I stayed with in 2006. It's a big house and she rents out some of the rooms so I live here with her, another doctor called Pablo and another doctor and his wife who live in the bungalow.
The Señora prepares my meals for me and has a lovely manner of looking after me. I feel very blessed to be so well looked after and that God has provided for me just what I need.

If you would like my new address, please email me or check my next newsletter for the details.