Alpacas, Cows, and Christmas Wishes

Where are we? 

We are still in the Gympie region.

Minding four Alpacas

Towards the end of Nov, we had secured a housesitting to look after four female Alpacas. We parked our caravan in the driveway of the home, bid the couple farewell an hour later, and then set the van up so we could live in it for the 7 days that we were there. We did not need to use the house, since there were no other pets. It began to pour with rain which was truly a blessing. And did it pour! The Alpacas appeared even more comical with their wet hair. 😂 

They were skittish and mostly unapproachable, but by the end of the week they had begun to be used to us. If we carried treats, they would come. Alice, the leader of the pack decided if all was safe or not. If she came forward, all would. 😁 Here she is ...

On a morning I noticed that one, Mona, had an eye infection. After chatting with the owners, they decided to call in the vet. When he arrived later that afternoon, we had secured all four into the smallest enclosure so that she would be easier to catch. The vet nonchalantly asked AJ to assist him, by holding down the animal when he has her in his grip. However, in the process of getting a grip on her, she turned her body and spit, and AJ copped it good and solid! 😂 Full-on frontal spit – from his hat to his toes! 🤭 Afterwards the vet laughingly said, “I didn’t tell you they spit because I needed your help!” Good man! Lol. Fun fact: Llamas kick, Alpacas spit. 😅

During the procedure of treating the eye, the vet found he needed a different instrument and it was in his van… he said, “Hold on AJ, I’ll be back.” Well, with her neck released, she tried to stand up. You have no idea how powerful those animals are, as small as they are! AJ found himself losing his grip and had to apply more shove to keep her down, with huge encouragement from the two onlookers… the vet and I. 😅 But I think it was the fear of being spat on with green goo for a second time that helped adrenalin to kick in, so she stayed down! Oh yes, she stayed down! Regardless of his 66-year-old upper leg muscles burning for a release. 😂😁 

Another fun fact: Alpacas always poo on the same spot. And their poo can be used immediately as compost in the garden. And when one goes to the toilet... they often all do, apparently. 😊 

Shovelling the poo pile

Alice, cooling her feet and chillin.

Too soon, the week was at an end. We went off to stay on the cow paddock rest spot for nomads, just outside of town. There we are off-grid, but goodness gracious, off-grid does NOT work for us in 35 C heat! 

We sweltered through the second day and sat under the awning, praying for a breeze, but the next day, long before it was time to head off, we packed up, parked the van outside Nadya’s house, and sat in her air-conditioned space until 4 PM when we were due to check in at our next homesitting — looking after 24 cattle. 😅

Cows, cows, cows ... and 1 bull. 

December kicked off with us receiving three days of patient instruction from the farmer. Ahead of the time, we had thought, aaah, it’ll be fine! It’s a different feeling altogether when you’re in the feeding camp with 24 cattle! Standing near that huge Brahman bull, while he gives you the once over with his eyeball, makes you wonder if this was a good idea after all.

These beasts are the farmer’s delight… his hobby, his pets, as it were. And says he, “These get a little treat here”, and “These get a little treat there”. And “they love a brush!” And “this one loves a scratch behind the ear, while this one loves a stroke under the chin.”

 

Monday morning, bright and early, the couple were due to depart to Brisbane to catch their flight. Placing the list of the cows and their ‘personality’ description into our hands, he says ‘you’ll be right, we have full confidence in you both”, and off they went! Gulp! That afternoon we prompted each other through the prepping of the feeding camp for the next morning. The next morning arrived far too soon. As we made our way to the feeding camp, each of us silently mulled over the approach to the task. But all went well, and we heaved a sigh of relief. We did not linger to scratch, stroke, and brush. No siree. We hightailed it out of there to our first cup of coffee of the day. No coffee ever tasted that good after having a bull eyeball you, to check you out! Fortunately, the pellets and molasses and fresh lucerne were more interesting! 😂

On the second morning, we noticed that Cassie the cow’s limp had gotten far worse…she was hobbling! What to do? The farmer had pulled a ‘thorn’ (more like a splint to us) from between her toes on her left leg. Clearly, there was still something there and the infection was getting worse. Her foot was swollen. We contacted the owner by email and had to wait for a reply. He contacted the vet and let us know how things would work to get poor Cassie seen to.

A relative would arrive mid-morning two days hence (poor Cassie had to hobble till then) as he was a cattleman and would help us muster them into the catch stall. The vet was only available for a site visit that day, at 13:00. The day before the vet’s visit, we were instructed to open a gate to a smaller paddock after their morning feed and to close the gate where they usually depart from to the larger paddock. That caught them all for the day, in the small paddock. The next morning, 4.30 AM, true to form, they were forced to line up towards the catch stall to get into the feeding camp. Only this time, we would not arrive to let them in. There they would stand until the relative and vet arrived. This broke my heart. They were bellowing away, calling out, “Where’s our breakfast”, until I couldn’t take it anymore and emailed the farmer. He phoned us and suggested we put a few bales of hay over the fence to keep them happy. At least they had access to water. 

The old catcher

The new cow catcher

It was a blistering day! The sun was merciless. We waited. And we waited. The relative cattleman let us know he was running late. The cattle stood. We waited. The sun beat down. The flies even let up. Just too hot. The cattleman, just when he was due to arrive, let us know that he was 40 minutes away! 😩 

The cattle stood. We waited. It was 11:30, but it felt like 14:00. Finally, he arrived, and we made our way down. And there stood Cassie, near the front of the queue. All they needed to do was close one gate and she was where she needed to be to enter the cowcatcher (my name for it 😅). Cassie plus 3 other cows were closed up, while the rest were let out to feed.

We waited. The 4 cows stood patiently. Two hours later, the vet arrived. I had called twice to find out why it was taking so long. The second time I think the tone of my voice gave my dismay away. Twenty minutes later she arrived… friendly smile, pony-tailed and bouncing on her feet. But did she handle that cow?! She caught her in the catch first time, bringing that headlock down into place. She managed the block and tackle to hold her fast with ropes and examined the hoof. A couple of (gigantic) jabs later, Cassie was good to go. Was it 15 mins? All that, for 15 mins. 😅 I had stood aside observing, far from the action. AJ was there in the thick of it, lending a hand where he could. In fact, at one point he saved the day when the cattleman inadvertently gave Cassie an escape route. AJ was a star throughout. The next day Cassie was way more comfortable, and two days later she was walking normally. Quite the experience for two greenies.

Cassie being treated

On the second day of our stay, we also copped a hail storm like no other. It was our first time to experience such huge hail stones. It was a miracle that the van was not pockmarked afterward, and even our awning was out because we were unprepared for  the suddenness of the storm, as well as its intensity. Frightening, to say the least.  

One hailstone broke through a skylight in the house and AJ had to give it a temporary fix. We always pray that destructive storms would not come our way. We got the tail end ... they were few but mighty. In Gympie proper there was massive damage. Poor people.  

As the days progressed, we grew more comfortable with reading the cows. I began to face my fear and gave the odd one a brush and one morning even managed a cuddle. Yes, cows can be cuddled … on their terms. 😆 AJ patted those who were interested, and overall, things went well. We were grateful.

Cuddling a cow

The calves are a favourite

Deb insists on a brush

We had one incident where the cows were pushing and shoving at the closed gate before their feed, and Eric, a small calf, was pushed halfway through the barbed wire fence. There it lay, half his body on this side and half on the other, unable to get up and extricate itself. Being closer to the poor thing than AJ at that moment, I reacted instinctively to help it. Remembering at the last minute to do everything slowly, and feeling rather fearful, I lifted him by the side of his belly. Finding his feet, he stood up. The wire had done some damage, but thankfully not too much or too deep. Poor baby.

The sunrise is spectacular from the house. Three weeks flew by. 

While we were here, we had our caravan serviced to maintain the warranty. Oh my goodness, we did not know what we were in for. The whole van had to be emptied. Luckily we had access to a shed for storage. 

We sorted through everything, cleaned it thoroughly, and then packed it all back again. It took a week! 😣😖 And all while we had a heatwave going. 😅

It was such a good feeling though when it was done. 

The farmer and his wife arrived yesterday after island hopping, and we are hanging around on their property to watch the cows again for two days when they go to Brisbane for Christmas with their daughter. On the 26th, we head back to Tandur to look after our favourite four-legged friends, the French bulldogs.

Merry Christmas 

Christmas and all its customary celebrations are only days away. Over the last few weeks, we have been part of a team at our church, working on a Christmas Lights display project, to tell the community the true Biblical story of Christmas. What a blessing to see families come through and read about the wonder of the gift of the Christ-child born long ago. Many Bibles were accepted. Tracts were given out. And of course, the humble candy cane delighted each child (and some adults too! 😁).

 

At this point, we would like to wish every one of you, our family members and friends, a blessed Christmas season. May your barbecue be blessed, your trifle be a success, and the Christmas cake last into the New Year.  May your joy be complete as you gather with loved ones and enjoy each day to the full, wherever you might be, as we ponder the wonder that was the miracle virgin-birth of Jesus Christ.

Image by Kevin Sanderson from Pixabay

We know that the actual day of Christ’s birth is unknown and that the day assigned to the celebration was merely an attempt to Christianize pagan traditions. Nevertheless, it is a celebration we can enjoy to the full, knowing that God sent His only son to be born fully human. He grew to be a man, to teach us about the Father, and to demonstrate God’s grace and love. This is mind-boggling — to know that He willingly obeyed His Father, even unto death on the cross. But He arose victorious, having overcome the enemy, so that we can have a gate through which we might enter the Kingdom of God. This gate opens to those whose hearts are turned towards Him, and who acknowledge that Jesus is the Saviour, the Son of God. The ultimate, priceless, gift. 

Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David!  And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”

Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,

“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.” Luke 2 vs 9-14.

 

Merry, Merry Christmas to you.

Thanks for stopping by. 🙏🏻

Kingdom Currency

 Where are we … ? 

We are in Tandur, not far from Gympie. Our new friends allowed us to spend two weeks on their property where they only spend weekends. Parked up among the tall Eucalyptus trees, surrounded by beautiful bird sounds, we have been able to heal and chat with our Father for two whole weeks.

New Beginnings

Image by Tom from Pixabay

The day after I completed our last blog post, we entered a new phase in our journey as nomads and permanent expats. AJ’s work contract was terminated. It had in fact reached its completion two months earlier. Misguidedly, he reckoned he could count on his Training Department managers’ promises that ‘all is well, the renewed contract will arrive soon. They’re working on it’. So, he continued to work as required by their schedule.

Unfortunately, he had not emailed an official query, but he had begun asking in August already regarding the renewal of the contract. This was usually via WhatsApp, or when he was actually speaking to someone face to face on Teams. Always the same answer, “Don’t worry. It will come.” Little did they know themselves, that HR was in no way planning to renew his contract. The same HR department must have known that he was still working when they received his 13^th invoice. Yet, they did not step in to stop it. When the invoice was not settled within 2 weeks as per usual, AJ began to ask why. Only then, did the Training Manager discover that he needed to request from the CEO to allow AJ to continue. This procedure took a further 10 days. A tense wait for us. Initial feedback after the meeting was that he would continue, with no problems. We breathed a sigh of relief. The next day, however, he was sent a curt email by the Training Manager, “It’s not over yet, but you will be paid!”.

As he completed one Type course, he was due to begin another. He let them know that unless he had a definitive response to the issue of the contract, he could not continue with the next course. Seems someone had had a comprehension problem, as in the end, it was a firm NO. However, they waited until he had completed the month-long Type course to deliver a one-liner (after 14 years of loyal service) saying he was no longer needed. No mention of payment was forthcoming. The next day his name was removed from the training programme where it had appeared until January 2024. The following day, all access to training materials and email accounts was denied. He penned three requests to honour the now 2 unpaid invoices – one to his training manager, one to the HR manager, and one to the CEO of the company. Not one person has responded. It’s as if he never existed. And to date, he has not received payment. Had he not challenged them for a decision, yet another week would’ve been squeezed out of him for no pay. (Please see my update on this below.)

You could ask why he continued to work when his contract had expired. Well, as mentioned, it was because he was promised verbally that he would continue, and believing the best of everyone, he trusted the leaders in the Training Dept. And they continued to use him. In his last month he worked up to 12 hours a day instead of the required 8, prepping for the class and writing revision questions for the students for each day’s training. Because he was busy 5 days a week on the Type course, they requested he work on a Saturday for pilot training. He complied, always loyal to the company.

What is justice?

Photo by Sora Shimazaki from Pexels.com

According to most dictionaries, 'justice' can be defined as conforming to truth, fact or reason. Doing what is equitable, being morally correct, or fair. These concepts clearly do not ring true to whoever runs the company. They have not stated why they ignore his payment request. However, AJ says he suspects that unless you have a contract, you do not get paid. Bollocks! (Please note the update to this post below.)

Completely taken aback at first at their treatment of him, AJ has let it go. Admirably, and in silence, he blames himself. Before the emails were cut off he emailed the entire company to wish them all well and he blessed them. I bet that was one email that was not shared with the company’s employees.  

Until a few days ago I was angry. Not because of the pennies lost, but because of the injustice of it. I watched my hubby slog for the last month especially, under pressure to complete the course successfully, while suffering with poor technology that the company refused to upgrade on their end. He went the extra mile for that class, daily. Without payment. they have stolen from him. Justice is conforming to truth, fact or reason. Doing what is equitable, morally correct, or fair. True justice belongs to the Lord God of Heaven’s Armies. Especially when it comes to His children. Paul reminds us that the Lord said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay.” (Hebrews 10).

Cast ... throw off, hurl!

My all-consuming anger festered to the point of planning all kinds of actions to right the wrong. It kept me awake at night. Waking up exhausted on yet another morning where my first thoughts were of vengeance, I was reminded in a devotional on Psalm 55, that David had written, “Cast your burdens on the Lord and He will sustain you”. ‘Cast’ in the original translation, the speaker pointed out, means to throw off, hurl, with gusto. Onto Him, the one Who knows the end from the beginning. Your path, your story, was written long before you were born. (If you read Psalm 139 you’ll know that is true.) The famous verse came to me, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28) That day, using Psalm 57 v 2, I went to the Lord and cried out for justice. All alone in the forest, with no one around that could possibly hear, I cried out to God. “It’s the principle of it all! Don’t you see?”

“Give it to me,” I heard in my spirit.

“I can’t do that … I just can’t!. I would not be able to walk away and leave this with you.” I retorted.

Alone, open and honest with my struggle, I felt God’s gentle urging. He kept on … “Give it to me. Give it to me.” Finally, after a spiritual battle like no other I have experienced, knowing it would set me free, I caved in. Verbally I CAST the whole matter onto the Lord, aloud. And because not a soul could see me, I also physically CAST it onto the Lord, going through the motions like it was a parasite that I was throwing off … and it felt liberating. But suddenly, the injustices of this world flooded in on me… of Jews slaughtered. Of Palestinians lied to by ideological hate cultists. Of people losing all in deliberately-lit fires in Australia. Of the agenda of far-left ideologists who pass laws allowing full-term, live, aborted babies to die a slow death on a cold hard table, forbidding the medical world to care for them because they were ‘aborted’. Of ordinary salt-of-the-earth folk and their family being made homeless by greedy governments, corporates, and landlords. SO MUCH INJUSTICE! Does that make God unjust? No, because He is always a good, good God. Holy. Loving and kind. Just and righteous. Not a dictator, He leaves us to choose to submit to Him or not. Because He is God, His plans prevail, for the good or the bad, according to His purposes. Who can question Him? Who can know the end from the beginning? Who can question His ways?

“Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God?” Rom. 9 v 20.

Shall we accept prosperity and not adversity from the Lord? No, He has a reason for everything that is written into our life’s walk, and in the end, His name will be glorified. Even if that be in the next life, in eternity, He will get the glory. Unpaid wages are the least important in a world gone mad. God owns the proverbial ‘cattle on a thousand hills’. We are His children. Has he not repeatedly promised us … “I will be with you, I will help you”? Has he not repeatedly told us to ‘not be alarmed’? ‘Don’t be dismayed’! Over and over again, those promises, in different verses from the Word, have been coming at us through people, through sermons, through devotionals. 

I walked back to the caravan, a mess, but freed from the feelings of anger and vengeance.

An Uncertain Future

The future is uncertain. What we now seek is for God to be glorified through this. We both feel that AJ should take until the New Year to think, pray, and heal. To wait on God's leading. He went through an appalling time over the last 2 months. At the last, being eaten alive by midges, reacting to each bite, and having to work 9 am to 9 pm throughout. 

Training online

Then he was delivered a harsh blow. He has let it go, but he needs to work through the reality of a 45-year career having come to an end. Can it continue here in Aus? Not sure yet. In this country there are different requirements to be able to train adults.

By God’s grace, we have enough to carry us financially into the New Year. Thereafter, both of us will need to earn an income to be self-sufficient as our visa requires. We pray that we will not become reliant on help from our loved ones here, who are also battling to make ends meet.  The day after AJ was let go, we received our Tax return for the last year. Let me put it this way, while we had saved for the Tax man, it was in no way sufficient. Our advisor had not warned us of the true scope. International earnings are taxed differently, I think. 

Image by Perlinator from Pixabay

Had we not have had the major accident and been paid out fully for the loss of that vehicle a year ago, we would not have been able to pay the Taxman. But now we can. God knows the end from the beginning. It leaves us with a very small crutch … but, we are reminded that God our Father is our Mainstay. Our Keeper. Our Provider. Our Protector. A good, good Father. And a righteous Judge! 

His eyes travel to and fro across the face of the earth seeking to strengthen those whose hearts are turned toward Him (2 Chron. 16 v 9).   

Kingdom Currency

A few days ago, we were sent a voice note … a devotional talk before school … the person entitled her talk, “What is your Kingdom Currency?” Using the Old Testament story of Elijah and the widow in the famine (1 Kings 17), and of Peter and Paul and the lame beggar (Acts 3), she painted a perfect canvas with words, illustrating how each one of the characters had a choice – a choice to react to what they SAW before them, or to employ their Kingdom Currency of FAITH, OBEDIENCE and GOD-GIVEN ABILITY in exchange for something else – help from above for God’s glory.

Thank you, Kirsten! We resolve to employ our Kingdom Currency. 

Image by Perlinator from Pixabay

Thanks for stopping by. We are scheduled to house-sit in and around Gympie until mid-January. The next blog post should be more fun … be sure to watch for it. We will be looking after 4 very cute creatures … I won’t let on just yet. 🤭 Watch this space, it’ll put a smile on your dial. 😆

Until next time. Be blessed. 🌼

A later update to the above post....

In the Eye of the Storm ... the proverbial storm ... we found peace. To God be the glory. 💜

In mid-November we left the property in Tandur to park in a small caravan park in Gympie, closer to town and our children. We had a long list of to-dos to work through. Tax needed to be paid. The caravan's water pump gave in and needed a warranty claim. We needed to sort through banking issues and AJ's GP issues. (In this country, even if you are well, they keep nagging for you to visit the doctor so that they can check you out to see what could possibly be wrong with you. 😑🙄) We have decided to change to a different GP practice, hoping to get rid of the nagging doc.
We have had a heat wave – up to 38 degrees on 2 consecutive days. No fun. We put the AC on in the van and left to spend most of those days at our children’s home.

Ten things we learned over the past month.

1. We can live on a ¼ of the income we thought we needed. 😅
2. We are feeling better with two meals a day. 😁
3. After ‘casting our burdens (truly) on the Lord’, we found that there is, in fact, peace in the eye of the storm! 🤗
4. While we want to say a lot to God, it’s best to just listen to what He says for a change. His promises keep coming at us. We feel His love, like never before. 🥰
5. Having a chance to relax and decompress after a shocking couple of months, is good for the mind, body and soul, 😌 but …
6. Daily exercise is important for mind clarity after all! (Trying to keep it going.) 😅
7. Paying a huge tax bill is blood-curdling. 🤑
8. Ideas galore are hitting us thick and fast, but sorting them into short-, medium-, and long-term objectives is not THAT easy. 🤯😧
9. Prayer has a way of calming hyper-ventilation. 😊
10. Friends and family are amazing. 😘😘

And a bonus ... 11. God hears our prayers ... some He answers, some He doesn't.
Yesterday evening, I happened to look at our bank balance as we had spent a bit of money during the day on things we needed, and there it was – full payment from Gulf Helicopters! We were both gobsmacked. AJ couldn’t believe it, as he had written it off. I was amazed at how God had answered prayer. Even though I had left it with Him, I had kept on at God (like the nagging widow in the Bible story) saying that I could not believe that He would let AJ go unpaid. With continued expectation, I felt that He would motivate them to pay what was due. He did! We are eternally grateful.Our new favourite verse:

"As for me, I look to the Lord for help. I wait confidently for God to save me, and my God will certainly hear me." Micah 7 v 7.

In the last week ... AJ downloaded a program on his laptop, which will allow him to do quality screen recordings. We are hoping to get a training channel up on YouTube so that he can share his knowledge with those who need it. So much expertise shouldn’t go to waste. And, who knows, it may just take off and be popular in the industry. As God wills.Our church is having a fun event over Christmas to reach out to the community, so I volunteered to help design signs and posters. That kept me busy in a fun way for a few days. The church will be on the Gympie Christmas Lights Tour for families. We hope to make it a special experience for all.
In two days we are off to our next house-sitting. Will chat again soon, along with images of who for and where. 😃😆
Thank you to all who have offered us prayers and support. We value you. Thank you for being part of our journey.
Blessings. 🌼