Nowra

This blog is dedicated to Grandma H in Michigan who wanted to know what Nate's been up to in Australia. (Sorry for neglecting that side of things Grandma!)

For the month of July Nate was blessed with some work on a friend's farm. For 3 days per week we'd drive 1 hour south down a beautiful country road (ocean on one side and green pastured hills on the other) to Nowra. Nate did a whole range of things from 5am - 5 pm... fixed fences, slashed paddocks in a tractor, milked 400 cows, fed calves, and moved furniture. He loved the work but I think his favourite part of each day was his farmer's breakfast from 8-9am - espresso coffee, bacon, sausages, freshly laid eggs and baked beans. I didn't get any photos of Nate hard at work but I did get some photos of the house we stayed at (where I spent my days while Nate worked) ....

It was such a wonderful, peaceful time and we're so thankful for God's provision. Over the year Nate has applied for heaps of jobs but nothing opened up. However, people from church have been so generous in giving Nate odd jobs like painting, yard work and gardening. Nate would say that he's the jack of all trades, master of none, so he has been able to exercise random skills and has loved every moment. Now that the job on the farm is finished we're back in Wollongong full time. Nate just finished a seminary Greek course by correspondence. He loved it! He now tutors 1 student per week in Maths. He'd love a few more students but we'll take anything we can get. The time is really ending where he could get a job, seeing as we'll be returning to the States in about 3.5 months! Until then, he is always keeping himself busy with a range of endeavours like gardening here at Tim and Wooz's (he has a beautiful row of sugar snap peas ready to flourish). Right at this moment he's building an easel out of Tim's scrap wood in order to try his skill at water colour painting. I'm looking forward to the results... I've seen Nate's paint experiments and it seems he'll be a master of the water colour trade!