Pastor On Tour

So the… at last I can spend a little time bringing you all up to date on the Pastor(s) World trip. I guess one word that the Aussie’s use a lot will come in handy here – AWESOME!

After a quick flight up on the Tuesday morning (and 80 minutes on the phone with Qantas again!) we eventually made it to our self catering accommodation. The name of the establishment I hear you ask? Yep it’s called “Max’s Place” Seriously, that is what it is called. I feel the hand of God in all of this some how! Max did slip off one morning.. Make sure you see his photo’s

The beach here is amazing and the temperatures are normally in the 30’s (that’s “C” as well!) with a balmy spring breeze it is hard to imagine being here in the summer when the temperature can hit the mid 40’s. Phew… I would spend all of my time hosing Shelagh down in the shade! Seriously all, we are having a wonderful time. I have just finished reading my second book of the sabbatical (Ravvi Zechariahs – The End of Reason)

Briefly it has gone something like this…. Beach, beach, beach, car (Mission Beach – North) car (Daintree Rainforests (North) car (Karanda / train / Skyrail) car (Cape Tribulation) car (Coffee Plantation and shopping)

I know that this is gripping for all of you, so do try to keep up! We were booked to go on to the Reef and a “Cay” today but owing to strong winds etc. it has been postponed until next Sunday. We were due to go to the Northern Beaches Church, but sadly (and I REALLY do mean that) we will not be able to make it. The reason we came to Cairns was for the reef.. So the reef it will have to be. Regarding Operation Jonah… I am unsure if I will dive. The problem is that I had an emergency dash to the doctors a couple of days before setting off on our trip from the UK and so am actually carrying steroids with me just in case. For some reason the Aussie medics are a tad nervous of people going underwater with such complaints, so I will keep you posted. I may just have to settle for a special something else. Either way, the love that the gift was given to me with is clearly at the fore. “Thanks” simply is not a good enough word…. Anyway, on with the pics and keep those comments coming on in folks!

With loads a mushy pommy love, Pastor Mike and Shelagh

One of my all time favourite photo’s. Shelagh fulfilling her dream for the second time in her lifetime. I kept the lady talking for as long as I could so Shelagh got a 10 minute cuddle. In Aussie terms that’s around $150 worth!!!!!!!

She actually cried whilst cuddling the little doped tree dweller. Awww everyone, isn’t she cute? (Shelagh I mean)

Paradise Cove, our home for two weeks. Someone has to do it! It really is this deserted, though the schools have just broken up so there have been around three children spotted…

Not only children, but the shark nets, the Crocodile warnings and the 8 different types of marine stingers (Jellyfish to us wurzles) makes it a really exciting swim.

Note to my friends from Northgate… you were RIGHT!!!!! There are killer things out there!

Cairns Lagoon. Right in the middle of the City is a free beached pool for the public to use. I wonder if Truro would consider…

Cape Tribulation. There we were with our swim stuff, snorkels etc. Ready to dive in when a ranger warned us that a (selfish) 5 meter resident was hanging around out there just waiting for a bit of exotic food. Shame, it took 2 hours to get there!

Off to Kuranda by train (45 mins through stunning rainforests) and then back via Sky Rail (45 mins Cable Car over said stunning rainforests) stopping at the Baron Waterfalls.

Meanwhile, Max who was getting totally fed up with being stuck in the back of the car for endless hours…

…decided to sneak out for a dawnie early one morning while we were still asleep…

… the surf looked a good clean overhead (for a Mere Cat that is)…

…just as he was about to go get his short board he spots a sign…

…ah well. Some compensation at least. He spends a couple of hours topping up his tan (he is of course black and tan) before…

…he skidaddles home before 11 am and no one is any the wiser.

That is apart from the photographic evidence that we found on his camera. Silly Mere Cat!

Closing thoughts…

I know that when I get back, people will want to know what God has been talking to me about. Lots actually. I have been quite impacted by the book that I mentioned earlier, a book written by a Hindo convert to Christianity who is now a renowned Christian philosopher and apologist. He has written a book called “The End of Reason” to refute Sam Harris’s recent “Letter to America” a scathing atheistic book that seeks to denigrate God and bring hopelessness to the world. Everything that Jesus actually came against.

In it he clearly puts forward a blow by blow response to the various points that Harris (and Stephen Dawkin in his “The God Delusion”) with huge vitriol throws out against Christianity.

It has done my soul good to read again of the absolutes of God, His love, moral reason etc. in this “anything goes if I like it” post modern world. Jesus truly is Lord, and the like of Harris and Dawkin need to hear well reasoned arguments against their brand of scientific hopeless message that brings humanity down to a bunch of molecules and gasses (no comments please!) Can I commend this book to you?

Folks, my $4 is now up and I must away. We leave for NZ on Tuesday (North Island) so I will try to keep you all as up to date as I can. Keep on reading, keep on coming back, and keep on with Jesus!
We love you guys soooo much, Pastor Mike, Shelagh (and of course, Max, the renegade Mere Cat)