Update on Simon

Sorry I have not kept you updated on Simon. I had sent out an email or two about Simon and he had to have one of his eyes removed because of cancer. They found an excellent doctor in Guadalajara who was able to do the surgery and remove the eye about a month ago and Simon has healed well. He just got his new eye and returned home today. Here are a few pictures I just received. Thanks so much for your prayers.

So, can you tell which one is the new one??

I am not really sure what they are doing here, but I think they might be putting a life light on the eye. (Someone correct me if I am wrong.)

If you couldn't tell the right eye is the new one.

Wow almost another week has gone by since I posted last sorry Rebekah. Maybe I could actually post if I wasn't working on peoples sidewalks all the time. (If anyone is wondering I am just being sarcastic.)

It has been a good week, short though with Monday being a holiday. Mom's birthday was on Wednesday so we all got together at Tim and Steph's place for supper. Steph made an awesome roast beef dinner. Hey Steph you busy next Thursday night, just wondering if you fell like making another roast beef dinner? We had a good time there and got to see some of the improvements they have made to their house. They have fixed it up to sell and the first day it was on the market someone came through it and put in an offer and now the house is sold. They have sold their house because they are going to Mexico as missionaries in September Lord willing.

Dad, Mom and Mika. I think Tim decorated the cake if I am not mistaken.

Wednesday evenings we have a Bible study at a friends place and we are going through Genesis. We were in chapter 8. I was trying to figure out where the light came from as there was only one window and it is hard to imagine how the light could get to all three floors. Well I am sure God didn't keep them in the dark even if I feel that I am sometimes.

Friday evening the Sinkes, good friends of our's came over for supper. They wanted to see my pictures and hear about my experiences in Mozambique.

Now it's Saturday and I just got back this evening at about 10:45 from spending the whole day at Mark and Rebekah's working on there side walk. Wow jobs like this are a lot of work, especially for people who have never done them before.

I am not sure if this was the first or the second time building this step. I got the heights messed up the first time so I had to take it all down and redo it.

The almost finished job. We are still waiting on a few cap pieces for the top of the wall. They were all sold out.

The final Step

It was kind of funny while I was working this afternoon, two of Mark's neighbours came over. The one neighbour just had concrete poured over almost all his front yard. He was wondering if i would come and cut it for him. Up put cuts in concrete so when it settles that it crackes where you cut it and not somewhere else. The other neighbour has been having problems with the floor in their shower in the basement. The grout keeps cracking between the tile. I went and had a look at it and gave them some suggests as to what could be done. Never a shortage of things to do anyways. There you have it, that's what my week entailed.

Busy Every Night

It was another full week. I was working on chimneys mostly again, but we also did some flagstone repair on someones porch.

Besides regular work during the day I was out every night except for Monday. Tuesday night Dad, Mom and I were at Mark and Rebekah's house for supper. They were having Mom over for dinner for kind of a mothers day gift or something although they gave her a gift as well. Dad and I got to take part in the wonderful meal tool.

Wednesday evening my boss invited both of his employees (Me being one of them) over for dinner. He and his fanily wanted to see my pictures from Mozambique and hear how I got along. We had an excellent evening together. His wife made a great steak dinner, always a big hit with me. She always tries to feed us to much. We had a lot of fun.

Thursday I helped my brother Rob get his Suburban over to his house. Rob bought it on ebay about a year or so ago. When he got married and moved out he had several vehicles still here. We have gotten rid of a few. I also had and old car and truck of mine as well that we got rid of. Some people would joke with us and say that I looked like we were a used car dealership. It doesn't look so much like that anymore. It had been a while since I had spent sometime with Rob, it was good. He made an awesome supper for me by heating up some prorogues and farmers sausage. He is a great cook I didn't know he had it in him.

Friday were invited over to some friends place for supper and they asked me to share about my time in Mozambique. It is hard to share everything that happened and that God taught me, but hopefully what I did share would be an encouragement. Again we had an another good evening and a great meal. If anyone else once to see my pictures you're more then welcome. You don't have to supply a steak dinner.

Being the long weekend I had a little time on my hands. I can always count on someone to make sure that I don't sit around idle at such a time. Mark and Rebekah had some landscaping work and a front door that they wanted to get installed. Ok just so you know I was not pressured into this I volunteered, don't get upset Rebekah. Saturday morning I went over to London and the three of us went out to Rona and bought new front door and all the necessary materials for installing it. Then we went and got some interlocking brick and retaining wall stones for their front yard. By the time we had bought everything it was past one so we figured we would be able to get to much done on the front yard with the time we had left so we installed the new front door. That was one of the easiest installations I have done. It just fit perfect, which is not always the case. We also installed a retractable screen door. I don't know if you have seen them before but they are really neat. They roll up at the one side and you just pull it across when you need it.

Here 's the new front door and the screen door is partly pulled across, but you can't hardly see it.

Sunday we went up to Toronto because my Dad had been asked to speak on the Tabernacle at a church there. Mom and I went along to help with the set up of the scale model that He and Mom made many moons ago.

Dad speaking at the Family Builders Community Church in Toronto.

This is the model Dad and Mom made.

I spent the whole day today at Mark and Rebekah's. Mark and I spent the whole morning digging out all the old dirt so that we could put in a new gravel base for the sidewalk and retaining wall. We are not the fastest people in the world at it but I think it is coming along ok. It will look good when it is done. Rebekah came out this afternoon and said "I am glad you gives have a plan because I am not seeing what it is supposed to be like when it's done." I guess the big hole and all the dirt and gravel was kind of throwing her off.

This is what it looked like this morning when we started.

Ya, we look like a couple city workers holding up their shovels.

I am leveling some of the first retaining wall stones.

It doesn't look like much yet but this is as far as we got today.

This evening Mom invited the family all over for supper. Meals are always good family times, at least at our house they are.

It's About Time

Ya I know I haven't been doing so well at posting here. I don't think my life is exciting enough to post everyday, but I will see if I can do it a more often. This past week has been quite busy. At work we have repaired three chimneys this week. Here are some pictures of one we did yesterday. We don't normally rent a boom like this to work on chimneys, but the driveway is on a real slant so we did this time.

My boss John and I are up there somewhere.

Here I am being a professional bucket holder. I had to go through many hours of train for this, so please don't try this at home.

Ladies and gentlemen may I introduce my boss, Mr. John Austin Hurley. The best boss in the world. (No he is not biting the bar.)

Later on in the day I became a red neck.

Other then work my evenings have been busy as well. Monday evening all my siblings and nieces minus, Philip and Joia came over. We all wanted to catch up on what had been going on in each others lives. My oldest brother Tim and his wife Stephanie and their three daughters will be Lord willing moving to Mexico as missionaries in September and they had just taken a short trip down there to Mexico to do some house hunting. They had some pictures to share with us and some stories to tell. My brother Mark and his wife Rebekah had been in Florida for a short time as well they didn't have any pictures for us to see. (I am still waiting to see some.) Then I had also come back from Mozambique and I showed my pictures and told stories. We all had a good evening. I love getting to see my family again when I return home. Philip, Joia and Keenan I am still planning to get down there to see you sometime. Not sure when yet.

Tuesday evening several friends came over for supper that wanted to hear about my trip. A couple of the guys were the ones that I was originally going to be going with to Mozambique but it just didn't work out for them. They are planning to go to Mozambique at the end of June for three weeks. I would love to be able to go with them but I want to be able to go for a longer time but I can't at that time so I will have to wait. They wanted to know what to expect when they get there so I was able to fill them in a little. I am excite to see what God teaches them while they are there.

Thursday after work I replaced a window in the youth drop in center here in Norwich. Several months ago some of the kids were playing pool and they had a ball jump off the table and it broke the window. I was looking into replacing it before I left to go to Mozambique but I ran out of time. I ordered the piece of glass and picked it up with my bosses truck. It was a big piece 77" by 38" and it was a quarter inch thick. I just hoped I could transport it with out braking it. Thankfully all went well and I got it installed with the help of Jay who is staff at the youth center.

Friday I left work early because I went to Tornoto to a rehearsal with the Jubilance singers. They are a group of singers and instrumentalists who put on concerts in the Metro Toronto area and also go on tour for one month in the summer. This summer they are going to Hungary and Ukrainefor three weeks in August. They have asked me to come with them, so I went to one of the rehearsals to see what I could expect. I was a little intimidated, in that most of them read music well and I don't and they were just starting to work on several new pieces of music and they would just sing through them once and then move on to the next. I can't learn a new song by singing it only once. I am sure they will go over them more at up coming rehearsals, but still. It is about a two hour drive each way to go to the rehearsals and they really need basses so they have asked me to come. I really don't know if this is what I am supposed to do so I am seeking the Lord's direction here again.

Saturday evening I played some soccer with a few friends. I am not sure what it was this week but I just didn't have much energy. I had a good time anyways and I woke up a bit sore this morning, but as they say no pain no gain. That pretty well recaps my week.

I am not going to Hungary

Thanks so much for your prayers on my behalf for Hungary. I just sent an email to my friend in Hungary this morning and told Him that I will not be coming. I would have liked to go and it would have been a good thing to do, but I am seeking God's best. He must have something better for me. Maybe He knows I get very busy when I go away and He wants to allow me to have more time with Him. This is something He has once again shown me the importance of while being in Mozambique. He has been showing me just how much He desires to spend time with me and I am learning not to say "No" to Him.

I have finally got my pictures all together in some what of a video of presentation, after I don't know how many hours. If you would like me to come and show you pictures of my trip and hear a little more then I wrote in the emails, then let me know and I would be happy to share with you.

It's Been A While

Well it is about time I post something on here. I have been home for a week and I have only posted once. I have been quite busy. I have been spending several hours each night getting pictures and video clips put together into some sort of presentation if anyone wants to see them. I am almost done I am just waiting for one picture.

Work has been busy. Spring is always busy for us with lots of chimney repairs to do. We have redone the tops of two chimneys since I have been back to work. I have posted a few pictures so you can see a little of what I do. Hope you're not afraid of heights.

The view from up there.

I have to make a decision on Saturday about going to Hungary or not. If you think about it please ask Father to make His will clear to me. Thanks