Dan and Pris Gollan

It was only –7 last night, but that was cold enough for us to feel great appreciation for the warmth in our home as we walked in the door this morning.  Seven of us built a snow fort on Saturday and then slept in it last night.  With seven bodies in that snow house breathing out 35 degree carbon dioxide, we had to open the door in order to slow the dripping of the ceiling.  It never stopped , but did help a bit… although I must add that we never really decided if it was worth the frozen faces.  All in all, it was another nice experience that reminded us that we can bear up under hardship.  Angel and Elle said that apart from frozen toes and fingers, they had a fairly comfortable night in their snowsuits and sleeping bags.  Good on ‘em. 

We are well.  We’re three weeks out from New Years and five weeks from Christmas.  Surely at some stage in life you stop eagerly anticipating Christmas day… but it hasn’t happened to me yet.  This year won’t be spent with family, but will be spent with a number of young friends who will come down and stay with us over the Christmas period.  It will be nice.

We have a good layer of snow covering the ground and the roads around town are to be navigated with slightly more care than usual.  I’m extremely grateful for the car we have now as we certainly haven’t seen the worst that winter has in store for us. 

I enjoy seeing the gentleness that the guys at the rehab centre show to the new guys who come.  The new guys are nervous and sometimes suffering withdrawal symptoms which can be severe.  They sometimes are rude or self-centered.  The pattern that is set is that grace is given.  And it is something beautiful to see grown men kindly and gently dealing with the weaknesses of the new member.  I see in this true love.

How did that happen?  Two months since an update?

Well, those two months have seen changes in temperature and the landscape.  As I type, snowflakes are gently falling from a grey sky onto a yellowed carpet of leaves and grass.  Winter’s a’ comin’!  Ouch.

We are fine.  We’ve been dragging around a pretty nasty virus that just wouldn’t let go for the longest time.  It’s only been during the last couple of days that we’ve seen some let-up on that.

Pris and I loved out Israel trip.  We stayed in Jerusalem the whole time, but took a couple of day trips out to the Dead Sea and the Sea of Galilee.  The two things we came across that made us sense a connectedness with the words or places or characters in the Bible were 1. the Golden Gate in Jerusalem – (on the Muslim cemetery side), and 2. the synagogue in Capernaum in which Jesus undoubtedly spent quite a lot of time.  ’We also appreciated the sense of morality which somehow pervaded the culture/atmosphere on the Jewish side of Jerusalem.

We managed to attend two services of the Messianic Jews while we were there and were encouraged by the thought that a lot of Jews will become followers of Christ before His Second Coming.  What will be the catalyst?

Thanks to those who gave so that this dream became a reality for us.  We’ll value it for the rest of our lives!

I just talked to a young 30-year old.  I’ve known him for about 4 years.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen him sober.  He comes around every so often and has this extremely intense look about him as though he is trying to control his world through force of will.  He looks you in the eye and in so doing, issues a challenge – “stare me down”.  Today, I was able to suggest that he needed a rehab center… and we just so happened to have one.  Who knows if he’ll end up coming once he’s sober… but I definitely hope that he’ll come.  I’ve long thought that maybe God was calling him and that was the reason he kept on visiting us.  But I must admit that when I opened the door and saw him swaying there, I think I winced.

The students are due to start studying again officially today– the 1st of September.  In fact, I can hear the loudspeaker and some poor girl singing.  Wow!  Anyway, the start of the new school year means that the youth groups will pick up again and we’ll get a new batch in – some of whom God will call to Himself.  We are losing several of the old guard as they go off to study in other cities… there are benefits of living in the capital where there is work more easily found and many institutes.  And yet, there are also benefits of living here.  But being able to spend years teaching and discipling the students isn’t one of those benefits.