Pauls Website

A Short note to say that I have started my own website. Recently people have been asking me If they could get their hands on songs that I have written. Having given it much thought, i decided to make a small website where people can download my songs if they want. You can visit the site by clicking here
I haven't put my first song up yet, but there is stuff to read. I hope to have songs up on there within a couple of weeks. Please do email me comments if you have any.
Paul

A Call to prayer

So after that informative post, something a little more deep. We have some fairly major prayer requests for the coming weeks, and would value your support in prayer over the coming months as we prepare to move and settle into a new home and new country. Again, in list format!!!

1. PRAY FOR THE SALE OF OUR CAR. Citroen C3 1.6 Exclusive - we have this car on finance, and MUST sell it before we leave. We've had adverts in AutoTrader, but had no interest. We really need God to do a miracle. If you know anyone who needs a new car, please tell them about us.
   
2. PRAY FOR OUR VISAS. After quite a jumble, we finally got our health checks yesterday, and we are in good health - our police checks also came through and we are both clear, so we are just waiting the results of our blood tests. So nearly there!! Please pray that we have our VISA applications accepted before the 8th June!!!
3. PRAY FOR OUR HEALTH. I think with so much to do over the next month, we just need to ask Gods protection on our health, that he will keep us fit and healthy so that we can do all we need to.
4. PRAY FOR PROVISION. Moving to New Zealand is quite a step of faith for us - due to the fairly short notice we simply haven't had the time we would have liked to save and prepare for our move. We really need God to work a miracle as we have to set up home again in NZ but cannot afford to ship over our posessions.
   
5. PRAY FOR RELATIONSHIPS. As we leave our friends in the UK, please pray that we God would help us make great friends in New Zealand too. It is a daunting prospect moving to unknown teritory, so we'd appreciate prayer for some great people to befriend us.
   
6. PRAY THAT WE SETTLE. It is so important for us to settle into New Zealand and build a real community around us. Please pray for the practical things that will enable us to do this - house, car, time etc.
   
7. PRAY FOR LAURAS JOB. As I will be working full time for the church, it is really important for Laura to find work in Auckland so that she can settle easily (and earn some money!!). Ideally Laura would love to work in a school so please pray for an opportunity for this.
8. PRAY FOR PAULS JOB. Moving to be a worship leader in Auckland is very exciting, but please pray that God will help me to adjust to a different culture and lead people into the presence of God in a fresh and exciting way. Please also pray as I will be starting my post almost immediately once we arrive.
   

Sorry for the long list, but we appreciate your prayers.
Paul

What we're up to...

Firstly my I appologise for my stupidity - it seems that we are actually here for another 6 weeks, so you're not rid of us that quickly!! For your benefit let me just quickly run you through our schedule for our remaining weeks so you know where to catch us. We are generally free most week nights if you would like to see us then!! So....

29/4 - 31/5 : Lauras parents staying in Sheffield

6/5 - 8/5 : Free weekend in Sheffield (I'm leading worship at Heidi Baker conference with Pete James on Saturday night)

13/5 - 15/5 : Lauras Ball on the Friday, my parents to stay on Saturday night, My final sunday leading worship at Crookes - would love you to be there if you can...

20/5 - 22/5 : Visiting friends and family in Cheltenham

25/5 : My last day at work!!! :-)

27/5 - 30/5 : Weekend in Sheffield. Our leaving party is on the 28th at our house - spread the word.

3/6 : We leave sheffield to spend a couple of days with Lauras family in Bridgwater

4/6 : Leaving party mark 2! In Bridgwater for those in the south west!

5/6: Move on to my parents for our last couple of days in England

8/6: 16:15 - Fly to Auckland via LA (for 4 hours!)

Only 5 and a bit weeks

Well reality hit home over the weekend – we’ve been down to my parents for my dads 60^th birthday; we had such a fantastic time catching up with family and old friends – a lot of whom we won’t see again before we leave. On the journey down we decided it would be worthwhile just to plan our weekends, and were somewhat surprised to find out that we only have another 5 left!!! So, its all guns blazing for the next couple of weeks!!!

Fortunately on Saturday morning we received our letters from the police stating that neither of us have any criminal convictions (I think we knew that anyway) This morning we are having our medicals – should be fine, or at least we hope!

So, once again a quick reminder that we are planning to have a leaving barbecue at 147 Mulehouse Road on the 28^th May, all are invited. Also we are trying to sell our home stuff so please send us an email if you need anything and we’ll come to an arrangement.
Please continue to pray that we sell our car and our SOFAs – it would be a nightmare if they don’t sell; we really need God to intervene.

Can I see the end?!

Hi everyone, just thought I’d give you all an update on how my work is going as that is all I seem to be doing at the moment! Well, I’ve finished my first and second chapters of my dissertation which is studying the portrayal of Christ in Children’s Bibles. My first chapter, which is pretty much ready to hand in, it is looking at the image of Christ in a range of Bibles which I have accumulated, published over the past 100 years (thank you to everyone who has helped me find these Bibles!). The second chapter has a little more to do to bring it up to standard but I have been studying the character of Christ within these same Bibles, particularly looking at the emotions of Jesus and other such exciting things! The final chapter is now underway and I hope to have finished a rough draft by Friday, ready to enjoy our weekend away in Watford to celebrate Paul’s dad’s 60^th birthday!

 

Other events in my life include interviewing nannies last week to replace me at the Heaths (the family I have worked for, for the past 2 years) which was a little bit scary really as I hate making important decisions, but in the end it was easy and I hope this girl enjoys working for the family as much as I have. Our visas have also been on our minds and we would ask everyone to pray that our police checks return to us very soon so that we can actually apply for the visas we need. There is a huge risk that we might not even get them before we fly so some serious prayer is needed! And for those who are praying, I’d like to add a few more requests whilst I’m at it! We need to sell our car for a really great price, also our sofas and other bits and bobs, so please, please pray and ask around for us!

 

Only seven weeks to go now and we’ll be in New Zealand!!!  

You are Invited!!!

Hey people. I thought I would just give you a heads up on our plans for the coming 7 weeks, so you know when to catch us before we leave. We are flying from Heathrow Airport on Wednesday 8th June at 16:15, but will be leaving Sheffield on the 3rd June to spend the last few days with our families.

On the 28th May we will be having a leaving party at 147 Mulehouse Road, Crookes, Sheffield from 6pm till late. We're praying for a warm day so that we can have one final barbecue with our friends in England before heading off to the colds of the New Zealand winter. Everyone is invited to come and celebrate with us, as we prepare for our big day on the 8th.

Without sounding presumptious I would like to make a short note about leaving presents. Should anyone want to give us a leaving present, could you please not! We are taking 4 suitcases with us to New Zealand, so are very limited by space. If you would like to bless us, we would love money as we are saving for our luggage and to buy a digital camera so we can keep you all up-to-date with our latest haircuts and tans!!! If you want to do this, please email us and we can give you our bank details.

OK, so thats the news for today - check back soon for Lauras update on her dissertation, and any other useful news. Our photos will be coming back online soon, once i have designed a page for them. The first installment will be a little album of our wedding!!!

Take care people.
Paul

Do your bit for the Tsunami Appeal

I just downloaded this track! It only costs £1.50 and the money goes to charity. This track has all your favorite worship leaders on it (except me!!) so listen carefully and make a difference. To purchase the track Click Here!

Hello from Laura

Hi everyone,

 

Well Paul’s been encouraging me to write a little something on this blog so everyone can see that I am interested in my darling husband’s new adventure! So, here I am. We have just had a wonderfully busy weekend, starting with my sister, Lucy and her family coming to stay. This was truly fantastic and we both love my niece and nephew very much however, them coming to stay for three nights was the best thing that could have happened to me! I am no longer broody and although I do want children one day, not for a very long time!

Exhausted we travelled to Watford and then on to Surry for a family get together on Easter Monday. This was such great fun but arriving home at 1:30am on Tuesday and getting up as normal in the morning well and truly finished me off. I have so much respect for anyone who can survive on little sleep, and for those who don’t have any choice like Lucy!

So now I’m back studying for an essay on the Song of Songs and I’m not getting anywhere fast!!! Does anyone know anything about poetry?!!!

I just want to say great job on this blog thing Paul, your amazing! xxx

New Week

Well after a tiresome weekend I’m back at the grindstone again; Yesterday was an exhausting day – we didn’t arrive home from the family day on Monday until 1:30 AM, after I realised that I did in fact have a 9:30 appointment the following morning; What a pain!!! We did however have a fantastic day on Monday and really loved seeing all the family. Of course we got to answer the usual questions several times over, but that is what family is for! We played some golf though, and I celebrated the final hole with a superb chip in! May and I finished in 3^rd place, which we were very happy about.

This week Laura is having a break from her dissertation while she writes another one of her essays; She is currently on target with her work, and is ploughing through it all at a rate of knots – I am very proud of how hard she works, and how well she is doing this year; at the moment she is on course for a 2:1, it must be everything I taught her!!! My job is just plodding along as usual, I still haven’t handed in my notice as I’m waiting for my final contract to come through from NZ – its just a formality, but didn’t want to get caught out.

The order has gone in for the guitar now – I’m very excited that I’ll soon have an Avalon; the guitar I’m getting hasn’t actually been released yet, so it will be hot off the press when I receive it and it will be a real beauty as they all are. Steve, who I have been communicating with, has been really helpful, and I thoroughly recommend their service. I may try and get some strings from d’addario as I’ll need regular string changes to keep the guitar sounding sweet – watch this space!!

As for me, I’ll keep on working here at Millennium Volunteers until the end post is in sight! Have to go now though (breakfast time), so I’ll write something interesting soon.

Paul!

UK Passport Office

Well, yesterday I received my passport back from the passport office within the 2 week time limit that they set – I was very impressed at this service. I was less impressed however that they had forgotten to put a hyphen in Kingsley-Smith, meaning a thirty minute call to the passport office resulting in having to send the passport back to Durham for them to correct. Apparently they have to allow for human error – how frustrating!!

I need it back by the 4^th April so that we can process our VISA applications in time. If we submit them after the 4^th April we will have to include a medical which is just such a pain in the backside; with any luck I will get it back in time!

Fingers Crossed!

Avalon Guitars

Well, thanks to the fantastic guys at Avalon Guitars, I will soon be playing one of these. They are fantastic guitars that sound beautiful.

WOW!!!

Well yesterday was a pretty eventful day in all respects. Firstly i managed to get a handle on the blog, and how to do all the HTML - I gave my self a crash course in HTML, and I'm sure you'll agree that I have'nt done a bad job of getting the site looking like a good one. In the next couple of days I'll figure out how i can link it to my domain name, click here.

Well the 2 great things that happened yesterday were:
1) My cousin was diagnosed with cancer shortly after we go married last june. The doctors said that it was a fairly aggressive form, and the prognosis was fairly bleak. She has completed 6 courses of Chemo, and is now on her 7th. She had a CAT scan last week, and she found out yesterday that she is completely free of all disease - Praise God, how cool is that.

2) Not at all on the same scale, but I received an email last night from the Managing Director of a very large and respected guitar manufacturer; they are keen for me to play their guitars, and have offered me an endoresement deal. This is really exciting for me - i've wanted a new guitar ever since i started playing, and now its finally within reach! The company won't give me free guitars, but hugely discounted which is good enough. Now i need to pray in the money to go out and buy one from them!!

Well, I'm still unsure of what this blog is about, so bear with me until i get into some sort of rhythm - I'll get there in the end. Please do spread the word, I'll do my best at this end!!!
Paul

All very new to me

Well, this is a first - I never thought i would have a blog, but as Laura and myself are moving to the other side of the world it is a fantastic opportunity to let people know what we're up to and how were getting along.

At present no-one evens knows this address, so I have no idea who will read it - probably someone very random that doesn't know me!!

I hope over the coming months & years we will be able to share with you what God is saying to us, and give you an idea of where you can pray for breakthrough in our lives, as we move as missionaries to Auckland, New Zealand.

To fill you in a little, we are moving to Auckland on June 8th for me to start as Worship Leader at St Paul's Auckland. The church appears to be in its infancy as it was only planted from St Marys, Bryanston Square London a year ago. It is an exciting move, but one that comes with great levels of surrender, sacrifice and faith. I will write more later on, but for now i must go and cook the dinner.