G'day from LA

Hello everybody!

We hope that this update finds you all well and enjoying your first two months of 2011.
Hopefully by now all that rain has subsided and you can get on with the start of the AFL season in just a few short weeks. I know that Rod and I are keen to get online and watch games when we can (which will probably be rare considering how under the pump we both are!).

Lisa and Kyah are doing very well.

Kyah is growing up fast. ( I know a lot of you saw her pictures on Facebook). She continues to learn more and more words and is slowly showing signs of perhaps putting her first short sentence together.

We have been enjoying church over here. It has been great to be able to begin serving.

In saying that, man we really miss our GCBC that's for sure. Its crazy!

We had Darrell and Cathy here the other week. And now Lisa's sister (who has been living in the US) along with her husband are coming to stay with us this week. What makes this extra exciting is that they have their new baby with them! Lisa and I are really excited to have them all come and stay with us!

At the same time, and just as exciting, Adrian and Jenny will be here in the US for about a month. Adrian's parents live about 5-10 minutes away from where we live. So they will be staying there. It will be really awesome to have Devon, Zoe and Kyah all playing together here in our home.

Coming up in a few weeks time, the Shepherd's Conference begins (click here).
Each year the President of The Master's Seminary, John MacArthur, requests that every seminary student sings at the conference. So we begin next week , rehearsing. Yes, I know.....me singing? Oh I will be singing! Singing well?.....I doubt it.

Regardless, it will be a great experience to both sing and sit under the teaching of some of the most renowned pastors in the whole world.

Please continue to pray and thank God for us. We are daily reminded of and in need of His grace.

Seminary is flat out at the moment - I have many papers to write, my first Hebrew EXAM on Thursday to study for (including tests and workbooks for it), just shy of 10 books to continually read and write observations for, along with a list longer than both my arms of other studies to do! I am not complaining - I love it. There is lots to do!
(JB warned me so I knew it was coming.)
We love you all dearly and miss you all so much!

Once again, get skype and call us! Or let us know you have skype and we will call you!

With all our love and absolute thankfulness,

- The Johnston's

What's Been Happening?

Hello! A few of you have voiced your utter disdain at the fact that we have not updated you with what has been going on over here in LA. Apologies for that - the firehose that is seminary is now in full swing!

Well, here goes......

Kyah can now say a whole bunch of words like; "Jesus" , "Bible" and "No"!

She particularly likes the last one - so we are working through that :)

The other day whilst I was at seminary, Lisa and Kyah went to the Zoo. One of the ladies in our apartment complex has a year pass that allows multiple guests in for free. So off Lisa and Kyah went, with a whole bunch of other kids and parents to see monkeys, rhinos and lions! They had a great time and I were all stuffed ( which means tired for your American readers) when they got home.

Lisa has been going into Sem Wives each week and has met a number of other ladies whose husbands I go to seminary with. This has resulted in us having dinner with a few couples who we are now friends with. They all have kids who Kyah just loves to play with.

Lisa has helped out with the children's ministry over here. This is something we may pursue further depending if it is where the Lord wants us to serve - we'll see.

I begin some work around Church on Wednesday afternoons this week - Just helping out with one of the fellowship groups. Thankful for the opportunity to begin serving the people there.

Rod and I took a little one night break out in the bush over the weekend. It was so good to get away out of the mega city that is LA and into some dead silent forest! We went with another TMS guy and camped out. It was refreshing!

Right now, Darrell and Cathy are here! We spent the day/evening at church with them yesterday - and they are coming to our place for dinner tonight. So in the one little apartment you'll have all of us, along with Rod & Helen and the kids, BBQing some meat and generally being Australian in the midst of a large group of Americans who think we are a bit crazy as it is! :)

We continue to miss you all so much! It is like Skype and the infamous Facebook are our connection to many of you back home. Seeing all the photos and stuff really hits us from time to time. We are thankful we have been able to speak to many of you - and if we have not spoken yet please get skype!

Seminary continues to fly along at a a frantic rate. The work is non stop and it really is like a truck hitting you at a million miles an hour (Hebrew is mind bending). However, it is incredibly enjoyable to be able to study theology. I count it a great privilege to be here and thank the Lord each day.

Please continue to pray for us - we really need it.

Thank you all so much for you support whilst we are here. Again, there is no way we could be here without it. I am already getting excited at the prospect of getting into the work of pastoring once we complete seminary, Lord willing. I do know we have a long and very challenging way to go!

Lets talk soon!

- The Johnston's