Our Oldest Daughter's/Big Sister's Newsletter. (I love her so much and I am so proud of her! )

Hi everyone

Please excuse me writing a general newsletter to everyone, as my ideal would be to write individual emails but if I set out to do this during semester time I know that I would never get to it. So until another time I hope you are all doing well. If any of you want to reply I would love to hear from you, but as I understand that daily life can become very busy!

Despite studying, the greatest pleasure I receive is from my siblings love or interest in certain things and is in the special moments captured in time that I get when I am privileged to be at home and not at TAFE or the child care centre. In the morning its Jarryn's most sweetest smile as he says "me eat b'e'k'us'  wi' you?" and later on in the day "Mommy, me on 'puter now!? Mommy starfal, starfal! starfal now ? - Mommy?!" Timothy obviously only hugs me when he goes to bed (it's to uncool otherwise) and is reading, reading, reading in his spare time. Emma roams with nature and spends special silent times with me  at the park observing the different things such as camouflaged bugs on a tree. She also likes to draw and borrow my camera. Chess and Mankala are played a lot by Emma and Timothy. Erica has a wonderful interest in science especially anything to do with the human body as she is hoping to become a midwife when she is older. She also likes quilting and knitting and is learning to crotchet. She is the easy going gentle intuitive one who will come and ask me if everything is okay and give me a hug if I'm stressed out with something such as assignments. Often when she does this it helps me just to tell her and see that it's not really that big a thing that I thought it was. Joseph is also good at giving a clowney hug or good old slap on the back if someone needs it but sometimes he doesn't quite know his strength! He also great at baking and is always the first one to volunteer to help Grandad with his renovation work. I am really proud of what Joseph has achieved so far with his school work this year as he has been sick for quite some time (vitamin d deficiency, low iron and tonsillitis). He faithfully continues to share the privileged bedroom with the two little boys and is often able to peer pressure them to be good after lights out (sometimes, for celebration, it's the opposite -  as all boys will have the days of talking after lights out for longer than they're meant to). Erica and Emma get along really well in their own room and Emma has improved wonderfully with her tidiness skills and now puts her clothes away all by herself. Although Jonathan sometimes moves his work up to my room so that he doesn't get so distracted, Jonathan and Joshua sleep and do their school and additional university work downstairs together. Joshua has started learning flute and is planning to use his music examinations for the piano to help him get into university. He has grown up so much recently and it's lovely in the evenings to hear the flute music drift upstairs as I get ready for bed. He will be doing a TAFE course 1 day a week and do his school 4 days a week next year to get some extra stuff done. Jonathan is trying out an engineering unit with the University of Southern Queensland, along with the rest of his school studies and is also getting some volunteer work with cabinet making from a home schooling Christian Dad that we know.

Well ME; to exaggerate for a joke I live the typical student style, I'm a selfish spoiled brat who has my own room (which is a rare commodity in this house), rarely packs away clothes that are folded for me straight away, has free access to an internet connected computer for studying in my bedroom at any time I wish and a Stereo to listen to music. Where does the mess come from except from me, as there's no one sharing my mess? Due to studying pressures I don't have to clean the house or catch up on washing or clean the bathrooms or do cooking on the weekends. I only do at least one load of washing, tumble drying, and hanging out a day and that's only if I remember (which I most often don't). Most of the times the closest my fingers get to make a meal are to dish up once it has been made. I don't even have to pay board because I don't work when I study. That's the exaggerated but spoiled side of me that I hope will change for good.

I am nearly finished certificate III and am happy that it is the holidays soon. After the short break I will be doing the Diploma in Children's Services. Granny Murray and Aunty Hazel will also be coming over soon, which is something we are all looking forward to. 

Am only just getting into the understanding of myself and my identity as a single person in the workplace context and what my Christian purpose is regarding this area. Because I have different values concerning family and bringing up children to some of the lecturers and many of the parents who send their children to care, there was a time I was really thinking hard about what the heck I was doing in a career that conflicted with these ideas. In Australia many people send their children into care out of choice rather than necessity (as would be the case in South Africa). I now see myself as serving and supporting the child and the family and that it is their choice to put their child into care. Recently I now feel a strong sense of wanting to serve these children to the utmost before God using the circumstances, contexts and resources that are at a childcare centre. And also developing a respectful and caring relationship with families that is trusted and which could in time open up new opportunities. I also feel I have an opportunity in communicating and developing relationships between carers at the centre. So I'm really grateful to God for this new perspective as it gives me new motivation in my studies.

Richest blessings in Christ,
Jessica