Pumpkin Pot Meal

After seeing a Youtube of this Peter was equipped enough to carry it through. Effectively a pumpkin is used as a cooking pot and the result was successful.

The ingredients are worth noting: raw chicken pieces, red capsicum, tomatoes, chilly, salt, cumin powder, cardamon powder, coriander, onion, chopped cashews, and a zucchini.

We have access to a fairly useful outside fire cooker made from an old gas bottle, but the Youtube showed that all that is needed is an open fire and a secure frame to hold the pumpkin steady.

Before the mixture was added the shell got a bit of a 'firing' to harden and seal up the shell. It was particular useful to do this because Peter had accidentally punctured the bottom and repairs were needed.

Ingredients were then added and so began nearly a three hour cook. The fire was continually stoked. It did not matter that the outside of the pumpkin was turning black. A massive amount of constant heat was required to cook everything through. The pumpkin was tough enough to withstand for that length of time though it sat in a round disposable aluminum baking tray in case there was leakage.

A piece of brick material was place over the smoke escape to better direct the fire around the base of the pumpkin.

Our meal brought in from outside

Our meal ready to be served over a layer of steamed rice

The soft pumpkin scraped away from its blackened skin on the lower part of our 'pumpkin pot'. The upper part still had hard pumpkin. We were pleased at how tasty the meal was along with the ready supply of pumpkin 'mash'. This was definitely worth doing again.

Minecraft at Tallarook

This week Peter had 30 plus Mindcraft 'Steve' kits for the kids to assemble. There were no instructions so pieces (especially the wooden pin lengths) got a bit mixed up. Peter had to help correct about half of the children's assembly. Even given that, it proved a great project. This time 'Steve' had tools to hold, a sword, pick-axe and a few other choices,  It was fairly easy to explain the errors and leave them to fix them mostly themselves. And that's part of the fun...

Drifting in a Green Machine

We were treated to a fine display of three-wheeler drifting by a young boy on his Green Machine in a nearby street where there was no through traffic. This seems to be the right way to use this vehicle toy. You can watch a two minute performance here.

Beachworth Visit

We decided to visit the historical town of Beachworth in Victoria as a day visit from Melbourne. The trip took over three hours each way and we did what we could in the three hours there. We really only just got a feel for it so we would obviously like to return and stay a few nights there.
The place would look sensational at the height of Autumn. We look forward to returning some time.

Our trusty map...

One of the reasons for coming...

Barb's Prayer

Thank you that you have called us, to come before you, the ever living, all powerful God who sits on the throne of Heaven, robed in majesty & glory, attended by legions of angels & myriads of heavenly hosts from time immemorial. What are we that you are mindful of us, yet you are the One who has called us by name & shown us that our identity is found only in you?  We ask that you cause us to be increasingly joy filled & grateful to you, our King and our God, for the privilege of belonging to you, by your will and choice.

May your love so assure us, that we know in the depths of our being that in every life storm we encounter, we can stand in the place of the eye of that storm with you, with your perspective, your mind, your heart and your reassurance. You have endured the ultimate cosmic storm to keep us with you, so we can never be separated from you.  We can’t thank you enough for this totally undeserved honour, this unmerited privilege at the cost of your life and your glory in Heaven, while you lived amongst us.

For when you were killable, we killed you, we branded you, stigmatised you, criticised you, abused and insulted you, we mocked you, spread detrimental speech about you and were totally angry at you for what we felt you hadn’t given us. We didn’t understand you at all, and felt too threatened to come alongside you.

We ask that we may be filled with humility and grace as you are. Please order our disordered loves, work your trustworthiness into our insecurities, and your courage and nobility into our life circumstances, so we can be fully sensitive to your Holy Spirit and trustworthy to go about your work, living as you would want to see us live. For it is only at your invitation and equipping specifically, in any situation, that we can even hope to contribute anything more than wrong perspectives, self-centredness and ignorance. Keep us listening for the next step and the next, for your ways are higher than ours and your ways are not our ways.

We ask that you would establish our lives, and those who will come in contact with you in the future. Please would you continually reveal yourself to each. Please bring the people you have in mind and lead and guide in every way, all that needs to happen, every encounter, every conversation and every nuance of where your Holy Spirit is leading.

Help us to imagine, as we go about the work you entrust to us, the place of restoration you have purchased for each person we encounter, that which is in their name and fully belongs to them. May your thoughts guide our thoughts and actions, for we desire each of these people to fully realise the inheritance you have secured for them. You have given us unique opportunities & limitations within which we operate. Help us to facilitate and maximise what it is you have given to each person. For we ask it in Jesus Name.

Amen

Another Deb Ball Experience

We had another turn representing the Whittlesea Chaplaincy Committee at the Whittlesea Secondary College Debutante Ball. Twelve hundred dollars was raised for the Whittlesea Chaplaincy Program through this event and Peter was there to receive the cheque and speak a few words of thanks. It was a Elegant Affair. We made a post about our previous deb ball experience around this time last year.

The "Deb Ball team" is a disciplined group of dedicated professional people led by Carmel Archer. They organise and train at least 20 debutante groups during each year (plus a great many dance school events). Their website is: http://www.anelegantaffair.com.au  This very traditional "rite-of-passage for young ladies (and the young men accompanying them) is an ideal way to celebrate arrival into adulthood. With society "rather rite-of-passage poor" these days, we appreciate events such as these to instill positive purpose into future generations of young people. Carmel says "God keeps me doing it." Good on you Carmel.

Tallarook PS Ships

The kids at Tallarook had a different project to Whittlesea in the past week. For them it was ships. Each student started with a basic model ship hull on which to glue small pieces of wood they find in the trays. Some of the pieces had specific jobs, such as the chimney and flag. Apart from those there was a huge assortment of pieces to make their own unique ship. Felt pens helped to give their creations some colour.

Whittlesea PS Pear Phones

There were 24 of these and most of them were made. The task was simple so Peter supplied gem stick-on's for a bit of a "bling" finish. Kids like to "enrich" these pretend phones in this way. It is amazing how they really like them as a toy. Below, are special phone "ports" for charging their phones.

Whittlesea PS Model Houses

There were about half a dozen house kits to construct in the last woodcraft club for the term. They were easy to work out and looked pretty good when constructed. Peter had to use a jigsaw to cut out the windows and that took some time. More of these kits will be needed because many kids missed out. But there were plenty of scraps to 'free-build' some unusual houses.