USA: COLORADO

We have finally arrived in Colorado. I had mixed feelings about arriving in Colorado, as this is the moment of figuring out what God placed in our hearts years ago regarding this State and our connection with it. My fears were "what if we arrive and nothing great happens?" or "what if God wants us to leave SA, our precious family and friends (and animals) to plant/lead/work along side a church here?" REAL FEARS!

Ronnie Morris met us at the airport and we spent a few days with him and Marcella. Ronnie & Marcella Morris are the Directors of KingsKids (YWAM for younger kids) Denver and they are keen to bring the kids out to us on outreach in White River. They warmly welcomed us into their home and provided us with a car to use as long as we need to - what a tremendous blessing. Ronnie is an ex-Rancher and treated us to a steak BBQ, he bought all the different steak cuts for us to try and gave us a quick lesson in a "steak-out".

We joined Ronnie at a christian school in Aurora where they had the YWAM Western Frontiers (Cowboys) talking to the kids about YWAM. They did dramas and music and came to practically work on the school building to finish off some maintenance issues that the school needed help with. The school has asked Lee and I to speak to their high school about Hope In Africa on the 10/12/08.

We met up with Jude and Cindy DelHierro and stayed a few days with them. We got to see our first real snow at their home. Beautiful to wake up in the morning and see the snow falling - the girls rushed outside in their new "snow clothes" (these were generously donated to us by friends in Atlanta) to play in it. Jude & Cindy are the couple that Iain & Sue with Ethnie & Malcolm arranged for us to meet in White River briefly and who invited us to Colorado to see what their ministry (Confluence Ministries) is all about. (p.s. Jude is a song writer and has written many songs that we sing in worship e.g. More Love More Power). We joined them on an outreach at a school in the area to provide all the little Hispanic kids from this school, who are from very poor areas, with a new pair of shoes each. We sized and shoed hundreds of little kids with new shoes that were organized by a ministry called Little Feet. What a joy to see those little faces light up when they each received a pair of really cool new shoes.

Jude has asked Lee & I to help him with worship this Sunday am at Bethany Evangelical Free Church in Littleton, we are looking forward to a great time of worship and to be playing/singing with some awesome musicians!

We met with some of the NCMI guys who have planted churches in Denver and they have extended hands of friendship. We have been invited to spend Christmas with Scott & Rene Ainslie (South Africans who have planted in Denver) who have also offered us a place to stay when we need it and we are house sitting in December for Marlin & Charlotte Bender who run a relating NCMI church in Denver (we met this couple in Atlanta at the conference).

Jude & Cindy blessed us with tickets to a basketball game on Sunday night i.e. Denver Nuggets vz. Minnesota Timberwolves. Well, when in Rome do as the Romans!!

We took the girls to the Children's Museum in Denver which is a kids paradise. It is a tactile environment with loads of fun things to interact with, the girls had a ball. Presently, we are housesitting for Dave Dennis in Lakewood. Dave has a house on a little lake with loads of space for the kids to play. We have been away from home now for about 1 month and are missing all of you lots and lots. The US is very different, Amanda personally enjoyed the UK more AND we are curious to see what our connection with Colorado will be.