Community

Poatina 

Look what we woke up to this morning! All the wild, windy weather from last night rewarded us with snow on the peaks around us. This is the view from the dining room window this morning....

.....and this is the view inside the dining room straight after breakfast. Two of the young children from the Poatina community couldn't wait until church time to see 'the kids from Wagga' so they came up with their mum at breakfast time. Very quickly they had many new friends to tell their stories to and draw pictures for.

Chill out time before church

 Each year the little church in Poatina is blessed by the students from Wagga as they lead the Sunday service. While one group of the students spent time preparing the service, the rest of the students 'explored' the town area. The local skate ramp and adjoining hedge maze provided opportunities to be challenged. A vigorous game of 'tag' in the maze was a great warm up activity. 

Was it just 'flipping the bottle' or was there more to it than that?

An a-maze-ing game of 'tag'

Anyone for a game of 'hide and seek'?

Obviously we weren't the first ones to 'explore' this area....enjoying the view (of the snow covered mountains) from the comfort of a bush seat

Church was a special time of sharing..... fellowship, talents, stories and testimonies of how God has been working in people's lives. The music team shared their talents in beautifully leading the singing; the drama team provided an entertaining story of Moses and the Israelites in the wilderness for the children; Liam E and the 'two Pages' shared some reflections of life at Wagga Christian College and how God has been working in their lives before a couple of Poatina residents shared their stories too. We were amazed to hear of how our college had impacted the life of one Tasmanian family. Remember all the snow that Tassie had when we were down here last year? A family from Launceston had come to the mountains to see the snow and were staying in Poatina at the same time that we were here. They came along to church, met our students, and were amazed at their friendliness, honesty and the way they embraced the whole community aspect of Poatina. Our students became a part of the way that God brought this family to selling their home in Launceston, and moving to Poatina, which they said has been a transforming journey for them! 

The children's talk/drama highlighted how God cares for us and is looking after us. We can get very anxious about many (important) things, and God says "I have got it....just trust me". The Israelites were worried about how they would get food and water out in the desert.....and God provided. Ali challenged us on where our focus was.... what does it mean to be 'great'? She spoke of a story that has come out of the Olympics of one of the members of the Refugee team and how she is an Olympic hero even though she hasn't won any medals. Inspiring........ Challenging......

Fellowshipping after church

Poatina is becoming well known for the resident artists and the work they are producing. A glass blowing studio has been developed and we were able to experience first hand the amazing process of transforming molten glass into beautiful creations....some more beautiful than others! Those of us who had a 'hands on' experience realised very quickly that it looks easier than it is, and had a greater appreciation of the talent and skill that the artists have in being able to create the things they do. Just giving you the heads up Mr Crick.....Cloe has already requested a furnace for the D&T room! Perhaps it could go alongside the Pizza 'furnace'?

In good company watching the glass blowing display

After lunch, it was time to get to work! Every month there is a big community working bee, and with the saying 'many hands make light work' we were all put to good use.... By the end of the afternoon, we had created a huge bonfire with all the scrap timber that had been cleaned up from backyards and community areas. Pity we couldn't enjoy the rewards of sitting around the bonfire....too windy!