Coombs Family Update

Sorry that it has been so long since I last wrote an update. I can't believe that the last time I update the blog was for our camping trip to Yosemite! Boy how time flies.

We are loving the our time at Fuller. We are well and truely part of the community now and loving it. A more centralized apartment was one of the perks that came with taking on the role as community coordinators here. So we're here on the ground floor and have a patio area and access to the courtyard with a nearby barbeque and small playground. Living in our new apartment has meant more spontaneous socialising, and outdoor fun for the kids. We were recently reflecting on how God had generously answered the prayers that we had made when we had originally started looking at housing options here. We basically had one of those 'wish list' type prayers that just seemed unreasonable and totally unrealisic - to pay the cheapest possible rent, and live in the nicest possible apartment! Turns out that 5 months into our stay here, we are living in arguably the best apartment in the whole of Fuller Housing, and paying close to the cheapest possible rent (after a rent reduction that comes as a form of payment for being community coordinators). God is so good at blessing us.

We are really enjoying being part of Christian Assembly - the church that we have made home. There's something incredibly genuine and authentic about the worship and leadership there. We have just started leading a Life Group through the church, but will be focused on reaching Fuller students and families- there is an alarming number of seminary students who are either disillusioned with the church, or just haven't made church a priority. So we have a heart to reach them and reconnect them with a healthy church experience.

I've recently launched a playgroup/preschool cooperative within the Fuller community. We're running a trial run over the summer for a limited number of families (although 12 has quickly grown to 18!) So far it is going really well. We have support from the Seminary and will be officially launching the Preschool CoOp in the 'Fall' (that's their Autumn). It has taken a lot of time and effort, and continues to, but I have a terrific team of parents who are working hard to make it happen. Our next move is to expand the program to accommodate more families - kind of a must, given that we have not even officially launched it yet. I guess that I'm just really thrilled to see something get off the ground that serves to meet a real need that was not previously being met. Families are getting connected, and children are having a blast!

Clayton is studying hard. He's doing a Greek intensive (learning biblical Greek in 10 weeks instead of a year!) Loving it though. He seems to have a knack for languages. Wish I could say the same. He has found out that he can finish his Masters in Arts Theology (in biblical studies) (with overloading) by spring (that's the start of 2008), and be ready to start the Doctorate of Ministry program here. This particular program is designed for ministers who are in full time ministry, so studens of the doctorate program take on one subject of course work per year and fly over here a few times for intensives. We have both really felt like this is the most obvious next step, before heading home to Australia in time for Christmas 2008 for him to work through the main bulk of the on-site intensives so as to reduce future travel expense. It will then just be a matter of finishing off the doctorate (hopefully while serving in a full time ministry position) with one subject a year with an intensive class that is taught by Fuller professors in Australia. While both Brian and Mark were here we were able to talk with them about their experience in the program and both seemed to feel that it enriched their ministry to the church.

The boys are growing up so fast. They are at the stage where they have become good friends and love to play with eachother. One of their favourite games is play wrestling! Whether it be on our bed or in a grassy place, they just love to push one another to the ground and climb all over eachother. It is strangely, quite lovely to watch. The boys have found new friends in two girls who recently moved into the apartment directly above us. They are 5 and 2.5 years, and have been adopted from Ethiopia. They really are delightful little girls and play so nicely with our boys.

Judah is doing really well these days. He is well adjusted and settled in now and seems to be really enjoying life. He is also quite the hospitable type and is often asking people if they would like to come to our apartment to play or eat with us. He just loves having people around. Although he is loving life over here, he still talks a lot about his family and friends back in Australia - recalling memories from time to time. He is really looking forward to having my mum come to be with us in a few weeks. We are learning more about how he thinks and realising that he has a great mind. For example, he builds lego structures with perfect symmetry and draws complex and detailed pictures. The other day he was drawing all of these continuous lines all over his page and when I asked him what he was drawing, he replied, "I'm drawing a road system." He loves riding his 'big boy bike' (with training wheels of course), and playing with his little friends. We've started him earning pocket money by collecting plastic bottles and cashing in at the recycling centre. He is enjoying this.

Nath is going through that 2 year-old stage where he wants to be independent and do everything that his brother can do. This can be a little frustrating at times, like when he insists on walking down stairs all on his own, and he carries on and resists you holding his hand. Talking heaps as usual too. He can say some funny things. The other day I was smelling his feet, and I said to him, "You have stinky feet!" He then grabbed one, pulled it up to his nose, and exclaimed, "Smells like hamburgers!" We both then cackled laughing as he repeated this a number of times realising that it was humorous. We bumped into a fellow Auzzie in a local park the on the weekend just gone, and he commented on how Nathan had the begining of an American accent! I suppose that it was only ever a matter of time.

We are living more like residents now (as opposed to tourists) - doing less sight seeing and making less frequent visits to Disneyland. Actually Disneyland is to be avoided during the summer holidays - imagine waiting in the hot sun in a queue for 90 plus minutes! We'll probably brave it again when my mum comes in late August - early September when the crowds are less impressive with kids back in school.

Anyway, loving life and yet still looking forward to being back home.

Keep in touch.

Angela.