Hello there,

Well it is strange to say - but we are COLD here in Sydney - in fact -we got snow only an hour and a half away from our house! I don't think i will ever get used to the fact that we don't have central heating - because you never warm up!! Of course some houses have it- but ours is old and doesn't -so i am typing this - feeling very cold! It was 5 degrees last week (doesn't sound too cold for Canadians) but think about 5 degrees without heat, and you might understand how i feel!! you do get sort of used to it - but boy do i miss the gas furnace sometimes...and the clothes dryer... :)

Anyhow - it is very damp and wet in Sydney too - which is great because we need the rain so badly - some of the drought affected areas have received lots of rain to the point of flooding - but its a blessing because we have had nothing for so long! It does make it hard to do laundry sometimes though! But one can hardly complain when at the moment we are focusing on Sudan and what we can do there!

We are gearing up for a busy 2 weeks... Next week is Hillsong Conference - which is always busy and crazy - Phil is taking some youth there, so it will be early mornings every day for a week.

The week after, the Sudan Bike Challenge is on - and we are all going up which will be fun. So far we have 8 riders (maybe 9) and each one is trying to raise $5000.00 for building an orphanage there. Please check out the website - http://www.aama.org.au/ - you can even donate online (its tax deductible in Australia)!

We are staying in churches along the way and it will be great. We're really looking forward to it and meeting people on the way. Please pray for the safety of everyone on the trip - and pray especially for good weather too!!

INFO ON OUR RIDE/SUDAN:

THe situation in Sudan is critical - after 21 years of civil war, the devastation wreaked upon the people of Sudan is horrendous. Over 2 million people have been killed and over 5 million displaced. And now 1.3 million children are left orphaned.

SALAM, a ministry of AAMA, is working in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, where they have procured land which is being developed into a children's respite centre and education centre, called Juba City of Hope. The centre will house and care for displaced and orphaned children, working in conjunction with local agencies to re-unite children with lost parents, and place them in families. To assist in funding the children's respite centre, we are conducting a fund-raising bike-ride, and we would love you to be involved!

Our riders will ride approximately 500 kilometres, from Coffs Harbour, to Tweed Heads and back to Yamba over 5 days, from 8th to 12th July 2007. Please support our participants as they ride and in doing so, you will join in relieving the suffering of the most innocent. And you may give not only the gift of hope, but the gift of life. Visit our website or contact us (kathlander@yahoo.ca) to donate to the cause!