Hi all. Just a quick one. Janene & the kids have moved into the house in the UK now, despite a couple of hiccups including a really awful hotel on their first night (yours truly managed to change their booking at the last moment in truly resourceful style), the house still having furniture in etc. (Again, a call to Australia from yours truly resolved). Never fear when Stuart is near!
I’m in Dubai at present – came here to cancel visas and close bank accounts. Will probably only go back to Bahrain over the weekend as it is awful there and I can’t stand it. I’m staying with our friends Allan & Angela and what a treat this has been – good company, good food and peaceful sleep.
The place I’ve rented in Bahrain sucks – the nosiest flat I’ve ever not slept in. The arab idiot next door to me parties until 4 and 5 in the morning and so I had no sleep at all last week. I’ve spoken to him and the building management but in vain. My only alternatives now are either to get violent or move out. I would naturally choose the latter but this will take a miracle because I’ve paid 3 months’ rent up front. Whatever happens, I cannot stay there and will not spend another night in the place.
Officially 9 and a half weeks to go before I can join the family. If there is any way I can arrange to leave earlier, I will. Please pray. Janene has been unable to connect to the Internet so communication is sporadic. I miss them so much
Blessings to all and more soon.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
A New Phase
Yup – at last a long overdue Blupdate from your Beleaguered Bahraini Blogger. How’s that for alliteration? I suggest you get comfortable, put your feet up on the cat, have drinks and snacks delivered to your chair because this could be a long one.
Much has happened since my last entry. I’ve been commuting to Bahrain 4 days a week and not enjoying it – the travel, the job, the company etc. Not much time to address the important issues like keeping our friends updated.
So, we’ve taken a leap of faith. After much prayer and debate and completely without the aid of a safety net (read: new job), I have resigned.
Yes, I quit. Threw in the towel. Told them to take their job and, well, you know!
After spending inordinately large amounts of cash on 2 trips to the UK for what turned out to be unsuccessful interviews, I realized that it is not possible to find a job in the UK while living elsewhere, so the plan is to move to the UK and find a job there. I’m told I should find something in 2 – 3 months. However, I would love to get out of the Facilities Management industry, so please join me in praying that God will open a door into something new, enjoyable and lucrative.
Janene & the kids are moving over on 19th August and I should be there first week in November, if the company makes me work my full notice period – which they are likely to do – the old pound of flesh, you know. (In my case, a couple of pounds wouldn’t be missed!). If they let me go sooner, I’ll be there sooner.
We’ve found a house to rent in a small village called Slip End in Bedfordshire – near to Harpenden, where the kids will go to school. Interestingly enough, I started praying before we left SA for a fully detached home with 4 bedrooms and that is what we’ve wound up finding. I recall asking the homecell to pray about this too and they did. Look what God has done! It has all this and it even has a hot tub! We haven’t actually seen the place yet but we looked in the same area a few weeks ago and its life in the country. It came as a surprise call from some friends of ours, who know the owners were looking to rent. It was too expensive for us initially, which is why we weren’t shown it while we were over there. The price then came down and we got the call. I managed to get the price down even more by paying up front and, well, thank you Lord! At least that’s sorted.
Our friend James Shears lives in the same area and our friends the Cases and the Porees live just next door in Harpenden, so there’ll at least be a couple of friendly faces around. (That is, I hope they’re happy to see us…!). Mr. Case is the headmaster of Kings School, where the kids will be going, so there’ll be a friendly face at school too as long as they are well behaved, failing which I cannot guarantee the amicable of said head’s visage.
It’s going to be hard on Janene & the kids moving to a new country and having to settle in without me so it’s reassuring to me to know we have friends there. Even more reassuring that they are in the palm of God’s hand.
And just when I thought things had gotten interesting, I had an approach through a friend by a pastor in the USA who is looking for a worship development minister. We’ve exchanged a few emails and it is actually beginning to look interesting. He has a small church outside Sarasota, Florida, and is looking for someone to come and develop the worship life of the church. It would be a full time position in around 2 years, so we would have to work at first. However, there is a possibility of them arranging visas – the all important green card.
J & I have always wanted to live in the USA, so this may well be the answer to another prayer! We aren’t going to push it, though. If God is in it, then it will happen in His time. The US pastor agrees and the next step will be for me to go and spend 2 weeks with his family. Not sure when that will be because I won’t be able to take time off during my notice period. Once again – in God’s hands.
I had supper last night with my friend from Hillcrest, Deane Lahner. He’s also in Bahrain and we get together whenever we can. Deane said something interesting. I was sharing with him all the ways the company could be nasty and try to manipulate me, now that I’ve resigned. He said “…but God…!” What a simple but eloquent revelation. All kinds of stuff has the potential to go wrong, but God…! This is something I need to learn to apply. A very Godly fellow is Deane!
I’ve mentioned in previous entries that one thing I’ve learned in Dubai is to trust only God. Well – this is the ultimate test of what I’ve learned. I now have to put it into practice and trust Him with our future our provision etc.
Another, equally important thing I’ve learned these past few weeks is that I cannot live without my family. I thought I could quite happily live away from them for a year but this is not the case. The more I think about only seeing them 4 times a year, the more I realize that I need them. Even if we just sit around the lounge watching the TV, the knowledge that we are together has become special. The kids are in SA on holiday right now and that’s OK because I know they’ll be back. What’s un-OK is the knowledge that I won’t see them on their return because they and J will leave for SA on the same night.
If I were staying in Bahrain, I wouldn’t see them ‘till Christmas and this is just untenable. At least now, I know it will be a maximum of 3 months and then we’ll be together and I hadn’t realized how important this is.
Bahrain is full of divorced expats – guys who’ve moved here for the money and lost their families in the process. This is not what God wants for the Ball family and the value of our togetherness has been brought home in a real way. It’s strange that you only begin to really appreciate something you’ve taken for granted when there’s a chance of separation. I love my family and God has blessed me with the most wonderful wife imaginable and the best kids in the world. I need them and they need me. One of the final straws came while talking to Greg last weekend. He said “Dad, my spirit is hurting”. That was enough for me. Once again, the very fact that we share the same space will be comfort to both of us.
So life is changing for us and we’re entering into a new phase. It is both scary and exciting – like stepping off a cliff at night into a void, the depth of which is only defined by its tangible darkness and absolute silence. I know God’s hand will catch us in free fall and gently place us on the next piece of solid ground. When or where is up to him – it’s no longer a case of just desiring to trust Him – I no longer have any choice because I’ve made the jump. All I know is that He will come through.
A few months ago, we sat around the dining room table and prayed that God would make a way for us to leave Dubai and move to the UK. I prayed that God would take this situation and use it as an example to the kids of what happens when you put your faith and hope in God. I know that soon, I will be able to remind them of this prayer and say look what God has done!
Blessings to y’all
Much has happened since my last entry. I’ve been commuting to Bahrain 4 days a week and not enjoying it – the travel, the job, the company etc. Not much time to address the important issues like keeping our friends updated.
So, we’ve taken a leap of faith. After much prayer and debate and completely without the aid of a safety net (read: new job), I have resigned.
Yes, I quit. Threw in the towel. Told them to take their job and, well, you know!
After spending inordinately large amounts of cash on 2 trips to the UK for what turned out to be unsuccessful interviews, I realized that it is not possible to find a job in the UK while living elsewhere, so the plan is to move to the UK and find a job there. I’m told I should find something in 2 – 3 months. However, I would love to get out of the Facilities Management industry, so please join me in praying that God will open a door into something new, enjoyable and lucrative.
Janene & the kids are moving over on 19th August and I should be there first week in November, if the company makes me work my full notice period – which they are likely to do – the old pound of flesh, you know. (In my case, a couple of pounds wouldn’t be missed!). If they let me go sooner, I’ll be there sooner.
We’ve found a house to rent in a small village called Slip End in Bedfordshire – near to Harpenden, where the kids will go to school. Interestingly enough, I started praying before we left SA for a fully detached home with 4 bedrooms and that is what we’ve wound up finding. I recall asking the homecell to pray about this too and they did. Look what God has done! It has all this and it even has a hot tub! We haven’t actually seen the place yet but we looked in the same area a few weeks ago and its life in the country. It came as a surprise call from some friends of ours, who know the owners were looking to rent. It was too expensive for us initially, which is why we weren’t shown it while we were over there. The price then came down and we got the call. I managed to get the price down even more by paying up front and, well, thank you Lord! At least that’s sorted.
Our friend James Shears lives in the same area and our friends the Cases and the Porees live just next door in Harpenden, so there’ll at least be a couple of friendly faces around. (That is, I hope they’re happy to see us…!). Mr. Case is the headmaster of Kings School, where the kids will be going, so there’ll be a friendly face at school too as long as they are well behaved, failing which I cannot guarantee the amicable of said head’s visage.
It’s going to be hard on Janene & the kids moving to a new country and having to settle in without me so it’s reassuring to me to know we have friends there. Even more reassuring that they are in the palm of God’s hand.
And just when I thought things had gotten interesting, I had an approach through a friend by a pastor in the USA who is looking for a worship development minister. We’ve exchanged a few emails and it is actually beginning to look interesting. He has a small church outside Sarasota, Florida, and is looking for someone to come and develop the worship life of the church. It would be a full time position in around 2 years, so we would have to work at first. However, there is a possibility of them arranging visas – the all important green card.
J & I have always wanted to live in the USA, so this may well be the answer to another prayer! We aren’t going to push it, though. If God is in it, then it will happen in His time. The US pastor agrees and the next step will be for me to go and spend 2 weeks with his family. Not sure when that will be because I won’t be able to take time off during my notice period. Once again – in God’s hands.
I had supper last night with my friend from Hillcrest, Deane Lahner. He’s also in Bahrain and we get together whenever we can. Deane said something interesting. I was sharing with him all the ways the company could be nasty and try to manipulate me, now that I’ve resigned. He said “…but God…!” What a simple but eloquent revelation. All kinds of stuff has the potential to go wrong, but God…! This is something I need to learn to apply. A very Godly fellow is Deane!
I’ve mentioned in previous entries that one thing I’ve learned in Dubai is to trust only God. Well – this is the ultimate test of what I’ve learned. I now have to put it into practice and trust Him with our future our provision etc.
Another, equally important thing I’ve learned these past few weeks is that I cannot live without my family. I thought I could quite happily live away from them for a year but this is not the case. The more I think about only seeing them 4 times a year, the more I realize that I need them. Even if we just sit around the lounge watching the TV, the knowledge that we are together has become special. The kids are in SA on holiday right now and that’s OK because I know they’ll be back. What’s un-OK is the knowledge that I won’t see them on their return because they and J will leave for SA on the same night.
If I were staying in Bahrain, I wouldn’t see them ‘till Christmas and this is just untenable. At least now, I know it will be a maximum of 3 months and then we’ll be together and I hadn’t realized how important this is.
Bahrain is full of divorced expats – guys who’ve moved here for the money and lost their families in the process. This is not what God wants for the Ball family and the value of our togetherness has been brought home in a real way. It’s strange that you only begin to really appreciate something you’ve taken for granted when there’s a chance of separation. I love my family and God has blessed me with the most wonderful wife imaginable and the best kids in the world. I need them and they need me. One of the final straws came while talking to Greg last weekend. He said “Dad, my spirit is hurting”. That was enough for me. Once again, the very fact that we share the same space will be comfort to both of us.
So life is changing for us and we’re entering into a new phase. It is both scary and exciting – like stepping off a cliff at night into a void, the depth of which is only defined by its tangible darkness and absolute silence. I know God’s hand will catch us in free fall and gently place us on the next piece of solid ground. When or where is up to him – it’s no longer a case of just desiring to trust Him – I no longer have any choice because I’ve made the jump. All I know is that He will come through.
A few months ago, we sat around the dining room table and prayed that God would make a way for us to leave Dubai and move to the UK. I prayed that God would take this situation and use it as an example to the kids of what happens when you put your faith and hope in God. I know that soon, I will be able to remind them of this prayer and say look what God has done!
Blessings to y’all
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