March 16, 2015 (Australia)

Greetings,
For this week's newsletter click on;www.nursinghomemusicministry.com/3-16-2015.html

   Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!Isaiah 6:8

          Monday March 9 th ~

     Went for an early morning walk on the property of my host Ron & Kay. They have a hundred acres out in the Bush. Enjoyed a sweet visit & breakfast, then followed Kay into town to the "Vincent Court" nursing home. Sang for a bit in a noisy area during a coffee making activity, then to a quieter Dementia Unit.

     One of the church members (Kathleen) had joined us and offered a room for the night at her place in town.

     After lunch I got over to the "Bupa Aged Care" facility which we had arranged earlier. Staff had a large crowd assembled. We had an awesome time together.

     Spent the afternoon at Kathleen's house publishing the newsletter. This dear retired Sister spent ten years as a missionary in China teaching English.

          Tuesday March 10 th ~

     Spent the morning doing the newsletter recording for the Christian Radio Station in Oregon. Then followed Kathleen to an auto repair shop (She had a leaking radiator). Then dropped her off at a school where she spends an hour a week with a little boy doing one-on-one tutoring.

     Back to the house for lunch, then to the "Cedar Place" aged care facility which Kay & I had arranged yesterday.

     A wonderful crowd. Great participation. Afterwards, as I was shaking hands with folks, I noticed the activity director (Gail) hand a lady an envelope. This lady (the Resident Council President), made a little speech thanking me for coming and presented me with that envelope. Later in the day when I opened it; low and behold, it contained an Australian 50 dollar bill. Sweet!

     Returned Kathleen to her house. Finished loading up the car. Said my goodbyes. And headed south to Port Melaleauca where I got a cabin at a Caravan Park for the night.

          Wednesday March 11 th ~

     Hump Day! In more ways than one. Been in-country for two weeks, got two weeks to go. Been working my way down the coast on the "Pacific Way" highway. Today I drove on into Newcastle which is just above Sydney. And turned around heading north on an inland route, the "New England Way".

     Drove to Maitland and got a motel room, then over to a nursing home nearby where I was able to arrange for tomorrow morning.

          Thursday March 12 th ~

     Sang at the "Maitland Nursing Home" for a large group of residents. Went fairly well, although there were a lot of distractions. People coming and going and the young (In-experienced?) activity director passed out refreshments causing more disturbance. Still, quite a few were singing along.

     Drove to the next town north (Singleton) and arranged a nursing home for tomorrow. Got a motel room. One of the last available. Turns out, this is a mining town and lodging is scarce. No vacancy sign lit-up soon as I paid.

     Went for a walk to a park where there were literally thousands of bats in the trees. Warning signs referred to them as Flying Foxes. They were almost that big!

          Friday March 13 th ~

     Ministered at the "Uniting Care" facility here in Singleton. A Pastoral Care volunteer met me at the entrance and escorted me to one of their sections where a wonderful couple (Sharon & John) helped manage our time together. Great crowd. Lovely spirit. Sharon even presented me with an envelope, similar to the Blessing I'd received earlier in the week. Sweet!

     Drove north to Scone where I pulled into a caravan park and found out that sometimes I could save a bit by providing my own bed linen. So, I went down the street to a Red Cross thrift store and spent $3.50 on bed sheets. The Park owner very graciously gifted me a towel so that I was able to get a very nice en-suite room with frig, ac, TV, microwave, toilet & shower for $65.

          Saturday March 14 th ~

     By the way, at one of the rest stops this past week, I got a picture of a 3 foot lizard (Iguana).

     Today I drove north stopping at a nature walk in one spot, and a lookout pull-off in another.

     The town I'd thought of stopping in, had a big sporting event going on leaving no vacancy signs everywhere. So I drove another hundred kilometers to the town of Uralla where I got a cabin for the night.

          Sunday March 15 th ~

     Drove a short way to Armidale and attended a small Baptist church which today was rather crowded. They had the "Boy's Brigade" leading their service. Which meant there were many family members present who were not normally there.

     Boy's Brigade is evidently similar to Boy Scouts. Although with a more fundamentally Christian based purpose.      

And so begins another week.

May The Lord Our God
Guard, Guide And Direct You.
In The Name Of Jesus. Amen!

Your Brother in Christ, Larry Eugene Stevens

P.S.    To God be the Glory!

March 9, 2015 (Australia)

Greetings,
For this week's newsletter click on;www.nursinghomemusicministry.com/3-9-2015.html

   Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
Proverbs 16:3

          Monday March 2 nd ~

     Woke up ridiculously early. Finished sending out the newsletter and walked down the street to the Tabernacle Baptist church here in Brisbane, Australia for a morning prayer time with four of the Elders.

     I asked them to intercede on my behalf for relief from these cold symptoms which are keeping me from my mission.

     Paid for another night's lodging. Turns out, Australia is a rather wealthy / expensive nation. This hotel room runs $85 au a night, among the cheapest around.

     A 20 minute walk takes me to an inter-city grocery store where I fill my little day-pack with enough supplies for one day.
     I've held off renting a car for the moment. Seems pointless to spend the money when I can't go into the nursing homes until these cold symptoms abate.

     Sleep pattern is all wacky. Held off until about 2:00 pm, then slept for 6 hours. Feels like a fever broke. I woke up with sweat soaked sheets. And the runny nose has eased somewhat and moved into my chest.

          Tuesday March 3 rd ~

     Up at 3:00 am. Feeling a mite better. Decided to book the car rental in anticipation of heading out tomorrow. A 20 minute walk to the Europcar Rental Office where I picked up a Volkswagen Jetta. While driving back to the hotel I only started down the wrong side of the street once. Swerved back at the last moment. I imagine several folks (including myself) were thinking, "What an idiot".

     I figured it would be a challenge driving on the left side of the road. So much of our driving habits are second nature, going back to our early years. Guess I'm having to use both sides of my brain (smile) constantly reminding myself to stay on the left, turn onto the left, etc. With the steering wheel on the right side of the vehicle I'm learning to glance at the rear view mirrors exactly opposite of what I grew up with. Thankfully I got an automatic. Learning to shift gears with my left hand on top of everything else might have been more than I wanted to deal with.

     So, having paid for one more night here in Brisbane I spent the rest of the day checking out the car's owners manual, going for a couple of walks (let the blood sugar get too low on the last one). Practiced driving around the downtown area a little and before bedtime, pulled out the guitar to test the singing voice. Getting better.

          Wednesday March 4 th ~

     Up early again. Loaded up the car and headed out shortly after daybreak. (Wanted to beat the morning traffic.) About a 20 minute drive south to where I started looking for a nursing home I'd been directed to by a Sister (Michille) who I'd met at the church this past weekend. Her mother is a resident.

     Took me an hour to find it. After I got off the freeway I approached a group of street workers, asking directions. One of 'em pulled out a smart phone and showed me a street map which pointed the way. Pretty neat! Gonna have to look into that for the future.

     Finally pulled into the "Bethany Christian Care" complex about 8:00 am. A sprawling, upscale facility with all levels of "Aged Care" (Aussi term). The AD (Sandie) allowed me to go into three of their little "Group Homes" where I sang for about 15 minutes each. Several folks sang along in all three. I gave Sandie three Cd's and the book "Mold Me ~ Shape Me". I'd brought enough with me on the plane for fifteen facility's.

     On the way back to the freeway I stopped at a "Big W", a kind of mini Walmart, where I bought an ice cooler to help the little travel case keep the insulin cool.

     Back on the M1 headed south. Turned off into Southport on the Gold Coast, but it was way too touristy and congested for my taste. Continuing south, I pulled off at Pottsville where I got a room at their motel.

          Thursday March 5 th ~

     Daybreak 6:30am. Went for a walk to the beach to get a picture of the sunrise. Then packed up and drove to the upscale nursing home in town. The AD (Jann) made noises about criminal background checks. Wouldn't let me in. So, I drove south to Byron Bay to the "Aged Care" facility next to the little hospital. The AD (Lynn) set me up for 3:30 in the afternoon.

     This little town (another congested touristy area) is in the Territory of "New South Wales" which I crossed into yesterday. Brisbane is in Queensland. These area's might be comparable to the different States in the US.

     A quick check of motels in town revealed ridiculously high prices. Just outside of town I found a "Caravan Park" with camping spots and little air-conditioned cabins. Rented one for $95 a night.

     Got over to the nursing home as they were finishing up Bingo. After their "Afternoon Tea", about 16 residents came back for our time together. Most sang along. I'm learning which songs speak to them. For instance, "I'll Fly Away" doesn't work. They don't recognize it. But "In The Sweet By & By" does.

     We had a sweet time together. Said our goodbyes. I got Blessed by many as I shook hands and thanked folks for listening. I then returned to the cabin for an early evening on this hot & humid 96 degree (Fahrenheit) day.

          Friday March 6 th ~

     Continuing south, the day started off drizzly, but soon cleared up. As I left the "Gold Coast" area, the M1 started alternating to a two lane going through small towns and back to a freeway. About noontime I pulled over in one of these little hamlets, Ulmarra. While walking around I spotted a rather nice Bed & Breakfast where the owners directed me to the "Aged Care" in town (Rathgar Lodge). Drove on over and was allowed to sing in the Alzheimer's section after lunch.

     Went on back to the B & B and got a room for the night.

          Saturday March 7 th ~

     Enjoyed a delicious breakfast provided by my host. Visited a bit. Then drove south a good little ways. Stopped in a medium size town to get supplies. Some locale's advised me to continue to "South West Rocks", assuring me there would be available lodging at reasonable rates. Turned out to have "No Vacancy" where they'd sent me.

     Got a room back off the beaten path. Went for a drive to a place where I could get pictures of the ocean and some kangaroos' I just walked right up on.

     Earlier in the day I had stopped at a nursing home where the male charge nurse felt he needed permission (from higher-ups, not present) to let me come in and sing. So far, 3 out of 5 (60 percent) are letting me come in and minister.

          Sunday March 8 th ~

     Drove into Kempsey where I spotted a fella with a guitar going into a small Baptist church. Walked in and was quickly asked to bring in the guitar. Given the opportunity to share a bit about the ministry, a couple of songs and my one-minute-sermon.

     A couple from the church (Stephan & Maria) had me over to their house for lunch and a visit. Then back at evening services I was given the honor of sharing a song after their guest speaker (Mark) did a presentation about "Jews-for-Jesus".  There was a dinner-on-the-grounds after services. Then Kay and Ron had offered a room for the night at their place. Which turned out to be a long ways away out in the Bush. The last 3 kilometers on a gravel road. And the final 50 yards were so rough I had to leave the rental car and ride in their vehicle to the house.

     Some unfamiliar animal noises throughout the night:-) 

And so begins another week.

May The Lord Our God
Guard, Guide And Direct You.
In The Name Of Jesus. Amen!

Your Brother in Christ, Larry Eugene Stevens

P.S.    To God be the Glory!

March 2, 2015 (Australia)

Greetings,
For this week's newsletter click on;www.nursinghomemusicministry.com/3-2-2015.html

   Therefore he (Jesus) is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
Hebrews 7:25

          Monday February 23 rd ~

     A cold front came in, keeping temperatures at or near freezing all day. I published the newsletter from the van at Richards house here in Austin, Texas and just stayed put doing more online research into lodging and car rental in Australia for the upcoming Mission.

          Tuesday February 24 th ~

     One more day before flying out. A sweet lunch with the little brother (Ray) and more packing and planning. Made a phone call to the company which offered a nice quote on a car rental. Found out it was only half of what would actually be charged when all was said and done. Buyer beware?

          Wednesday February 25 th ~

     Final packing, then Brother Richard (who by the way has offered to store and watch over the ministry's camper van while I'm gone) drove me to the airport. And even came in with me to make sure I got off okay.

     We gave ourselves plenty of time. So with almost no lines to wait in, we quickly got through baggage check-in and to the security check point where he could go no further.

     Through the x-ray machines, encountering no hassles about the insulin.
     With several hours to spare I wondered around the concourse visiting with some folks here and there. Ate a small salad and eventually boarded a plane for the first leg of my journey. Which arrived at LAX in Los Angeles before midnight.

          Thursday February 26 th ~

     Got on a big 747 for the over-sea's flight. Pretty full, but I was one of the few who had an empty seat beside me, so I was able to spread out a little bit on this thirteen hour leap.

     As we flew southeast crossing the Equator into the southern hemisphere chasing the setting sun, we passed an international date line. Which meant that we pulled into Brisbane at 7:00 am Friday morning local time.

          Friday February 27 th ~

     Might have dozed off a little bit sitting in that plane seat, but for the most part I've been up for a lot of hours. Long lines at Customs, but they moved along relatively quick and Praise God, the guitar came through unscathed. One scary moment. At the place where the luggage from my flight was going around, my checked bag eventually showed up, but the guitar didn't. When bags stopped coming, I asked an employee, who pointed out another place where oversize and fragile items were. I walked over and there it was, sitting on the floor all by it's lonesome.

     In the terminal, a mate at an information booth showed me to a Booking Center display with flyers for hotels advertising their prices. Including a couple of phones with free direct calls. The first three I called were booked up for the night. The fourth was available. Back to the info booth to buy a ticket for a bus which dropped me off at the front door of the Dorchester Inn. A very small, rather old city center hotel. However, it does have a small frig to keep the insulin cool. Thank ya Jesus! Got lunch from a coffee shop next door, then slept for four hours.

    All through the afternoon, evening and night; asleep for awhile, awake for awhile, etc.

          Saturday February 28 th ~

     During one of last night's awake periods I fired up the laptop.
     Before leaving on this trip, the Spirit had led me to purchase at Walmart an electrical converter/adapter. Because Australian electrical wall outlets are 220v-50Hz while USA is 110v-60Hz with different plug configurations. Without the appliance interceding between the two I'd be unable to use the laptop. (There's probably a sermon in there.)

     While google searching, I spotted a church within walking distance who's website sported a weekly activity calender showing a prayer breakfast scheduled for this morning. I  thought I might attend.

     So, I was sitting on the steps at 7:30 am when the first of about nine Believer's showed up at this historic church building for a toast & cereal breakfast followed by a time of prayer which included petitions for me & the ministry. Then, after swinging by the hotel to pay for another night (one day at a time sweet Jesus) I walked to the "Europcar Rental Office" for info and a quote. Figure I'll start it Monday.

     On the walk back I spotted a grocery store (Woolworth) and stopped to fill my day-pack which I carry everywhere I go, keeping the wallet and passport with me, as well as some sugar and water bottle.

     Returned to the hotel where I had some crackers & cheese for lunch and planned on relaxing for the afternoon in the air-conditioned room. It's still summer time here with 90 degree days.

     Along about mid-afternoon I started sneezing a lot with a runny nose, red itchy eye's and a mildly sore throat. Bummer! To bed early.

          Sunday March 1 st ~

     Decided to go to church even though not feeling well. Made it through with only minor discomfort. Chicken noodle soup back at the hotel room followed by a three hour nap. Attended evening services followed by a fellowship meal of finger food. The pastors wife asked me to sing, so after getting the guitar from the hotel I did a couple of medleys. The voice held up okay.

     Don't know if I'm dealing with a cold or reaction to something in the air, simply hope it ends quickly.

And so begins another week.

May The Lord Our God
Guard, Guide And Direct You.
In The Name Of Jesus. Amen!

Your Brother in Christ, Larry Eugene Stevens

P.S.    To God be the Glory!