We've travelled south from our home to help our youngest daughter prepare for moving. Today, Val and I have enjoyed a great day of fellowship with the family of brethren we left nearly four years ago, after ministering amongst them for eight years.

Our daughter had arranged a surprise barbeque lunch for us all. How good to spend several hours with brethren such as they.

But it was a sad day as well because our daughter, who stayed with the local assembly when we moved away, is going to move away as well. She is a bank manager and has been transfered to a branch in the capital city of Queensland, Brisbane.

There is joy in the move for us because she will be one and a half hours closer to our home, never-the-less, it has a sense of severance that is difficult after so many years.

At least she will be the closest, to our abode, of all our children. One daughter,with husband and two children are 21 hours driving time distant, another daughter, husband, five children and one grandchild (our great grandson) is 14 hours away, 2 sons and their wives are 2 1/2 hours away.

How our world has changed since my youth when families never strayed more than an easy journey from home and weekend get togethers were commonplace.

Aussie John