New Update

Latest news for the Swabey's check out www.theabbeycommunity.blogspot.com Gary is now pastoring a church in the Glenmore Valley in Kelowna called The Abbey. He can also be found on the Willow Park Church site. You can also find us on facebook under The Abbey Community and I have my own facebook page.

UPDATE

We are settling in just fine in Kelowna, it was very easy to come home but very hard to leave Ireland behind. The girls are meeting friends, playing ice hockey, taking music lessons and looking forward to the summer and Green Bay Bible camp. They did love the winter and the snow instead of the rain. Kirbey is in two different programs 4 days a week and is really enjoying the interaction with someone other than her boring old mom and dad.

I am reconnecting with old friends and setting up house and trying to settle after living in 7 houses in the last 11 years. I told Gary that he has to put my tomb stone in the back yard because I am done moving and I mean it!

OUR NEW EMAIL ADDRESS IS ds7757@shaw.ca if you need to or want to contact us.

Cheers

Hi there, not much to report right now except Gary will be working for Gord Turner cleaning up reno sites and delivering materials to other sites. He bought himself some steel toed work boots and is ready to go. If you want to email us here is our address. rainhappens@hotmail.com Cheers.

Zerberts at last

Well I have been in Canada for almost a week and a half and have had a Danai fix almost every day. She is sweeter than I could have imagined. I feel sorry for Gary sitting in Ireland in the rain missing his family. It is nice to be home, even though we are homeless at this time but on the other hand it is a big sigh that our time in Ireland with Rain Happens ministry has come to an end. We had envisioned so much more but Kirbey is an important part of our life and God has called us to care for her and so here we are. Gary will be in Summerland on July 19th. Please pray for our house in Ireland to sell and our car also. This is weighing heavy on us as it will be finacially difficult to pay rent and a mortage. We will update you on our future as it unfolds, it looks like Kelowna will be our home for sure but check back for updates as we bring our time blogging as Rain Happens to a close.

Spiritual Conversations Happen

Gary has had a few opportunities to use his office for more that just study and sermon prep. This fellow is searching and has lots of questions and he found "The Monk Hut/Dog House" a place that was comfortable to sit and talk to Gary about some of these questions. It is not common to meet for coffee here and not many people will ask you to their home so this is a great alternative. Pray that Gary would have a few more opportunities to talk to others in this blessed place, and thank-you to all who made it possible.

Marathon Man

Gary ran a marathon today, yes a marathon. That is 26 miles 385 yards or 42.195 kilometers. His time was 3 hrs 48 min and a few secs. He did this with only a couple of months of training. Yes I am proud of him. If you double click on the pic with the statue in it you can see Gary coming in on the final stretch, he is wearing a blue shirt. It was a great sunny day, this in itself was a miracle. It was also nice that Garys mom and dad could be here from Canada to watch. Before he did this he was pretty sure he would not bother with another one but now that he has done it he thinks maybe he will try the Kelowna marathon with his brother. I told him it is kind of like having a baby, the first one is unkown and scary but once you've done it and live through the pain and get the reward you start thinking about the next time.

Creation Still Worships
Ireland has a rich Christian history but the foundation is crumbling. Everywhere you go you can find ruins of churches, monastaries and abbys. But amongst the ruins you can see God in all His glory as nature has taken over the ground that humans have forgotten. Pray for this country that just as these trees have taken root, the message of Jesus will take root again and spread across Ireland in a fresh new way.