Hello Portland...

So we have been in Portland, Victoria since Thursday night and in the 3 days we have been here, we haven't been able to do too much because we are without a vehicle. So I don't have much to share about Portland yet and I don't have many exciting photos to share yet.
We are considering hiring a car for a few days. We wanted to hire a car today because we've been invited to a Christian activity day (S.U.F.M.) on the foreshore tomorrow morning, however we had some sickness in our family today so we didn't bother hiring one today, which means we probably won't make the activity morning. Hopefully everyone is well tomorrow and we can hire a car tomorrow or at the latest the next day, so that we can visit some of the beautiful places in and around Portland :-)

Some of the places we intend to visit in Portland and the surrounding areas are, the great south west walk, we want to do at least part of this walk that overlooks beautiful scenery of cliffs, bays, forests and river. We also want to visit Portland lighthouse, the blowholes, the tea-tree gallery, Portland bay and Cape Bridgewater. We also want to go whale watching. 
We have a couple other places to visit while we are here, lets hope we get to visit them all.

This is a pic of our site...

The facilities are basic but decent...There are some extra facilities for the girls, like a jumping pillow, basketball half court and a playground.
As always, if there is a friend to be made, the girls make friends everywhere we go easily, they are VERY social :-)
Hopefully in a couple of days we get our vehicle repaired at a very low cost and we are able to enjoy Portland some more.

I Hope you all have a good night and take care,
Dimi :-)
 

GREAT People in Lismore...

As I said in yesterdays post, we were stuck in Lismore for many VERY HOT hours.
The tow truck driver from the R.A.C.V depot gave us cold water bottles for free, he was as helpful as he could be. Another lady from the blue yabby cafe was lovely to us also. There was also a man who delivered drinks to the cafe, he also offered us a lift to Warrnambool.....THANK YOU SOOOOO Much to all these GREAT people xxx

At one stage, Serena went with Shane to the depot to get some of our things from the caravan, and Elissa and I sat at a seat in a small grassy area across from the shops. Either side of us was a pub, closed cafe, the depot, a few other shops, and the blue yabby cafe which was a milk bar, hot food shop and cafe.
Elissa and myself were having a chat about the horrible situation we were in and how, even though we were in a horrible situation God still brought GREAT people to help us.
Elissa then asked why God wasn't helping us get to Portland. I was exhausted myself and discouraged, I just said I didn't know why this had happened. I know that bad things can happen in life, but I'm also a person who looks for a reason in them..I didn't know what the reason was for this! We prayed for God to help us, our vehicle and caravan get to Portland a.s.a.p.
While we were still chatting and teary, a lady named Sandy came out of the blue yabby cafe across the road and approached Elissa and myself. This LOVELY lady introduced herself and told us that the lady from the cafe told her about our situation. This lady asked how long we would be waiting for a vehicle to arrive, of course we didn't know.
This WONDERFUL lady said she was going out for the night to a small new years eve get together just a couple streets away...she then pointed to a house across the road that had a red brick fence. This lovely lady then told us that both the front and back doors were unlocked, the air conditioner was on and she had a TV and we were more than welcome to go over and relax at her house.....WOW. WOW, WOW!
This LOVELY lady offered me a hug, I hugged her and Thanked her. This Lovely Lady then showed me where she was going for NYE, and she told us to come to the small NYE get together that was only a couple streets away if we were feeling lonely.....You know, GOD ALWAYS brings GREAT people to us, ALWAYS!
A moment later, Shane and Serena came back from the depot and not long after that we spoke with R.A.C.V, they let us know they had arranged for our vehicle, caravan and us to be transported to Portland, YAY :-)

The Blue Yabby Cafe...A Lovely Owner...

This is where we spent many hours just waiting...

I just want to add, We seen such love and compassion from many people in Lismore. We seen Jesus in people. They gave us water when we had none left, they were willing to open their home to us, they showed strangers real love and compassion...it reminds me of a scripture in the bible...
               Matthew 25:34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40
Then the King will say to those at HIS right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave Me food, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you brought Me together with yourselves and welcomed and entertained and lodged Me, I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you visited Me with help and ministering care, I was in prison and you came to see Me. Then the just and upright will answer Him, Lord, when did we see You hungry and gave You food, or thirsty and gave You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger and welcomed and entertained You, or naked and clothed you? And when did we see You sick or in prison and came to visit You? And the King will reply to them, Truly I tell you, in so far as you did it for one of the least of these My brethren, you did it for Me.

You know, I don't know if any of these people were Christians or not, however the Love and Compassion they showed us was real and BEAUTIFUL. As a person and as a Christian, I could learn from them.

THANK YOU Beautiful Lady with the red brick fence, I will always remember what you offered myself and my family until the day I die. Thank You to all the beautiful people in Lismore who helped us. A little town with a HUGE Heart.
You showed us real love and compassion and for that we are EXTREMELY grateful xoxoxox 

Take Care,
Dimi, Shane, Elissa, Serena xoxoxox