This post is a little out of the ordinary. Instead of an article, what follows is Angie and my latest newsletter, which includes some big life announcements (you can subscribe to our newsletter here).

Happy New Year! If you’re short on time, here’s a summary of our last few months: we have moved states, started a new job, gotten married (again), bought a house, published a book, hosted Angie’s parents from the USA, celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas, and bought our flights to Indonesia! Read on to find out more 🙂

Just over 9 weeks ago, we packed up our van and said our farewells, leaving Sydney’s Northern Beaches to return to the Adelaide Hills. Here, we are living with Kurt’s parents, playing board games most nights and loving lots of family time. Angie hit the ground running with a new nanny job while Kurt finished his latest book, Great Southland Revival.

On the 26th of November, we finally got to celebrate our wedding! Angie’s parents made the trip out from the United States and met Kurt’s family for the first time. Two and a half years was worth the wait. On a sunny and very redemptive day in Myponga Beach, Angie’s parents walked her down the aisle, and we had the time of our lives celebrating our marriage and God’s goodness surrounded by beautiful friends and family.

We’re so thankful for the month we got to spend with Angie’s parents, Gary and Kathy. During our busy wedding week, they helped us host a huge Thanksgiving feast. After the wedding, we set off with them to explore the Great Ocean Road, the Grampians and the best of South Australia. We miss them so much already and consider them some of our best travel buddies and friends.

It has been our dream (and the advice of wise people) to own a home in Australia before moving to the mission field that we can rent out when we are out of country. Last month that dream also came true when we settled on a home in Woodside in the Adelaide Hills. Our summer has been off to a hot start with some minor renovations and some major landscaping.

To top it all off, we have bought our flights to Indonesia!

All going well, we will depart on the 26th of March. Booking our tickets before reaching our full financial target took a leap of faith but it was necessary for us to start the visa application process. Currently we have raised 40% of what we need. Please join us in prayer for the remaining 60% to be given or pledged in time for our departure. If you would like to contribute, you can use the link below. Be sure to let Pioneers know that it is for ‘Kurt and Angie Mahlburg’.

Next week, we will be in Melbourne completing ‘Transition Training’, which is our last training unit with Pioneers before we depart. We’re looking forward to a week of deep spiritual preparation and insights on how to adapt to a new place and culture and how to be a blessing to the people of Indonesia.

The Early Learning Centre has been advancing in leaps and bounds in recent months. The walls have been painted and the floors have been tiled. By the time we arrive, the kitchen and laundry should be done and we will be ready to start welcoming the little ones. Thanks to a generous toy recycling centre in Sydney, we have already posted boxfuls of resources to Indonesia that are waiting to be set up.

PRAISE POINTS:

• The opportunity to finally celebrate our wedding
• Precious time with family, especially Angie’s parents’ visit to Australia
• God’s amazing provision of a house

PRAY FOR:

• Full financial support before the end of March
• Our Indonesian visas to be approved
• The ability for us to have children (this has been a long and emotional journey for us)

If you live in Adelaide and would like us to come and share at your small group, or would like to catch up over coffee to hear more of our story, please hit reply and let us know!