Not sure if anyone saw the four corners episode about the murder of a young indigenous man, Kwementyaye (when someone dies aboriginal people do not speak their name so this is the name they use instead) Ryder, by five white locals last week. It is a devastating story and certainly highlights how racism is alive and well in Alice Springs today. However, the story of the Ryder family in the face of the injustice is inspiring. Despite being very angry their call for calm at the time, when many people were calling for “payback” was truly was profound and made a huge difference. The mother, Therese mentions her Catholic faith as influencing this. I was very moved by this as it’s certainly not always the case. God’s grace is something that is much needed in this town, in this world.

Yay tax returns done. And we’re getting some money back rather than paying this year. Woo hoo.

I’ve come back to work for two weeks to induct my replacement. My work has cause me a lot of worry and anxiety over the last few weeks. I have been unsure about if they were going to find someone to replace me and then if they did what that person would be like and if I would be given the opportunity to train that person or if they would be stuck just having to feel their way and then what if s/he would be willing to share the job with me when I wanted to return next semeseter. So I am very grateful to say that they have hired someone and he seems like he will be good and they are paying me to spend two weeks inducting him into the position and he is happy to share the position on my return. God again has shown me that I do not need to fear or worry.

It’s been so wet and cold here of late, feels more like the Blue Mountais than a desert. Last week Alice Springs had its coldest day on record, didn’t get above 6 degrees all day. It all looks very beautiful and it is nice to snuggle around fires with hot drinks but I am getting a little bit tired of it all. It was especially not fun over the weekend as our toilet was blocked so if we wanted to go to the toilet it was either walking over to mum’s or going in the yard. Both much less appealing in the wet and freezing cold. It was especially bad timing for me as I am now going to the toilet what feels like every ten minutes. Che is taking up all the room now, so my bladder is significanlty smaller. I am very grateful it’s all fixed now. Nothing like going without to make you not take things for granted.

I have stopped working now although things have been pretty busy on the block. We had 12 people staying for a tour that mum and Keith did and then 20 for a tour that Peter and Sue are doing. Carney, our neighbour, also had five friends stay who are here for a conference and the kids are on school holidays so they are around a lot with all their cousins.

I feel very heavy and have a fair amount of back pain. Just over six weeks to go now and I am huge. It’s rather impossible to find comfortable positions especially when Che moves into bad positions. The other night I could hardly walk for a few hours. Thankfully she moved out of that postion fairly quickly. We’ve got our second antenatal class tonight. I have to say I didn’t really hear anything new in the first one so hopefully tonight will be more interesting.