Meet Dee and Raymond
Can you share an amusing or strange fact about yourself?
Dee: I am an avid points collector and have a wallet full of loyalty cards. For the last four consecutive years, I have been in the top four percent across Australia (yes, the whole country) of Flybuys points collectors. I managed to buy a very flashy fridge for our new house, courtesy of my Flybuys points alone.
Tell us about your family.
Our family consists of us and our three children, aged 22, 12, and 7. However, we come from a long line of extended family, with lots of aunts and uncles, and many, many cousins. Our family is truly universal with family members on almost every continent.
What does your typical week look like?
We both have a full and busy schedule, centred on our young family, church family, and work. In between school runs, after school activities, birthday parties to attend, and making time with friends, we both work full-time and demanding jobs. We finish off the week with our brothers and sisters in Christ whom we also meet with during the week for Bible study. It’s a hectic but fulfilling and purposeful existence.
What do you enjoy doing together as a family on a day off?
We are avid campers and enjoy time outdoors. We have seen the beauty of Australia through camping. We love a good hike in the bush (much to the exasperation of our kids), because we believe that nature is one of God’s beautiful creations and enjoying nature is a reminder of God’s greatness and wonder. The kids are more water babies and love spending time on the beach.
What are the things that you appreciate the most about living in the Box Hill area?
It is so exciting to be part of a new community and to watch the community grow. It is a sea of houses, with people from all parts of the world, building their lives in this part of Sydney. We are also very excited at the prospect of serving others and reaching out into our community to share the good news of the gospel and inviting others to come to know and follow Jesus.
How long have you been Christians, and who was it that first told you about Jesus?
We are both privileged to have been born into Christian households. As children, both our lives revolved around ministry, being raised by God-loving parents and attending Christian schools. ‘Sunday best’ is a nostalgic part of our childhood where the highlight of the week was wearing your favourite dress to attend church. Admittedly, we both drifted away from the church in our early twenties, and when we got together, we were both seeking to reconnect and rebuild our personal relationship with Jesus. It was easy to return to church because of the strong foundation that was laid in our childhood. Jesus has always been a part of our lives, and that has continued with our own children.
What has encouraged you from God’s word recently?
Dee: We’ve just started looking at the book of Psalms and have been thinking about the source of true happiness. As a Christian, I know there is a joy and peace that comes from knowing Jesus and the gift of salvation that we have received through Him. Chris recently reminded us of 1 Peter 1:8, which says, ‘Though you have not seen him, you love, and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.’
What a joy to go to Him, and to know, love, and trust Him. What a joy to know that I can cast all my burdens unto Him.
What are your hopes for your family and your children?
As parents, we pray that we live out our faith in everything that we do, and in a way that points our children to Jesus. We pray for wisdom as parents to raise children who will continue to grow in their knowledge and love of God, who will continue to serve and follow Christ, rooted in the knowledge that they are loved and that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. I find great encouragement in being reminded from Ephesians to ‘bring up your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord’.
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