Monday 16 January 2012

was it all a dream?

We're sitting in the same bungalow we rented three years ago before we headed out to the Ship. We're living here for a month before we move around the corner to house-sit for some incredibly generous people. We've had Christmas - twice, been to Ethiopia for a few days, settled the boys in school, caught up with friends, been back to our church, the local parks and to the movies and and it all seems a little strange, like we never left.

We just spent the evening with friends talking about the Ship, friends from our Cambridge based support group who have been through all the ups and downs with us every month - from a distance - who have loved us and supported us for the last three years and to whom we are incredibly grateful.

We have been thinking of the Academy (school) starting the new semester as it goes through a lot of change, thinking about the hospital being set up ready for the patients coming, thinking about the crew exploring in Togo and it all feels a little strange to be sat here, in some ways that we should be there with them, helping them, being part of the community and yet almost like it was all a dream.

I think it is a little early to really have done much processing of the last three years, but we know that we have been blessed beyond what we ever could have imagined being able to serve as part of the Ship's ministry. We are thankful for so many things, people and experiences. So to our Ship friends - we are thinking of you and will keep partnering with you from a distance in whatever ways we can, and to our friends here - thank you for the support you have given us over the last few years and for welcoming us back. It is good to be here for this season and we just keep trusting the details of each crazy day to Him who has a plan for us here for this time.


Thursday 5 January 2012

New Schools

The boys started their new schools yesterday. Here they are in their new uniforms



Please pray for them as they adjust to their new schools. They are joining in the middle of the school year and it is difficult for their teachers to give them very much special attention in such big classes. Pray especially for Josh as it is a big change for him in full time school for the first time. Yesterday he didn't go to the toilet all day, only ate his sandwich at lunch because he was scared of the 'big boys' in the dining hall and missed the snack and milk at snack time because he didn't know where to get them from. He was a bit teary as his class went in this morning, so I hope it will be a better day for him today.