VISITS

We not only have the Circuit Overseer with the congregation this week, but we also had a visit from a couple of friends from Planet Expat - Bill and Carol!  Carol and I used to work together many years ago.

We last saw each other 5 years ago, when they were over from the States, visiting.  And given how old we all are, I did not know if they would want to be travelling all the way from the States again.  So it was such a lovely surprise.  They came for lunch and we spent the afternoon together. It brought back many memories, even though we didn't talk all that much about old times.  We have all kept pretty busy in our retirements.

I found a photo of one of our desert camping trips to head this blog - but sadly, for the four of us, our camping days are over  Though if we "inherit the earth" and live forever upon it, as I hope we will, who knows what wonderful things we might be doing then.  Maybe we will be able to camp out on the red sands of Mars one day, for an off-earth weekend?

After they left us they visited Arundel Castle, which we had recommended to them. The gardens are so lovely, especially the walled kitchen garden at the top of the hill, and to step into the Chapel is like entering an episode of Wolf Hall - it's like a time machine.  You will recognise the names on the memorial tombs.

Carol said on fb today they had really enjoyed their castle visit. 

The first C.O.Talk was: MUSTER UP BOLDNESS FOR THE DOOR TO DOOR PREACHING WORK.

There was loads of good advice and good experiences, all so encouraging.  But I would need to muster up some better health before I can get back to it.  I know how important it is, it is what Jesus taught his followers to do when he was on the earth, and it was the way I found the truth myself. It was brought to my door by Ruby and Wilhelmina, all those years ago.

I hope never to forget that I learnt more about what the Bible on my shelf says during that first 20 minute visit than I did in all my years of churchgoing, both Catholic and Protestant.

In the meantime, the best I can do is to continue with my letters - going letterbox to letterbox - which I plan to be doing this morning.

There has been flooding in the UK after heavy rain overnight - Col reported from The Field somewhere in the Hampshire Badlands yesterday that he was sheltering in the car from a torrential downpour.  While here the sun was shining, but the wind was so strong that I was not able to sit out on the balcony and study - books blowing about too much.  It was beautiful though, with a splendidly whitehorsey sea.

It is such a wonderful world, there is such power in the creation, yet such tender beauty too.