Conference

Now that Colin McLean is in England, the organization of the Creation Fest is in high gear. From Launceston, Cornwall Phil Pechonis called a conference to inform us Londoners of the latest developments, and what things needed prayer. We were going to have a Skype conference, then decided on iChat. At first I was going to be at home. Then I got the chance to be over at Elliot Wilsher's. For the first time in my life I took part in a video conference. I know this is nothing new, but even so I was amazed that we could be in two different London locations and talk face to face with a third party five hours away.

Well, almost. The broadband in Cornwall is a little slow. We could see them, but they couldn't see us until Bruce and Ali (on the left side of the screen) got off the conversation. Creation Fest is going to be great this year. See more at creationfest.org.uk.

Pastor Prayer

Every month the Calvary pastors in London meet to pray with and for one another. We meet at the Starbucks at London Waterloo station at 8:30 on a Saturday morning. We wait till 9 till everybody shows up. Then we go across the street and down a ways to a Church of England called St John the Evangelist. They have been letting us pray there for more than a couple of years now. It's a quiet place, it has toilets, and it has chairs. You don't need much more than that.

It was a premium time last week. Rob, Efrem, and Pat, the South London pastors, were there. Antonye and his guys from Camden Town, newly landed a month before, also came. Matt was there from Leatherhead, and Marshall and Dan from Docklands. It was practically a full house. 

Together we pray for London, for our respective ministries, for our people, for missionary outreach, worshipping as well as interceding.

Katie Plays

Katie was playing with scarves while we reading bedtime story a few nights ago. She was giggling over this foofy hair style she came up with. I put the book down to document one evening's silliness and one pretty girl.

Ashford Cloud Sweep

I was out on the Common reading my Bible in the morning, and I saw the clouds sweeping across the sky to my right. The blue sky replaced the clouds, the sun came out behind me, and I marveled as a sunny day took over from the overcast.

Summer just showed up.

Christmas Is Over

Most people celebrate Christmas in December. When Joanie's parents visit, it's like Christmas as long as they are here. However, all good things come to an end. They leave for Seattle tomorrow, and all the fun will be over.

For our last trip together we visited Eastbourne, south and east of London. The drive was an hour and a half. We first came to The Long Man of Wilmington, a hugh hill figure cut into the chalk, located in Wilmington, East Sussex. The Long Man is 69.2 meters (227 ft) tall and designed to look in proportion when viewed from below.

Next was Beachy Head, atop the cliffs of chalk on the English Coast. We ate a picnic lunch there and then looked in the Eastbourne city center for an ice cream shop that came well recommended. 

Dick and Helen took a stroll out on the pier. Out on the beach, we threw rocks.

Later we lay on the pebbly beach and looked for unusual rocks. After making jokes about having a rock collection, I finally have one.

We came home in time to eat dinner and teach the Wednesday night Bible study.

Today it is last minute packing and looking for gifts before tomorrow's 6:45 check-in at Heathrow. Dick and Helen have always been gracious, fun, totally supportive, and we love when they visit.

Now we can only look forward to our next reunion. We don't know when that will be. At least when Christmas is over you know when it comes around again. 

Class Results

Left to right: Peng, Audrie, Simone, Rob, Philomena, Gwen, Alistair, Marshall, Dan, Deb, Debbie, Rehe, Justin.

Last Friday I taught the final Study and Teach class in Canary Wharf. The inconsistent attendance made me question what I was accomplishing with this series. 

I know several of the students were truly touched and encouraged by the Lord. One student has made real improvement in her teaching. I have also become more certain that London needs more Bible teachers and that I want to continue to raise them up. Lord willing, my next class will be in my own church.

We posed for a group photo and watched the timer count down. It didn't flash. They all asked why. I told them I never use a flash; don't worry, it took the picture. They all went, "Ooooooh."

Piano Lessons

Mr. Buckmaster demonstrates the new song for Holly to learn.

Holly had been plunking out some songs on the electric keyboard we have, teaching herself to play. Finally we asked if she would want real lessons. She did, and after prayer and inquiries we found Philip Buckmaster, a Baroque musician who lives in the area. She has been going weekly and has been learning steadily. She practices at home and also at the school we meet at on Sundays. The grand piano at Whitton School gives her a taste of playing with weighted keys. Some day we hope to get a keyboard with a piano action so her practicing will be more strengthening. For right now, what we have works.

Basketball

Katie aims high while Holly is temporarily sidelined with a jammed finger.

The girls have wanted to shoot hoops for a long time. As we were looking for summery things for the girls at a Sports Direct store in Kingston we saw a drum full of basketballs. We got one.

When Joanie was away at the pastors' wives retreat the girls asked if we could go and shoot baskets. We took off on our bikes to go to the park with the basketball hoop. A group of local kids were using the stand for the hoop for a football goal (soccer, for you North Americans). We waited until the attention of the crowd went to some other amusement, then we started shooting. 

The girls have shot baskets using a Wii, even doing slam dunks. I was happy to have them experience the real world and get to use their muscles to make the ball go. We also practiced passing the ball (and sharing the ball).

Holly got a little too much "real world" - her first basketball injury. She jammed her finger on a rebound. It got stiff and painful. It was also bad timing - the day before her piano lesson. We prayed the Lord would help her and heal her.

It wasn't the best timing for me, either, to go out and play. But when they want to play I want to be there for them. I don't have too many more years for this. It was a great day for shooting.