After living in Tanzania for many years, we now live in the UK and enjoy working with Amigos Worldwide and Bees Abroad as we continue to be passionate about seeing local churches transform their communities!

Monday 27 April 2015

Changing Gears

So now we are in the UK! We arrived on Friday and as well as catching up with Tim's mum and dad (who is thankfully doing remarkably well!) and celebrating Louisa's 9th birthday, we ventured into town to sort out things like car insurance and phones and do a quick school uniform and shoe hunt. Shoes proved a lot easier to buy here in England than in Tanzania!

Not our airport trolley! A sculpture in Toronto Airport.
It is always rather hard changing gears and after the rapid pace of the past few weeks, in which we have preached, presented various talks on the work in Tanzania for different occasions, done two school assemblies, visited with so many kind supporters in rather quick succession, and changed time zones twice... I think I am probably still bringing up the clutch!

It is always a strange thing coming back. Whether in Canada, UK or Tanzania, we are home but we are not home! So much is familiar, yet everything is so different. While enjoying the food we've missed and the luxuries of constant electricity and hot baths, we are hit with the material world of shops and activities which is rather overwhelming and at the same time tempting, while also impossible! Suddenly the time matters and we need to remember sweaters not water bottles. Things feel strangely out of context and where we are really does seem such a world away from where we were!

But it is always wonderful to see family and friends again! To feel like you never even left and are not forgotten! To receive the love and kind welcome from so many! To catch up with people's lives...  the unfortunate thing about writing the blog is that I will talk to someone who knows all about our life (from the blog) but I know nothing about their past 2-3 years.

So we are looking forward to catching up on different things in the UK over the next few months. With Tim's dad going through chemo and radiotherapy every weekday at the moment, we may not get to as many personal visits as we would like to, but we really hope that we will meet with as many friends and supporters as possible at some of the following events! Please do get in touch with us!

Welcome to ...

May 17th - Tadley Community Church
Followed by Potluck Lunch so plan to stay and eat and chat!

June 7th - North Church Basingstoke, Café Church

June 20th - Evening with the Mongers (The Sarum Hill Centre, Basingstoke)
5pm onwards (finishing early to make it easier for those out-of-town!)

July 11th - Emmanuel International Summer Event (11am Trinity Church, Harrow)

July 12th - Trinity Church Harrow

July 19th - Farewell Tadley Community Church

And now a quick look back to Ontario this past week ...

We had a great time in the Toronto area, visiting the Emmanuel International Canada office. We stayed with wonderful hosts, Richard and Pam McGowan in Stouffville. We were treated by their son and lovely family to an amazing visit to Niagara Falls - a first for us all. It was absolutely spectacular in the sunshine with a very strong, cold wind!

Driving through Toronto

With Gary, Michelle, Carys, Breckyn and Tavish




We were able to meet the wonderful EI team there and update them on the work we are doing in Mwanza; we were warmly welcomed by Stouffville Christian School where the girls did an assembly, and we were able to speak at an evening event organised by the EIC office for the Board and friends and supporters.
Girls assembly at SCS

Evening talk at EIC
We were so thrilled to meet up with Laura (our friend from Iringa, now living in Ontario) and the girls were so excited to have a real snow experience with her!




Only from Tanzania ... in the snow in flip flops!
We loved this sign ... but couldn't see how the road was broken!
 

Wednesday 15 April 2015

Next Stop: Stouffville

It has been so great to spend time with family and catch up with friends here in the Vancouver area! It was especially good to see so many at the Open House last week. We are so grateful for the support and love we receive here! Thank you to all who came!

We have enjoying being with The King's Community Church and also back for an assembly at The King's School. I attended the school from grade 4-12 and was later a teacher there for two years and we have since had two teams visit us in Tanzania from the school so there is a lot of history there! As well as visiting friends and old haunts we have made a dent in our shopping list, things like shoes and underwear were rather necessary and then a few more interesting things to take back like Ranch dressing mix!


Back with our Canada Teams

A great surprise at the Open House when EIUK chairman, David Varcoe from London walked in!

A visit to The King's School for an assembly about bees
... with Louisa as our mascot!

With Peter and Don, at Under the Same Sun, showing them the Upendo wa Mama bead necklaces
We enjoyed another day out with my parents in Vancouver, exploring by bus, skytrain and seabus, soaking up the sights of the mountains and city!

On the seabus

Lonsdale Quay
Next week we are leaving Beautiful British Columbia and heading to the Toronto area. We are looking forward to spending time with the folks at Emmanuel International Canada and also visiting Stouffville Christian School.

On Wednesday evening (April 22nd) at 6:30pm, EIC are hosting a dinner which will be followed by us sharing about our work and then a time to stay and chat afterwards. We welcome any who are able to join us!

Emmanuel International Canada
3967 Stouffville Rd (on south side of Stouffville Rd, just East of Kennedy Rd)