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!
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!
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.
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!
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| Not our airport trolley! A sculpture in Toronto Airport. |
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!
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| Driving through Toronto |
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| 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.
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| Girls assembly at SCS |
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| Evening talk at EIC |
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| Only from Tanzania ... in the snow in flip flops! |
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| We loved this sign ... but couldn't see how the road was broken! |
