Sunny Downtown England

Friday 10th - Zurich to London Farewelled most of the Israeli Crew at Zurich who flew back to Oz via hong Kong on what will amount to a 33 hour flight. We do live on the otherside of the world! Trish a lady from London & I had the same flight from Zurich to London. Waited for a delayed flight watching Egypt play Ivory Coast in the Afircan Cup Final. Egypt won after extra time by penatly shoot out, which I always feel is a bad way to decide a game of football. Eventually got into London Central Youth Hostel at midnight, walking past Christopher Wrens St. Paul's Catherdral was an experience at that time of night. It is massive. Great youth hostel!

Saturday 11th - London to Cambridge Met an Irish artisan in London for an exhibtion. Had a great chat about life and Christian things over breakfast. Had a walk around that part of London on a brisk sunny Saturday morning. Nothing open but Starbucks. Visited Dr Johnson's house two doors down from a Starbucks of Fleet Street; incongruous. All these names from the Monopoly board seem somehow fantastic in real life. Trish met in town to take my surf board and store it at their house saving me carting it to Cambridge. A great help, drove aournd London for a couple of hours for a whirlwind sight seeing tour. Happened upon the changing of the guard and Buckingham Palace. Apparently 'she' was home cause the flag was up. Wondered what she did in there all day, whether she ever gets out into the garden or anything...

Settled into the youth hostel in Cambridge, hired a bike. A bike is almost mandatory in Cambridge. It is one of the distinguishing features of the place, a peloton of people riding bikes. It is one of the many things I love about Cambridge.

Sunday 12th of Febuary Rainy, wet, miserable day. I asked the lady at the youth hostel whether it was worth stepping out on a day outing. Her comment clinched the decision when she said "If the English didn't go out when it was raining, they'd never go out". Decided to step out in the wet. Planned a ride to Ely, the place of Eels about 15 mile north after church. Went to Holy Trinity and heard Bishop John Taylor give an excellent, but ever so British talk from John 12. During the talk he made reference and read from John's Gospel that spoke of places that we had been in Israel. It was the first time that the trip to Israel had impacted me in an emotional way. Images of the beach where it was thought that Jesus met the boys after the resurrection and cooked them fish for breakfast came flooding into my mind. Peter's reinstatement in John 21 after betraying Jesus so badly. A place of grace. We skimmed stones on the beach there and had a bible reading and talk from Paul Barnett, in verse 15 Jesus says to Peter 'do you love me more than these' meaning the boats and nets and fishing that the boys had gone back to out of a loss of the messianic plans to over throw the Romans now that Messiah had died. And the grace which Jesus showed Peter after what Peter had down. Betrayal, is the worst act anyone can do. Peter is no better than Judas at that point only grace saved Peter, Judas atoned for his own betrayal by taking his own life.

Ironically in this place of grace were signs everywhere prohibiting, shorts, picnicing, etc. Had a photo taken of me wearing shorts and telling them they were short long pants so as I could get in. I don't think the Bishop was impressed. Anyway I digress, met a fellow after church who is studying at Tyndale and told me heaps of good information including the church that friends David and Amelia Hohne go to. Planned to visit that evening to meet up with them.

Rode to Ely along the busy A10 which was excitment in itself. Massive cathedral at Ely and Oliver Cromwell's house for ten years. 'The Protector of the Faith' and 'the Lord of the Fens' whose house is now a tacky souvenir shop and tourist bureau. Rode home in the wet and arrived at church late (and after I bang on about how bad it is for people to arrive late to church). I'm sure looking dishevelled and like something the cat drag in (nothing new there!) sat down the front. I felt the stares of people behind me but put it aside. After church I over heard them introducing themselves as visitors from Sydney, I wheeled around to come face to face with one of my lectures from Moore College and his wife, Barry & Alison Webb. Barry is on study leave writing a commentary on Judges for NICOT commentary series (it's the sort of thing you do in Cambridge). They took me out for tea at Burger King which was a treat, more so for the familiar faces than the food.

Monday 13th of Feb brought a change in fortune, met up with David Hohne (who I missed at church), he assured me of good prospects for accomodation. Was able to organise a des at the library and access as a reader. That night I had a terrible nights sleep at the youth hostel. An older Scotchman was sleeping in the bed above me. He came in late, fell immediatly into a deep sleep and brewers snore that should have lifted the roof tiles and then proceeded to get up three times during the night to unload the ale he had taken on board earlier in the evening. Then he wokf at 5.30 to go, I presume to work.

Tuesday 14th of Feb So the news that greeted me on Tuesday morning over morning tea from Dave Hohne that he had arranged accomdation with a young Christian family was an added relief after a restless, sleepless night. Met Richard Powell for lunch, the Music Director at StAG (St Andrews the Great - there's a Less in the town as well!). He and his family were willing to put me up for a month! Thank God, He is good! The house is to the north of the city centre, and I have my own room. God is good. Thanks for all who prayed. God has answered more than enough.

Wed 15th Feb First full day of work. Knocked over an assigment on Megiddo and half way through one on Caesarea Maritima. It has been so good to assimilate some of the information that we got in Israel. It was so overwhelming while we were there it is only now that it is coming together.