Personal Update

Picture: Staff Meeting (l-r) Brett, Ruth, Abel, Jim, Rachel, Rafi

Personal Update

The last few days in England were quite stressful. Joanne Benson who was teaching the Phonetics Foundation Course, and whose house I was staying in, took ill. She made a phone call to her local doctor to enquire about coming down for an appointment. The doctor that she usually sees was not there. A locum took the call. He insisted on calling an ambulance. The ambulance was called and arrived at the house on Friday afternoon, blue light flashing. It appears as the locum doctor didn’t want to deal with the situation on a Friday afternoon so thought this the best way forward for all. Joanna was rushed to Chichester hospital. After a week she is still there. Please pray that she will quickly recover. She has a chest infection and they are keeping her in hospital to run further tests.

I had to tidy up her affairs, like cancel local and overseas candidates for the course and then get ready to fly to Spain.

Flew out of Gatwick last Tuesday, the 28th of March. Brett Richardson met me at Malaga airport. The day was glorious and it has been great being back in Spain. The first week has been settling in. Today we had a staff meeting and discussed, among other things plans for me stay in Spain.

Tentatively we decided that I would go to Córdoba for Spanish lessons. This will be down in two, two week blocks (Monday 17th – Friday 21st April & 2nd to 5th of May). I hope to stay either in Córdoba or 20 minutes bus ride away with people in the Montilla Church, in Montemayor. Then go back each week for one day a week Spanish lesson.

The next few weeks will be busy with Easter, Semana Santa and the ECM Biannual conference (23rd - 29th of April). After the Spanish lessons in Córdoba we will plan to get me into the English Acedemy in Lucena to teach conversational English and hopefully build up a contact base for the church.

For those who Pray:

Thanks:

{ for provision of places to stay, especially thank God for The Powell’s and James and Patricia in London.
{ safe arrival in Spain.
{ for the Richardson’s who are putting me up or putting up with me (how careful one has to be with prepositions)
{ for time to think, pray and read and recoup

Requests:

{ for Joanna’s diagnosis and speedy recovery
{ for the gift of tongues to speak and hear clearly in Spanish
{ for tiredness and time to recoup and read and think and pray
{ for the church in Spain, especially in Cabra, for Brett & Ruth, Abel and Rafi and Rachel