Wonderful Friends

There is nothing that beats relationships that last and continue where they left off no matter how long the intervening space of time has been.
On 27th August we departed Redhill and drove up to Ipswich to be with Brian and Julia Webb, Becky, Andrew, and Tasha (Julia´s niece, daughter of her younger sister Jenny). Dave and Liz Grant came to supper that night and it was great to catch up on their news as well. What a blessing it was for us to be cared for and ministered to by the Webbs at this end of our journey - which has been pretty hectic all told.
On the 28th (Wednesday) we strolled around the village of Nacton where they live - in the country which is really a stone´s throw from the city of Ipswich. Ned took many pictures of the ´free-range pigs which were almost adjacent to their cottage. His main photo taking is of ´possible teaching material´!! Once a teacher, always a teacher! In the afternoon we had tea with Terry and Kate Robinson - long-ago neighbours of Ned´s family in Bulawayo - and wandered around Christ Church Park nearby- Plenty of history - going back to King Henry VIII and his disputes with the monastery and others in this area. Saw a memorial to 9 martyrs from 1538-1556. Hard to believe in our lives that there was such persecution - we are certainly sheltered from it, but it is certainly still alive and well in the world - and may even become a threat in England as the adherence to Islam continues to increase aggressively as is happening in the cities.
Before leaving Ipswich we drove down to the local Nacton picnic site which is on the river that ends at Felixtowe. Nacton is across the river from Pin Mill of Arthur Ransome (Swallows and Amazons) fame. I must read the books again now that I have a picture of the area where they were written!

We spent a few hours with Steph and Joop van der Toorn at Brantham - shown around the two parishes that Steph is vicar of (excuse bad sentence construction!). Once again, two old churches dating in part from the 12th Century.
Leaving them we moved on to visit cousin Phil and Corinne in Colchester. Had supper with them before moving on to London to deliver the car and sleep at the Holiday Inn briefly before continuing our journey on to Mexico.

It has been a wonderful two weeks - well worth the talking, driving and navigating and disagreements about directions, sharing photos (ours of Ian and Julz wedding which contain pictures of the whole family), lack of sleep, and enjoying each other. We have ministered and been ministered to. We have shared joys and struggles and prayed for each other.
We are truly blessed!