From Harpenden

Made it to England! No Internet access these last few days but it seems to be working again... so, sorry to any who emailed me and expected a response!

A couple of weekend highlights and a lowlight:

- Friday, was able to get a spontaneous appointment with an OM ship captain named Graham who was happy to talk and dream with us about launching a ship-based ministry of a different sort, and wanted to be the first one to join a prayer network to support it.

- Met Tom's kids Josiah on Friday and Genevieve on Saturday; spent the day in the city with them. We got on pretty well. Have to say I think I could even be friends with their mum, Trixie, as my co-worker Les had prayed I would. It was a bit tricky managing our day in the city, with people of two genders, three nationalities, born in three different decades - but we settled on the Museum of Science, the Museum of Natural History, and taking in a film.

- Managed to overcome my phonophobia enough to touch base with all my friends in Bradford, or at least their voicemail, and made tentative plans for Tom & I to travel there Wednesday, have dinner with our staff there, and spend the night. Good to have that arranged!

- Sunday was what we expected to be the weekend's most key point, the real reason we had flown to England a week early - Josiah's baptism. When we got to the church we discovered that England started Daylight Savings Time this weekend! As we had just arrived in the UK we had no idea, and nobody said a word. So we missed the whole thing, by one hour. Huge challenge, emotionally, for Tom especially, but we pulled together and refused to feel sorry for ourselves or bitter. We still got to join the party back at Trixie's afterwards - something else he thought would be too hard for him but turned out not to be - went and did a bit of shopping (with expert advice from 14-year-old Genevieve, quite the fashionista), and took the kids out for dinner.

Generally - Tom and I are enjoying each other and having a great time. Will post more later. People who pray, thanks for keeping all the stuff with meeting-the-kids before God! I so appreciate it. Will post some pictures too. Next, we are hoping to do some more ministry networking: make appointments with a ship-ministry guy named Brian. He had a new ship on the Thames and we are hoping to go see it. A yacht, really. Also left messages with mutual friends Jay and Teri from whom I first heard about Tom and his ministry vision many years ago. Wonderful people and I have been in their home but I have to admit we have never really clicked; I pray that this time we would! They get back from a trip Monday night and we hope to run into them Tuesday and ask for some time together.