In and Out of Wales

Strangely we had to drive south back past Wrexham where we had only just come on Wednesday. We headed through Cheshire and into Northern Wales but only for a short time and then we found ourselves welcomed back into England again. We're staying just outside a village called Chirk. The home-schoolers that we know here are a family we couldn't connect with five years ago, it just didnt seem to work. However they reminded us they did transport a suitcase for us to London in 2005. The Birds have a small business selling home-school books, so they travel about quite a bit to do this, on Saturday they will be in the North of Scotland attending the Highland Games where they will both be participating in the Marathon events. Lots of people we know know them, so its really great to meet them at last. Their home is White Cottage, one of a row of cottages built immediately on the road side, an extremely narrow strip of tarseal which runs up the hill from the river. The small hamlet is surounded by hills of fields of long grass, and dark green forests. At the bottom of the lane is the small river, which is the border of Wales. The Birds own another house a short way down the hill from where they live, which they use for storage, and for visitors. It's kind of like what we would call a batch but it's actually been someone's home for a hundred and fifty years until now. It's very kind of them to let us use it and we are having a very pleasant stay here.

I've been doing a bit of smocking on blue gingham for a four year old girl. And this evening I found time to re-cover my bible, as it had been looking quite tatty. We went for a walk in the evening up over the hill, and were swooped upon by four inch bats, (not brick bats). Now Pete and I have seen bats before, but Nathan.... or shoudl I say 'I' because, Nathan, (me) is actually the scribe tonight, this lol... cause mum cant type fast : -) so, Nathan was quite scared (sure...).

It was semi dark, and the moon was luminous. Well, actually there was no moon in sight, but it was still luminos... And I'm pretty sure it felt luminous... Or maybe it was the single street lamp...

As it was nearing to 10:00pm, we desided to turn around and go back to the cottage, as being stuck out in the dark, on a narrow road, with bats and mosquitos flying about, sight seeing was not first class priority.

Nathan, (me) kind of wrote this with Mum dictating (kind of like Napoleon... kinda), and decided to 'spice' it up... ooh! So, exuse the, well, the New Zealand-ish-ness of it : -)

I had to do some editing on Nath's scribe work! : -)

We went to the Quinta church where the pastor, Digby James is an expert on George Whitefield so Peter had a great time with him. During the afternoon we had a walk along the canal and over an aqueduct as well a sthrough a 1/2km tunnel where the canal runs under the railway. A splendid walk and good weather to boot. It turns out that Peter's cousin Cyril and family have just had a holiday on a barge on this canal.

The evening meeting was in a home and here Peter gave a seminar on Rest Home Ministry.