We’re having a nice time here in Wales. On Saturday we left early for Tywyn in West Wales where our middle two have been on their week’s camp. It was nice to see them and other parents we know picking up their kids. I also saw my niece Charlie briefly. The boys had a fine time getting to the top of Cader Idris, bivouacking, going to a climbing centre, hearing Gwynne Evans on Paul, etc.
From Tywyn we headed through the rain via Tal Y Llyn deep into the Welsh heartlands and to the home where Eleri’s brother-in-law Glyn was brought up in Llanfair Caereinion. Glyn and family were at his parents briefly before he headed off to lead an EMW camp over in Quinta. Rhodri, my eldest, joined him for the trip and we trust they are having a good time.
Meanwhile back here in Aber we realised that we hadn’t collected everything from the Tywyn Camp and so Eleri and Dylan made another round trip while I did laundry duty. By the time they returned, Fflur and the three children were here and had gone with our two youngest down to the front. There was a rock concert at the castle which we could here up in the manse – it didn’t sound too hot.
On the Sunday we headed south in sunshine, first thing, via Cardigan, for Clarbeston Road, Pembrokeshire, where I was due to preach at Bethany Free Church. I first attended the church when I used to come to church camps down in Amroth as a boy. I have preached on one or two occasions before. (One of the elders, a SASRA reader, and his wife, reminded me that I had previously preached 11 years ago when their 11 year old son had just been killed in traffic accident.) Bethany is not large but with some holiday visitors the place was pretty full. Among those present were David Norman and Ruth Jones who have been labouring in Tasmania for many years now. Formerly a minister in the Grove, Camberwell, David is from the area and had come to see his mother during statutory long service leave from his church. He said he’s just bought my book on Proverbs, which was good to know.
I preached on Psalm 3 in the morning (a new sermon) and fell back on an old sermon on Dorcas from Acts 9 in the evening. Doing a new sermon in a new place made me a little hesitant in places sadly. The morning meeting was followed by communion. I didn’t have a Bible with me and the pulpit AV was too big to carry down to the table and so I gave Paul’s words in the NIV from memory. I’ve learned them simply by dint of repeating them twice a month for over 20 years.
The church would gladly have given us hospitality but we took opportunity to visit our friends Ian and Hanna just down the road in Haverford West. My former assistant Ian was recently inducted as an evangelist in Hill Park Baptist. It was lovely to seem them and their little boy Filip (who our boys just love) again in their new house in Baring-Gould Way. We had good fellowship Sunday afternoon and evening and on Monday morning as they very kindly put all six of us up, by retreating to a futon in their front room.
We wanted to do something nice on the way back to Aber and Hanna put us on to the Pemberton Chocolate farm, deep in the real wilds of Pembrokeshire, near a place called Llanboidy. Once more I have been impressed with the greenness and the beauty of the vast Welsh countryside as we passed through places I had mostly never heard of. The chocolate farm is a small business that took over old farm buildings around 30 years ago and has been set up in such a way that you can see something of the luxury chocolate making business firsthand. A young man called Rhodri (there’s a nice name) introduced the whole thing and then we walked through a sort of window lined tunnel observing the work going on as a CD commentary accompanied us. My favourite fact was that chocolate is the only substance that stays solid at room temperature but liquid at body temperature – hence that wonderful melting feeling. We were rewarded with a chocolate to dip at the end of the tour. We also watched an interesting film about chocolate making, viewed the few other things on show there and (as they hoped I guess) spent ₤15 on chocolate gifts (plus more on fudge and sweets). So not amazing, but a nice morning, helped by the fact the weather just about held. More here.
En route home we popped into Aberaeron for chips and an ice cream and were back in Aber by around 3.30 pm. Most then went to the beach, while I had a wander, reading and enjoying a coffee before food later on. Ah, easy days!
From Tywyn we headed through the rain via Tal Y Llyn deep into the Welsh heartlands and to the home where Eleri’s brother-in-law Glyn was brought up in Llanfair Caereinion. Glyn and family were at his parents briefly before he headed off to lead an EMW camp over in Quinta. Rhodri, my eldest, joined him for the trip and we trust they are having a good time.
Meanwhile back here in Aber we realised that we hadn’t collected everything from the Tywyn Camp and so Eleri and Dylan made another round trip while I did laundry duty. By the time they returned, Fflur and the three children were here and had gone with our two youngest down to the front. There was a rock concert at the castle which we could here up in the manse – it didn’t sound too hot.
On the Sunday we headed south in sunshine, first thing, via Cardigan, for Clarbeston Road, Pembrokeshire, where I was due to preach at Bethany Free Church. I first attended the church when I used to come to church camps down in Amroth as a boy. I have preached on one or two occasions before. (One of the elders, a SASRA reader, and his wife, reminded me that I had previously preached 11 years ago when their 11 year old son had just been killed in traffic accident.) Bethany is not large but with some holiday visitors the place was pretty full. Among those present were David Norman and Ruth Jones who have been labouring in Tasmania for many years now. Formerly a minister in the Grove, Camberwell, David is from the area and had come to see his mother during statutory long service leave from his church. He said he’s just bought my book on Proverbs, which was good to know.
I preached on Psalm 3 in the morning (a new sermon) and fell back on an old sermon on Dorcas from Acts 9 in the evening. Doing a new sermon in a new place made me a little hesitant in places sadly. The morning meeting was followed by communion. I didn’t have a Bible with me and the pulpit AV was too big to carry down to the table and so I gave Paul’s words in the NIV from memory. I’ve learned them simply by dint of repeating them twice a month for over 20 years.
The church would gladly have given us hospitality but we took opportunity to visit our friends Ian and Hanna just down the road in Haverford West. My former assistant Ian was recently inducted as an evangelist in Hill Park Baptist. It was lovely to seem them and their little boy Filip (who our boys just love) again in their new house in Baring-Gould Way. We had good fellowship Sunday afternoon and evening and on Monday morning as they very kindly put all six of us up, by retreating to a futon in their front room.
We wanted to do something nice on the way back to Aber and Hanna put us on to the Pemberton Chocolate farm, deep in the real wilds of Pembrokeshire, near a place called Llanboidy. Once more I have been impressed with the greenness and the beauty of the vast Welsh countryside as we passed through places I had mostly never heard of. The chocolate farm is a small business that took over old farm buildings around 30 years ago and has been set up in such a way that you can see something of the luxury chocolate making business firsthand. A young man called Rhodri (there’s a nice name) introduced the whole thing and then we walked through a sort of window lined tunnel observing the work going on as a CD commentary accompanied us. My favourite fact was that chocolate is the only substance that stays solid at room temperature but liquid at body temperature – hence that wonderful melting feeling. We were rewarded with a chocolate to dip at the end of the tour. We also watched an interesting film about chocolate making, viewed the few other things on show there and (as they hoped I guess) spent ₤15 on chocolate gifts (plus more on fudge and sweets). So not amazing, but a nice morning, helped by the fact the weather just about held. More here.
En route home we popped into Aberaeron for chips and an ice cream and were back in Aber by around 3.30 pm. Most then went to the beach, while I had a wander, reading and enjoying a coffee before food later on. Ah, easy days!
3 comments:
Do you always preach when on holiday? ~I turned down a request to preach in London at the end of August - for me it just defeats the object, makes you unable to visit the churches and see the family/friends you want to.
Also, I don't find it very relaxing!!
Only sometimes. I don't recommend it adn this one's a long story. Next Sunday I'm at home preaching even less ideal I guess. My family are very good about such things.
Hi Gary,
Enjoying your travel accounts. I've a long held wish to visit Wales on holiday sometime, and your photos are certainly an inspiration. I trust you'll be blessed by the rest and time with family.
God bless,
Andrew
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