Recent Activities Mostly in Wales

In recent weeks it has been quite busy. I am working on a big project for May and besides the regular work in the church I have been speaking elsewhere. A week back from last Friday I was down in Sussex. Firstly, I was in Halland where I had been invited to eat with a ministerial friend and his wife and then I spoke in Hailsham Baptist on the missionary David Brainerd. It was gratifying to see such a large number gathered and I think I was able to get across something of that great man.

Then over this last weekend it has been a great weekend of blessing. It began last Thursday night with the journey to Aberystwyth (Eleri, my youngest, the dog and me). There we stayed with my oldest son and his family. We arrived late but we had much of the day with them Friday. Another son, currently studying in the university, also came over.
Around 4 pm Eleri and I headed east again, this time to Bala where Eleri was taking part in a ministers' wives conference organised by EMW. My daughter-in-law and an old friend up from Pembrokeshire came with us. There was a good turn out at the conference with something like thirty or so by the Saturday.

At that point I left Bala and went further east to Pentre Halkyn near Holywell in north east Wales. North Wales can look pretty amazing in the Spring sunshine. It was a lovely trip. I was heading for a friend's house but it's a while since I last went there so it took me a few tries to find the right door. Chris and Carol, who are members in the church in Denbigh, treated me very kindly to a lovely Chinese meal. Carol disappeared at some point but Chris and I carried on chatting away and listening to music. Suddenly it was 2 am and past time for bed.

In the morning we went for a MacDonald's breakfast and then I was away back west to Bala, over the hills and past the rocks and sheep. That morning Eleri was speaking in the conference - not something she has really done before. She spoke on how we use our tongues and got on well, I'm sure, despite a cold that with unhelpful timing had begun to come on back in London.

I arrived around twelve and had a brief cuppa and then lunch with Eleri's cousin. He and his wife have been running the conference centre Bryn-Y- Groes in Bala for some time now, and very well. A big building project begins in September.

Having had a little break after lunch the ladies reconvened and it was my turn to be introduced and to speak. I managed to convince them that Eleri and I know one another quite well, despite some slip ups. I spoke on the second half of Proverbs 31 seeing the woman there not as an impossible challenge for women but a description of wisdom, wisdom found only in Jesus Christ.

After a cup of tea and cake the conference slowly dispersed until only our hosts and Eleri and I were left. We had a lovely evening with them talking.

On the Lord's Day I preached in the local church in Bala. I decided to go for texts - Hebrews 2:3a and Romans 8:28. The Word was much appreciated.

Eleri and I then headed back to Aber where Rhodri was busy with the students, including his younger brother. Also with them was a girl I knew is the daughter of an old friend from my youth. It was nice to chat with her. Earlier on I got the change to read a bed time story to my grandsons. I used the two books I wrote for them a few years ago (The boy with four uncles and The boy with a Z in his name).

This morning we (Eleri, Owain, the dog and me) left at a not too early hour. We drove to Watford Gap services where I joined my father-in-law, Geoff Thomas, for the drive to the Banner Conference in Yarnfield.