Down to South Wales

Down to South Wales for part of the weekend. The weather was just turning so the sunshine added to it all. We headed off to my sister-in-law and family in Cardiff first and had a lovely time with them. We also visited my wife's cousin and family (where it's half in Welsh and I struggle to keep up) and I was able to visit my dad who'd been taken into hospital with gall stones the day before. He looked quite well by then but morphine is wonderful thing.

The main purpose of our visit was to be in Hill Park Evangelical Baptist Church, Haverford West, for the ordination and induction as evangelist of Ian Middlemist who, after 2 years at LTS was my assistant for seven months last year and this. The fairly elderly church is pastored by Gareth Edwards. They recently sold their original premises that had been used as Sunday School rooms and are using the proceeds mainly to finance Ian for two years. That shows vision.

I preached from Acts 26 and Paul's commission - a good place to turn I felt, though not one I've heard preached from in that context before. See it here. There were about 60 present - church members, local ministers, family, friends, etc. There was a nice tea to follow nearby. I did preach in Hill Park one summer about 5 years ago. I'd forgotten that I had a broken leg at the time - but they all remembered, of course, and were glad to see I'd recovered! Going back to Wales is always slightly strange for me. It's like you know it all (what they haven't changed) yet you don't belong in it. I tend to feel like that anyway so when there's real reason to do so its even stranger.

I'm planning to be back in Cardiff again this week - to see Jan Akkerman who is performing solo and is supported by a young man from Cwmbran (Gareth Pearson) who it turns out is the son of a fellow I was in school with.