Visitors

Underhills, Raines (the Raines are in our front room, of course, or may be not)

When I was a boy we didn't have many visitors and when any did come it was always a special occasion that I enjoyed. I've tried to think why. It's not just that we would often have cake I'm sure. It was more the novelty of having someone fresh in our home talking away about different things. There is an argument to say that time more or less stands still when you have visitors. You have to catch up eventually, of course, but while the visit lasts it's "magic time".

I say this following two welcome visits last weekend from overseas visitors. First, last Saturday we had our friends Mark and Abby Raines here with their children. Mark studied at LTS some while ago and then served as an assistant here for a year before heading to America, where they have been for the last 10 years. Abby is from the Philippines and they met in London. Mark works in the Reformed Baptist Church in Holland, Michigan. They have been over celebrating his parents fiftieth anniversary. it was great to see them.

Then last Monday we had a welcome visit from Keith and Priscilla Underhill from Nairobi, Kenya. Keith was a student in Aberystwyth once upon a time but has spent his life preaching the gospel in Kenya and is a latter day Apostle to Kenya, if we can use that phrase without any non-cessationist overtones. It was my privilege to preach there the year before last. They have been visiting their grown up children and others in America and the UK and very kindly popped into visit us en route from Hayes to Southend. They seem to be thinking of retirement back here in a couple of years time