Good news

After a week of ups and downs we got the go ahead to go out to Jos yesterday and today received our e-tickets for the 10:15pm flight on Friday, 3rd August from Heathrow to Abuja.  We'll arrive in Jos (all being well) on the Saturday morning but we'll have to stay in a guest house for the first couple of weeks as the house we've been allocated by TCNN still has rather a lot of work needed to make it habitable.  At least we'll be out just before term starts at Hillcrest School on Wednesday, 8th August and in time for James and Ruth to take the assessments for which grades they'll be in on the Monday. 

Bad News

We've been counting down to Thursday, 26th July when we hoped to be leaving for Nigeria. 
Today we were told that our departure has had to be postponed due to terrorist activity and the threat of more trouble in Jos and the surrounding area.  There's been credible intelligence from both expats and Nigerians that something's brewing and it's not advisable to send new families into the region.
Needless to say we are all very disappointed.  We do believe that God is in control and will work out his purposes despite the schemes of evil men but it is hard to remain in this holding pattern.  It brings home to us yet again that we as Christians are truly engaged in a spiritual battle where the hope and help we want to bring to others can so often be attacked.

Someone I know recently went back to church for the first time in ages.  She was amazed to find that some of the songs were two of her absolute favourites.  Perhaps it was just a coincidence or perhaps God was saying, "Welcome back, I'm glad you've come."
Whether she'd been in church that Sunday or not, the songs would still have been sung but she would have missed God's message of love to her.  How often we live our lives refusing to accept the gifts and tokens of love God desires to give us.  It's crazy really but stubbornly and willfully we all do it and miss out on so much.
We were travelling again over the weekend, seeing more of my family before we head off in 9 (!) days.  I'm very glad we went but the repacking is still hanging over me (hence the early morning post - perhaps more sleep will come once it's all done (again)).  On Sunday we enjoyed our time at the definitely not boring Baptist church in my sister's small village near Cambridge.  It was alive, friendly and minded to spread the good news, both overseas and locally, a good example of the fact that no Christian's got an excuse - God isn't calling us all to go abroad but we can all get involved in some way. 

Visas!

Last week our passports arrived complete with Nigerian visas.
On Monday the plane tickets were bought - we fly out from Heathrow on the night of Thursday, 26th July and arrive in Abuja at about 4am on the Friday morning.  The only problem is that we were under the impression that we could take a lot heavier cases than we actually are permitted so, despite all my careful packing and weighing, everything has to be sorted out again and about 8kg lost from each case.  Hopefully it'll be a bit easier this time but I'll be really glad once I can unpack the cases and leave them unpacked.

Rest & Recreation

 As promised here are some photos of the part of England where we're all relaxing with my parents before going out to Nigeria. They're not quite as spectacular as the ones from Scotland, it is Lincolnshire after all and rather flat, but they have their own beauty.

 The first four were taken in the fields behind my parents' house on the Isle of Axholme. Their village is only about three miles away from Epworth where John and Charles Wesley were born.  John used to ride along their road on the way from Epworth to preach in Wroot.

Yesterday Fraser and I got away for a night as a belated wedding anniversary celebration.  Only about an hour's drive away is the beautiful Peak District where we stayed.  We may have been walking through low clouds but it was well worth it.  Thanks to Mum, Dad, James and Ruth for giving us the 24 hour pass.