Theo's first Christmas

We've had Betsy's family up from Bromley for the week and joined in many festive activities including Barb's birthday, going away parties, church services and excursions. Here is a clip featuring our family, and especially Theodore's first Christmas.

Merry Singing Christmas Card

Christmas Blessings from Larry and Barbara

We've interwoven some of our wanderings with this carol recorded by Jack

The Refugees in Greece

The sad truth is that war disrupts entire regions and the Syrian War is no exception. It affects bordering countries like Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq and Turkey and then the refugees are smuggled on ships to Greece and the EU. We handed out hundreds of falafels one night to a group camping in front of the Greek Parliament demanding free passage to other European Countries. Of course this can't happen but the desperate people all have a story and a dream for the future of their families. It is a good opportunity to pray with them and talk about our hope for the future in Jesus who is preparing a home for us in the heavenly Father's house in the Kingdom of God. We are reminded this Advent season that Jesus was homeless and sleeping in the open and can relate to the poor and powerless living in our world today.

 

The Parthenon near our hotel

 

Discipleship Group

 

Words form the Scripture

 

Bulus and I

 

Cheap Falafel

 

Home Visit

 

In front of the Parliament

 

Thanksgiving times two

We had two Thanksgiving dinners this year. One the Sunday before in Bromley and one Chinese hotpot on Thanksgiving day. Here are a few highlights of our experiences.

 

 

 

 

On the Ganges

Rajshahi is a city of kings situated on the Ganges River before it crosses into Bangladesh and on to the sea. Here I rode in my first battery operated rickshaw and saw first hand the silk making process. My purpose was to bring revelation, deliverance, and blessing to these young people just starting their lives with Jesus.

Rickshaw

 

Ganges

Puzzle

 

Feasting

 

Annointing

 

Local Shrine

 

 

 

Silk Factory

 

Dalit Fellowship

 

Shrine Entrance

 

A Father in Egypt

I spent a week in the desert between Cairo and Alexandria speaking to a lot of young people on God's Father Heart, a subject that hit the mark. I made a lot of new friends and exercised my listening skills.

 

Morning Exercise

 

Creative Prayer Time

 

New Friends

 

Welcome Home

 

Thanksgiving

 

Girls

 

Guys

 

Season for Students

We've been giving quite a lot of time to students these days. Barb's English students, the University students, Dts students and Bds students. May the Lord take these seeds we are planting and cause them to grow and produce fruit for the Kingdom

 

 

 

 

Weekend on top of the World

Our Bridge team has joined coworkers in Switzerland to put on a training school for about 6 young Arabic speaking adults. We joined them for the weekend to share about God's Father Heart and the sun came along for the ride.

 

 

At the Ski Club

 

 

Hungry Students Arrive

Hundreds of hungry students arrived for classes at the University of Bedfordshire Luton this week so we put on a BBQ for them outside the Treehouse Chaplaincy. I couldn't keep the burgers coming fast enough!

 

DTS helpers

 

Burgerman

 

Pass the Pickles

 

Windmills and Canals

Some students and I went hiking on a hazy day on one of the oldest trails in England called the Ridgeway Trail. Here we saw the Pitstone windmill and one of the signal hills of ancient times called the Ivinghoe Beacon. Later,  Barb and I hiked along the Grand Union at Marsworth, where we read some amusing James Herriot.

 

 

 

 

 

Theo in the Dales

 

Thanks to our Ywam organization we were able to enjoy a cottage in the Yorkshire Dales. The weather was good overall and we hiked more than Alathea wanted... Still it was a great time with family and we watched Theo as he did so many fresh things like swinging, rolling, and eating rice cakes!

 

Sunshine on our shoulders

 

Rice Cakes!

 

At the Cafe

 

Stylish Hat

 

He's getting heavy!

 

Yippy Skippy

A clip of the skip!

 

 

Craft Garden

We did a special craft from various odds and end collected over weeks. It was a group project of creativity.

 

 

 

Kensington Kids

"We arrived at Kensington and we went on the boat and had lots of fun." says Sophia, which means she climbed the crow's nest and walked the plank! Then we went to the Italian fountains where they got wet with dad. Just the beginning of a week with the Grands.

 

Shiver me timbers

 

Ship ahoy!

 

oooweee!

 

Dad and his Girls

 

What is he looking at?

 

Theo times 6 Months

 

He's coming along by leaps and bounds this boy. It's hard to keep up with the changes but here are some of the first six months of the little man's life.

Clare

Clare is another one of those Suffolk towns full of old houses that have been remarkably kept. Barbara was taken with the Ancient House built in 1473. There are castle ruins, an Augustinian Priory, and an ancient church all near the small Stour River by which we read more of David Copperfield after visiting the Friday morning market in Sudbury.

 

 

Sudbury Flowers

 

A Morris?

 

Clare Market Cross

 

The Bell Pub

 

The Ancient House

 

Go About Your Business