Miscellany From This Past Week

This past week has been stretching, but good.

On Tuesday, an online grocery order I (Kim) was counting on was cancelled an hour before we were expecting it to arrive. This left us with about 1 piece of moldy bread and 1 sip of curdled milk in the house... and two hungry children staring at us. It all turned out OK because after a successful trip to the Tesco up the street, I arrived back with a double stroller full of food, including chocolate chips! Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies were required immediately (and veggies for tacos for dinner that night):

A couple days later we all went to register with a doctor's surgery (office) in town. Doctors' offices around us are just converted residences - like the one below. I think when sick I'd feel better JUST upon arrival!

After being helped by a really friendly staff member at the office, we decided to go back up to the main road and take a look at the historic church in town, St. Mary's. It's a beautiful church dating back to at least the 13th century. It's actually so old it's origins are unrecorded!

view from the street

The doors were open (and usually are) for visitors to see inside

An organist practiced while we walked around and read the many memorials

graveyard behind the church

Then Friday, we had a "first" for us here in London: RAIN! It was all we'd hoped it'd be:

Saturday we enjoyed a BBQ at LTS welcoming new students. We ate burgers and sausages and I - a little nervous to try something too new - made up a fresh batch of cookies to share. I think I can speak for Robert and I when I say the BBQ was such a breath of fresh air for us both. It was a great chance to mingle with other new students and get excited about the task the Lord has set before us all. I loved getting to talk with the other wives - I found solidarity with the brand new ones and encouragement from the ones who've made it through their first year. Robert got to talk a little theology with the other men. The girls got to run wild with the other children playing tag and picking berries.

Nigel (UK) and Johannes (Germany) manning the BBQ

L to R: Halbo (Netherlands), Kim with baby Isabelle, Giovanni & Paulo (Italy)

children picking blackberries from a bush in the LTS courtyard

the fruit of their labors (Meg has berry juice all over her face)

A good time was had by all. If possible, we are even more excited about the next two years of study and preparation.

Today we worshipped at the church attached to our seminary, Kensit Evangelical, and found another warm, welcoming Christ-centered congregation. I feel like my Saturdays have been the dark before the dawn; a little sad and lonely and purposeless and our Lord is so faithful to give me such joy and perspective through corporate worship and fellowship on Sunday.

girls hiding all their toys in the bed after lunch

Tonight Robert is attending an evening service at Westminster Chapel. I'm trying not to be too jealous as I get to go there myself on Tuesday to seek a place with a local BSF.

This week truly has been stretching for us. One reason is that it feels sort of like a free-for-all everyday with the little ones. The days seem to stretch on (and stretch our nerves) but we really do wake up to new mercies every morning. And we know God is working in us, weeding out the bad and taking away the dross, and we are thankful.

To quote another blogger, Rachel Jankovic, in one of my favorite posts, "I do not want to be praying that God would make everything easy. I want to be praying that God will make me strong... We want to lean into the refining fire - because we want for all the dross to be burned out. Lean into the fire of God. Trust His purpose for you."