More Adventures and Encounters . . .

When we took Granny to Heathrow a month ago, we looked at each other and confidently said, “Wow, we have more than a month left!” We’re not quite sure where that month has gone. We’ve tried our best to see everything that we had not yet seen in The Cotswolds. We have been out in the community as much as possible in order to meet people and hopefully engage them in conversation about our Lord. We have delighted in taking long (seriously long, 4-6 miles long) walks, over wold (hills) and vale (valleys), as often as possible to see this beautiful countryside, always encountering others along the way. And, we’ve eaten at as many pubs as we could afford to eat at in order to enjoy that one last Fish Pie or Bangers and Mash or yummy Stilton Cheese. (I, Brenda, am thinking that there is at least one more Fish Pie in my future before we leave here.) We’ve enjoyed the beauty and the taste of some of the most incredible gardens. Just last Saturday we opened our front door to find a bag of freshly harvested lettuce waiting for us.

Our day trips have taken us from ostentatious palaces like Blenheim Palace, where Winston Churchill was born and raised (and this is only the west face of the palace),

to walks through fields of cattle and sheep



to 12th century chapels hidden away in valleys


and more and more quaint little villages with beautiful churches.



We managed to take a real holiday and go for 3 days to visit Salisbury, Bath and Wales. The road to Salisbury took us by Stonehenge as well as the little village of Avebury which is completely encircled by those weird standing stones. Stonehenge was a bit anticlimactic since we were told by locals that the stones have been rearranged and some even stood up with cranes. Hummmm . . . you have to wonder what else we’re not being told. Bath is one of the most beautiful cities we’ve ever seen.It is a blend of Europe and England with gardens, cathedrals and 1st century Roman Baths. History records activity in Bath a century before Christ’s birth and this area is quite possibly where the first Christians stepped onto British soil.

While on our trip, we were asked by AIPM to travel to Wales to visit with pastor Geoffrey Fewkes and his wife Claris in Bridgend about the possibility of a small church in the mountains of southern Wales inviting an interim pastor to come from the States to help them.

While there, we drove some additional miles to spend a little time at the seashore. As we walked along that beautiful shore in a small seaside village we encountered a young man in a wheel chair. He was a recent amputee missing the lower part of his left leg. We engaged him in conversation about his dog and when he heard our accent and inquired, we had the opportunity to share with him what we were doing in the UK. He quickly informed us that he was an atheist. When asked what brought him to that belief, he said that there was no way he would believe “all the stuff in the Bible,” but he thought it was fine for others. The conversation that ensued was short and it was obvious that he was not interested in anything we might say. Disappointed, we continued on down the walkway only to come upon an elderly woman sitting in a motorized scooter reading a book. She could not have been more of a contrast to our previous conversation. She was a “strict Welsh Baptist,” but she and her husband (who only passed away last year) had decided to attend the Methodist Church in the village because the people were friendlier. She told us that her late husband felt that Welsh was the language that was spoken in heaven, so we told her that we would be looking her up when we got there to translate for us. She was a delight! We felt as though God blessed us greatly that day as He allowed us to see that in the midst of such spiritual darkness and apathy that His children are everywhere.

Later that afternoon, we stood outside a church in Cardiff that boasts one of only three surviving outdoor pulpits. When the 1904-5 revival began in Swansea,Wales, the churches could not hold all those who were hungry to hear the Gospel of Christ.
Churches began to build pulpits on their exteriors so that the preachers could preach to the streets as they were full of people coming to hear His Word proclaimed. What happened!? In less than 100 years, a generation now exists that knows nothing of God’s love for them. We have thought constantly that America is not far behind the UK. What will it take for our countries to turn their hearts back to a loving Heavenly Father?

The final day of our trip was spent investigating a 13th century castle in Caerphilly, Wales.
Not many towns can boast a castle sitting in the middle of the downtown area, but you can’t miss this one. Complete with moat and double walls, it is mostly in ruins now, but is well maintained and open for all to see.

As our time here is coming to an end, we feel that we have truly become a part of this beautiful place. Our neighbors and our church family have become dear friends and we are not looking forward to saying goodbye. At our regular Wednesday evening prayer time last night someone voiced the fact that God has truly changed their hearts. They can sense that through the study of His Word He has brought a renewed awareness of those around them and a deeper unity among them. The results are up to the Lord, but they are willing to do whatever He asks them to.

We hope to write one more entry on this blog before returning. As always, we love knowing that others are praying for us. Don’t stop! There is still work to be done.