Blog – Fri 26 Sept 2008

It is always sunny here it seems. I am sitting on a bench by the lake in the park typing this blog. Fish are jumping and a seagull is attacking the heron. People are sitting reading in the sun. Others are jogging round. Some ladies are walking or carrying ridiculously small dogs (about the size of a small weasel).

Here is some good news: at last we’ve received the cards to open the gate to get our bikes in and out of the block. No more carrying them through the main door, through the entrance area, through another door, turn right along the corridor to another door, down some steps in the dark, through another door, down some more steps, along a little path and through another door into the shed. Much less likelihood of breaking legs. And, of course, we’re no longer breaking the rules.

Both of us have completed a section of the language course and will, therefore, start in new classes on Monday (both with new teachers). I have reason to be scared as apparently my new teacher can talk at a rate of 3000 words a minute!

We have had some amazing opportunities to share the gospel recently, especially at college. In fact, I think that, for me, the last month has been the most fruitful time of personal evangelism that I have had since I was a university student (a few years ago). My teacher for the last four weeks is off to Japan for a month and tells me she wants to come along to the church one Sunday on her return as does one of the other students. We talked with a German student today (in a mixture of French and English) who is returning to Cologne tomorrow and have encouraged him to look for an Alpha Course.

We are making friends with the gardienne of the apartment block and her family (husband and teenage daughter). They are Portuguese. They invited us in to their flat for a coffee this afternoon.

Now we have an oven, Gill has had an extremely prolific week cooking, it seems, hundreds of cakes, some of which we both took into our classes today. She has roasted chickens and anything else she can lay her hands on (seagulls, herons, ducks etc). Seriously, it is good having an oven and a washing machine installed and we have started inviting people round to eat: two of Gill’s class mates came round the other night and we have a number of folk from the church plant coming round shortly to eat and talk about the new welcome team which I am going to lead (initially) and for which Gill is, of course, the consultant.

Our first meeting of the church plant is 5 October at 3pm. Gordon is preaching and I am anchoring. I wonder if we might have a full room on the very first meeting. Personally we think it is quite likely. The room is nearly finished (just in time).

I intend to write the next blog after the church plant launch unless there is anything particular to report in the next week.