Morgan Family Travels - 13

Hello again! Its actually been a really pleasant (though slightly busy week) this week. We really enjoyed seeing my parents a bit more on Monday, when the girls and I (Heather) went with them to Grenwich (which is in the East End of London) to see an old tea clipper called the Cuttysark and the Maritime Museum and the Grenwich Meridian Line. We are becoming increasingly convinced that we are 'urbanites', and are really enjoying our opportunities to be in the city.

Mom and Dad left Tuesday morning, and we did various bits of catching up from the weekend, including purchasing Mum and Dad Morgan's birthday presents, as their birthdays (and my mom's, for that matter) will occur while we're gone in Scandinavia. Trevor also got a Berghaus jacket, so we are now both 'kitted up' for cold, wet weather - Scandinavia here we come! Canadian ski jackets are great in a blizzard at minus ten (or twenty, or thirty) celsius, but far less valuable at two celsius when its chucking it down with rain! The Berghaus jackets are goretex, which completely repels the water and is breathable at the same time, and they have a fleece that zips into them, so they're incredibly versatile temperature-wise.

Wednesday I spent the day with Davita in Croyden on a girls shopping trip, which was lots of fun, and a great time to get to know one of my sisters-in-law better (she's married to Trevor's younger brother, Edward). That evening I carried on into Covent Garden, which I suspect would be much cooler in the daytime when it wasn't raining (on a day when I'd sacrificed dryness for fashionability and left my above-mentioned Berghaus at home!) ;-)

Thursday was again mostly spent at home, though we went out in the evening to meet up with a bloke we'd actually first met on the train of all places. We had a really nice meal together and went and shot pool together (me for the first time ... I think I might enjoy it once I have the chance to practice a bit more). This guy's been a youth pastor for a few years and has a real heart and passion for evangelizing within youth sub-culture's, so he was really interesting to get to know.

Friday evening we put on a three-course meal for Trevor's parents to show off their new birthday presents from all of their kids - brand new cutlery! It was lots of fun, and the looks on their faces when they realised what the table was laid with was well and truly worth it! They haven't ever had new cutlery of their own - they've been far too busy looking after four boys, their wives and their grandchildren, so it was really nice to be able to give some of that back to them in thanks!

Today we had some friends over and the kids played together and the adults chatted, and then I did a photo shoot for them - the first one I've done since leaving Canada. I was worried I'd be horribly rusty, but it actually worked quite well once we got the batteries in my flash units re-charged.

Some thoughts that have come out of this week include the following:

1. We are coming to a greater and greater understanding of who we are as individuals and as a couple, and realising that that process is actually a big part of what we are accomplishing this year. It includes learning that we are 'urbanites'; that we both need to be continuously learning and developing our brains; that we need regular physical activity; that we need to carve out long periods of time for each other, because we are so much more effective in all the other areas of our lives when we've talked them through with each other, and also because our marriage is the most important relationship we have in our life except our relationship with God.

2. We've also been learning more about God - learning that He is who He says He is: God the Provider; God the Comforter; Abba - Father; God the Giver and Sustainer of Life; God the same yesterday, today and forever; God who Answers; God who Directs. It hasn't been in long meditative bible studies the last few months, I'm afraid, nor through great times of congregational (or personal) worship, but we have been getting to know God better by learning to weave Him into our daily lives, and desiring for Him to be leading our every step - and dependent on Him to tell us where to go, 'cos we have absolutely no idea!

3. We've been getting glimpses of a potential for ministry that would combine gifts of knowledge, teaching/discipleship, and apostleship together by encouraging, challenging and discipling church leaders. It has happened a couple of times in the last month or so that God has given us the opportunity to do this, and we are very excited about the prospect. We don't know whether it will lead to anything or not, but I think we are very hopeful that there is a place being carved out - and that we are being equally shaped to fit that place - for us to minister in long-term, even if it does not include a permanent location.

4. I look really good in a spiky-short hair cut! (pictures to follow ...)

We will most likely be completely out of touch while we are away (at the least, please don't be surprised if we are!) If we have the opportunity we may try to send out short blogs for the next two weeks, otherwise expect something after November 12, and I'll do my best to make up for the time without by being very thorough in my descriptions of Denmark, Norwary and Sweden.

God Bless!