During
our early months in St Ann’s Chapel we visited several churches
in the area, all of which made us very welcome. We prayed for
some indication of where God wanted us to be, although neither
of us had a resounding directive about any of the places of worship
we had visited. We visited the King’s over a period of four months
- the warmth and sincerity of the people we met, together with
the immediate inclusion into church life, made us both feel that
we were where we should be.
The
following months brought major changes in our family life. We
left behind in Andover three married daughters - one with a grand-child,
the other two expecting for their first time. In addition, our
two youngest daughters left England to travel around the world.
eace
and tranquillity? Not quite. From being at the heart of our family
and very much involved in their life experiences, the transition
to life with just the two of us has been one of the most difficult
to come to terms with in relation to coming to the West Country.
Each time we experience a change in life we know some adjustments
will be required, this time we were able to prepare with prayer.
As
part of church fellowship, we were invited to a weekly house group.
The people there have really helped to integrate us into the area
and also support us in prayer. Both Vivienne and I were grateful
for the encouragement and strength we received by sharing and
praying with fellow Christians.
Oddly
enough Vivienne was more at ease with our younger daughters’ worldwide
adventures than I was - which is strange, as normally Vivienne
worries for both of us! But she had given her concerns to the
Lord, and in return he had given her peace. Although not consciously
doing the same, I too received peace from the Lord through Vivienne.
For
me it has certainly been a period when some
of my perhaps strongly held views have been refined. We both know
that God has used this time to guide us to how he wants us to
be; in obeying we hope we are one little step closer in the refining
process of our Christian walk. We also sense there are going to
be other significant challenges which we could not have considered
previously with the high level of family commitment we experienced.
We
have settled in our house with all the tasks that need doing and
are delighted in the fellowship of Tavistock Community Church.
Our two daughters that were expecting have given birth to fit
healthy boys and our two youngest globetrotting daughters have
continued their journey with God’s hedge of protection around
them.
Barry
ast
year I and my wife Vivienne moved from Andover, Hampshire, to
embark on a new experience in the wilds of Cornwall. This
was our first move where none of our five daughters would be moving
with us. My initial thoughts were peace and tranquillity at last.
Love
Thy Neighbour (i)