This Time Last Year... a Foretaste

This time last year we were ... in England!

We started our journey in Bury St. Edmunds staying with those lovely Jolleys. Matthew and Kristen were the most considerate hosts you could ever hope for - opening their home, taking us everywhere, buying us donuts, really just our heroes the entire visit!

They showed us around Bury - think of the most charming English town and then multiply that by 100...

Walking through the town centre

historic church and gardens

ancient abbey ruins

Then Matthew took us into London to visit the seminary he had attended. We loved the people and the program, but deep down felt like it would be a long shot for us to go there. Everyone was busy as it was their first week of class, and yet they all made the time to answer our questions. It still shocks me to realize that we're actually living here one year later and Robert is starting classes tomorrow!

Robert was able to sit in on a lecture

We then met up with some pretty fun folks in the city:

We did a little sight-seeing ...

... had a little bite to eat ...

... and watched a little Les Mis! SF!

Early the next morning we took a train back to Bury St. Edmunds... but stopped off in Cambridge to visit a very dear friend, Michelle. She was our long-standing babysitter extraordinaire while my family lived in Cambridge and then for 1 year in the US.

After a few more meetings in Bury St. Edmunds, we met back up with those same great friends in Oxford. We talked with a few ministries in the area and really enjoyed the short time we had with them.

touring Blenheim Palace

looking out over the city from the top of a historic church

The night before we left, we were welcomed for dinner by another American family in Oxford - one that we'd never met before but cheerfully took the opportunity to feed us and answer MANY questions! It was the best way we could have closed such an exciting but overwhelming trip.

And we flew back and watched God provide abundantly in every way over the next 11 months. He has guided and He will sustain us. We want to record all He has done so that we will remember His great faithfulness!

Robert still journaling upon our arrival back in the US