Tuesday 30 December 2014

Backblog!

Now is the time to catch up on some of the things I have been doing since the last blog.


Upon returning from 3-Generate, I was immediately off to Iona, where I had been invited to lead a Quiet Week in the historic Abbey. There were 12 retreatants, from Britain, USA and Finland. We spent the week learning and praying together.













Iona has been a place of prayer since St Columba first landed there in 563, and the whole place is soaked with the sanctity and devotion of generations of the faithful. I was pleased to be allowed to place a Conference candle on the altar of the Abbey Church.













Then to Haiti, with the Methodist Relief and Development organisation, All We Can, to see some of the work of the Methodist Church of Haiti, particularly with respect to health care.
With Rev Paul, the Chair of the Haiti District, also Dr John Harbottle, a mission partner serving in Port au Prince, and Maurice Adams, CEO of All We Can

Visiting the dispensary at La Saline Clinic, part of a campus containing a Methodist Church, a school and a clinic

With Yachelle Watson, from Jamaica, newly ordained as Deacon, and now stationed in Port au Prince




In December I had been invited to preach in Sandal, Wakefield, and was delighted to be joined by three former Vice-Presidents of Conference: Peter Howdle, Susan Howdle and Richard Vautrey. Also in the photo is Rev Barry Lotz, minister at Sandal.
Here we are in front of the biggest Christmas tree I have ever seen in a church!