It has been quite a while since we've updated the website with any real new news! As I have a bit of time off I will reflect on the last year which has been one of the busiest years along with one of the most difficult.
Many of you will know that we were expecting a baby most of last year and he was due to be born in September. Baby Seth was born asleep on 19th September 2008 at 12:10am. You can view his picture and find out more information here.
We were expecting to be in a somewhat different position than we are now but God is still God and He is still good. We are so thankful for our church family who provided meals for the first two weeks after the event happened and for the many people who prayed and prayed for us. Your prayers are precious to us and to God. He has heard them and he has answered according to his great mercy. We have been mercifully sustained and incredibly blessed in the midst of such awful circumstances. If it weren't for the prayers of the saints, I don't know how we would have gotten through it all.
On the Baptist accreditation front, Ian will now have to undertake a two year church-based college course at Regents Park College, Oxford. This will give him the Pastoral skills he needs to become a newly accredited minister in the Baptist Union of Great Britain (BUGB). He is meeting up soon with one of the tutors soon and will discuss all the options.
Other than that, work at Oxford will still continue. Both of us are incredibly grateful to the employers at Oxford for allowing Ian to continue there part-time. The money that job brings in is so incredibly needed!
Esther, is currently deciding what to do in terms of work. In light of the current financial climate, it doesn't look like she will be able to continue in the job at the estate agents. However, she will be teaching drums at a local school and at home. She will also offer Music Theory and violin lessons too.
Church life continues to keep us both busy with Ian and Esther both leading the music once a month and Ian continuing to take charge of the young adults, the music, the website and our house group. As far as the music is concerned a new development with the singers is in progress. He will be coordinating people to sing in groups of four every Sunday. While this will take a little organisation, it will be a worthwhile venture in the long run. Christmas choir will start up in December and Ian is busy finishing off the arrangements for that too.
Oscar, the Jack Russell, is still as crazy as ever. However, Esther has been taking him on some really long walks and all he does in the evening is sleep! Just the kind of dog you need, a lap dog. He still gets violently upset at the doorbell so we discourage people from using it!
We will update the news page more regularly in the future. Ian may even make it regularly enough so that there is cause for an RSS feed!