Back to 'normal'

Earlier this week Matthew made his way back to Hebron. Daniel left the week before for his mock exams which are now over. As a 'reward' for having to go back a week early, the A Level students can enjoy a long weekend at the beach. There is often some little story (sometimes quite big stories!) when our boys travel here and there. This time (despite having everything clearly written down), Matthew managed to get off the train at the wrong terminal at Narita Airport in Tokyo - but after a quick call home, he managed to sort it out. Many folks we speak to here are amazed that our boys can travel all the way to India and back on their own - something they have been doing since they were 12. They usually see it as a great adventure and enjoy all that international plane travel has to offer. Sometimes they meet up with friends from other countries at one of the airports en route. We send them off with all the information they need, hopefully enough money for all they need, and secure in the knowledge that they are met by an escort from the school at the other end. Most of all though we send them off knowing that God goes with them and he sends his angels to look after them (probably more than we know). We always look forward though to the first e-mail to let us know they are safely there - but being boys that's not always the first thing on their mind! We miss the boys when they are gone but know they are at a great school with great staff. And Lorna is already looking forward to her visit for half-term in April - no doubt with more travel stories to add to our collection.

On the move - again!

It has reached that time of year again when our older boys are on the move, this time returning to Japan for the winter holidays. They are in Tokyo and will head up to Sapporo tomorrow - two other boys (as well as Mum and Dad) are eagerly awaiting their arrrival. It is always fun to have these weeks to be together and catch up. Schedules are adjusted; work commitments scaled back (somewhat); and precious time is spent talking and listening, often in the case of of teenage boys lasting late into the night! Daniel and Matthew enjoy the adventure of travel. They also look forward to such mundane pleasures as McDonalds in the airport, though it seems they checked out Starbucks during their stopover in KL. That seemed to be partly for the coffee but more for the wi fi connection (until they discovered the whole airport had wireless access). It won't be all rest though. Daniel goes back to mock A Level exams in late January so the textbooks will return too. However, before that we can enjoy Christmas together. Having said that though, just as two boys come back, one goes off for a football tournament in Yokohama. But that is another story which can wait for another day. Meantime we look forward to this weekend when we are once again a family of six all under the same roof.

On the road (and in the air)

This week David, Daniel and Matthew have found themselves at Agonda Beach in south Goa on the west coast of India. It's a gem of a place, just a very quiet town with a few guest houses, beach huts and restaurants with a wonderful beach and sea. Local traffic consists of scooters, cows and wild pigs. Week one of the half-term break is always busy but week two gives the chance for the boys to unwind, have fun and enjoy some different food (as well as quite a few treats!) We are staying in a very simple guest home just a minute's walk from the beach run by a Catholic family - there is quite a Catholic heritage in this part of India. For Daniel it is not all play as he has to do some study for GCSE exams which are coming up fast. It's always good to have these days together and this time we are with two other families (one Swedish and one Australian) working respectively in Bangladesh and Calcutta, so we have rich times of fellowship and conversation over the leisurely evening meal. Tomorrow however the journey home begins with an overnight bus journey back to Ooty. After a couple of days there, David has the joy of two consecutive overnight flights to look forward to, with a day in Singapore in between. Our lifestyle is certainly unusual, but never lacking in different experiences.

The travel adventures - again!

Today Daniel and Matthew began their long journey back to India for the start of the new school year. Despite a delay due to a typhoon in Tokyo, they arrived safely there and after an overnight stay at the OMF Guest House, will fly to Bangalore via Bangkok tomorrow. They will arrive in Bangalore around midnight Indian time (3.30 in the morning Japan time) and travel up the long, winding road to the school - 36 hairpin bends! Although we've had a good time together over the past six or so weeks, it's never easy to say goodbye and be separated again. The little brothers also miss their big brothers. Yet we so appreciate Hebron School and all that it offers the boys educationally, spiritually and - just as important for our boys - in sport! We commit all of our boys into God's hands and look to him to grow them and shape them through all the different adventures and experiences they have. Our lives are continually filled with adjustments and adapting to new situations. But we serve an unchanging God who provides for all our needs.

journeying adventures

Last Thursday saw Daniel and Matthew start their journey home from Hebron. 7 hours down the mountain to Bangalore, 4 hours to Bangkok, another 6 to Tokyo before a 1.5 hour bus journey across the city and a 1.5 hour flight up to Sapporo. The question we always have is "What if something unexpected happens? Will they cope?" Well on the flight to Bangkok, Daniel was woken by Matthew announcing that he'd been sick - VERY sick. The stewards helped with that, but in Bangkok Daniel was faced with the prospect of sitting next to a smelly brother for another 6 hours before they could get their luggage for Matthew to get changed. What to do? Enterprising Daniel dragged Matthew off to the nearest duty free shop and sprayed him liberally with sample perfumes (male perfumes Daniel hastened to add!). So it's great to know that God has given our boys initiative and the ability to handle the unexpected! Now we are enjoying family time together for the first time in our new home in Sapporo.