02.07.2008
Due to several of reasons, we depart from my aunt’s place, Bury St. Edmunds at 4:45am this morning. We drove all the way from Bury St. Edmunds to Walsall thinking we might need about 3 hours to get there as we drove about 3 ½ hours to get to Bury St. Edmunds from Nottingham. However, we reached Walsall at 7am and by the time we found a petrol station to fill up the tank, we called our host to let them know that we have arrived. Our host only manage to come and pick us up from the Car centre about 9am. Obviously, we not only woke them up, but we have ‘spoiled’ their normal routine.
Our host is a very lovely couple, thought old in age, but they are friendly and we were told, everybody in Walsall knows them. When our host brought us back to their house this morning, we were both shocked by the beauty and the size of the house. It’s a huge house they got and behind the huge house, it’s a huge garden. The garden is well maintained with lots of lovely, beauty flowers and plants. We were amazed by the scenery and seriously, I wasn’t able to believe my eyes for at least 3 seconds.
After our breakfast, we brought our luggage to our room and when I first entered the room, I was shock as we not only have our bedroom, but also changing room and a bath room as big as our room. Once we got ourselves ready, our host brought us to the church to meet with the rector and some other church members. We also joined them for the inter-church prayer meeting where I met with the new rector of St.James, Brownhill. We also learned that, our host was a surgeon or rather, a specialist (gynaecology).
After the prayer meeting, we went for lunch at The Vine Restaurant, where we were being introduced of the work there at The Vine. The Vine provides services for the young people/youth that are not accepted by any school, community, etc. At The Vine, young people who want a second chance will come and study, learn all sorts of skills, etc. Just for them to get at least a certificate for them to move on.
As we woke up very early in the morning, we then gone back home for a rest. After the rest, we joined the Deanary’s service at All Saints, Buxwach, which is about 15 minutes from where we live. We had lots of fun at the church and after the church where we had our ‘dinner’ (the typical after church, English buffet dinner). Just before we left, our host realised she might have lost her handbag as she placed it there for a little while when she went to pick up some food. It’s a terrible incident, especially to the old couple. I am sure this kind of incident rarely happens to them and they were lost for a while of what to do next. We both ended up have to guide them through by asking if they have called the phone company to cancel the line, whether they have called the banks, etc and whether they want to lodge police report, etc. Etc. The saddest thing was, she lost her only photograph that’s taken with her mother and her grandfather and also her sisters and brothers. I can see how sad she was as she didn’t really bother much about reporting the lost but she wanted so much to get the photograph back instead.
Seeing them in their helpless stage and we couldn’t do much to help, we went to bed instead.
Just for your information, these few days.... has just reminded me on things, so much things, incidents, etc. Etc. That happen years ago... which I am quite sure now that, it has really hold me from ‘growing’. Sad to say, the impact was so ‘strong’ that I choose not to remember them for at least past 7 years. Things that are so familiar to me... somehow reminded me that, it was about 7 to 9 years ago... and it’s not ‘yesterday’ anymore although it seems just like yesterday. It’s hard, really hard to describe further of how and what I am feeling now. The feeling is seriously ‘weird’. This place ... like it’s my home... a place where I am so familiar with, which I have not come back for a long time and finally when I come back, and it didn’t change much, and it is just like... I am back to ‘home town’ kind of feeling, if you got what I mean.
Oh well, I still have 3 friends has yet to meet up with and I MUST meet them soon. So, yes, I hope I’ll be free this Saturday afternoon and evening, so that I can meet them up in the afternoon at least. On Sunday, I will have to do a sharing about our church, Christ Church and our vision. Next Monday, we will be at Swanwick for 3 days for the mission conference and I am sure by then, another week will have gone past. So, yes... soon, I will have to ‘return’ to the reality and faces the cases lies on my table and mind.
My nose irritates me a lot these few days. So, do pray for me on that. Apart from that, let’s pray that the theft or robber will not enter this house tonight or anytime before they have change the lock as they house keys are in the handbag and also, a diary consists lots of details are also kept in the handbag. Goodness... guess we really spoiled their normal routine, didn’t we?
Well, time to bed...
00:24 03.07.2008
