Actually, I have been in Plymouth for two days and not been anywhere near the Hoe yet. I thought I might be suffering from log-deprivation, but I have been too busy to notice [plus our Hotel which is brilliant in every other respect, charges a lot for Internet access]
After a somewhat fraught journey down on Friday –lasting over 7 hours, instead of predicted 4 we finally got here. Thank you to County Tyres Motorcare of Alphington Road Exeter – who not only put our car up on the lift and sorted out the problem promptly, but then said “Oh, no charge, just make a donation to the lads Coffee Fund”
So we are here at the Annual Baptist Assembly, theme One World One Mission. Main meetings in the Pavilion Centre, a mere stone’s throw from the hotel [and many of the meetings are actually in the hotel] so I am not straining my knee with too much walking.
Only taken one photo so far
This is the Pavilions [and at this point I am halfway back to the hotel!]
I will probably blog some more about the content of the Assembly later. Today I am just checking in! My knee was aching this morning, so the Pastor advised me to skip the first session and go for a swim instead. Which meant as well as a lovely swim, I also had a good conversation with Julia, a nominal Anglican, about the importance of missionary work and the need for ‘churchgoers’ to be able to relate to ‘ordinary’ people [her words] – and then returned to the room found the cleaners busily working. I offered to go away but they said I wasn’t in the way.
So I sat on the chair and we chatted about why I was here, and Freeset Prostitute Bags and things. Last weekends Conference Delegates apparently left their rooms in filthy states. Praying hard that the Baptist delegates are a better witness. When they moved on, dragging Henry the Vacuum behind them, I thanked them for keeping the room so pleasant. One said “Thank you for taking the time to chat with us. Most guests ignore us or treat us like dirt”
Feeling that I have probably been more use here in the hotel than I would have been sitting in another Bible Study! [see Bob’s blogpost last week about people at Bus-Stops]
It is good to catch up with friends. Slightly alarming when two people said “That’s the skirt from the blog!” and other people have said they read the blog [and I never knew] Very conscious of friends not here, especially Roger Martin, who died a year ago and was due to be our President.
I shall save this post now, and hope to post it later in the day. Hoping that wherever you are, you are having a great Sunday - thinking especially of KM where Brian is about to start the morning service, and of two other friends whose church-life has imploded in recent days- God bless you, and may your time of worship be a good one, whatever the circumstances.
Lovely to hear from you - and so much to think about. We spent many Easters in Torquay, at Easter People, but as an Exeter-girl I can't imagine that Plymouth could be as pleasant as Torquay! PLymouth is just the-City-that-isn't-Exeter, as far as I'm concerned.
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear of your conversations, all of which were indeed probably more valuable than another Bible Study (although you need the studies to keep fueled-up, I agree).
I think you probably did more good talking to the cleaners, than being in the conference, what a difference you will have made to their day. How sad to think that they are perceived as 'non people'.
ReplyDeleteTake care of that knee, swimming is good for it, not too much walking though.