We visited London, Bedford, Westbury, Yeovil and Bath, finishing our tour with a couple of days at my parents' house in Chesterfield. My lovely parents had travelled with us from Bedford onwards to provide chauffeur, baby-sitting and technical services where necessary, and it was great to have their help and to spend time with them!
It was a bit of a whirlwind of a journey, but we had a great time. We were wonderfully welcomed by all those who hosted us, and all the different meetings I spoke at went well. I'd been invited to church services, special meet-the-missionary meetings, a mum-and-toddlers' group, a group for retired people, home groups and meals.
After 4 years working in Benin almost non-stop (obviously we had some holiday during that time, including 5 weeks in Europe in 2013), it was really encouraging to be able to talk to interested people about our work, show photos and answer questions. We know people are praying for us when we're in Benin because they tell us so, but it is really special to be face-to-face with those people, to connect personally again and to pray together in person.
As an extravert, it isn't always easy for me to work in an office for hours on end. So this people-focused part of our work suits me well, and I have found myself able to come back to my desk in France re-fueled and re-enthused for my work on the biblical text.
I didn't manage to get many photos of me speaking, but here I am being projected onto the big screen at St John's church, Yeovil. (Photo credit: Judith Brookes. Video credit: David Matthew.)
And taken out of chronological order, here are Eve and I at the beginning of our tour in London. (Photo credit: random passer-by):
