Spanish Interlude

Here's the house where I'm spending the last two weeks of August. It's a peaceful place, where I can spend lots of time reading the Bible, praying and generally seeking God's will for the months that lie ahead. I'm also enjoying the warm weather, the swimming pool and the leisurely walks on the beach with the dog. On Sunday evenings, there's a house church meeting here, and last week I was the guest speaker. My topic, appropriately enough, was about holding on to Jesus in the changing seasons and transitions of our lives. As it says in Songs 3 vs 4b: I held on to Him and would not let Him go. Several people in the group were in the midst of times of transition, and so it was good for us to remember that the nature and character of God are unchanging, and He is always trustworthy in every season and situation.

Coming and going

I can hardly believe that I've been back in Scotland for almost a whole month. Of course, I usually come for a visit at this time of year, but this time it's different: this time it feels kind of strange to realise that Europe is no longer someplace I come for a "visit" but is soon going to be my new home.
This week, I go back to Africa for one last time. I'm going to be travelling up to Malawi to give some workshops (on child and youth ministry) there. I'll also have time to finish packing up my things in Cape Town so that I can bring a big suitcase of stuff back to Europe with me when I return at the end of August.
At the time of writing, it's still not confirmed where my new base will be. If you're interested in finding out more, you can check out this blog again over the coming months. Thanks for your prayers during this transition time. (The photos, by the way, were taken during my years in Africa.)

A new beginning...

Well, I've been back in Europe for only twenty four hours, so you'll have to wait just a little for more news from me. Those of you who missed my last Africa postings can check out my old blog: www.barbinafrica.blogspot.com