About Me

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I was commissioned as a Church Army Officer in 2000, and spent 9 years working in parishes, mainly with children and families. In 2009, I began ordination training at Ripon College Cuddesdon. I married Clare in July 2000, and our first child, Nathan, arrived on September 22nd 2010.

Friday 21 August 2009

Settling in at Cuddesdon

It's just over a week since we moved in, and we finally have Internet access again! It took a little longer than expected to get back online, and it's made me realise how dependent we can become on it if we're not careful...

The move went as well as can be expected, although we had a lot of fun trying to get furniture up the very narrow stairs! A number of items had to be taken apart and reassembled...and the bed didn't make it at all! That is now being stored in the college loft (covered with a plastic sheet, as there are a number of resident bats there!) and we are using my brother's spare bed, which comes completely apart, so could make it up the stairs!

We're mostly sorted here now, and it definitely feels like home, even with it being so much smaller than our last home in Biggin Hill. Give it a few more days, and we should be in a fit condition to receive visitors!!

There aren't that many people around the college at the moment. Last year's 1st-year students are mostly on placement or holiday, but we have met a number of them, as well as a few other early arrivals in my year (including one person who was at my old church youth group at the same time I was - what a small world it is!) One nice thing about Cuddesdon is that there are 3 summer socials a week, which has helped us get to know people - there was a BBQ two days after we moved in, for example. We also have morning prayer at 9am during the week, which I've been going to - it's a good discipline to get into before term starts (although it will be a little earlier than 9am then!)

We hope to have a few days away at some point before term starts, but no definite plans yet. Another advantage of having online access back - so much easier to check out what possibilities there are for cheap short breaks!

Finally, thanks to everyone who has sent us a "New Home" card - they are all on display, and are a great reminder of the fact that so many people are thinking about and praying for us.

Wednesday 5 August 2009

Update on the move!

Apologies for so little activity over the last couple of weeks. The move is now less than a week away, and we are up to our eyes in sorting, packing, trips to the recycling place, etc. On Monday of this week, we sent several pieces of furniture that won't fit into the new place to Give2Give, and then yesterday, some more went to my parents, who will be looking after it for the next couple of years. We hope that everything that is left will fit when we get to Cuddesdon!

Anyway, the move is happening on Tuesday of next week, so this will probably be the last post before then. Hopefully there will be a lot more time to blog after the move is all completed!