What’s In A Season?

This is Spring in Ergli! We are loving it but since this was taken the thaw has started so we look forward to a bit more warmth out doors. If you are a follower of this blog you will have perhaps noticed that nothing has been posted for some time. Well, let me explain. On 5 March we watched our belongings packed into a moving van, jumped into our car and followed that van on a long and arduous journey to Latvia. We hurried across the channel through France spending a few hours sleeping in Belgium on to the Netherlands, Germany across POOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNDDDDD, Lithuania and finally Latvia where we lost the moving van as we rushed toward HOME!! Arriving in Ergli, Ian and our friend Bruce went hunting for the van and Bruce found it. Then Ian was missing and after a 22 hour mararthon drive we worried for his safety, so Bruce went out again looking for Ian. After what seemed forever Ian turned up and Bruce was called to come back. Kim and Bruce had lined up a crew to help unload and this was done in one hour though it took 4 hours to load in Hastings. After the big UNLOAD we went to our friend’s Ian & Joanna’s flat to crash. They were in Cyprus enjoying some warm weather and left the keys for us to use their place while we made some order in ours. On the Sunday we surfaced about 11 am and went gently into our day ending it in the church service that evening. There we caught up with other Ergli friends.

Now three weeks later we are in our flat still doing DIY and sorting living spaces and boxes. Boxes are slowly being opened and emptied. As I write Ian is putting the finishing touches on the plumbing for our shower, oh joy, our own shower after 3 weeks. We have bathed in the meantime but mostly at the kitchen sink. Saturday was a big day as the washing machine went into place in our shower/utility room. Yes the doorway is a little rough around the edges but so is our whole flat. We rejoice over every job done no matter how small. Soon I will post pictures of our beautiful kitchen that has become our living space. It is the warmest room in the house with our wood stove heating wonderfully. We are so happy here and though there is much left to do we are feeling settled and glad we made the move, despite painful family problems in England but God is working on our behalf and we leave it all with Him.

We know we are where He wants us and we also know the enemy doesn’t like it and is using family members who have sworn allegience to our enemy. But we remember that our enemy is not flesh and blood but powers in high places and Jesus has already won the victory and no weapon formed against us shall prosper.

I couldn’t wait to share the pictures of kitchen so took these a moment ago. As you can see the cupboards are lovely but the walls remain unfinished. This is our next project with tiles above the sink and walls prepared and painted. When Ian finishes the bathroom and is no longer using my work counter for a tool bench I will take a picture of the other wall in the kitchen.

This is our wonderful wood stove cheerily burning away the boiler at the back sends hot water flowing through the radiators in the rest of the flat. My desk chair is snuggled up near the radiator in our office — no pictures yet too messsy in this room.

 

So this is us loving Latvia and enjoying our quiet life waiting for lambing season to start any day now and then watch out. Life will jump up several gears for certain. Ian recently carved into his shepherd’s crook, “THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD.” We realize this more each day as we listen for his voice in the quietness here in Ergli, land of soaring eagles.

Flowers and Farewells

Sunday the 22nd of February was our last service at St. Leonards Parish Church. I had the privilege of praying the intercessions and serving the cup at communion.

Before the service started I was thrilled to greet 2 of my colleagues from Reader Training who came to say good bye. William and Christo took time out of their own busy schedules to be with us at this momentous time. Willaim brought the lovely red roses seen in the first picture above. Today a week later they are still fresh and lovely. The yellow flowers immediately above were 3 big bunches from the church. They are gracing our mantel piece also fresh and lovely. I do so love cut flowers and these two bouquets were extravagant kindness in deed.

At the end of the service our Vicar, Mike asked us to come up and invited others to join us and pray for us, it was a very moving time. After the service an International meal cooked by several in the church was shared and enjoyed. During this time we said our good byes to as many as possible. It was a large dose of reality, we really are going to Latvia. A new season begins.

On Thursday, my birthday, we took the train to London to visit a left hand drive car dealer, hoping to find a 4 x 4 to drive to Latvia. The previous Monday we had attempted to drive there but Ian had a bad spell and we had to turn around and go home. All of that was part of God’s plan, we see now. When we arrived at the dealer, after a hefty trek,  sitting in the open door of the garage/showroom was a 2004 diesel Land Rover, Freelander. It had JUST arrived from a full service. There were a few other cars we had come to see that had been on the website so we wandered on into the building as the owner encouraged us to have a look around. We looked at all the others but were drawn back to the one sitting in the doorway. 

We had prayed that morning that we would both know if there was a car for us at this dealer’s.  The dealer, Tass, originally from Greece (albeit, 40 years ago)was helpful and informative without being at all pushy. While we had been looking at the others he had printed out the information/sales sheet on this one. We knew it was within the limit we had to spend, hoping to exchange our little Peugeot. Tass opened up the car and we got into a beautiful chammy coloured leather/suede interior with all the bells and whistles. While Tass went to answer the phone we both agreed it seemed like the one for us. Tass then took us out for a test drive as Ian wasn’t certain about driving in London. When we arrived back Ian took the wheel in the courtyard and tried maneuvering the car. It handled very smoothly and while Tass left us to talk to each other we prayed together for confirmation from our Father and depending on the dealership taking our car in trade we went in to make the purchase. As you can see from the above picture we struck the deal. It may sound like an ordinary event but we can assure you it was a God move all the way.

The previous week we had travelled to Hampshire to another left hand drive dealer to look at Jeeps. The whole experience was horrible. The vehicle we went to see had obvious signs of being in a flood. When the salesman tried to start it, it wouldn’t even turn over. He then took us around the lot to show us other Jeep models but didn’t have the keys for any of them and most of them were as Ian said, poorly shod.  We were made to feel like the poor relation and not valid buyers. Now that sounds all horrible and at the time it was but God  . . . .  we had prayed that morning for discernment and if we were not to buy we would know it. Well we knew it and though disappointed at the time felt God was a very present help. You see it is all about timing and this all had to happen so that our choice could  be available to us at just the right time.

We had first contacted Tass at Transeuropean Carriage Co. a few weeks before but because it was in the middle of London we thought we would try the place in Hampshire. Also, earlier Tasss had no Freelanders that have the smaller engine and also no diesels in our price range, again God’s timing. By the time we decided to go he did have other Freelanders but in silver, my least favourite car colour. I had told Ian that if we had to have a silver one I would put esthetics aside to get the car God had for us.  How gracious that we have a green one, an unusual shade of colour for the Land Rover. Going to a very cold clime he also arranged for us to have a heated windscreen and heated front seats. Ian has driven it the last two days and is doing fine even with the left hand drive difference. You see on top of it all, the car was delivered to us for free and our car picked up in return. We then had the privilege of meeting George, Tass’ partner who drove the car down to us. So we are praising our Gracious God for such an amazing provision.

Today, Sunday, our mover Stephen came down from Bath to cast a professional eye over our ’stuff’ to make certain the van he planned to use would be the right size. He determined that all was well and we load up about noon on Thursday, 5 March. We will probably take 3 days and 2 overnights to get there but the good thing is Stephen knows the way as he moved our friends Val and Roger last year to Stelpe, Latvia. That is about an hour from Ergli, our village.

 Our friends Ian and Joanna are having a bit of holiday and a bit of consultancy in Cyprus until 17 March so we will be able to stay at their flat while we get our selves a bit sorted  out. What a blessing. Also our friends Kim & Bruce will have our flat warmed up with a good fire going for the actual moving in process when we arrive. We only need phone them when we get into Latvia. More blessings from God.

So in these final days we are packing  like mad and flat packing as much furniture as we can with one hitch, we have misplaced Ian’s handy little battery screwdriver and that has really slowed him down. Hoping it turns up tomorrow. Next blog will be from Latvia but I am not certain when. So we leave the seaside for the rural life all set with God’s choice of car for us, complete with a rear mounted full size spare one of my requirements for style and practicality, and Christo, if you read this our lovely little car came from Cornwall, isn’t that just so special?