Hi all!!  Sorry it's been so long since my last post.  I did intend to keep the Blog up to date during 2012 but here we are in 2013 and not a single posting in 2012!  What can I say?  It was quite a year!
What I CAN say is that on the 20th January, yes in less than three weeks time, Janice and I are off to DR Congo again for a four week trip.  God has been good and given me back the strength to return to DRC.  This time we will be staying for two weeks with a Congolese family, our friend Mele and his wife Rose. Mele is the Director General of the nursing college where I worked.  This will be followed by two weeks in the interior with the WEC founded church to celebrate their Centenary.
Enough introduction.  I have added below the text of our 2012 Christmas Letter to give you a flavour of our year:-
Our annual family Christmas/New Year weekend was delayed until early February this year, when we were then able to celebrate John's wonderful recovery from his open-heart surgery in December to repair a leaking mitral heart valve. We are so thankful that there were no post-surgery heart complications, and he surprised everyone with his quick return to normal activities! In fact he was such a star that, in the summer, he was chosen to take part in a teaching demonstration for a Medical Heart Conference at Harefield Hospital, which involved a group being filmed while demonstrating the aftercare physiotherapy sessions of Cardiac Rehabilitation in the gym!
More celebrations during the year included the birth of a great-granddaughter, Lily-Rose in September; a friend’s wedding on the Isle of Wight, where we also celebrated our 56th Wedding Anniversary on the same day, where the Reception was a wonderful experience at Osbourne House! We toured the island for a few days holiday, and remembered our last visit there 41 years ago, taking 6 children age 2-14 years [5 of ours and one extra!] in our minibus/dormobile and camping for two weeks at Freshwater, and visiting places!
Other celebrations included joining friends and family for 2 Golden Wedding parties, and three 80th Birthday parties....and various birthdays of children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren! Grandson Alex [policeman] reached the milestone 21st Birthday!
But, sadly we also attended several funerals of dear friends and family during the year, including Services to celebrate their lives. In particular, Janice's cousin Linda, who had lived her life so bravely as she battled with leukaemia for 9 years, including the sudden death of her husband in 2004.
We enjoyed all the Olympics. The Olympic torch, carried by Michael Vaughan, passed nearby on its way to the Uxbridge Sports Centre near us.....we joined with neighbours to cheer him on!

Peter earned a Silver Medal and money award for his exceptional work at Heathrow, when he was part of a chosen team from their workforce, to assist paralympians off the planes, and back on again at the end of the Games! Although he has dealt with numerous disabled passengers during his 13 years at Heathrow, his experiences with the paralympians surpassed it all.....blind, deaf, one leg, no legs, one arm, no arms, cerebral palsy etc...or a combination of several disabilities...with the happiest and strongest people he has ever dealt with! His stories and hilarious experiences were many!
Our big news for 2013 is: we are visiting D.R. Congo again! Leaving Heathrow on 20th January and returning 4 weeks later on 20th February. We had to cancel our previous mission trip planned for October 2011 due to John's heart surgery being imminent! Since then we have been continually asked “When are you coming again?" Many of our Congolese friends have prayed for John's health, and we've received Emails or text messages throughout the year. Some of the English translations have been amusing; and if in French, then WE have to do the translating! Fortunately none come through in Swahili!
In particular they want John to do some more work with the computer system at I.S.T.M, the Nurses training College in Bunia [sorting out viruses is a main request!]. A new college building, nearer the Mission Hospital, was completed during the year, built on the remains of a derelict building. The London Male Voice Praise Choirs and others contributed money to provide solar panels to give more stability for electricity and they were installed during the year. They are so grateful for this help, and never cease to send their thanks and blessings to all who donated! We are looking forward to seeing and working in the college.
Janice is also looking forward to visiting the Hospital and the School for the Deaf where she had a lot of contact. They also have a new building.....but don't imagine 'new building' as we would know it here! But it is larger and better and cleaner than the very old, small hut where about 40 or so profoundly deaf children of all ages were crammed in, but taught to an excellent standard! I hope I don't get a surprise gift of a live chicken this time, but at least it wasn't a goat, which had been their first choice!
We will have a new experience staying with a Congolese family....our friends Mele and Rose and various children! Mele is the 'Directeur General' of the Nurses College. With our friends Doctors Nancy and Philip we have been for meals in their house, and worked with them during our previous visits, but we will be 'going into the unknown' this time! We can just about get by with their limited English and our very limited French.....but we are sure there will be a lot of laughter and fun!

We will stay for 2 weeks working in Bunia, and after that we will join a group of missionaries, including Nancy and Philip Wood, travelling across DR Congo by road and MAF planes on what is called a 'Prayer Walk' through the heart of Africa from Bunia to Isiro, following in the steps of C.T.Studd, where WEC missionary work first began 100 years ago! We will meet with Christians in Churches, including a large church in the tropical rain forest. Also visiting other places of interest and giving encouragement for the future as they celebrate this centenary. Our accommodation will be pretty simple and varied, but we know that the Congolese people everywhere will welcome us and be thrilled to share their homes and experiences with us.
We are now practicing for our Male Voice Choir's Christmas engagements, in which we are both involved as usual. The fellowship with the men and their wives is still a big part of our lives; as is various work and friendship within our Church. We are thankful to God and our friends and family who give us joy and support.

We hope to have a family weekend together in the New Year before we set off for the Congo, and we are thankful that our family are all well at the time of writing, and busy in their various work and home lives. Julia and Chris are planning a move to Salisbury when they sell their house in Devon. It will be nice to have them a bit nearer to us!
As always, our thoughts and prayers are with those of you who have been bereaved this year, or suffered health, work or family problems.


God Bless you all,

With our Love and Best Wishes for 2013,