I never thought it would come to this, but it’s here. I’m currently sitting in the Roberts hall at KGGS for their end of year service. After 18 years and 9 months as the Bridges director this is my last schools event.

To say I feel sad doesn’t even begin to come close.

Mark.

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Well, this time it does mean what it says. Those of you who have been in the “close loop” of contacts will have been aware what has been happening over the last 6-7 weeks. For the rest of you, I’m afraid this may come as a bit of a shock. It’s come as a shock to us as well. Last July, when Debbie was first diagnosed with her cancer I had one of those intense times with the Lord that you never forget. I prayed and asked that He would be gracious and spare her. I wasn’t ready to do this alone. If He had been trying to tell us something and couldn’t get my attention I was sorry. Would He please forgive me and try again. I made a covenent promise that when it was all over, whether Debbie was still with me or He had called her home, I would do whatever he asked. If He promised to speak in a way that was obvious, I would promise to do whatever it was. Even if that meant moving the family to the ends of the Earth. I then had a most intense sense of peace and a feeling that everything would be OK. The Lord was then gracious and allowed me to forget what I had said. I was to spend the next year concentrating on and supporting Debbie.

Over the last 6 or so months Debbie and I have been praying and asking the Lord what we should really be doing next. What of those things we used to do should we start up again. What new things, if any, should we now be thinking of starting. During this time, several openings came up in town and surrounding area. This would have easily sorted funding issues and allowed us to remain in Grantham without having to go to Chesham each week to provide the extra money we need to survive. Although they were interesting, nothing seemed quite right.

At a Bridges Exec meeting I shared these things, and the Lord recalled my earlier promise. It was the only time I had shared it with anyone. We prayed together for some time. At the end of the meeting I decided to check my emails before going to bed. (sad, I know) An email had arrived while we had been praying,  with the mention of a job.  This seemed so different to our current callings that we tried to dismiss it as just being a nice idea. However, our spirits seemed to testify that we need to do something about it. It also arrived at the same time as notification Debbie’s last hospital appointment.

So, over the next week we wrote our CV’s. That’s something I’ve never done before, and Debbie hadn’t done for over 20 years! We posted them off, not expecting to hear anything. Anyway, we did, so went off for a first interview. We had a nice time, and the first night without the children for 17 years. Much to our amazement we were called back for a second interview. The email arrived whilst camping in a field with our friends from HPPCC on a family canoe trip. We were told that there was one other couple under consideration. Debbie prayed on the Monday before our second interview that she really wanted to know that this job was for us. She didn’t want to be chosen just because it was hard to decide between two families. Would the Lord please make it obvious to us by telling us to drop out, by encouraging the second couple to do so. On the Tuesday morning we received a phone call saying they had!

So just over a week ago we had a very pleasant day with the trustees and were invited to take up the roles. Knowing just how the Lord had lead us to this point (there are so many more God incidences that it would fill pages), and my earlier promise, I knew to decline would be nothing short of disobedient, so we accepted. So what is it we are going to do?

Bassenfell Manor Christian Centre is 6 miles north of Keswick in the Lake District. It is a 70 bed residential site and Debbie and I have been appointed as the Assistant Manager and Manager, responsible for the day to day running. If you want to know all about it then go to the website and have a look. There’s so much I could tell you about it, but it’s easier if you use the web.

So now we are in the panic state of finding schools, packing belongings and saying farewell. It hurts so much to say goodbye to so many people. To visit schools and speak at leavers assemblies knowing that we are the ones leaving, after so long, is a pain that I can’t even begin to describe. We’ve probably spent more time crying in the last week, than not. Yet we know the Lord is leading. It is right for us to go, and it is right for those left behind that we go.

We will miss you all.

Love

Mark, Debbie, Rachel, Samuel and Sarah.

Thank you to everyone who has sent donations for the “it’s your move” books. Trusting that enough money would come in I went ahead and bought them anyway. I now have 2 large boxes, with 400 books, cluttering up my house. All I’ve got to do now is distribute them.

God bless

Mark

I’ve just got back from a very tiring week in France with the National school. To see what we got up to go to http://thenationalinfrance.blogspot.com

Mark

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Well it was a long year, but it is finally over. Debbie had her last radiotherapy treatment this morning. We can now get on with living the rest of our lives without being tied to a hospital. God has been truly gracious to us. Someday the whole story will come out, but for now we just want to celebrate the new freedom.

Thank you for all your love, support and prayers over the last year.

God bless

Mark

That was an amazing hour. Along with Rev. June Rowland and Rev. Tony Pick I made up the third victim for year 6 grilling session. The idea was that they prepared some questions in advance and got us to provide answers. Some of the thinking behind the questions was so deep and thoughtful it would put many adults to shame.

For example:

If things happen according to God’s will, why do we pray for them to be changed?
Why did God choose Mary to have Jesus?

It was good fun.

God bless

Mark

This is really a chance to catch up with everything that has been happening recently. So much to do, so little time to write about it!

I have to start of on a sad note. Last Friday, Debbie and I attended the funeral of Eric Bowring. Eric was formally the deputy head teacher at Grantham Church High School. Three years ago he was told he only had 6 months to live. Well he sucessfully proved the medical profession to be way out with their estimates. He was finally called home in the early hours of good Friday. Even though he hasn’t been at school for so long, the place still won’t seem quite the same now he has gone.

We’ve had a couple of assemblies in the last week. The first was at GCHS, and was their first since Eric’s death. I always seem to get the short straw! I marked the occasion by talking about tea bags. The second was at Marston. There I managed to get away with wearing my jumper the wrong way round and a pair of dirty socks on my hands. I won’t tell you what it was all about. It’s funnier if I leave to make up your own stories to fit.

Sunday saw me speaking at the St. George’s Day service at St. Wulframs. They all seemed to enjoy what I had to say. It was rather chaotic though as It coincided with Rachel’s baptism in the morning. We had a house full of guests for lunch, and I went out! Debbie is very understanding.

More to follow soon.

Mark

Well that title got you worried. Or it may have had you dancing in the isles. Whichever it is, I’m afraid it doesnt mean I am leaving Grantham. Rather, it’s time for me to ask you for your money again.

The booklets for year 6 called “it’s your move” are out again. So if you want to sponsor a couple of books we would love to hear from you.

Mark

Last week we took Sarah and a friend ice skating in Nottingham. A fairly innocuous event really, except. Whilst I was whizzing round the ice with the girls, I’m not sure who was looking after who, Debbie was taking pictures. In deciding to get a better vantage point she went up a staircase. At which point she was spotted by a security guard. The upshot of this was she had to go and sign no end of paperwork to get permission to take photographs. So for the rest of the afternoon she had to sport a bright orange badge identifying her as an “official photographer” so she could take family pictures on a low resolution camera phone. Whilst all around people were using high spec digital cameras to do exactly the same.

The world has gone Mad!

Mark

Well it was another early morning but at least it wasn’t snowing this year. It even managed not to rain. About 50 of us gathered in the park at 6:30 in the morning for an Easter sunrise service. The only thing that was missing was the sunrise. It just stayed a dull grey colour. However, it was good to all gather together and celebrate that Christ is risen.

Maybe next year we will get to see the sun.

Mark