Quite a wild night here and at 5 a.m. Gordon called to draw our attention to the lightning storm around the peak – it reminded me of the vivid dream I had perhaps 10 years ago and at the time I never realised that lightning was associated with volcanic eruptions. Now I have seen it. And everywhere is covered with light grey ash: it’s in the air; you can feel it on your head and the radio is encouraging people to wear their face masks. (I wonder if there are any spare ones around?) The partial evacuation of an area at night-time ordered yesterday in view of the increased activity will be reviewed again with daylight, in case the area should still remain closed. And Montserratians have to live with these conditions…

The winds are still high and very blustery. It will be better when daylight comes. But the period of relative tranquility seems to have ended.

Been away with Vicki for a few days to this island retreat and right now am sitting on the balcony of the apartment in the cool/cold of the evening overlooking the lights of Brades but it’s now too dark to make out Nevis on the horizon and too far away to see any lights on that island.  It’s been good to see something of our friends and colleagues, Gordon & Delores Mullings, and earlier today Gordon, with his children, took us to the volcano observatory. While we were watching a DVD presentation we were suddenly called out of the theatre to see real life drama – a significant eruption and pyroclastic flow pouring out of the dome area. It was a good job we were some 4 miles away just outside the exclusion zone.

While we have been away our thoughts concerning this strategic time in our lives have progressed and hopefully will continue to become even clearer. We have been building on ideas that have been coming to us in recent weeks but new perspectives have also emerged. It would be convenient had God simply told us what was next on his agenda but it continues to be a process of discovery and dependence on revelation – which I guess makes things more exciting, if you can stand the uncertainty! I’m reminded that over 10 years ago with Gordon and other friends in Barbados we did a ‘village mapping’ exercise as we sought to discern our identity as a group – ” a supportive group of friends that want to…” and we were not too sure what more to add! ‘Clouds of uncertainty’ surrounded our lives then and even now they seem to be an ongoing accompaniment to the life of faith. But en route God has shed light on the pathway and I’m glad we are still on the journey.

All being well we return to Barbados on Sunday.

A little while ago while entertaining a dear friend on a visit to the island we were amazed to see from our open-air meal table what looked like an eagle gliding by. Reference books indicated that it was an osprey – the first one I had ever seen.

Today while with the same visitor but when praying for and blessing his wife we were again amazed to see a brown pelican flying by the cliff-top seat – again the first one I had seen in flight and so close – before it dipped down towards the ocean and was eventually lost from sight. I recall seeing one only once before in 14 years of living here. It ‘felt’ as though there was some special significance in both appearances. Any thoughts?

We have had visitors for the last two weeks and been spending all spare time with them thinking through not only the shape of the church to come (as one does!) but our mutual futures in it all. Newly uncertain immigration issues here and the implications have made us begin to consider a possible ‘plan B’ for the first time if we are to stay in the Caribbean.   And the realities of now being without current Barbadian ID cards, after living here for 14 years,  have made it quite difficult to do things – like renewing my driving license (some tricky moments with the local police until one of them helpfully found a way forward) and the simple matter of issuing cheques. Of course it’s Christmas time and that means it’s always fun trying to organise ourselves (when Vicki is under end of term pressures) and gifts for our family a few thousand miles away. But although the uncertainty can be emotionally trying there is that sense of new things ahead, and that is exciting (if you don’t weaken!)

My good friend Willie Cuke (pastor) presided over the opening of Operation Mobilization’s new offices in Bridgetown, Barbados yesterday evening and about 2 dozen coleagues, associates and friends were there to witness the event. It’s good news for OM as Willie has long had a passion for overseas mission, good news for Barbados as this marks another avenue for the development of young people (“after 2 months on an OM ship they will never be the same again”) and it’s good news for Willie who, after a prolonged period of incapacitating ill health, is now restored and back in action. We rejoice with him in having taken over the helm of this organisation in Barbados.

Of course OM is well known for its book distribution – the arrival of the Logos in the island is a major educational and spiritual attraction – and this is likely to become more so as they begin in the near future to traverse the island in a purposely equipped book van… and, of course, samples were available for purchase on this occasion. I couldn’t resist one by Sarah ArthurWalking with Bilbo – but decided to safeguard my image (in danger of slipping with all this cycling stuff) by also getting ‘Father of Faith Missions – the Life and Times of Anthony Norris Groves’. I know you will humour my idosyncracies!

Enjoying Phil & Jean Iszatt’s visit and yesterday we were joined by Ted Crick who is also staying with friends in the Island. We all share a common history of being associated with the Stour Street Fellowship in Canterbury in the 1960’s and the subsequent house churches that developed from that in the 1970’s. In those days Ted was esteemed as a ‘deep’, solid and reliable source of Scriptural knowledge, prophetic wisdom and relationship with God. None of that seems to have been lost in his older years. He was enthralling us with stories of that Canterbury fellowship and it’s early links to Honor Oak, Halford House Richmond etc., and the work of T. Austin Sparks. I wish now I had copies of the early magazine, ‘A Candlestick all of Gold’ but all my copies have long since been given away. Ted was one of the influences and early contributors to Fulness Magazine and I’m glad that I still have the complete set of those – a real treasury of the house church movement in the UK. It’s a privelege to see this lovely man, now a widower, again.

As people have been asking I decided to post an update on our situation here. In about one month we will have been living on this wonderful island for 14 years and many will realise that Vicki has been teaching pupils of all ages and training teachers in the field of dyslexia/dysnumeracy for virtually all of that time, including regional work. And we have both been informally caring for churches, people, leaders and especially young adults, which was the main reason for our coming.

By 2002 we were granted the freedom of ‘Reside & Work’ status meaning that we could live here and do whatever work we wished, being no longer tied to specific ‘Work Permits – but that was for a period until May 2005 when we applied for Immigrant Status which we believe would last indefinitely. That application is still being processed and meanwhile we have to apply for ‘Extensions of Stay’ which have usually been given for 6 month periods but sometimes longer, sometimes shorter.

And so last Friday I got down to the Immigration Department by 6. 45 a.m. to be early in the queue – actually I was the fourth one there but after the usual total scrimmage (is that a word?) or stampede I actually got ticket number 7. So only 3 people managed to push in front of me. Last time quite a lot did and I lost my wallet to a pick-pocket – so this was a great improvement. Vicki and Mum caught a taxi down and joined me after the crush and in time for us to be seen quite early from a crowd of probably 100.

The system has changed. No longer does the receiving clerk approve (or adjust or otherwise) your application for an extension of stay and invite you to collect your updated passport the following week; the application is dealt with by a supervisor and so takes about 4 weeks instead of one. So our passports are held until the end of December and only then will we know what sort of extension has been granted. But we came away feeling relieved to have submitted our applications and come away fairly early (and not turned away or even deported as some friends have been recently; we doubt this would happen to us while the Immigrant Status application is still being processed), even if we have to wait for the verdict! There is no news on our Immigrant Status application and no reply to our letter of enquiry of a month ago.

I then went on to the Police Station intending to get a visitors driving permit – having already been told that I can’t renew my Barbadian License until Immigration have processed our long outstanding Immigrant Status application because until this is done I can’t renew my Barbadian ID Card (necessary for a new license). But the police would not issue a Visitors Permit, because they obviously know I am not a visitor – although that is now the only status indicated in our passports! And what’s more they would not let me drive away from the Police Station without an up-to-date license! So Mum, Vicki and I were stranded at the Police Station until ‘rescued’ by friends who were able to drive my car for me.

However a kind and understanding policewoman decided to take some initiative on our behalf – phoned Immigration, but got nowhere, and then phoned the Licensing Authority who agreed to give me a year’s Driving Permit on production on my now old Barbadian License and my UK Driving Licence (which fortunately is still current until 2014) on payment of B$100. That’s not too much but is ten times what visitors have usually paid for a permit – but times, they are a changing.

The new government appears to be rightly scrutinising immigration issues far more carefully. I got home about 7 hours later, very grateful to be still here (at least for a month), still able to drive and thankful for reading Psalm 37 about 3. 30 a.m. in readiness for what we have come to realise is always an ordeal. Mum and Vicki are fine now, if weary, but I long for Mum, now 91, not to be subjected to this.

What was also interesting was the policewoman’s ‘take’ on our immigration position, “Vicki is being paid for her vital dyslexia work but that does not entitle her to live here – payment is sufficient”. Whilst our ’spiritual’ work also seems vital particularly for the next generation  it may not be regarded as such by the government and they may make the assumption (wrongly) that at our soon approaching retirement age that our services will stop and we can simply be sent ‘home’.

Stephen, the first Christian martyr, no doubt had longer term plans for his life and no doubt may well have had a God-given sense of call and vocation. It didn’t exempt him from opposition, persecution and martyrdom. Likewise we are not exempt from opposing views and even decisions against our calling from God.

For the first time I have begun to consider that perhaps we should entertain a ‘plan B’ if we are to remain of service to the Caribbean region but it may be that we have simply to trust God and be patient. Hope nobody needs to see our ID before Christmas.

A few years ago I read one of David Adam’s books about Aidan – ‘Flame in my heart – St Aidan for today‘ which has been an inspiration for me. At some stage the story is told of Oswin, the King of Northumbria, giving Aidan a fine horse to assist him in his travelling role. Aidan’s previous principled stand was to say to monks departing on horseback, “Get your feet on the ground as soon as possible; it is not good for you to be above the people that you meet. Remember that you are here to serve them and not to lord it over them.” The quality of this horse and its trappings brought new ease of travel but the unwelcome responsibility of wealth and status which threatened his closeness to the ordinary people. It wasn’t long before horse and trappings were all given away.

Back in 1994 on a visit, before coming to live in this island, a man made this prophetic comment to me, “Forget what you know about pulpit ministry; get down among the people; they need to feel your touch…” It’s rare for me to speak from a pulpit these days. And outside of church circles riding a bike brings me back into contact with ordinary folk, out of the air-conditioned cocoon of the car, and now more accessible – able to respond to the shouts of greeting, to stop and talk to the guys at the rum shop…

But just now I hope I don’t have to give even the bike away!!!

Some while ago I changed my homepage from this blog to the BBC news page. Clearly the lack of blog entries since then implies ‘out of sight, out of mind’ and so I have changed things back in the hope that I will be a more diligent writer. Of course a blog requires quite a bit more thought than a private journal. The keeping of the latter has become quite a settled habit, but then all sorts of personal stuff and thoughts from life situations are included freely for they are not for publication, more for my own records.

On a personal note my last visit to the Cardiologist in June detected a rise in blood pressure and apparently since my heart operation 4 years ago my weight has crept up. His words were “You were snatched from the jaws of death then – don’t go back there! Lose 20 lbs before my next appointment (December).” The concerning weight in June was 185lbs. Today the reading was 159 lbs so the target has been more than reached with a month to spare. Basically we have reduced our carbohydrate intake (Vicki has joined in the process too), drunk more water and been more diligent still over exercise (the excuse for the biking interest being revived as shown in these pages). It is no longer an indulgence but a necessity. Interestingly a groin injury has curtailed my brisk walking/jogging in the last month and so I have attempted to replace it with cycling, but not yet settled into a rhythm with that yet. The weight loss during this period diminished too and although the 20lb reduction has been achieved I know there is no room for complacency and indeed scope for further improvement.

Without being too spiritual about it I’m combining the cycling with prayer – a version of  David Hansen’s ‘Long Wandering Prayer’. I find being outside far more conducive to imaginative prayer. I’m gradually extending the range of my rides from a local 5 or 10 mile ‘circuit’ to further afield. It was wonderful yesterday to be cycling to St George as the sun was coming up over the horizon creating an amazing blue and red sky pattern while being surrounded by myriads of tiny flies in their turn being attacked by hordes of dragonflies. My arrival at the early morning Brighton Farmers Market created some interest in the unusual bike and I achieved my objective coming away with 3 special loaves of bread made with reduced sugar and wonderful varieties of seeds, and having had several fascinating conversations. It was wonderful to meet a lady who had attended Vicki’s first Alpha course for parents at a local school and been so blessed that now she is just about to launch the course for the benefit of all the  clergy and nuns and other Roman Catholic ‘movers & shakers’ in the island. And all this on a bike ride before breakfast!

Vicki came out on her bike today but we left it a bit late and the sun was already well up and after a comparively short distance (she has done further before) she felt quite faint and we had to stop to recover and then return – some lessons being learnt about adequate ‘fuel supplies’ being necessary lest we incur the fate of “mad dogs of Englishmen going out in the mid-day sun”. Interestingly several drivers stopped to make sure we were OK, propped up against a wall in the country – but we made it home eventually ‘under our own steam’. Cycling in the tropics, especially if you are not so fit, is something else.

(Doctor pretty confident Vicki’s experience due to inadequate sugar/energy/carbohydrate supply revealed by exercise in hot sun – she has lost 22lbs through a low-carb diet and didn’t anticipate this effect. Began to feel immediately better after just one fruit juice drink and was treated to a meal out today to add a few more reserves!)

Where to tomorrow? The above image is a favourite prayerful destination. This is the property we should like to acquire for a place of prayer. I pray there when I can.

Some of you might just be interested to see these specimens – almost certainly the only ones in Barbados, so they should get a lot of attention! Trial rides have revealed that they are conducive for a slow, leisurely pace on the level or uphill and slowing down is an art I have not really developed. But I’m looking forward to it! The idea is long, slow distance – ideal for observation, prayer, socialising and keeping fit.