All good gifts

I haven't written since Christmas. One of you wrote asking me, 'is this a good sign or a bad sign?' It is a good sign. My health is good, my stamina is improving, and as a result we have been much more active.

In January we travelled back to Paris so that I could take the Memorial service of a friend, who died aged 99. It was tremendous to catch up with many friends who have been praying for us, and to see St Michael's in good heart.

In February and March we had 2 wonderful holidays with family. First to France again, skiing with Ed and Kate, and grandchildren, Izzy and Freddie (their first time). We loved the views over Mont Blanc, and I loved being able to ski again. Then we went to visit Jo and Vince, and Raphael and JJ, in Palo Alto East, in the Bay area of San Francisco. We joined their house church for 2 weekends, went on the school run each day, and I played a lot of football with the boys in their yard. Mary and Joanna enjoyed cooking together. We went to the beach and a Vineyard near Santa Cruz. This trip was a real marker for me on the road to full recovery - being well enough to travel and able to get affordable insurance.

Then on March 31st we completed on a new house and moved in 3 weeks ago. This week we have been buying curtains, and gardening, and sorting through old pictures and photographs to decide what to put up. We unpacked some boxes that have been sealed since Leeds days! After many severe culls we now have space for our belongings.

New House, old car

The new house is in Frinton. It is 3 years old and solidly built, with solar panels, 4 toilets (!) and a very nice guest room at the top. On the day when we were deciding whether to take the plunge and buy - back in January - we were reading Deuteronomy, and got to chapter 6.10 'When the Lord your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you – a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant – then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery'

Solar panels, Patio, Bi-fold Doors and Sun

We were struck by the fact that the Lord does sometimes bless his people with good gifts that are just right for them, when all the hard work has been done (remember that our alternative was to stay in the old family holiday home, and do a big project to put everything right - something that needed a lot of energy and did not suit our skills). So, we accepted God's kindness gratefully, and went ahead with the purchase. We were able to do this because last year we had successfully sold the Islington house that Mary had bought as a young doctor, which we had always earmarked for our retirement.

The view down 4th Avenue

So, God has been very good to us. Now that we are enjoying all these things - including being near the beach, the Golf club, and Mary's wider family - we must remember the rest of what God said, 'do not forget the Lord', but continue to love and serve him. One way that this has been working out for us, is the open door to help at St Paul's Church, Clacton-on-Sea. I am now preaching once a month on average, and helped to lead the Christianity Explored course. We are all encouraged that the church is seeing lots of new faces, including young men (something that seems to be happening across the nation) and there is a friendliness and buzz about the place.

Looking ahead, Mary and I look forward to a time of stability and putting down roots.

When you think of us, please pray that we get the balances right between church and the golf club, Frinton and Clacton, and the family and travel. One thing we are really enjoying is catching up with friends we haven't seen for a long time, and also people from our wider family, on both sides. It means we are away a lot...hence the prayer to get the balances right. We enjoy the freedom to travel, but want to be part of our new community. Wisdom required.

The medical report

I am still making progress, but have a few hurdles still to clear: first, my muscles still feel very weak, and I need to do more physical training; second, my re-vaccination programme won't be completed till December 2025 (24 months on) when I can tolerate live vaccines, including the MMR jab. Third, I am also hoping to get off Ciclosporin, the immunosuppressant, completely. I know that many people who have had transplants remain on them for life; but the Prof hopes to get me off it; and I am hoping that my health gets to a point when I will be able to travel to Africa and Asia again. I have had 2 invitations to go and minister abroad already, and it's something we would like to do; but at the moment I have to say no. So, that, and the timing of it, is up to the Lord.

My haemoglobin is now 130 - at the lower end of the normal range for men. My target had been to get to 120, so I am very thankful.

I have been off all steroids for 2 months now, and my dependence in Ciclosporin is reducing. To give you an idea, in the first month after my transplant I was taking 600mg a day; it then stabilised to 300mg a day for 9 months; then the Prof began to reduce the dose every 6 weeks or so, and it is now 75mg per day. Next week I will reduce to 50mg per day, and hope that my mouth does not react and get sore again - for me that is the barometer. The Prof calls it the curry test! I am really enjoying eating normally now, with lots of spices!

Thanks for joining me on this long journey, your support and prayers have made a huge difference. I realise that most of you will have friends in greater need than me (as do we, with 2 friends who are terminally ill). So, if your remember us in prayer just occasionally, that is all we expect, just as we remember you all, from time to time.

I would like to continue to keep in touch with you all - to keep our spread out family of friendships alive. So, I propose to write this Blog 3 times a year, once a term, sticking with the overall theme of Pressing On, and living life pointed forward, even in retirement.

I would really like to make it a 2-WAY RELATIONSHIP now. So, please do write to me, and if there is anything specific we can pray about for you, please mention it. We would love to pray for you, just as you have prayed faithfully for us. That way we all get encouraged by the answers to many prayers!

With love, and many thanks to you and to the Giver of all Good Gifts,

Jonathan