Summer Update - July 2024
Summer hasn't really arrived weather wise - a few days of warmth, a lot of rain and lots of cloud formations and that's about it. I'll leave that there, as I don't want to appear too British!
We've been busy with a lot of training days up and down the country, with more to come. We've had some lovely feedback from those churches with lots of encouragement - which we may share at some point.
Since our last update we've done the Hand in Hand conference in Eastbourne (Speaking and exhibiting), Spring Harvest in Minehead (Disability Consultant), had lots of meetings, led a strategy day for Torch Trust (I can't say 'strategy' - which was fun!), done some training for the Keswick Ministries team (What wonderful people!), done even more meetings and a lot of writing.....and an awful lot more stuff that would take up too much space to write.
'Evangelicals Now' have asked me to be a regular online columnist (and occasionally in print), writing about disability and church. This means writing something for them every month. The first one is with the editor and should come out this week - eek! [Update: You can find it here]
My time with the Evangelical Alliance Council comes to an end in the autumn - just because there is a time limit on how many terms you can serve. Come November, it will be 10 years since my induction. I don't know where that time has gone, but it has been an honour to serve. Of course - I will remain a personal member. I will step down at the September summit, and possibly be picking up something completely different in November - this depends on some voting and agreement. If there is a positive yes, then I'll let you know what's next (It's very exciting!).
We're happily bimbling along with life, doing what we do and feeling blessing in the doing.
Steve is well, still pastoring Children Worldwide, teaching the guitar when he can and supporting me in all my work. At Spring Harvest, he was allocated a badge with the title "Additional Needs Help"......Of course, Steve being Steve, he enjoyed covering up the word 'additional' so his badge read 'Needs Help'.....
*sigh*.
I'm getting known for snazzy glasses at the moment and they are getting more outrageous with each pair!
My eyes have changed considerably in the last year meaning new lenses yet again - in both my distance and reading glasses. The glasses to the right are similar to the distance glasses that should be with me this week. (Update: They have arrived and are wonderful -as are the reading glasses!)
I regularly have lots of major spasms on one side of my body (complicated reasons - if you want to know why, just ask). This includes my eye muscles on the same side and it's thought that this has been part of the worsening in my eyesight.
The double vision that used to affect only one direction now affects two, and as normal is worse in the evenings. The tracking of my eyes is worse too - again, due to the muscle spasms. General vision has dropped too.
Having done the day for Torch, I was excited to find I qualified for using their library of accessible books and could ask for specific books to be transcribed for me. Oh the wonder of finding one of the books on my wish list in large print! Reading is still a painful process for me, but the joy of being able to read a book again - without the glare of a screen that really doesn't help me. Having large font is a wonderful thing when everything on a page is a moving target!!
The book is "Still Emily" by Emily Owen and I only have one chapter to go! I was at a Churches for All Gathering with Emily last week.....and got her to sign it for me! I'll do a review at some point - it's such a lovely book.
Meanwhile, we are getting ready for three weeks working at the Keswick Convention, leaving the rest of Team Platypus behind to look after the house and the office......dangerous or what!
Thankyou for your prayers and interest in what we do.
Kay and Steve x
