Quick Pics...

Just had to share real fast. Although these are perhaps the grainiest photos ever, I never want to forget the faces of these people. They have come to mean so much to me in our short time here.

Precious Paola. Chuckling, she said, "Every time we get together, she <referring to me> wants to take my picture!" Matt responded, "How do you think I feel?" Well, sorry for the inconvenience, folks. I want to capture some memories. Also, the man in the background on the right is Basil - the one who survived a Japanese internment camp in China.

John and Jenny Cooper! (And their entryway.) Can't you tell how fascinating they are just by the framed sketch behind me? Married 58 years, but you can tell it seems to them like it's only been 58 minutes. They love to tell their love story. Jenny had us cracking up tonight when she told us about a conversation she had with her mother back in 1948. Jen: "Mother, remember John Cooper?" Mother: "Yes." Jen: "Well, he and I were thinking of getting engaged when he returns from working in Africa." (In fact, they had already decided that they were fiancés via letter.) Mother: "Well, you better be careful. He could come back a gin-swigging colonialist!" Hilarious. New favorite phrase.

After tea, we attended Eden Baptist. They have a much smaller crowd there at the night service than they do in the mornings. While the preacher was praying towards the end, we heard rather loud rain on the roof. Sure enough, we rode our bikes home in the pouring rain. Not just a shower or a drizzle or a sprinkle. Straight cats and dogs. By the time we got home, I would have rightly answered to, "Hey, drowned rat!" or "You there, the nightmare before Christmas!" or "What happened to you, you gin-swigging colonialist?" My hair was completely soaked and disheveled from where my head lamp had scrunched it up. My mascara was dripping in all directions. To compound things, I was virtually undergoing an asthma attack, which had been brought on by the cold/damp conditions and my attempts to pedal as fast as humanly possible. I didn't even think to get a picture of how utterly bedraggled Matthew and I looked because I was too concerned about getting our wet clothes hung up somewhere so that they could dry without flooding the flat. Note to self: Pack umbrella and/or rain coat and/or inhaler whenever possible while traveling in England. Goodnight!