December 2002

Here is a quick update on events in 2002 as they looked in the Greaves family.

Our year has revolved around three major events. The first was Helen's six-month long GAP visit to Africa, the second was our involvement in a new church that started in October and the third was Helen starting at Reading University.

Helen
Helen spent from January to June of this year in Ethiopia on her GAP year with SIM. She helped with the home schooling of three children from a missionary family (the Baldwins). She also taught English to young Ethiopian children. Helen learnt much from the experience and was constantly aware of God's faithfulness to her. You can find more about this at www.greaves2000.co.uk/helen.  
Helen has made a tremendous start at Reading University where she is studying for a degree in primary teaching with an art specialisation. She has made many new friends, has joined the Christian Union, which is strong and flourishing and has settled at Carey Baptist. She is enjoying the work, hard though it is, and has already spent considerable time in the classroom teaching Year 2 and Year 5.

Jonathan
During the year Jonathan sat his AS exams in Maths, Computing, Politics and Economics and he is now in the middle of his A2 year (upper 6th to those of you of more mature years) having dropped Economics. He has applied to do Computing at University and intends to take a gap year first. He has spent this year heavily involved in the Youth group at St John's, the CU at college and helping lead a Rock Solid club for 11-13's. He has already received offers from four Universities and will be visiting some of them for Open Days and interviews during the first few weeks of the New Year. At 17½ he has just made the somewhat disturbing discovery that he is growing old. This came to light when he realised that one of the younger members of his Youth Group is too young to remember Jim'll Fix It!

Danny & Janet
The first six months of 2002 were very strange with Helen being away. The house was quiet (amazing how much noise Helen and Jonathan make when they are both at home!) but we became used to only laying the table for three at meal times. Helen was very well looked after by both SIM and the Baldwin family, which meant that we were never unduly concerned. 
There was no family holiday this year for the first time ever! We did go with Jonny to Word Alive week at Spring Harvest in Skegness at Easter and Janet and Danny enjoyed two wonderfully relaxing weeks in the northwest of Scotland during which they visited old friends. The weather was beautiful, and so much drier and warmer than we had expected for that far north. 
We continue to be extremely busy on all fronts. The biggest load has of course been the new church. This is a church plant instigated by St Johns Hartford, the church we have been attending for the last 12 years. I am delighted to say that Christ Church is finally up and running! We meet in a former railway station building and experience some minor rumblings during services as trains come through the station. If you are interested in finding out more then visit www.christchurchgreenbank.org. Christ Church has been going for three months now and has a congregation of about 35 people, inclusive of children. Most encouragingly we are seeing a small number of people each week who are local (live within 6 minutes walk) and who had not been going to a church elsewhere before we opened. A most encouraging start for which we give thanks to God!
Once again a very busy but blessed year for which we are truly grateful. We look forward to 2003 including the prospect, in the summer, of the number of places to set for meals reducing yet again! We wish you all a joyous Christmas and New Year as well as a happy 2003 and look forward to seeing many of you during the course of the next twelve months.