We went to church on Sunday morning, and it really did feel as if we’d never been away. I’m afraid it might be the last time it’ll feel like that, but I was glad to feel so in touch with everyone and at home there. I was very touched by a gift from the Sunday School children, who pray for us – and particularly Simon – every week, and who had prepared a beautifully decorated box for Simon with a calendar, hand-knitted mittens, socks, a picture, a sun visor for Africa and a “caterpillar” with photos of all the children on it. They were very excited to see Simon and to be able to present him with the different presents.
In the afternoon we went to the joint Christmas presentation with our sister church. It was a choral piece called “Voici Noël”, with the participation of our church’s drama group. Nice to see everyone, but by then Simon was quite tired, and to be surrounded by so many people was a bit overwhelming.
We also had a wonderful surprise during the weekend. As we drove into Nancy on Friday night, I said to Marc, “It’s as if we’re making a pilgrimage back to Simon’s birthplace just before his first birthday! Maybe we won’t go as far as actually going to the maternity hospital though!”
…
But then the fourth child of some friends of ours was born on Saturday, and I went to visit mother and baby on Sunday, so I did get to walk past the room Simon and I had shared, and looked through the windows into the nursery where I’d bathed him! And it was a special treat to be able to meet little Matthieu, less than a day old. He was almost exactly the same weight and size as Simon had been, and although it’s a total cliché, it’s true – I really can’t believe that Simon was once that small!! It was good to see Claire-Lise too, and I had more time to chat with her than I’d had to talk with a lot of people at church.
In the afternoon we went to the joint Christmas presentation with our sister church. It was a choral piece called “Voici Noël”, with the participation of our church’s drama group. Nice to see everyone, but by then Simon was quite tired, and to be surrounded by so many people was a bit overwhelming.
We also had a wonderful surprise during the weekend. As we drove into Nancy on Friday night, I said to Marc, “It’s as if we’re making a pilgrimage back to Simon’s birthplace just before his first birthday! Maybe we won’t go as far as actually going to the maternity hospital though!”
…
But then the fourth child of some friends of ours was born on Saturday, and I went to visit mother and baby on Sunday, so I did get to walk past the room Simon and I had shared, and looked through the windows into the nursery where I’d bathed him! And it was a special treat to be able to meet little Matthieu, less than a day old. He was almost exactly the same weight and size as Simon had been, and although it’s a total cliché, it’s true – I really can’t believe that Simon was once that small!! It was good to see Claire-Lise too, and I had more time to chat with her than I’d had to talk with a lot of people at church.
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