10 countries through which the equator passes

1. Ecuador
2. Colombia
3. Brazil
4. Gabon
5. Kenya
6. Uganda
7. Somalia
8. Indonesia
9. The Maldives
10. Kiribati

Alo Sao Tome and Principe and the two Congos.

Lord's Day April 21 2024

Cetric O

Pastor Naphtally Ogallo

Yesterday I was still in Eldoret and so worshipped at the church where the APC was and where I have been staying, the church founded and pastored by Naphtally Ogallo. He nad his wife Helida have been so very welcoming. There are three main services in the church on Sundays. Joshua Bolaji led the interactive adult Sunday School on Psalm 32 and then in the main service I preached from Deuteronomy 33:27. I hope it was a blessing. In the final session our friend Cetric from Nairobi preached helpfully from John 1:1-18.

At the centre of things

We travelled today from Eldoret to Naruku. I had not realised that would involve crossing the equator but it did. First time standing on the equator line. (I have stood on the Greenwich meridian before now. To stand on both at the same time, you have to be on Null Island, somewhere out in the Atlantic.

In Kenya

Preaching in Kisumu

Lake Victoria

Last Monday (April 15) my wife kindly took me first thing to Heathrow where I caught a KLM 'plane to Amsterdam. From there I flew KLM to Nairobi. That took about eight and a half hours/ I was soon through customs and baggage and out into the Nairobi darkness. This is my seventh time on African soil and second time in Nairobi so the sights and sounds and smells were pretty familiar. I was met by Murungi Igweta, pastor at Trinity BC, with his son Asa. I was taken to the church, where I slept in one of the rooms they have on the compound.

Next morning I was driven to Kisumu in the truck by Cetric and two other young Kenyan men. We had to make an early stop for a tyre change and I enjoyed an Americano at a Java Cafe. Not a drop of coffee since then. I'm appreciating black tea anew. By pressing on without stopping we made Kisumu by nightfall. All three drove in turn. The Kenyan countryside is pretty much new to me and so it was fascinating at first to see kids herding small flocks of sheep and goats or cows. We spotted zebra in the distance at one point. Hawkers were selling a large variety of items at different points and several lorries laden with sugar cane were aso spotted. People everywhere walking or on bikes or in mutatas and carrying varied items. In the end it became a little tedious, however and then night fell.

In Kisumu, we called first at the house of the Baptist pastor Tonny Karwa and his wife, Olivia. They have a fascinating story. I stayed at the beautiful house of Ken Otiwa, his fellow elder, and his wife Elizabeth. Very nice. Ken kindly showed us Lake Victoria. We had two days of conference in the Kisumu church. I guess about sixty came each day. We looked at Romans over nine sessions with a Q&A to close. .There were about sixty there. I was joined for this by Joshua Bolaji, a Nigerian born Londoner who has ministered in South Africa for many ears and is very involved in the African Pastors Conferences (more here). Joshua joined us at the last moment having flown from the UK to RSA to Kisumu via Nairobi in less than 72 hours. It was great to meet him and we have been getting on well.

We next travelled to Eldoret from where I write. Jpshua drove this time. The other two young men returned to Nairiobu. This city is somewhat cooler and there has been a lot of rain. It was a great joy to meet Naphtally Ogallo once again and his wife Helida. Naphtally worked with Keith Underhill in the planting of Trinity, Nairobi, a work I have known of since I as a student. It was the church in Aberystwyth where my son now pastors that sent Keith out. Joshua, Cetric and myself are sharing a three bedroom suite in the church grounds. We are being well fed on the local fare, though we sent out for pizza tonight.

The Eldoret conference is much bigger, the biggest APC I have done, with over 120 present. It is not easy to take in what I have to say, however, with my foreign accent and tendency to speak more rapidly as I warm to the subject. In both places we have left notes.

Tomorrow we will share the speaking at the three services. Looking forward.

Eldoret Ad

Speaking Eldoret

Murder by the Book

Detective fiction is a very enjoyable form of literature. It is pretty undemanding but the plot usually gets you thinking at least. I must have read my first such fiction as a boy when I would go along to the mobile library that used to park at the end of our steet once a week. I don't know what the books I read were but they may have included Agatha Christie I've read one or two of those. The British Library have a series up and running that I have dipped into. When we were in Ross-on-Wye recently there was a lovely bookshop there and I bought Murder by the book artly as a memento. The book contains mostly very good short stories, mainly by authros I have not heard of. I thought it might have had more literary themes but apart from one story that refers to Ella Wheeler Wilcox, who I wasn't sure was real (she is -see here) there was nothing like that. It was more books per se and writing them. I'll probably buy some more some day.

Forgotten Reformer

Miles Coverdale's name will be known to those who have an interest in English Reformation history and the translation of the Bible. He is a forgotten reformer nevertheless and retired headmaster G F Main has done us all areat service by means of his thorough research and his interestingly written book. Mr Main must bequite an expert on his subject, his sources ranging from classic ones like Foxe and D'Aubigne through to some rather obscure manuscripts tucked away in unlikely places. It wasa delight to read this well produced book. I was a little sorry to finish it. Highly recommended. I wonder if a coffee table version with pictures may be considered. Just a thought.

Lord's Day April 14 2024

Another good day yesterday. In the morning we carried on in the Sermon on the Mount. We then had lunch together, always nice. In the evening we were not quite double figures as we looked at another famous verse - Jeremiah 29:11. A ladt who came the other week after a ling time not coming to church came again with her grown up daughter. That was encouraging. One Iranian family was not there as they are desperately seeking accommodation as having obtained asylum they now have to leave the hotel. Others simply wait. Not easy. My assistant Eddie helped me this morning pointing out that Christ is the ultimate one who turns the other cheek, goes the second mle, etc. I really should have been on to that mhyself. Maybe I'm getting a bit lethargic.

Family, etc

One reason posts have been a little sparse of late is that we have been spending a lot of time with the family over the Easter holidays.

First, in the week March 24-30 we had visits from our Aberystwyth boys - our fourth son Gwion and his fiancee Lydia and my first son, Rhodri and Sibyl and their four sons. That was a great few days with various activities including a visit to London Zoo one day for me and the six, which was very much enjoyed.

Then on April 6 Eleri, myself and my fifth son Owain (and Alffi the dog) drove to Wales where we met up with Eleri's sister Catrin and her family in Monmouth. We then stayed with her other sister, Fflur, too and her damily in a house in Ross-on-Wye back over the border for two nights. On the Tuesday our two Cardiff sons, Dylan and Dewi and their families visited us. That was a lovely time too. On the Wednesday we headed to Cardiff and after a lttle more family time, Owain headed back to London (with Alffi) by train and Eleri and I headed to Aber. Eleri stayed there all the way until Wednesday when she came home via Merthyr, where an elderly family member's funeral was taking place. I left Aber on Friday April 5. There was a strike that day and so instead of the more obvious five hoour Aber-Birmingham-London trip it was more like seven hours getting from Aber to Shrewsbury to Newport to london on the last traiin. It was also necessary to go by bus from Aber to Machynlleth. Marathon journey then and back late but plenty of time to recover the next day.

At some point my youngest grandchild celebrated his first birthday. It's not been that easy  first year but looks very bonny and is full of life.

This last week has mostly been getting ready for my trip to Kenya which begins Monday. I was also busy at the Evangelical Library on Monday, leading the Midweek Meeting Wednesday, leading a men's meeting this morning (Saturday) and preparing for Sunday. Busy days.

Midweek Meeting April 10 2024

Six of us, four men and two women, gathered last Wednesday to look at Romans 3:1-19 and to pray. We all prayed in turn.

Lord's Day April 7 2024

Way behind with this but it's been a busy time. Last Sunday we began with communion, fairly well attended. I then preached from the sermon on the mount again, this time on oaths and vows. Good attendance on the whole. I'd forgotten to prepare a children's talk so I gave my testimony as I do at such times. Eleri was away in Wales so it all felt a bit different. In the evening we were very few so I was not over long (under the hour). We looked at another famous text - Proverbs 3:5, 6. Good day on the whole.

10 Popular Soap Bars

1. Pear's amber
2. Lux
3. Dove
4. Wright's coal tar
5. Imperial leather
6. Palmolive
7. Knight's Castle
8. Camay
9. Shield
10. Lifebuoy

Lord's Day March 31 2024

Easter Sunday in Childs Hill is unpredictable. Many go away, some stay and sometimes there are new people. That is how it was last Lord's Day. I preached through most of john 20 and 21 in the two sermons. We had a good number in the morning and many fewer in the evening, as is the pattern. One visitor was a friend of a regular but another was a person in the area who I hope we will see again.

Midweek Meeting March 27 2024

It was a little unusual the other Wednesday in that we had a Bible Study and then  churh members meeting before ending with a short prayer meeting. It went fine but I would rather not do it too often. The method of taking two separate nights, I think,works best.

Evangelical Library Lunch Time Lecture Joseph Ivimey

Last Monday we had an excellent Library lecture on zoom from Norman Hopkins on the Baptist pastor and historian Joseph Ivimey 1773-1834.

Ivimey, the eldest of eight was born at Ringwood, Hampshire and brought up under Arian influences, but became a convinced Particular Baptist. He was a tailor at first and came to London finding work but was unsuccessful and returned to the Hampshire, Dorset area, where he became an itinerant preacher. Early in 1803 he was recognised as a minister, and settled as assistant to Robert Lovegrove at Wallingford, Berkshire. He was chosen pastor of the Particular Baptist church, Eagle Street, Holborn, London, in 1804, and was ordained the next year.

From 1812 he was on the committee of the BMS. He was also first secretary of the Baptist Society for Promoting the Gospel in Ireland and visited Ireland in May 1814. In 1817, and again in 1819, he made missionary journeys to the Channel Islands. He believed in strict communion and advocated the abolition of colonial slavery.

He is buried in Bunhill Fields. There is also a tablet to his memory in the boys' schoolroom at Eagle Street.

In Writing 143 Now Out

The latest copy of the Evangelical Library Magazinw is out today.