Hello faithful readers,

Spring in Yorkshire is quickly passing; the snowdrops of March were followed by the daffodils of April, which recently gave way to buttercups and these little white flowers that look like baby's breath. I wish I had taken a whole day just to photograph each transition, it's so incredibly beautiful.

It's still light after 10pm, which is having the interesting psycho-physiological effect that I seem to be getting a lot more done in an average day. Nevertheless, teaching three days a week and working 8 hours at Miller's (Melissa lied about me quitting right away) on top of my music work is pushing me to my limit. The grade schools have off this week, which is why I have some time to post an update for you.

I've been doing some self-reflection recently, about where we are and where we've come in this past year. In one sense, little has changed; but in another sense, everything has changed. I am still very much the same person I was before I left; but at the same time, this radically different place has left an indelible mark on my person, even if I were to leave today. I can't describe it in any other way except that one's environment is an integral part of oneself. The feeling of "I have seen" and "I have been" is very profound, and it forms the foundation of understanding. I know very little about what goes on inside of me, but I think it is making me a better person.

On a more practical subject, I am finding that I may have something to offer to the worship team at our local church congregation. There seems to be an opportunity for me to exercise my limited gifts of vision and discernment, and some very interesting things could happen in the future...

This summer should be very interesting in general, as I finish this year's work and gear up for the long road towards a PhD. Also, we should be making at least one more exciting excursion (location TBA, probably somewhere between here and Scotland) before Melissa heads back to the States in the fall. Besides that, I should have plenty to blog about as I will be launching my first professionally-developed website, and pondering the vocational aspect of my work. Stay tuned...

-Chris

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