On Tuesday, June 9, in the late afternoon, I arrived safely in Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen), and it was like coming home to open the door and announce that I'd arrived. Dulais came out to greet me, and then went back into his office to continue a piano lesson with a young student. Not much later Leigh came through the door, the student left, and we sat down to dinner. Then off to a community choir rehearsal, Dulais conducting and Leigh one of the sopranos, in the great hall of Christ Church.
Earlier, Dulais had shown me the parish's announcement sheet from the previous Sunday, which included this note:
"Should anyone from another church tell you that Sea Sunday isn't until July they would of course be right. I put the wrong date in my diary by mistake, and by the time I realized what I'd done it was too late to change things. Still, this is our Sea Sunday - and no other church in the diocese has Don Griffiths' flags and a visiting preacher from Chicago . . ."
[On the Sunday I preached, the announcement sheet had expanded that last sentence to read: "Still, this is our Sea Sunday - and no other church in the diocese has Don Griffiths' superb collection of flags and a visiting Welsh-speaking preacher from Chicago . . . Croeso cynnes i Bill Roberts y bore 'ma" (A warm welcome to Bill Roberts this morning).]
Then I was shown the Papur Y Plwyf, or Parish Digest (their parish newsletter). One single sentence took my breath away: "He has learned Welsh."
That night I filed my "Mere Update" post, and on the following day, June 10, I began work on Sunday's sermon. I also filed "Sul y Drindod (Rhan 2) - Trinity Sunday (Part 2)." The following day, Thursday, June 11, I continued to work on my sermon. After dinner we walked up to the Model Church in Wales Primary School, whose website is here. They were holding a Spring Fair, raising funds to support the school. Dulais plays the piano for the school's Friday morning worship service, and because I was scheduled to be the guest speaker the next day, it was good for us to go and show our support. We met the Acting Head Teacher, Mari Hughes, entered some of the raffles which were on offer, and enjoyed cups of strawberries and whipped cream!
On the way up the road to the school, which is situated on the brow of a hill, I took some pictures of the neighborhood. The first looks back down the street on which Dulais and Leigh live, and the second was taken on a short cut through a small park:
After visiting the school we walked back down the hill to the Rhys' home. Then I decided to take advantage of the lovely evening, and I set out once again, my camera in hand.
Tan yfory! Until tomorrow!
Comments