:: bon dimanche! ::

The Autumn weather has truly arrived here over the last few days. It seems to have pushed the unseasonably (but welcomed!) warm days away, changing the colours of nature rapidly with its cool winds, rising and falling fog and occasional rain and thunder storms. We had quite a full house over this past weekend. Eti's aunt came from the south east of France for the weekend and one of our close friends also joined us for a couple of days from the German part of Switzerland. There was a flurry of activity with little people around and multiple conversations, stories and game-playing, but it was fun and cosy.

We managed to find a small slot of time to go out for a walk around the neighbourhood, arriving back just in time to miss the arrival of the rain and thunder. I marvelled at the rapid change in the surrounding nature. When we arrived here the autumn colours were barely evident. Now, dare I admit it, winter feels closer. 

The rest of our afternoon was spent indoors, everyone occupied and interacting with a variety of activities. I sat back a little and tried to capture some memories of people we will soon be saying goodbye to.

This friend is a very special one to me and has become very special to all of us. We met several years ago when we were both living and working together in England. We have shared many adventures together since. I admire her very much for her ability to lead people, to integrate easily into different cultures and to travel not so much for her own fulfillment, but to really get know others and share life with them. We worked more closely together when leading a team in Israel and Palestine a few years ago and I hold such dear memories of that time. She's a friend who is not scared to challenge me and to ask deeper questions about life and faith. She manages to fill her life with richness that inspires me in many ways. Though a nurse in her day-job, several times she has been able to travel into post-disaster zones, such as Haiti, Pakistan and the Philippines with a disaster relief team, bring medical and emotional support. Though she may not see so, she lives a full life and, though we live a very long way away from each other these days, I count myself very blessed to share life together with her and have such a generous godmother to our little girls!