First night in Madagascar

Maz outside our first
nights accommodation

I awoke to the soothing sounds of the rain forest, the melodic chirp of small insects and frogs and in the distance the call of a Lemur high up in the canopy. As I came to my senses however that idyllic dreamland vision was broken by the disconcerted thought that I'd gone totally blind such was the darkness that surrounded me. 

My mind was somewhat relieved as I caught the inconsistent blink of Maz' cell phone which I was aware of in my peripheral vision but even with that partial light I couldn't even make out the detail of the mosquito net that hung over our bed or my hand in front of my straining eyes.

Someone else who enjoys praying!

After what seemed like hours of stillness I decided to find out what time it was, I knew that my phone must be close at hand but then I remembered that I'd inadvertently dropped it onto the baked mud floor as I had drifted off to sleep in what felt hours ago. Once I'd located it I was shocked again as my eyes adjusted to the harsh light of the screen to discover it was only 11.46pm.

It was with mixed feelings that I turned over to find a comfortable position on the hard mattress, firstly I had the unexpected joy to be free to listen to this great crescendo of unfamiliar sounds for as long as I wanted such was the rest that my body had already found in those short hours of sleep but the thought of being so warm and slightly sweaty this early in the night caused my soul to long for the far off sunrise which would surely bring an even greater cacophony of noise!

our first night, in the rain forest

Our small single roomed abode with its palm reed thatched roof and adobe walls was heavy with the sweet smell of a spiral joss stick which we had lit a few hours before to ward off the attractions of the blood sucking mosquitoes that seem so abundant in the valleys and still places of the counties that sit along the equator, as I laid there as still as possible as not to wake Maz who was dreaming easily beside me my mind retraced the incredible journey that we'd been on since the last time we slept together on a cold winters night in rural England, was that really less than 48 hours ago, it felt like another world, in fact it was a whole world away from where we'll be serving for the next three months.......welcome to Madagascar!

and so the next season begins

Maz and Arron at Heathrow (actually this was taken
when we dropped Arron to catch his Thailand flight!)

as we touched down in a cold Heathrow airport following our three week trip to South Africa we were greeted by our brother-in-law (Mark) and our youngest son (Arron) who we thought we might not see before he flew off to his new job in Thailand, so that was a great surprise and one that we made the most of prior to his departure yesterday!

Trevor delivering some key points to the
Emerging Leaders leadership team.

the reason for our return to England, rather than flying direct from South Africa to Madagascar (which would not only have been the quicker option but also a much cheaper one too), was to join the team from Emerging Leaders at the event they were running for their core team in sunny Suffolk (a county on the east coast of England).

A David Beckham moment (Focus) as a leadership tool

what would seem like a long round about trip was in fact an important part of our journey and was a fitting start to our new season. it is their amazing community leadership programme that we will be using to help transform the hearts of minds of some of the most vulnerable people around the world, starting as you will all be aware in Madagascar later this month. 

Some of our African friends were a little cold

Trevor and Jane (the founders and the incredible people who have created the life changing material) had gathered their team from around the world to come together to learn from each other and share the potential of the training, encouraging us with stories of hope from the field and creating a desire to share this training with more and more people. they are keen to build a team of trainers to train other people living on the coal face of some of the worlds most challenging communities and we were so blessed to have been included as part of that team.

We were joined by Morpheus from
The Matrix (not really this is Sekou pretending!)

it was so amazing to meet up with Purity from Kenya, Joseph from South Africa and Steve from England who are the heads of their countries. Purity has been working with Emerging Leaders for the longest time and it was great to hear how lives are being transformed in some of the slums and wider communities in her country, but we were also very excited to hear about the work that is already taking place in South Africa (obviously a country very close to our hearts) however it was the stories that were shared by Steve that blew us away, Steve told us some fantastic stories of partnerships that were being developed to ensure that this Leadership programme was being accessed by some of the most venerable people in our home country (England) too.

children at Bethany in Madagascar 2014

so now it's time for us to get involved, we know that our time in Madagascar will be very different to anything we have experienced before and although we visited the projects in May 2014 living there for three months will be another ball game, however are really really excited about the opportunity we have been given and are really looking forward to be working with our friend Cho and his team at Love 'n Care Ministries again. 

Tim selfie with children in Madagascar 2014

we can't wait to blog again from that island with new stories of hope, where people are given the chance to see themselves as a leader, be that in their own lives, the lives of their families, their finances and their communities.

we'll be working with the communities along the inland
waterways on the east coast of Madagascar

we'll sign off for now, knowing that you guys will be coming along for the ride (abet from a distance) and that we will post up the stories as soon as we have a stable Internet connection be that in Tomasina or Antananarivo.  

we need a few more of these to help with the
delivery of the Leadership material

should you wish to support some of our financial costs on what is a self funded trip then please click on this link to give online and if you'd like to follow us or the Emerging Leaders team on twitter then follow these links which will take you to those twitter pages tim_at_voh and emerging leaders/leadership4hope

our South African poem

we've just spent three weeks in South Africa, meeting up with old friends, watching the cricket and packing up the remnant of our lives for shipping back to England. our time with the Thembalitsha Foundation has now come to an end and we are looking forward to all that is ahead of us as we move into the future.

as we return back to familiar surroundings, which will become our base for the next phase of our lives, we have been thinking about all the incredible experiences that we've had during our time serving in what is a truly amazing country and I (Tim) have written the following poem which is a honest reflection which we think captures all aspects of our time in South Africa. 

So the curtain on our lives in South Africa comes down
Ten years of memories of our time in Cape Town
Of people, places, the sights and sounds
In a stunning country, our stories abound

The tug of the AIDS orphans grabbed deep in our hearts
Could we make a difference to provide them new starts
Born with an illness with no known cure
That often impacts on families so poor 

Cape Town is home to some iconic sights
Like the mountain so flat with its awesome heights
And an island which sits within Table Bay
A home to a prisoner back in the day

Apartheid was banished a long time ago
But crowds still live in townships that overflow
In homes made of cardboard and wood and tin
The colour of their face seems their only sin

Up into the Overberg via the Sir Lowys pass high
Stands the town of Grabouw one oft passes by
But this was the place we were called to live
Offering hope with all we could give

We created a home called the Village of Hope
Where children who's parents were struggling to cope
Could stay with us for a month or so
Giving them love and a place to grow

In the townships we ran clubs each day
Where children could play sports right where they stay
Lifestyle and health were taught with a ball
Much fun and laughter was enjoyed by all

We made great friends with the rich and the poor
Welcomed in to all homes via every door
Homes set in vineyards and orchards so green
Others in places few venture or want to be seen

With mountains and lakes and sunshine abounding
Our days living there were all quite astounding
Weekends at the beach enjoying the sun
Taking time out after a hard day was done

Tough days were faced almost every week
Wiping the tears of those too sad to speak
But the hope we provided was welcomed by all
They were so grateful we followed our call

Other folk came to join us from far and near
Working and building the vision was clear
Honouring man as if unto God
Ushering in Christ wherever we trod

Students from Holland and Germany too
Offered their time right out of the blue
Constructing buildings from straw and clay
Supporting the children in their own special way

Our staff were amazing and family became
Working together we are all the same
Human beings wanting to share
The love in our hearts for those in our care

We stayed in that town for over six years
Each day giving more blood, sweat and tears
But that season has passed all in a blur
We now sit here wondering how that all did occur

Now we've left and said our sad goodbyes
To a projects of hope where we gave our whole lives
But onward and upward we venture ahead
Seeking God for a new place to lay our head

.....and a Happy New Year

Christmas eve footie match with the family!

well here we are all grown up and moving into 2016 at a pace, sorry we've been so quiet but since a hectic Christmas season, where we were able to celebrate with all our family in England for the first time since 2007, and what a time we had!, we've flown over to South Africa to tidy some things up before moving into 2016 with new plans and awesome opportunities.

newest member of the QPR fan club!

we don't think we need to go into every detail but just to say that it was so wonderful to be able to share Christmas with our three sons, Chris, Josh and Arron (who flew in from Honduras especially to be there), as well as Chris' wife Claire and their three children (and thus our Grandchildren). Christmas is always a special time but we've often missed out on the real family gatherings whilst serving at the Village of Hope for all those years.

it was great to catch up with Josh' girlfriend, Haddy, as well as both sets of our parents, sisters (and brother-in-laws) as well as nephews, nieces and great nephews and nieces too. our family really has grown and it's incredible to be part of one that so embraces us when we return from our escapades but also encourages us into what we feel God has for us in the future.

Maz and Honi checking their facebook status!

we flew into Cape Town between Christmas and New Years and were not only greeted by the bright shinning sun, which we had missed during our English summer and dreary but warmish (for England) autumn and winter, but also by a wide array of faces of wonderful people who we had really missed during our ten month travel time. thanks to Jen and Laura for taking the time to meet for breakfast on your last day in Africa and for Mel, Babs and Shannon for making us feel very welcome as we returned to a country we had grown to love since our first visit in 2005.

our Jeep!

after picking up our beloved Jeep Wrangler (now sadly sold to fund our next trip to Madagascar, and beyond) in Grabouw we ventured to the stunning Paul Cluver wine estate where Inge and her wonderful family were willing to host us for the first week of our return. we were joined that evening by Dan and Lucy, recently engaged friends of ours who had been enjoying some winter sun, and wine, vacating their jobs in London for a few weeks.

gogo in the informal settlement

it was lovely to have Dan and Lucy around, we had opportunity to share some of the sights and places that were special to us, including visits to vineyards, beaches and a couple of bars, but we think the one place we loved to take them was to visit our friends in the Grabouw community, those people who live in the informal settlements with homes made up no more than tin shacks. to step out of the Jeep and to be welcomed by familiar faces in what are very tough daily living conditions and to walk around and see children who had been impacted, either those who had spent time at the Village of Hope whilst we sorted their home situations or children who had attended our daily sports outreach was amazing, it was like going home and its a moment that we will savor forever (we hope Dan and Lucy will too).

our friends aly and ross

our early arrival into Cape Town was timed with the visit of the England (and Wales, there you go Trefor) Cricket team who were due to play the second of four Test Matches against the current world number one team, South Africa, at the absolutely awesome Newlands Cricket Ground which sits in the shadows (dependent on the time of day, mostly it was hot hot sun for the duration of the five day match) of Table Mountain, the iconic backdrop to one of the worlds prettiest cities.

ben stokes' bat and gloves at lunch day two

England were on a role, after winning the first test in Durban in the 'Boxing Day Test' just a week before, our hopes were high as we settled into our seats to enjoy the cricket, the Barmy Army (who weren't as barmy an army as they had been in Barbados where we last laid eyes on them), and soak up the atmosphere which can only be captured in such a magnificent setting.

selfie with dan and lucy at the cricket

without going into too much detail, which I (Tim) could if you really wanted me to, England played well on the first day where the game was evenly set, that was until the second morning, remember this is a game invented by the English so we have lunch and tea and then we go off to bed to return the next day to do battle again!, our two middle order batsmen, actually one was our Wicket-keeper and the other was an All rounder, took apart the South African bowling attack scoring a world record breaking, and remember these records have stood for hundreds of years, 190 for no wicket in the morning session. in fact after Ben Stokes (the all-rounder type) had enjoyed his lunch he had scored a record breaking 258, on his own, I mean South Africa, remember the worlds number one team, had only scored a total more that 250 between all eleven batsmen during 2015!, so well done Ben and his partner Johnny, who also scored his maiden test hundred recording 150 not out, set the stadium alight.

the rest of the match (we mean the remainder of the near on four days) had little to write home about, so we won't, only to say that it ended in a draw, of which everyone seemed happy, and we go on to 'The Wanderers' with England still leading the series 1-0.

stunning location for a cricket ground

during the match we said our goodbyes to Dan and Lucy, who had to return home to go back to their day jobs, boo, and also had the opportunity to meet up with a couple (Ross and Ali) who we'd meet in Grenada and then Barbados. we enjoyed each others company at the match and then at a couple of delightful restaurants in the evening, it was so nice to make time to visit places that we haven't really had the chance to visit.

now the cricket has ended, for the time being, we've had the opportunity to meet up with some friends and ex-colleagues from our time here in Grabouw. it seems funny now packing up our lives again, ordering shipping tea chests to fill with the odds and ends that we had shipped here in 2008, plus a few more bits and pieces. we are grateful to our good friends Sandy and Ali for hosting us again, they always make us feel very special.

some old friends!

it is so good to touch base with those we hold dear to us, the House Mom's, Sport's Mentors and even the ladies who work in both the inpatient and outpatient units at Thembacare, it's hard to say our goodbyes not knowing when we'll see these beautiful people again but we move into 2016 with so much to look forward to, we are very very excited about the Emerging Leaders programme and the time we will spend in Madagascar sharing that with some people we already know.

so it's with our heads held high, expectation in our hearts and with warm blessings to share with both you and yours and with encouragement to you to really really seek to serve your fellow man with all your hearts and minds in whatever way you feel you can and to seek to make the world a better place and to know God in all His (or Her) fullness in 2016.

A Christmas wish

It's Christmas!

We want to send a very quick Christmas message and New Years wish to all of our wonderful family, friends and wider supporters. We know that your days will be busy with all the preparations that surround this time of year so we will keep this short and sweet.

So much has happened during this crazy year, never in our wildest dreams did we think that we would have experienced so much and after arriving back from our most recent trip to the Scottish Holy Island of Iona (you can read more about this trip here) we are now truly refreshed and ready and raring to go into 2016 with a new sense of calling.

Christmas Jumpers were
not my idea (Tim!)

As we remember God's gift to the world in the form of Jesus Christ at this time of year it is our desire to fulfill His call for us to love Him and also our neighbors as we love ourselves, whomever and wherever they are in this wide world. We are seeking to usher in His good news to the poor and truly be the hands of Christ to those we believe God is placing in our paths for this next season. 

It would be remiss of us not to thank all those who have already chosen to support our first 'self funded' trip to Madagascar, we do hope that you will know that we will use those funds wisely, but we would also highlight that our initial financial target is still miles away from being covered!

We do understand that there are many financial pressures at this time of year however if you are still considering supporting us for what we believe will be both a pivotal trip for us and the people of Madagascar then either click on this link to give online or please email us to find out the best ways to give. 

Signing off with best wishes for a peaceful Christmas and a very happy and blessed New Year. Tim and Maz x

Iona Poem

Since returning from our trip to the Holy isle of Iona we've been thinking a lot about our time there and yesterday morning woke with this poem in my (Tim's) head. We hope that it captures some of what we experienced during a week long stay there.

Waking early to see the sun arise
On a remote Scottish island of surprise
Watch him creep above the mountains of snow
Winter time adorned with a dull halo

Walk passed Highland cattle and fields of sheep
Stone walls abound them safe to keep
Gulls soar above in the dawn lit sky
Never ceasing with their mournful cry

Waves that pound this tiny place
Follow many to this sacred space
Ferries bob across the sea
Bringing those who just want to be

The Pilgrims come from far flung lands
To this isle where the High Cross stands
Marking points of Holy ground
Where many believe that God be found

Ancient stones an Abbey create
Monks believe it to be a hallowed gate
Where prayers are offered for the dead
And miracles happened it's often said

God is honoured still there now
Where kings and monarchs came to bow
Some now buried beneath the square topped tower
Having relinquished their earthly power

Walk along Iona's paths
To beaches and hills atopped with grass
And in the wind that blows around
Can you hear the Holy sound?

Of peace and hope and even love
That many miss from God above
Take time to think and listen to
The one who's heart is in yours too

Pilgrimage to a Scottish Isle

tim and emma!

Since we our last post we've driven over 1800 miles (just under 3000km) which has included picking up our great friend and all round happy person (Emma Podmore) from Gatwick airport following her flying visit to Uganda, made our individual pilgrimages to the stunning Scottish isle of Iona, seen the first snows of the winter in the wilds of the Highlands, visited our old pastor (not that he is old!) from South Africa in his new parish in Aberdeen-shire and collected our youngest son, Arron, seeing him again for the first time in 14 months. 

sunset over loch long

It's been quite a journey and 'Colin' (the name of our little Vauxhall Corsa) never missed a beat providing us with over 60 miles per gallon performance which we are so impressed with, well done Colin. We hope that the next few paragraphs will capture some of that adventure so sit back, grab a coffee and come along for the ride!

It would be remiss of us to pass over the real reason for our latest epic so without going any further we'll provide you with some background to the amazing island of Iona. 

emma and maz enjoy some tasty scottish food

Iona sits around one mile off of the Hebridean island of Mull in the country of Scotland, both of which can only be reached by ferry, Iona has been a place of pilgrimage for hundreds of centuries starting soon after Saint Columbus established a monastery there in 563AD around 1400 years ago! 

The island boasts the oldest high crosses in Britain, Saint Martin's cross has stood in the same place since the ninth century and is the burial place of many Scottish as well as Irish, Norwegian and French Kings showing the long established reverence for the place. in more modern times a Scottish minister in a poor community in Glasgow had the idea to reestablish a Christ centered community at the site of the old Abbey, so with the help of some local unemployed (it was the time of the depression remember) Glaswegian tradesmen rebuilt the Abbey and in the 1930's created new buildings to become the home of the Iona community.

ferry trip from Oban

It was with all this in mind that wanted to spend a week living and sharing with the ecumenical (people made up from various expressions of the broad church) community, living within their daily rhythm of prayer and worship and taking time once again to hear God's voice as we seek Him for our futures.

Highland cattle

Our journey started on a trip down south to pick up Emma, who has recently left the work she was doing at the Village of Hope to pursue a life of service with another charity in Uganda, Emma was going to make the trip to Iona with us but the 6.30am pick up was a shock to the system however it was wonderful to catch up with her news. following a night in Bucks we made the start of the trek up north stopping with Emma's cousin and husband in Blackburn.

High cross on Iona

We ventured over the border into Scotland at Gretna and enjoyed some glorious weather passing by Loch Lomond before stopping at the top of Loch Long for the night prior to our first ferry crossing from Oban to Craignure on Mull. 

Upon waking we were greeted by snow on the tops of the surrounding mountains and once the sun had risen over the high peaks our drive took us up and over some tricky conditions with fresh lying snow on the roads, unbeknownst we would experience more of this later on during the trip.

sunrise over the abbey

Our ferry to Mull sailed at 10am so we made sure we were there in good time to grab a coffee and book Colin (the car) onto his berth alongside those others who's vehicles were venturing across the short sound between the mainland and the first of the islands we were to visit that day.

sunset over Mull from Iona

The drive from Craignure to Fionnphort was spectacular with the snow capped peaks keeping our heads up as we passed through glens (Scottish term for a valley or kloof) filled with Highland cattle with their young and gushing waterfalls providing a stunning backdrop to the traditional scene.

crazy girls

After a wonderful lunch next to a warming fire we joined around twelve people, as well as a crowd of school children, who we learnt were performing at the Abbey later that day. it was a strange feeling as we made the short ferry trip onto the Holy island, thoughts filled of what the week would hold, who would we be sharing our time with and what structure the week would take? 

stone labyrinth on Iona

It is funny to think that those who we now consider friends were just strangers on a journey perhaps with the same feelings about their week and who we might be....time and experience is a weird thing and that was shown during the week as we grew closer together as a group and ourselves with our God.

chappel on Iona with ancient grave stones from kings of yore 

Upon disembarking we gathered our bags and made the short walk up from the harbor past the ruined structure which used to provide a home to the women folk connected to the Abbey. walking onto the grounds of the Abbey heightened our sense of awe as we gazed at the huge High Stone Crosses that dominate the foreground of the Abbey, then on into the accommodation which was to be our shared home for the week. the buildings are truly stunning with history seeping from the very stones. our rooms were very simple affairs, all slightly different but home to a bed, side table and lamp, and much needed electric heaters.

atop Dun I

The group of people who joined us for this week long retreat were from all walks of life and parts of the United Kingdom, including one lady who had joined us from Texas, in the United States of America. some had visited before for others like us it was their first visit but there was an air of expectation as we joined together for our first shared meal.

Iona Abbey

Our days were varied but also followed a 'rule' that has been part of the community since the 1930's, this included sharing meals together, and wow the food was fantastic with much the produce sourced locally and organically, homemade soups and bread along with a wide use of vegetables (we did have meat and cakes too!), we then joined the community of paid staff and volunteers at the chapel (the Abbey is used in summer months) for the morning service which is led by staff along a liturgical theme with people groups and countries receiving thoughts and prayers as well as singing of songs and scripture reading. This along with the daily evening service provided us with great solace and with the knowledge that their 'healing service' had taken place every Tuesday for over 70 years provided us with a connectedness to those who had gone before.

St John's cross

The island is still a center of pilgrimage and receives thousands of visitors every year, thus during summer months this tiny place could seem a little crowded, we however had timed our visit perfectly, meaning we visited in the winter where the summer crowds were tucked up at home or at work in their office buildings and factories around the world, thus the isle was so still and peaceful and for that we were truly blessed.

There were many highlights during the week, quite apart from the giggles we had between the three of us, there were times of peace in the vast library, a pilgrimage walk following some of the ancient paths and sights to the bay where Saint Columbus is reported to have landed as he ventured across the sea from Ireland all those centuries ago. we also enjoyed a night of fun, song and laughter as we joined together around an open fire at the weekly Ceilidh and joined the wider local community for their film night which was held in the village hall, all very quaint.

our top floor accomadation

All too soon the week was drawing to an end, in fact the weather reports were so bad that two of our group, including the pastor from the USA, had to make an early exit to ensure that flights and other commitments were met. in fact our whole group had to leave on the Friday due to the worry that the ferries wouldn't run. It was with a slight tinge of disappointment that we left each other early but it did give us the chance to explore Oban prior to our further travels up into the Highlands.

our snow man!

We said our sad goodbyes, again to Emma who was taking the train to spending a couple of days in Edinburgh, and drove through some dramatic scenery up past Ben Nevis (the highest mountain on the British Isles) into the predicted wintry weather of the Highlands where we were to spend the night. the snow was falling slowly as we took to our beds but by the morning Colin (the car, remember) was covered with snow and the roads out of town were quite a picture, fortunately we made our way out of the Highlands before the heavy snow arrived.

Newtonmore high street in the snow

Wending our slippery way past Aviemore (site of the Scottish ski industry) the mountains were invisible due to the low cloud but we gained a sense of awe as the vista opened up the further east we travelled. Our destination was to be a visit to see Neil Meyer and his wife and family who moved from Grabouw a few years ago to take up the post of vicar of a Church of Scotland congregation in Kintore, west of Aberdeen.

tim and neil outside his new church

Our first night in Kintore was spent sharing our story with the youth group that meets on a Sunday evening, after Neil led some worship we were interviewed by some of the young people who asked us about our experiences in South Africa and what it means to share 'the gospel' via works rather than words. this was a fantastic time and we hope we inspired a few of the people there to reach out to their community and be Christ's hands and feet right there in Scotland.

We only had time to spend two nights with in Kintore but there's a couple of things that Scotland is famous for and we were intent on experiencing them both, (and no we're not talking about the famous 'battered (fried) Mars Bars', however we did see the fish and chip shop in Stonehaven where they were said to be invented), no we are talking about Castles and Whiskey. We had woken to a sunny day and drove through Royal Deeside (yes the very same Dee that flows along the Balmoral estate (the Scottish residence for the British Monarch) to Dunnottar Castle, a ruin dating back to the thirteenth century which sits atop a cliff top outcrop and which was home to both William Wallace and Mary Queen of Scots, among others.

Dunnottar castle

After a wonderful lunch of 'Cullen Skink' (a seafood soup made from Haddock) we made our way back inland to the Glen Garioch whiskey distillery at Oldmeldrum for a tour of their premises and a wee dram of their finest produce. We're not great whiskey drinkers but we were impressed with the fine quality of single malt that they produce and the incredible process that goes into making this valuable commodity.

Glen Garioch distillery

Sadly our time in Scotland had drawn to an end and after we had walked Neil and Michelle's two girls to school we said goodbye to Aberdeen and had an interesting journey south through further snow on the A9 in Perthshire. Our destination that night was to be a superb Youth Hostel (and yes they do still accept Grandparents in those establishments!) in Swaledale situated in the beautiful Yorkshire Dales.

After a good nights sleep following our near on seven hour drive and visit to the local pub in Grinton we ventured towards Leeds to pick up Arron who had been staying with friends he'd met during his Central American adventures earlier in the year.

Arry all back home

In a way we're glad to be back in Bucks, once again living out of a suitcase and traveling so far is quite a challenge, however we have wonderful memories to remind us of the awesome time we spent on the islands and highlands of the wild and rugged Scotland!

As a post script we are off to see one of our all time favourite folk/rock bands, 'The Waterboys', on Saturday and their lead singer Mike Scott has a strong connection with Iona and has produced a couple of inspiring albums with songs that mentioned Iona in their title, we think that 'Iona Song' captures a little of what we experienced:-

Peace of the glancing dancing waves
Peace of the white sands
Peace of Iona

Peace of the singing winds
Peace of the stones
Peace of Iona

Iiiiii oooooo nnnnnaaaaaa

Peace of the crying gulls
Peace of the humming bees
Peace of the noon-time stillness

Peace of the dreaming hills
Peace of the breath of angels
Peace of Iona

Iiiiii oooooo nnnnnaaaaaa
Iiiiii oooooo nnnnnaaaaaa

Peace of the saints and seekers
Peace of the monks and Druids
Peace of the resting place of kings

Peace of the ruins
Peace of the doves in the bell tower
Peace of Iona

Iiiiii oooooo nnnnnaaaaaa
Iiiiii oooooo nnnnnaaaaaa

Peace of the rested mind
Peace of the glad heart
Peace of my lover's pots and potions

Peace of her healing hands
Peace of her lazy laughter
Peace of Iona

Peace of the unseen
Peace of the spirit
Peace of Iona

Iiiiii oooooo nnnnnaaaaaa
Iiiiii oooooo nnnnnaaaaaa
Iiiiii oooooo nnnnnaaaaaa
Iiiiii oooooo nnnnnaaaaaa

Oh and for those of you who are little more cultured you might be aware that Felix Mendelssohn wrote some amazing music inspired by his visit to the Herbries in the 1900's. we would invite you to complete the reading of this post by listening to his stunning 'Fingals Cave' click here for a link to youtube, sit back and be transported to that remote part of the world that has so inspired our last few weeks!