Happy Christmas and Annual News letter

Yes straight from the allotment

It's the Smith's Christmas Round Robin

Happy Christmas

Dear Friends,

We are thankful 2009 has been a pretty good year for us overall, despite a world around us where there is so much strife, poverty and anxiety. To say nothing of West Ham results!

Greg continues to work at The Salvation Army running the community centre, the computer suite and the drop in facilities for the homeless. There is a new officer in charge and always a shortage of funds but some good work goes on. Since June he has also been doing some part time research work with the William Temple Foundation. Google it (and anything else we mention) if you want to know more.

Jane continues to work in group programmes with high risk offenders, in what is now the Lancashire Probation Trust. She's also doing a theology course! Eternal student! Recently she made a starring appearance on the One Show, since then the phone has not stopped ringing!

Marcus has left home and is thriving doing a gap year in Enfield with Oasis, living in a house with three other 18 year old volunteers and working in the local academy school, youth clubs and a new church plant. He did well at A levels and has a place for next year at Kings College London. A hair dye mishap has led to him turning ginger instead of the desired blonde (although he will deny this I you ask him).

Martha finally left the ‘despised’ Archbishop Temple with decent results, enjoyed a packed summer and is now at Cardinal Newman College, doing A levels in Textiles, Drama, Photography and English. She’s now attending Fulwood Free Methodist on Sunday’s, leading a very busy social life and desperately looking for any part time work (although she’s trying to forget that she lasted three weeks at a call centre – and was shockingly good at it!)

Pawz the dog is ever present, still demanding, hungry as ever, but we love him (some more than others, sometimes more than others!) We’re now also a one cat household as we said goodbye to our beloved Jessica AKA Fatty earlier this year, Oscar continues to believe that he owns the house and we are his simply his servants.

For holidays we did our usual trip to relatives in Scotland and, various individual trips and a long weekend at Greenbelt. If you want to see where we've been look at Greg's photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/gregmaistersmith

It's 20 years next month since Greg & Jane got married and to celebrate we are planning a long weekend in Madrid (together!).

At Church we've lost a vicar and gained a half time children and family worker. We are still finding the Church of England a bit uncomfortable but there is life, and good people and work to be done there.

Our door is usually open, yet we've had no burglars yet. So if you are in Preston come and see us. And you can also contact us by phone, email, Facebook or post.

Here's wishing you a very Happy Christmas and wonderful New Year

Greg Jane, Marcus & Martha Smith

Everything was created through him;
nothing—not one thing!— came into being without him.

What came into existence was Life,
and the Life was Light to live by.

The Life-Light blazed out of the darkness;
the darkness couldn't put it out.