Wouldn't you know it... Just as we're starting to get the allotment in shape, the fruit is all ripening on the trees... and I'll be away for most of the summer so I'm going to miss it. In June we're going to America to visit Monika's family in Kansas city and Colorado (looks like another thrilling non-stop 14-hours-of-nothing across Kansas and Colorado round trip. Actually, it's pretty amazing once you reach Denver, after that long of rolling plains there's practically a wall of mountains just past the city. On returning we'll have a few days' rest before jetting off to Spain, where hopefully I'll have a job waiting for me. I've applied to a number of different language schools and camps around Spain in the hope of getting my first paid employment from non-Christians. If all goes well, we'll also be able to visit David Rhoton (son of Dale for OMers out there) in Barcelona in order to see the church plant he's working with. Monika will either look for a job in Spain or stay at home and work for an agency (more about this later). I've been trying to persuade her to join me in Spain, I think it's nearly working...

In August, if I have time, I'll join a two week Missions Vacances team in Torreviejos, leaving time half way through for an overnight stay near Berlin for the wedding of our friends Michael and Susanne. If nothing else is pressing, I'll probably go home then.

Monika has not been enjoying her work very much recently, mainly due to the low staffing levels which are set to go quite a bit lower. The hospital she's working at is probably the worst hit from the recent job losses around the country, and as patient care cannot be seen to suffer, the pressure is on the remaining staff to work extra hard. Monika's health has not been the best lately, partly due to the stress at this time, and so we felt it would be best to lok elsewhere for work. We're hoping that she can find a nice hospital or old people's home nearby to work at, but as of after the trip to America she'll probably be working with an agency. Please pray that she'll find the right job, and also that we'll make the right decisions about the summer. I'm going to apply for a work permit at the Spanish consulate tomorrow, so please also pray that it comes through in time (apparently it can take up to six weeks). On a positive note, I have had a couple of responses to my applications already, so hopefully there will be a job for me this summer.