How good and pleasant it is...

...when brothers (and sisters) live together in unity - Psalm 133 verse 1. As the retreat comes to an end we feel privileged that the Partners people have welcomed us into their family and accepted us as their own. On top of this the six of us find we are growing together more in love and acceptance of each other.

We had our last worship time at the Partners retreat. Two of the American girls joined us for a couple of songs, having worked out some actions for Ben's song Olive Tree, and they sang and played for another song. And then Hsaw Gay Paw and her daughter Flook sang the Karen farewell song we'd practiced the other day.

Many were in tears, as this was the end of the retreat and soon everyone would be departing to different parts of Thailand and other countries. It's a beautiful melody, and the words translate as:

May God go with you

May God bless you

May God see your need

This is my prayer for you

When you are at home

When you are at work

Wherever you are

This is my prayer for you

I bless you always

I remember to pray for you

May God who is everlasting

Give you full blessing

There was a final sermon from Brian (this time about bearing fruit) And the room was reorganised for the communion service.

The chairs were rearranged in a circle, but with Jackie, Ben and Jay standing just outside so we could play softly as the bread and wine were shared. It was a very moving occasion, not least because all these good friends would be dispersing soon to other parts of Thailand and all over the world. There were thanks to all involved in organising the event, and we were each given a little elephant tea-light holder.

Even after just a few days it was hard for us to come to terms with the idea that we may never see these people again. We had a final lunch together and then it was all tearful goodbyes at reception.

We were staying on an extra night so we had an afternoon to relax. Some of us chatted or read, others snoozed. At around five we had an evening devotional time in the grounds, in a shady area full of topiary reindeer and monkeys. We took some group photos and sat down, Hazel led us in the devotions and we talked and prayed together. We tried to think of the best and worst aspects of the trip so far, but nobody could really think of anything bad, apart from the uncomfortable flight over and the biting insects. Our time with Partners has been one of complete joy.

We had a nice dinner in one of the hotel restaurants and sat by the pool until late.

We sang each other songs we had written, mused on what it must be like to be an ant (there were some large, fierce-looking red ones going about their nightly business under a poolside lamp), talked, laughed, shared our stories and generally enjoyed one another's company.

We got to bed around midnight and didn't set our alarms for morning.

Jay has a nasty rash on his ankle which Ben thinks needs some antibiotics, which you can buy over the counter here. We shall pray for it. Please can you pray too?

Tomorrow we check out of Horizon and head to Mae Sot on the Burmese border for the next phase of the trip. Sarah is the only one of us who has any idea what we can expect. To the rest of us it's a new adventure.

One last thing: We saw this sign in the grounds. Would anyone like to suggest translations for the Thai caption?