‘How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news’
Richard and Harriet Allen have just returned home to Cornwall following a fun and exciting time in Switzerland looking after the English churches in Interlaken and Grindelwald.
Richard writes: ‘We were joined on the trip by our son Josh and his lovely Portuguese wife Ana. We were so grateful to her for her multilingual skills especially when welcoming people from quite literally all over the world. We stayed at our old caravan which is wooded in as you do with mountain caravans, near Stechleberg in the Lauterbrunnen Valley. Even the caravan’s plot has a testimony, so kindly given to us a by a Dutch Catholic Priest who like me, for most of his ministry, had been a school chaplain but like me came to this beautiful part of Switzerland to conduct services in local Catholic churches. He’d seen our children grow up and asked if we’d take it on as he was now finding the drive too difficult.
We tried to be creative with social media so every day we recorded a blog lodged on Facebook in a beautiful part of God’s creation with a fun challenge or testimony. You can find them on the ICS YouTube Channel. Throughout the trip, Josh was busy recording our latest National Online Service for The Church of England which will be screened from Sunday 11 August https://www.churchofengland.org/prayer-and-worship/join-us-church-online/weekly-online-services The theme: ‘How lovely on the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news’.
This of course was our story throughout our stay, always sharing a simple gospel challenge in our services which were attended by people from all over the world from many different backgrounds not always evangelical. We had lots of conversations around the campsite including meeting a delightful honeymooning Dutch Christian couple who camped quite literally opposite our van. These are not chance meetings but ordained in heaven. As always, wherever possible, we tried to offer the hand of friendship to many Arab-speaking people. It might just be advising on carparking or lake swimming but often these conversations can develop, and a seed can be planned when you are open to God’s leading.
We had some fantastic and challenging mountain walks and although partly working we are now back safe and sound in Cornwall where I am Rector of Trelawny - the most Cornish vicar in Cornwall! I look after seven churches in coastal and rural Cornwall sowing seeds of faith in tourists and our local community! We are certainly refreshed, rejuvenated and encouraged by our stay in Switzerland. As always, we will plan to return again next year to renew friendships and make new ones as well as sowing the seeds of faith by all the means that God grants us.’
Richard Allen, Rector of Trelawny and ICS Short-term Chaplain in Interlaken and Grindelwald