Sorry, sorry. After such high-faluting resolutions this year has started rather sputteringly on the internet front. We've been away a lot, tired a lot and without internet at home. The regular semester starts this week so with routine will come normality. We've got Rach's sis Amy with us right now and we've had Mum and Dad and Rosie amongst others staying with us. The kids will be bored stiff when everyone goes and its just us for entertainment.

AN A-Z OF ADVENTURES WITH MUM AND DAD

C is for Church. Mum and Dad experienced the full breadth of church styles and sizes while they were with us. They got to see a contemporary Christian gospel group do a presentation, they went to our little church group where Dad spoke (12 people or so), they went to Pastor Gerson's Nazarene church and Dad spoke with the aid of Fernando translating (500 people or so) and they also managed to get to a charismatic Anglican church in Recife on New Year's eve.

D is for Driving. We spent a lot of our time on the road and all managed to fit into one car thanks to Rach's folks lending us their 7-seater Chevrolet Zafira.

E is for English. I managed to convince to Dad to help me out with a few of my final lessons before Christmas - in particular, talking to my group of pastors and also to a prospective Brazilian diplomat who was keen to interview Dad on his experiences in Africa. E is also for English because this is also the language that Nelson has trouble understanding - despite this barrier, by the end of the trip he had great rapport with both Mum and Dad.