I'm turning my blog into an Instagram account and sharing some moments through photos again. So much has happened over the last two weeks but since back from the UK I've done little else but run around and frantically try to dig trough the ever increasing work load. So the blog has had to wait. (The fact that I came from the airport straight to my office last Monday should illustrate things expressively.)

But here are some of the highlights of my UK trip:

Sometimes running into good friends just happens. I had no idea the Division was holding an important meeting for the Unions' departmental leaders while I was in the UK. So everyone seemed to be in England at the same time. And I could talk S. into driving me to the meeting one evening (thank you ever so much, bruv!) just so that I could crash their party and meet S. and M. That evening was one real treat! God was good to us that evening (not that He's ever not good but you know what I mean.)

More meetings with good friends! J. invited me to join their Bible study group. Why, yes, of course I'm coming! It was a good day spent with these five guys, a good chance to meet people I hadn't seen for too long. And I know it sounds terribly snobbish but it was incredibly inspiring to have a Bible study with everyone around the table having a Master's degree in theology. Probably my favourite moment of the day was when J., our genius Old Testament scholar, started frantically translating the verse we were discussing from the Hebrew Bible. Mercy! I wish I could attend their Bible study again.

 It is a very rare thing for my feet to look like this on a Sabbath morning. 9 times out of 10 there would be high heels and a church carpet on the picture instead. So I enjoyed the day in Windsor Great Park also for all the 9 Sabbaths which I can't spend in the nature.

While walking in Virginia Waters, I kept thinking about gardens. The same thought came to me also last spring when visiting a nice garden in England. I want to come up with a Garden Theology. I don't know if anyone has ever written on it but I am convinced gardens are very special places for people. Because, well, we have come from a garden. And I think there's something in our heart that wants to take us back to a garden. I think a garden is the richest and the best example of cooperation and creativity of both God and man. These two don't meet anywhere the way they meet in a garden. Yes. I really think I'm on to something here.

Unfortunately I don't have any photos from my epic London day with Dr A. N. I just don't dare to ask her if I could take a picture. She's too cool for picture-taking. But seriously speaking, it was another wonderful day-long mentoring session. She keeps investing in me. She keeps guiding me. She keeps empowering me. It makes me very humble when I think of it, humble and grateful. One lunch with Dr A. N. in Soho usually gives me more than an academic module in a uni could possibly give. I really, truly love her.

No-one ever takes pictures when sitting in The Lady's office either. Nope.

But here are two pictures from a seminar I attended right after coming back from England. I spent two days at a seminar meant for the lecturers of Estonian theological colleges. I met some old colleagues and I made some new friends - it's important, this networking thing. I also had the opening devotional there, I almost went into the preaching mode. I really like the picture that was taken of me during the devotional because I think you can see from it how much I like preaching and teaching. It just shows, there's no hiding.

And this is what I've been doing yesterday and today. Sigh. The deadline's tomorrow.