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Kingsland News September 2015 The summer of weddings is drawing to a close, and I have learnt what it feels like to be on the other side of things as Jonathan our eldest son got married this year. An emotional moment as they fly the nest finally to make a public commitment to another (Hannah in his case) and to see the joy of the moment and the celebrations that all help to mark this event as a highlight of life. We travelled to Oxfordshire and family travelled from as far as Cornwall. Four grandfathers were pictured together and a celebration of bringing together two families. September for us holds a visit to Japan and to the city of Nagasaki where Nick’s grandfather was a prisoner of war and who was an eyewitness to the atomic bomb that fell on August 9th 1945 and for him was a saving moment, as he didn’t think he would survive much longer. He did infact live until 1998 and we have happy memories of times in Cornwall visiting him. He didn’t talk about that time but kept a diary which gave insight into his time as a prisoner of war at that time. There is to be a commemoration service in
Nagasaki to remember those who were prisoners of war and a monument unveiled by a group in Japan and we (along with Nick’s sister and his cousin and his aunt) will be going along. This too will be an emotional event, as difficult times are remembered and reconciliation sought. As an aside, Jonathan (the married son) will be playing in the RAF band at the service in London in August to remember VJ day so all in all a family affair. In our churches in the month of September we will be looking into the letter of James. A time to learn more about those who grappled with faith in the early days after the time of Jesus and to see if we can find help for our own lives as we grapple with the things that affect our lives and the those we love. Our community is important and I hope that you will engage with the future of the Post Office and seek to make sure there are gathering points and places of importance within our village and that we participate in helping the lives of those around us. The teddies arrived in Syria!! What a symbol of love and hope to those