Fire, Water and our New Home

After the last six months of living in a temporary home, today the move to our new house was finally over and here we are. It feels like a brand new start for all of us.

A couple of years ago our family spent the whole summer in Ecuador, where many families had very little, especially in terms of things we take for granted. That summer left a lasting impression on me in many ways, but one of the things I remember the most, is that when we got back to Finland I learnt to appreciate clean drinking water from the tap in a different way, because most water in Ecuador has to be bought and transported home.

I was reminded this week about how lucky we are to have once again. One of my oldest and closest friends, Jean Hall, has just returned from an inspirational trip where she led a group of thirty geology students from Newcastle University to Borneo. In just three weeks they managed to provide a water supply to fifty households. I can't tell you how proud I am of her, as it is because of the hard work of this group and that more than two hundred people now have water for the first time. Many of us talk about wanting to make a difference, but Jean has actually succeeded in doing it. I find that inspirational.

As for us, the house we have moved into is not a huge one, but after six months of living in a fairly uninspiring flat, I cannot tell you how much we appreciate being here. Even though the rooms are not enormous, the house still feels spacious in comparison to where we have come from.

Of course it's all still in chaos. Half the furniture is in the wrong place, I don't think we will ever manage to get the wardrobe up the stairs and there will probably still be things in boxes at Christmas. But none of that matters. We are here, we have a new home and the chance of a new start for our rearranged family.

So to celebrate this fact, after a week of almost never-ending packing and moving and cleaning, this evening I decided to close my eyes to the boxes and the chaos. I lit up our tree of hope outside the house, and inside am sitting looking at the open fire and some candles. And I have been reminded to appreciate our drinking water every time I go to the tap.

So, next time you take a drink of water, please raise a glass to my friend Jean, her students and the "doers" in the world like her. Now that our search for a home is over, I hope that our family will also find a way this year to make a difference. Somewhere, somehow. I'll let you know how we get on . Cheers Jean!