Hugger Mugger

I always thought that ‘hugger mugger’ was a word made up by our family, as it was so regularly used, during my childhood growing up in Northern Ireland, for any clandestine activity that involved wrapping presents and hiding them, or making secretive phone calls. Well, it’s actually listed in the Oxford dictionary, where it is defined as secrecy or secretive behaviour.

Well last week, there was a lot of hugger muggering going on in our apartment between text messages, emails, that culminated in the most amazing unique and unforgettable surprise party that Anna threw for me, on my 60th birthday last Saturday.

So, I’ve reached this milestone of 60 years. Earlier this year George Verwer celebrated his 75th. So that means that he was 35 when I was a 20 year old student at Imperial College, London. Having just recently found faith in Christ, I went up with a group of friends to a University CU meeting near Russell Square to hear this crazy American guy talk about Missions. I was totally struck by his straightforward way of talking, his utter frankness, and his insistence that you don’t need to wait till you get a theology degree something or have a packet of money before you engage in missions for God. Get on with it, get on out there, the world is waiting, was his message. What are you doing enjoying a spiritual feast here, when half the world hasn’t even had its first spiritual breakfast yet, he bellowed!

I suppose it is largely his inspiration that has given me this spirit of adventure that has taken us to Iran, Pakistan and now Portugal. In the party on Saturday night, they played a short video that the family, Judith Sharon and Colin had put together as a kind of retrospective of how they saw me. ( https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B1WuAn0nscLeaEFWWkktemJZYk0/edit?usp=sharing )  It was totally unique, touching and very special for me. And this spirit of adventure was part of that view they had of me. I like that. It’s the way I’ve always been. So....thank you, George.