On Saturday the 18th April, the Men’s Fellowship (or the group who like to eat), got together for yet another Men’s Breakfast.

As I arrived, I saw our speaker for the morning together with his wife, trying to find a way into the church. I introduced myself and took both into the rear hall where some of the men were already gathering. My first impression of Tony and Jill was a quiet unassuming couple with a mysterious awareness of what was going on around them.

Breakfast was scrummy and as the ladies began the "big clean up", the men went into the bottom room to hear our speaker.

Tony began with a personal introduction which outlined a man who had been in the front line for many years, both in his working life and in his spiritual life. Tony was a man who had been in the civil service during the most torrid times in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and had seen and felt the cruelty of man. There are times when listening to Tony where I felt he could have gone into much more detail but could WE have taken that?

Tony set the scene of his life so we could appreciate how he learned to pray. The loss of friends and family to civil war and a political process of "take what you can" focussed Tony and Jill to trust in the Lord much more.

Tony gave me the impression of a man whose walk with God had been tested to the limit and yet he came through. He was definite that his survival was none of his doing and all of God’s.

Finally, I want to mention Jill who is the silent partner of the couple. She came to the Men’s Breakfast and immediately got stuck in with the ladies, washing and wiping dishes etc. When listening to Tony, it was apparent that he coped because of the (WIFE) he had. (He insisted on Wife and not partner as he was very proud of their marriage). She was a very necessary part of the team, a good woman.

I entitled the letter as "Tough Cookie" because that was my overall impression. There is an old film called "The Quiet Man" and this I believe sums him up.

Peter Whitefoot