I always intend to take pictures of my actual accommodation, but I rarely do.

To be honest the acccommodation wasn’t that special anyway. It was a fairly dirty & very simple cabin at the bottom of the Megalong Valley.

That said, it was roomy, and the views of the cliffs were pretty fantastic, so I really don’t have a great deal to complain about.

Added to that, the drive out of the valley up to Katoomba was a real highlight every day.

The winding roads were just lovely, filled with dense rainforest and flanked by golden sandstone. Most days we would emerge from our own little world into the thick fog of the mountain tops, souping our way through to our destination.

CMS Summer school is fantastic.

[Mike Raiter](http://www.bcv.vic.edu.au/AboutBCV/FacultyandStaff.aspx) was a warm & engaging speaker and the Missionaries from around the world were honest & challenging. When one can feel like one’s own ministry is so difficult, it is a new thing to meet someone who can’t even tell you the country they are serving in for fear of persecution!

I took lots of notes. I went to a number of the seminars, and I bought a couple of books while I was up there.

Of course, it didn’t hurt that we found a pub that had Leffe on tap, nor that we had Dan & Harriet, our good friends & diocesan buddies staying next door & sharing the cooking!

It also helped being able to put the Pumpkin into creche & enjoy a little time for Shona & I to be adults listening to a sermon.
I’m excited at the prospect of doing the same thing each year for the next 20 or so. To let Pumpkin grow up through the different kids programmes, to listen to stories as the people we watched prepare for ministry come back on furlough.

Who knows, maybe we might even head to summer school one year as we prepare to head out on our own missionary journey? Like I said, it’s a good programme….