the Otter's Pool - web home of Ady Gould -

We arrived back in Wales at 4am, and got to bed at 5. We were woken by Gareth's mother at 7am. Gareth was preaching at 8am in his local Church. My first taste of a bilingual Welsh-English service. It was wonderful, despite me not understanding anything (apart from anything that was in English).

We left there and visited friends of his family. Here it was where God had prepared the road. One visit the friends were told that I was Gareth's partner, this resulted in us being told if it became too uncomfortable at home we had somewhere we could stay. A blessing to us both, that we did not need to take up.

I had a pleasant, if not torn Christmas in Wales, then we headed up to Liverpool to see Roy and Jess for "Christmas II". A celebration for the four of us. We had a special time with the guys, and it was good to partially forget the hassles. The time there was interrupted by my brother. He and I chatted, and it was suggested I ring them on New Year's eve, and when I returned from Wales to go with Gareth to his home on the Isle of Wight, go with Paul to see them. I rang my parents on New Year's eve and got my mother. She immediately apologised for being so nasty to me, and asked me to forgive her. I told mum that there was nothing to forgive. I never held anything she, or dad, had said against them.

I was asked back into the home, and later in the year I was to go, with Gareth, to stay for weekends. God's hand had taken the pain away from the situation, and filled it with His love. In the months to come, mum and I would talk, and as the time passed, grow closer again. Dad and I do not discuss the fact that I am gay, but I trust in Him to give my father the ability to love me as he did before. I never will believe my dad could be hard hearted to shut me from his love.

Gareth and I then headed to the Isle of Wight, after Paul and I went visiting mum and dad for that evening just after New Year. It was a time for the family to talk and for us to start the healing process. The process that I have been praying for ever since.