The Kilns 2005 – Part II

May 28, 2011 by Lancia E. Smith

Taking the trip to The Kilns that summer was a step of faith for me. It required me to overcome fear, guilt, being too rooted in place where I was and step into the unknown “ by myself.  It also required me to believe that God wanted to give me something good, not just require character building and obedience from me. That was actually the greater step of faith for me at that time. As in all steps of faith God met me in ways I could literally never have imagined before. All the longings I had felt for England since childhood were satisfied to the brim from beginning to end with the only fault being that it was temporary. Arriving at The Kilns was a moment of shivery thrill. I remember walking up the gravel path to the house feeling like I was somewhere between a dream and Heaven. And that I was somehow coming home. The presence of God rests there strongly and distinctly. From the very first moment of arrival I felt a great sense of peace “ an at-homeness you might call it. Time became more patient and kind and, though I traveled alone and I knew no one there, once I arrived I no longer felt lonely. Everything became right once the taxi drove up the road to Lewis Close.

The Kilns as a place is vested with a distinct sense of familiarity to it and a kindly quiet sense of welcome. I was warmly greeted at the front door by Kate Simcoe, the Summer Seminar Coordinator and hostess, as though I were some very important person rather than the shadow of a person that I felt I was and I was treated like a most desired guest. To this day the effect of that lingers with me because it was experiencing a foretaste of Heaven. I was not the only one who felt that way as it turned out. All of us “ ten I believe “ felt the same way. I was shown to my room to find a lovely bed made up with a beautiful stack of towels awaiting me. From that moment till the moment of my departure I was treated with such grace, beauty and kindness that it approaches magic. It could just as well have been Rivendell or even the Houses of Healing. I have never felt as nurtured anywhere else on Earth as there, with the very close second being at my parent’s house. The food was glorious. The seminar sessions were richly and wonderfully inspiring. The trips to all the inns and City Center, Cambridge, Holy Trinity, Wolvercote Cemetery ¦ were utterly lovely. Truly, nothing could have been improved or increased in perfection.

But for all the delights of the program itself, the real treasure of it was in the people who were shared it with me. To this day I still think of Kim Gilnett the Tour Director graciously driving us to our various destinations with so much patience and elegantly serving beautiful single chocolates to us after our banquet dinner on the last evening. His knowledge of Lewis lore was astounding but not so much as his kindness to all of us.

I still hear Professor MacDonald speaking with such clarity and passion as he lead the seminar each day and his remarkable humility. I hear him still saying to me oh you must go on for your Master’s, you must! The fiercely affirming voice of his still resonates with me and of all the voices that I have heard in my lifetime speaking to me about that issue his is the one that lingers in my heart most piercingly.

I still think with deep fondness and appreciation of Kate Simcoe. Her warmth, grace and elegance, her smile and her kindness all have stayed with me over the years. One of my sweetest memories of Kate is her teaching me how to drape a pashima. And her beautiful butterscotch laughter.

I think of Jason and Nancy Lethcoe “ such a beautiful couple and Jason’s amazingly generous gift to each of us hand drawn illustrations of Narnia. We shared the rare experience together of being grown ups caught up in wonder like children again in our hearts. What a gift!

Related posts:

1. The Kilns 2005 – Part I