SEEDS, PLANTS and SOULS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many people the world over have been instrumental in encouraging me,
in one way or another, to write the following pages
- colleagues at work, family, friends within and without churches
in Britain, Nigeria, Nicaragua, Honduras, Nepal, Belgium and Barbados
where I have lived and worked.

I remember with gratitude Gwidon Buszewicz
who introduced me to the fascinating world of seeds.
Special thanks go to Duane Petersen who sowed the seed of the idea,
and to my wife Gilli, our parents and godparents
for their loving, patient and persistent cultivation.
And a special "give me five" to my children
Adrian, Anna, Esther and Nicholas
for showing me where I need pruning and weeding!

In quotations from the Bible,
I have used the New International Version throughout,
except where otherwise mentioned.
Of course, you can substitute your own version if you prefer.
Whatever you do use, don't just stop with the passages I have quoted.
Read more!

The illustrations (in the original) are mostly mine
prepared during my work as a forester with VSO
and the UK Overseas Development Administration.
The coloured plates were drawn in Nigeria.
The line drawings illustrate various aspects
of tree seed collection and handling in Central America and Nepal.
Time has blurred where I have been original,
and where I have copied from other more able illustrators.
If any recognise their talent - apologies and many thanks to you.
My children's contributions are totally original!

The aim of using drawings taken from my work
- which I hope are of interest in themselves -
was to emphasise the link there can always be between everyday working life
and God's purpose working in us every day.

Marcus Robbins
Christ Church
Barbados
Christmas 1991

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