Some friendships fade a few months or years after friends physically separate. My friendship with Laurie began in 1959, and continued over the next 63 years - even though my family left N.Z. in 1965, and moved to Canada 52 years ago. Our contact was generally Christmas letters, and one or two phone-calls each year. We became close friends, as pre-teens, and teens, at Greenlane church, and in the Boys Brigade. Laurie's parents, Una and Keith, often very graciously invited me to stay with Laurie at their Stanmore Bay bach, where we could enjoy the freedom of heading out each day for another adventure. Back at Greenlane, we would cycle to Auckland Boys Grammar School, picking up a few others on the way. Riding home was much more fun, as we passed a bakery with hot loaves of bread that we would buy, break in half, tear out the hot dough, drop in half a pound of butter, and eat that beautiful concoction of bread and melted butter! Geoff Cammell, Laurie and I completing our hike through the "Waitaks" as part of the Duke of Edinburgh bronze medal programme.. During that hike, Laurie was cutting at a piece of wood with his Bowie knife (all of us had to have one!), when the knife slipped and cut his hand. By the time we reached Orewa, however, the story had changed dramatically: Laurie was lucky that his hand just got nicked in that "wild boar" attack - he could"ve been really gored"! Being able to visit Laurie and Chris was an essential element of each time Jacqui and I returned "Downunder". Particularly memorable, though, was the trip Laurie and Chris made to Canada in 2003 to attend our youngest son's wedding (and my Mum's 80th birthday on the same day!), and our trip together through Ontario and Quebec. But, through all of this, most important than anything was sharing the gradual development in each of us of our knowledge and love of Jesus - a spiritual bond that bridges physical distance and time. Laurie, my friend, enjoy our Father's loving, eternal, embrace!