Thanksgiving, Christmas, and God's faithfulness!

Hi friends, 

Well, I’m not sure where the last six weeks have gone, but it’s almost Christmas! My last blog post was after being in Ohio for a week, and now in one more week, I’ll be there again by Christmas evening...so looking forward to that!!

Just going to share a few of the highlights of November, which went by fast! I went down to Young Life UK staff training near Birmingham (England) about four weeks ago with four other staff from Scotland. It was 

Stop number 7, I think?!...such a fun team!

such a great time all around, but my favorite part was probably the road trip down. What should have been about 5 1/2 hours stretched into a leisurely nine! As you can imagine, we stopped pretty frequently- an average of once an hour or so! But it was so much fun to get to know each other, and since we were driving the day before the training, we decided to make the most of it. At the conference itself, it was fantastic to meet YL staff from England, Wales, and N. Ireland, and to look ahead to summer camps for next year. God has brought together a great team for YL in the UK!

My first turkey- it worked!

The other major November highlight was Thanksgiving dinner- both of them! Some of you have seen pictures of those on facebook. Though the plan originated as a few American expats having Thanksgiving, it quickly snowballed as we realized that many of the Scots were curious and wanted to share with us. Since bringing different people together is in the spirit of the holiday, it ended up being seven Americans, eight Scots, one German, and seven Brazilians- all seated in one not-big room! It was so much fun to share traditional Thanksgiving food with them- from green bean casserole to pumpkin pie! Everyone enjoyed the food and friends, though I did hear a few whispers of “what is this one again?...am I supposed to pour something on it?...” Valid questions! :-)

American stuffing is very different for them!

And the next night, we did it all over again! Our team had decided months ago that since we now have two Americans, it would be great to show the kids in the youth club what an American Thanksgiving is like. So, having just practiced making all those foods the day before, we pulled together another Thanksgiving feast. One or two things tasted better than the day before, probably because I called my mom with some food questions the second time around! I think the youth really enjoyed the food and learning a little bit about the history of the day. After dinner,  Alex Foster and Alex Richards organized “turkey bowling”...a very fun but not exactly hygienic game that probably is best left to imagination! :-) Events like this are such a great thing to invite local teenagers to- my YL teammates do a fantastic job at making everyone feel welcome and like they are part of the group.

As you can probably guess, we’re focused on Christmas right now, which brings about lots of activities, programs, parties, and Nativities! The big one I’m focusing on is the Sunday morning service on Dec. 22, comprised of a Nativity played by the Sunday school children. We’ve been rehearsing after church for a few weeks, and practicing some songs during Sunday clubs, and the big run-through after church last Sunday went well. So far, so good!...it’s very different than directing a school play, but the important thing is just to tell the story, and have it focus on how God sent His son. If the congregation comes away with that, than it’s been a success! It's been great to get to know both younger and older kids better, and help them find a new way to interpret their faith through drama. 

Co-workers, friends, and now flatmates!

The last major thing is some great news about the new flat I just moved into! I knew I would need a new place to live in January, when the flat where I've been staying would be sold, and had started to look at options in this area. A flat just around the corner from the church had caught my eye, and when I viewed it, seemed absolutely perfect! I called my friend Anna (also a youth worker at the church) to look at it with me, and she loved it at first sight too. The drawbacks were that it was a bit more expensive than we’d hoped (but manageable), and neither of us wanted to take it until we were back from our Christmas trips home, making it very likely that someone else would apply before that. So, we prayed about it, and asked God that if it was the place for us, somehow it would work out, or that He would show us another place to live. 

Our eat-in kitchen with a view of the Firth of Forth...my favorite room!

The next day, after I was mentioning this to some people in the church, someone approached me afterwards and said that she felt the Lord putting on her heart to pay the December rent for us, so that we would have the certainty of having a place to move into in January. It took a few moments to register what she was offering! As we talked, I knew this was right from the Lord. Anna and I had been hoping that it would somehow stay empty until January, but this was even better, because it meant I would have a place close by to stay for a couple weeks before Christmas, instead of a long bus commute from outside of town. So, last Monday, we signed the lease, with the help and advice of my aunt and uncle (and my aunt had just returned from the US an hour before!). Between them and our generous friend, Anna and I are so excited at how God has provided the perfect place for us to open and share with others. I moved in over the weekend, and Anna will be moving in this week!

It’s funny- on one hand, I’ve been completely surprised by how “the flat situation” suddenly worked out, but on the other hand...it’s so typical of how God’s been taking care of me since before I even moved. Providing just what I need when I need it, usually (though not always) through someone he leads- and that way, he encourages and affirms me at the same time. It’s definitely an exercise of faith, but when I step even farther out in trusting God’s provision to be "Plan A", I realize how unnecessary- and unimaginative- those Plan B’s were.

Another area where I’m also seeing his faithfulness is in the fundraising process with Young Life. Between my children’s work with Liberton Kirk and the youth work with YL, I’ve found it challenging to set aside chunks of time for support phone calls- I can see why most people do this before they start the work! :-) But, God called me here this August rather than next year, so He has a plan for my financial needs. I know the first part of that plan- the last four months of living here have been managed by a combination of my 12 hrs/wk church salary, gifts that were given to me in the summer, and also low living expenses by staying in family property. After the new year, though, the goal is to move from volunteering with Young Life to being a paid 20 hr/week staff member, which will coincide with having normal monthly expenses. 

The amount needed for that is approximately £1750/month ($2,850), which includes salary, several weeks of training (some of which has already happened), and funds for my part in our activities, camps, and contact work with the teenagers in the schools. An easier way for me to divide it up is into levels of $100, $50, $25, and $15 monthly- if each level has fifteen supporters, the entire year will be raised! Though it seems like a lot, I've already been pledged or given $4,720 in the last month, which is absolutely amazing, and only possible by God's grace.

I know that God calls us to support ministries in different ways- and I've found that mine has been made possible by prayer, encouragement, standby airline tickets, financial gifts, hospitality, and perfectly-timed "random" gifts- even down to a coffeemaker! :-) If you feel specifically led to invest financially in this Young Life/Scotland ministry, it is very appreciated. I would love to talk with you about it when I'm home, and share more testimonies! But as that will be right during the holidays, I'm also going to post information here about how to give:

Online
From this YL page, click "A YL Staff Member's Ministry", search for "Willis", and I'm near the bottom of the list. The options to give are via credit card or bank account, and can be set up as a one-time gift or monthly. 

By check

A check can be made out to Young Life, with a note in the memo line for "X2162/Willis". The first one can be mailed to me at my home address, and I'll record it and forward it to Young Life. You will receive back a receipt and an envelope addressed to YL if you'd like to donate again. Please email (rachelewillis@gmail.com) or message me for my home address- may sound silly, but I'd rather not post it online. 

Happy with our gifts from the YL Christmas club!

As those of you who have raised support probably know, it's very hard to put needs like this out there so publicly ("God, could you just make it magically appear in the bank, so I don't have to ask?!?..."), because it feels like it must be such a burden or pressure to others. But what I've been learning is that if I'm confident in God's call to this specific work, all I have to do is share what I see Him accomplishing through me/us, and invite others to participate in it. A dear friend reminded me last year that God has called me to have travel and mission experiences that most others won't, but that they can experience it through my testimonies and pictures. I'd never thought of that before, but I definitely don't want to hold any part of this experience back, because I want to honor and communicate how faithful He's being!

Though I've tried to capture some of the work that I/we are doing here, it's so much more than my words can convey, because the real fruit is in relationships. The events and activities are great, but if they didn't then foster relationships that help show kids what Christ's love is like, they would just be filling hours. I was blessed to grow up knowing dozens of Christian adults whom I liked and trusted. For some of the teens I've met, they can name one or two- and many of their friends don't know any. Those are the kids that we are trying hard to reach in the community.

The Nativity at YL club, with parts drawn out of a hat! Lots of laughter!

This Young Life Scotland video captures the team that I've joined. I'm blessed to work on a daily basis with some of the narrators in there, like Andy Chittick and Bradley Laing. Thank you so much for your prayers- they have such an impact on our efforts! I am so confident that God is with me, and is taking care of me in ways I don't even see.

Please get in touch with me at rachelewillis@gmail.com or via facebook if you have any questions, or just to update me on your life! Thanks, friends, and I hope to see many of you when I'm home over Christmas!

Love, 
~Rachel

Verse of the post:

Christmas Transformers at the elem. school

"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to those on whom His favor rests." Luke 2:10

Lord, show me why you have brought me here.

Hi friends!

It's a chilly evening here in my office in Liberton, but at least the sun was out earlier! The leaves can't quite compare with Ohio, but there is still a multitude of color out there. 

I was able to get home to Ohio for a sunny, delightful, autumnal week in October, bookended by a friend's wedding and CCS's Fall Banquet/20th anniversary celebration. It was an amazing and packed week, and included so many great things (like picking my nephew Ben up from kindergarten! and teaching English at CCS! and bossing students around at the Fall Banquet!) and so many mundane, familiar things...fast food drive-thru has never been so exciting. :)

For as lovely as it was, though, at no point did I regret moving to Scotland, or wish that I didn't have to go back. I guess the best way to describe it would be wishing I could be in two places at once, and somehow merge these two worlds. Though when I think about it, that's a familiar feeling anyway- I still feel that about college, and about several missions teams, especially the one last summer at the London Olympics. 

Lord, show me why you have brought me here.

The "Messy Church" skit of Jesus calming the storm- a great "crew"!

Increasingly, I feel like I have a handle on the regular tasks of being a Children's Worker at Liberton Kirk- the Sunday clubs, Sunday "Buzz" once a month, helping with "Messy Church" once a month, doing a monthly All-Age talk during the Sunday church service, the after-school "Transformers" program at a local elementary school- all things that I've done at least twice now. We're also looking ahead to the Christmas children's service, which I'm in charge of, so I'm putting the finishing touches on a Nativity script and that will be under way soon. It'll be lovely to do a bit of directing again, and really, you just cannot lose with toddler sheep and lisping angels! :-)

Events like...a girls movie night! :-)

I've also just received my own account with Young Life, so I'm praying and working through my approach to fundraising a part-time salary for my work here. I've probably explained this, but I really have two separate jobs- one with Liberton Kirk as a Children's Worker 12 hrs a week (doing all the things in the paragraph above, with an hourly wage), and then as part-time staff with Young Life 20 hours a week (doing teenage-focused relational outreach work in the schools, two weekly evening clubs, and other events, as well as some training time). For the latter, I'll be asking friends and family to help support those 20 hours of work, and doing my best to share what God is doing over here. So, the next post will have more specifics about what the YL work looks like, and I'll also share some testimonies of how God has been taking care of me financially in the interim. (Most people raise support and then work, but I'm doing it a bit backwards!)

Lord, show me why you have brought me here.

As you may have gathered by now, that question has been on the front of my mind, especially since returning from Ohio a few weeks. I'm feeling more competent with much of the "what" in my jobs, and working on the "how", but really, the "why" is what matters. Both Liberton Kirk and Young Life have lots of existing structures for me to fit into, but I've been asking the Lord to show me how my gifts, experience, words, knowledge, personality, and identity are to be used. Why me? Why now? Why here? Why them? 

At home and at CCS, I knew exactly who I was to other people, and what I could offer, and how, and when. Which is why it was so delightful, for a week, to slip back into that and feel confidence in myself and from others that I knew what I was doing. It takes time to build that up somewhere new, and also grace from others and especially from myself. But I can feel the roots slowly starting to grow again.

I had a spontaneous coffee date with my new friend Nikki last night after an event at the church, and as we chatted, I started to realize ways that I can reach out more to specific people, and areas and relationships where I think I may have something to offer. It was eye-opening, and really an answer to the prayer, "Lord, show me why you have brought me here". And it was just great to share coffee with a friend! :-)

Five of us share an office in a house room...fun times! :-)

I feel like I have so many other thoughts swirling around, but if I wait until they all settle to post this, then it will be another several weeks!...and I don't want that. One thing I would love to do soon is "introduce" you to the other people in my office and YL volunteers, because we really are a delightful little team, if I do say so myself, and it would give more of a flavor of what my life is like over here. It's been encouraging and relaxing to feel friendships deepen, and to spend time sharing food, tea, phone chargers, games, moccasins, cars....life together. :-) Yep, I definitely need to capture that somehow here, because it has been a huge blessing. 

Ok, time to head home for the night, and see what's on the dinner menu...actually, it really is salmon and venison sausage tonight! Better watch a Poirot too. :-)

Verse of the night:

"21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. ²² And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." Eph. 2:21-22

(There's a lot of food for thought there!...)

God bless you, friends! 

~Rachel

Hi there, friends!

    Well, I’ve not met my goal of blogging once a week, but...better late than never! It’s been just over 5 weeks now since I arrived in Edinburgh- feels like much less than that. 

    I’m writing this from the wee flat, with a riot of potted herbs and mini rosebushes next to me on the window seat. (Did I put those on the list of things I can’t pass up in a market?) Too quickly, there probably won’t be enough daylight to 

Friends, I can't stop buying them!

sustain them, so I’ll enjoy them for now. As I look around, I can’t put my finger on what makes the flat look much more “lived in” than a couple weeks ago...probably just the random clutter! Fleece and purse thrown on the chair, basket of important and not-important papers, Kleenex box, skewed dish towels on the oven handle, dishes drying, half-burned candles, computer cords here and there. Small but noticeable signs of life, in other words. 

    It probably helps that last night, I had my first guests over- nothing makes you take ownership of a place like identifying it to others as your home, I guess! It was so lovely to have other people over- two friends/co-workers in Young Life here, and a newly-arrived couple who visited the church last week. So, four Americans and one German, sitting on a blanket on the floor around the coffee table, sharing dinner, tips for living in Edinburgh, and best of all, conversation!...part of which included reminiscing about Yanni and mid-nineties kids movies (The Big Green?...Richie Rich?...The Mighty Ducks?). All in all, absolutely delightful. I’m so glad I didn’t let a little thing like not enough table space, chairs, or forks stop me from inviting four guests!

    After several weeks of shadowing various events/programs at the church, I’ve started to slip into regularly helping with and even organizing certain things. The role of “Children’s Worker” is so much more multi-faceted than simply the Sunday School program. Part of that is because there are regular visits to the elementary school (still wrapping my head around the lack of “separation of church and state”), and also supporting any other events that intersect with kids aged 3-12. One of these is “Messy Church”, which at Liberton Kirk, happens on the last Saturday of the month. Briefly, Messy Church is a time of crafts, games, worship, a Bible story, and a shared meal that is geared toward young families in a community who might not come to a traditional Sunday morning service. The “rule” is that no kid can get in without an adult, and no adult can get in without a kid- so it promotes parents and children participating together, or another adult relative or neighbor bringing them.

  

Sunday Club leaders' dinner at Pizza Express- great tradition!

    This past Saturday was my first time experiencing Messy Church, and I was absolutely amazed. There were about 60 kids (most aged 3-7) and over 40 adults with them, plus about 25 helpers. Of those kids, I did not see a single one who seemed shy or ill at ease- every kids was diving into the crafts and games, dragging their parent/adult to different stations, and having a blast! They were all engaged in the short worship time as well, which for that age group, says a lot. Even better, their parents were all singing the worship songs too, simply because their kids were so involved- just amazing. For the Bible story, I helped dramatize the Parable of the Lost Coin, and as a result, had about sixty little people looking for the “lost” coin with me! And though it’s hard to pick a “best” part, it was delightful to then all go into the main hall for some homemade pizza and sides, which the kitchen had been busy preparing. Sharing dinner with so many kids and families was just amazing. I can’t even put my finger on why- somehow, the fact that many aren’t Christian is what made it so special- without even realizing it, they were experiencing something incredibly biblical. I know that God is using it to plant and water seeds!

   In addition to the work with the church, I’ve also been attending/helping at Delta (which is essentially the Young Life club in the area) on Friday evenings, and with Connection Groups (which are basically Campaigners in the US) on Sunday evenings. I’m working up to getting into the high schools as well, and another youth worker and myself have set a date to start offering composition tutoring to students. One highlight last week was attending PowerPoint, which is a night of worship and teaching that happens about every six weeks. The students were so excited leading up to it that I knew it must be good- and it was great! I think around 1,100 students and leaders gathered together, and there was such a awesome positive spirit in the building. Lots of kids went up for prayer and commitments to living a life honoring to God- so encouraging to see!

"Transformers"- after-school Christian program for elementary kids

     For those that have asked, I’m farther along in the application process for Young Life, and will hopefully start raising support soon. I’m a bit non-traditional in that I felt led to move when I did (before raising support), but the Lord put the end of August on my heart, and it was perfect timing to start the other part-time job at the church. And, I’ve been able to meet the other Young Life staff here, and many of the kids, and get involved in lots of the group activities. Through generous friends over the summer, God has provided above and beyond my needs for right now, so I’m happy for him to guide the timeline of my work unfolding with Young Life. They have excellent mechanisms in place to prepare and develop new international staff, and I don’t want to rush that. 

    On that note of God's guidance, this may sound a bit funny, but as I prayed over the summer about when and how exactly to move, I kept a question mark around this coming week in October. A dear family friend is getting married on Saturday (woohoo, Erika and Tom!!), and six days later is CCS’s Fall Banquet/20^th anniversary celebration. I knew in my head that it probably would look ridiculous to come back so quickly after moving, and that when you move internationally, you accept that you can’t be at every event you’d like to be, but....the idea of coming back for those events just never went away. 

    I’m sharing this just because it’s been a major struggle for me, and when I was finally honest with myself (only a week or two ago), what it boiled down to was not confusion about what the Lord was saying (“You need to be home for this time.”), but 1) a fear of what others would think, 2) feeling like the money could be better spent, and 3) feeling guilty for asking for time to go home after just starting new work. So, after going back and forth a lot, I came to realize that if God is saying something (obviously scriptural and in keeping with His character), there’s no such thing as a legitimate reason not to do it. 

    

    Not even sure why I’m prompted to write all this out, but maybe there is someone dealing with something similar- meaning, having a list of really good reasons to ignore the quiet, gentle, so-ignorable voice of the Lord. Or maybe it’s just that I need to face my distaste for sharing a personal struggle with anyone other than close friends/family. Either way, I encourage you (and me): ignoring God’s leading cannot possibly benefit whoever you may be trying to help more than following His leading would. It may seem like it might on the surface, but think about it: He knows the full reason behind it all...do we?

    Well, that came a bit out of left field...back to what I was saying- I’ll be in Ohio for a week starting Friday, for known and unknown reasons! :-) Now that I'm at peace with it, I can say that I am so, so, so excited to see my family (all the siblings will overlap...that's getting rare!), friends, church, and definitely CCS...dying to teach an English class or two! And hopefully I will see lots of people at the Fall Banquet...one of my favorite CCS events. :-)

    It’s far too late and this is long enough for now, so I’ll leave you with a lovely little verse:

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace.” Romans 15:13

Amen!

Hi friends, 

       I’m typing this from my neighborhood Starbucks (which does not yet feature pumpkin spice lattes, but will in October, a barista informed me conspiratorially!). It’s been a lovely, mostly sunny Saturday here in New Town, and fairly productive. I (finally!) managed to open a bank account; bought, wrote, stamped, and mailed thirteen postcards, and wandered through some charity shops and markets in nearby Stockbridge before heading home and making dinner. 

       Re: shopping in Stockbridge, I’ve realized that I can rarely, if ever, pass up the chance to buy:

Couldn't resist!

1. Turkish Delight- rose and lemon flavor preferred!
2. Miniature rose bushes or stems, especially that pretty yellow/orange/pink color
3. Scottish venison sausages (amazing every time)
4. Cranberry stilton cheese
5. Secondhand Agatha Christie books (or A&E TV versions)

Now, I didn’t buy ALL of those today (only half....), but I’ve certainly indulged in each of them multiple times in the last three weeks. Irresistible!  

       The one thing I did resist- which I’m completely regretting- is a book titled “Shakespeare’s Star Wars”. I can’t begin to describe the delight it gave me to page through (from the Prologue: “in a star-cross’d galaxy, far, far away...” !!!!). There are so, so many people I could give that book to...may have to revisit the bookstore!

       Down to more serious matters...I’ve learned a lot in the last two weeks for my job at Liberton Kirk. First of all, the church/school interaction here is very, very different than in the US. In these communities, area ministers and Children’s Workers (that’s me!) are expected and/or encouraged to be involved in local primary schools, visiting and getting to know the students and being involved in their Religious Education, which is a mandatory part of the curriculum. As I understand it, any religious leader (not just Christian) can volunteer to get involved, but in our area, the Christian churches have been the most active. So, part of my job entails visiting a local primary school regularly, and helping run an after-school Christian program, Transformers, twice a month. Very different than “separation of church and state”- this is something that really impresses me about Scotland!

       I also shadowed a Sunday school class (called a “Sunday Club”) last week, and will visit a different one tomorrow. My church is currently in a 10-week series that is studying the Ten Commandments, and the Sunday School curriculum coordinates with that so that the entire family can be learning and then discussing the same thing (pretty ingenious!). This week is the commandment “You shall not lie”, and I’m also participating in a short skit tomorrow during the service that relates to that. 

Low quality picture, high quality people! At Delta (Club) on Friday.

       Though I’ve been focusing on the church Children’s Worker job, I’ve also been getting involved with the Young Life activities. My status with them is still technically in the application process, so I haven’t started a full schedule yet, but it’s been helpful to get an overview of “club” and “connection groups”, both of which reach out to kids in the community. Club, or “Delta” as this group is called, happens on a Friday night; includes activities, games, and a teaching; and is basically open to any teenager, whereas Connection Groups (Sunday nights) are more intentionally focused on discipleship. Though it seems like there are still tons of teens that I haven’t met, I have to remind myself that I at least know more of them than I did a couple weeks ago! I’m looking forward to building relationships with the high school girls (who have such lovely, lilting voices :-). 

       One huge plus has been being part of a team at the church/Young Life. In the church office where I work, there are six of us who all overlap a bit with youth work, yet have distinct roles and focuses. Because the office (which is actually a room in an old house) recently went from having two people to six, we’ve been clearing out the room and doing some rearranging to fit us all. We have three Scots, two Americans, and a German, and so far, we get on well together! I think fun times are ahead. :-) The neat thing is that the building is shared by two churches as office space, and in a way, represents the spirit of cooperation that exists between several churches in the area, who share ideas, resources, events, space, and even staff. What an awesome example!

Much homier with things on the walls!

       Back to a personal note, I’m also more settled in the flat, and have basically figured out my rhythm of life there. There are some renovations/repairs that will be happening, which has been a slight challenge, but really nothing major. I don’t have a working oven, but I’ve gotten quite creative at cooking on the stovetop. In fact...I’ll just say it...I’m very proud of my cooking so far (I’m a fast-food junkie at home, and rarely made anything but desserts :-)! Since I had to stock my kitchen from scratch, and since I only have a little fridge, I’ve been sticking to the simplest ingredients possible, and very little canned/boxed/preserved stuff. Tonight’s menu was venison sausage :-), an apple/onion pan-fried stuffing with fresh herbs, and a salad cut right from my little lettuce plant on my window seat with tomatoes, mushrooms, and oil & vinegar. Scottish dairy, meat, fish, and even some produce are widely available, and to my taste, the quality seems high. So, grocery shopping and cooking has been a positive- though an occasional fish’n’chips helps too. :-) 

       I don’t think it’s fully sunk in yet that this isn’t short-term (still has a “summer camp” feel?...much like college did at first), but it’s getting there. There are quite a few ups and downs emotionally, even within the span of a day, but I’m fortunate to be able to call home occasionally from my cell (or “mobile”), which always helps. And now that I have a bank account, I should soon be able to get internet in the flat...which should definitely help with staying in touch! I love hearing about what’s going on at CCS and with people at home. Though facebook can be a huuuge time waster, there’s no doubt that it helps me stay connected, both with everyone in the US and also my new friends in Edinburgh. And as I settle into the job at Liberton and wait for things to pick up with Young Life, it has given me some great time on my own with the Lord, and for journaling, reflection, and reading. Another plus is that despite/because of paring down so much to move, it highlights how much I do have. I don't want to take all this for granted- so many don't have access to a fraction of the basics, let alone the extras that we routinely enjoy.

       On that note, time to wind down and experiment with a stove-top dessert....can I manage a chocolate pudding of some sort successfully?! And perhaps watch a newly-acquired Hercule Poirot mystery...:-)

Verse of the post:

2 Corinthians 2:14-15 “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place. 15 For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” (Thanks Sandy! :-)

Enjoy the Sabbath tomorrow!

~Rachel

Right above the kitchen table :)

I've found that it's good to put things like this on the walls- every time I read it, it helps!

I need to do a fuller post to capture some of the activities of the last couple weeks, because there are lots of great things happening, at the church, with Young Life, and with new friends here. But that will have to be tomorrow or this weekend, I think, to do it all justice. 

It's so funny how you can experience something, and yet not have it feel real at all. Like, moving by yourself to a different country. It's already done, but it's only now starting to sink in...this isn't a trip. I'm here until God tells me to be somewhere else. When I fly "home" to Ohio, it's a visit. And sooner rather than later...Edinburgh is/will be "home". 

"Today...let there be peace within me, trusting that God has planted me right where I am meant to be." 

Passing on the song that I'm listening to, which Alex in my church group shared with us tonight. 

Thanks for your prayers. God is good, and very "here". :-)

Hi friends, 

"Jack Spanner" and "Lorry Wing-nut",
from the South!

It’s a blustery, chilly, damp-in-the-air sort of day here on Sept. 1 in Edinburgh- pretty different than Ohio’s balmy 70’s right now. This is typed from my getting-cozier flat, and may or may not be finished before I need to head out in an hour or so. 

Today was “Sunday Buzz” at Liberton Kirk, which happens on the first Sunday of the month. “Sunday Buzz” brings all the different classes (“Sunday Clubs”) together for one big children’s service, and takes place across from the main church in what is known as the church halls. The older, traditional church buildings don’t have many rooms besides the main sanctuary, so any activities that require space during the service often meet somewhere outside the old building. 

Connected "bee-ing thankful" (the theme)
for what I brought with  me

For “Sunday Buzz”, they are carrying through a theme of “Cars” that began during their summer camp. As a result, I was “Lorry Wing-nut” from down South, complete with official coveralls and everything. The southern accents that the Scottish can pull off are very impressive, I have to say! Including the adults and teenage helpers, there were probably fifty or so in the group. Part of the program included me narrating the story (the curriculum said it was supposed to rapped?... it definitely wasn’t. :-) of Zaccheus, mimed by compliant and longsuffering teenagers, and then I shared a bit about my move over to Edinburgh. All in all, it was a very nice “Sunday Buzz”- definitely a hit with the kids (who have the cutest accents ever!)

I’m settling into the flat, and had three big shopping trips last week- one for apartment and kitchen items, one for food, and one at the local charity shops (like our Goodwill/Salvation Army’s) and Poundland (the “dollar” store, haha) for random decorative and/or useful items. Of course, I was limited to buying only what could go home on the bus with me and be carried up three flights of stairs...I probably made a pretty silly picture, waddling on and off the bus with several bulging bags! But, I think the big things are now in place- in other words, I have a French press, bacon, a deep red curtain, and fresh flowers and herbs. :-) 

This newly-curtained window seat is my pride and joy!

It’s amazing how your perspective can shift so quickly...compared to home, the kitchen seemed absolutely dwarfish at first (the only usable counterspace is a two-foot block), but either it’s grown or I’ve shrunk, because now the size seems absolutely perfect. Same with the fridge, which is around 2.5 feet by 1.5 feet by 1.5 feet (a big mini-fridge?) that at first seemed impossible, but now that it has food, I’m wondering how I’ll eat all of it! And the one cabinet I’m using for food and ingredients still has empty space. You realize after a couple days how little you actually need...and my lifestyle at home tended to accumulate so much “extra” of everything. Also, almost everything comes in smaller packages here, and for only one person, that’s definitely a plus. 

 Tonight I’m heading to a more informal evening service at the church, followed by a Young Life Connection Group (known as “Campaigners” in the US), which is a group focused on those who wish to grow in their Christian faith and learn more about it. After that, we’ll be watching the fireworks show that marks the end of the Edinburgh Arts Festival, a massive month-long event that includes a huge amount of visual, literary, and performing arts, and brings people from all over the world to Edinburgh. 

Though today’s been great (and I’m sure tonight will be), I knew that some loneliness and homesickness would set in about now, and it has. Because I don’t have internet at the flat yet, I haven’t been able to skype home yet, so though there have been emails and a couple phone calls, I do feel pretty isolated from life in Ohio (thank goodness for data on my cell, which is how I'm posting this, and a nearby Starbucks...and the nice guy at the phone store who gave me free mobile data for a year?!...:-). Also, with the exception of one and a half days this week, I’ve been pretty much on my own, which has always been the best and worst part of my travels. Friendships are forming, but it’s a process. As you think of it, I guess I’d appreciate prayer that I would continue to adjust to a new life without trying to rush it. Thanks- and feel free to email or message via facebook. :-)

God bless!

Verse of the post:

“God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”  II Corinthians 9:8 (courtesy of a card from the Botke family!)

The Scottish life begins...

It’s now been four days of officially “living in Scotland”, and as I said in the last post- so far, so good! 

Today is the first day of school at CCS....very strange not to be there, right in the thick of things. But I know they’ll have a great day; I already can’t wait to hear all about how the new students, the new seniors (including my youngest sister!), and the new staff did on the first day of 2013-2014. 

Kitchen (east side)

      The big news on my end is that after a lovely couple days with my aunt and uncle, I’m now officially installed in my one-bedroom apartment downtown. (In British terms, which I’ll slowly switch over to, that would be “my wee flat in the city centre”. :-) The building I live in was constructed in 1789 (because I live in “New Town” in Edinburgh- you can only imagine the age of “Old Town”!), and as a result, certain components have shifted over the last couple hundred years. My wooden floors have a variety of gentle slopes. The wee kitchen table has about a 2 inch tilt from one side to the other, so I’ve propped some things under the legs so that my food won’t roll away when I’m not looking. When I first sat down, it felt like I was at sea (complete with seagulls in the background)! I wouldn’t change a thing about the structure, though- it all adds to the charm. Of course a 1789 room can’t be expected to live as though it was born in the 1990’s! :-)

Southwest corner of main room

      Another feature I love is a whitewashed stone wall in the living room- definitely adds some interesting character. And I can’t forget the large north window (complete with window seat!), which lets in a surprising amount of light all day long; being on the fourth floor probably helps, as few buildings in this area are taller than that. Technically, this window faces Edinburgh Castle, and if I could see straight through just one building, I’d have a clear view. 

      You might be able to see in the picture below how I’m using some of my shelf space!... and I have to tell you why...though I was looking forward to moving in, it’s a bit lonely to spend all day setting up a flat by yourself, 5,000 miles away from friends and family, and wishing you could blink and find yourself somehow with them. But, late last night, I had an inspiration- decorate those big empty shelves with the cards I’ve received for my Scotland move! It was delightful and so warm-fuzzy-feeling to re-read them

Northwest corner

as I arranged them, and by the end (I’m not making this up), it felt like everyone was there with me! So many great messages and verses are on those walls, and they remind me that I’m not in this alone- my community’s “here” too. 

      Bit by bit, details of “normal life” are falling into place...my UK cell is set up, I’m shopping around for internet, and will be buying a weekly bus pass later today. I went to a meeting with various Liberton Kirk committee members last night, and am working my way into the role of Children’s Worker there. Liberton is VERY active in youth work, and they have done a fantastic job of intentionally interfacing with their community youth as much as possible. It was so exciting to hear about various programs and events at this meeting, and to learn what I’ll be involved in. 

      Backtracking a bit, on Sunday, I made it to church at Liberton Kirk (with just enough time after landing to have some breakfast and change), where I received such a warm and gracious welcome. It was a special service to welcome new members, so about twelve other people and myself were called up front to be recognized. And then, they did something I’ve never seen before- all the congregation came up and greeted us individually, passing through us like a reception line! It was so special to personally be welcomed by every person there. I can’t imagine a better first few hours with my new church family. 

      I think that’s enough for now; going to try to avoid writing massssive blog posts that take forever to read. But I know many friends want to get the “flavo(u)r” of life, work, and ministry over here, so I’ll try to provide that. :-)

Verse of the day/post (this one was from Lynn Myers, shared the day before I left):

Jude 1:24-25

“To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”