Pumpkin Spice
Summer is over - kids are back to school, pumpkin spice is out at Starbucks (pretty much the only place you can get pumpkin anything here), and the days are getting shorter. Before we get too excited for fall, we want to take a minute to reflect on what God accomplished this summer.
Right after school disbanded for the summer, our family piled onto a plane to visit Autumn’s family in Iowa for her sister’s wedding. We flew from Edinburgh to Chicago, and Autumn’s parents picked us up for the five hour drive to Des Moines. We really appreciate the time they took out of their busy schedules to pick us up and drive us home. We were able to spend some time with lots of our family and friends, which was an incredible blessing and encouragement for us. Autumn’s sister’s wedding took place on the 18th of July, which was the second weekend of our trip. We traveled up to Minnesota and threw ourselves into helping with all the last minute touches and preparation. It was a fantastic weekend celebrating a lovely couple, and we are so excited for Lindsay and Jackson!
Our trip to America was more than just a family visit, though. We were able to visit four of our supporting churches in Iowa during the two and half week trip. We thoroughly enjoyed catching up with Carlisle Baptist Church in Carlisle, Berean Baptist Church in Davenport, Grace Church in Emmetsburg, and Hillcrest Baptist Church in Algona. It was our first opportunity to formally present what God has been doing in Scotland to our supporting churches, and it was exciting and challenging. Each of these churches encouraged us through their thoughtful questions, hospitality, and heart for missions. We send our thanks to each of you!
Once we were home, we had about a week to get over jetlag (which we found to be much worse going from the US to the UK) and prepare for our first Kids’ Edition: Hobby Workshop on the 31st of July. We had over twenty kids sign up for the morning sessions, and a few more who came along for just the afternoon sessions. It was a full day of introducing the kids to who Jesus is, what we believe about Him, and to new hobbies. We heard from the kids and their parents that the day was a lot of fun, and we were in awe of the opportunity God provided to reach into our community.
Our team then had two weeks to figure out if there were any improvements we could implement for the second Hobby Workshop on the 15th of August. During this time, we were also able to spend time with Tim’s grandparents and uncle who drove up from England to visit. It was wonderful to see them, and we were thankful they were willing to make the long drive!
The second Hobby Workshop was a bit smaller in numbers, but there were three new kids who came along and quite a few others signed up to come again. The event was almost the same as the first, except our co-worker, Amelia, had chosen different videos to watch during each of the lesson times. Once again, the kids said they enjoyed the day, and we were encouraged to see God working in our community.
We want to pause here and ask for prayer for one girl in particular. She came to the first event, but other plans prevented her from attending the second. Her mom reached out and said that her daughter was interested in exploring faith and Christianity, and that she had been visiting other churches and was interested in more information about our church as well. Please pray with us that this girl is able to find a church that preaches the truth of the Gospel and that she comes to know Jesus as her personal saviour.
Just four days after our second Hobby Workshop, the kids went back to school. Lincoln is now attending high school, so his schedule is slightly different than Oliver and Elowen’s. He is enjoying his new classes and teachers, and he is looking forward to seeing what after school clubs are available once they start up. Oliver and Elowen are also enjoying being back to school with their friends. Now that school is back on, we are busy in the evenings with various activities - gymnastics, swimming, piano, badminton, cub scouts, and choir. We are thankful for the opportunities that these provide for us to meet new people and even provide transportation for friends.
In the midst of all this busyness, our church has also been considering where God would have us meet in the future. We have been prayerfully considering our options, and we will make a final decision this Sunday, the 6th of September. Could you pray with us that our church follows God’s leading in this situation and that we approach whatever choice is made in unity and with excitement?
Looking back over the summer, we are amazed to see how God was leading even in the small things. We are confident that He is still leading us now in the opportunities we recognize as being from Him and in the smaller things that are easy to overlook. Thank you for your prayers!
