Greetings from North Carolina!

We hope you are all having a lovely time with family and friends at this special time. Our last few days in Ohio were taken up with Abi's dancing party and then meeting Abi and Matthew's new doctor. We are aware Matthew has a heart murmur. The doctor in Scotland (we had to undergo full body medicals before we were accepted with MAF) had recommended we get a scan to check the murmur in between America and the next destination. Well the Pediatrician in Ohio is organizing this so we can have plenty time before we leave the USA if anything needs to be done. Abi is also being referred to have a check up with the Ear/Nose/Throat specialist as she has been snoring for quite some time now! Her tonsils are rather large and this may be the cause of it. So that was our first trip to the doctor in America! We were very impressed! Lets pray the outcome of the investigations are not too invasive for the children.

Thursday we set off for North Carolina to spend the week with our American Family. We had a wonderful drive and the Children were really good considering. We pass through West Virginia which is very mountainous and the icicles were impressive. I took some pictures along the way.

Once we passed through West Virginia the snow began to thin out and Abi commented on the fact she could see grass again!

(we haven't see green grass for about three weeks! )

This was the view of North Carolina as we passed through the border.

We have had a lovely Christmas and Abi and Matthew have had the added bonus of having two little friends to play with. Natalie (5) and Ace (3) were staying over for two nights so lots of fun was had. It snowed on Christmas day also and on Boxing day we were all able to get out and do some sledging! We also learnt how to make snow cream! Mix real snow with milk, sugar and some vanilla! Abi and Natalie were kept very busy with the making and eating of it!

We head back to Ohio on Thursday to give us a few days before Andy begins work on Monday. Thanks for reading the blog and for all your support and prayers. I usually post more pictures on facebook so try and befriend us there if you would like.

Happy Christmas!

Just a quick blog post tonight!!

It is Christmas eve, and the kids have just gone down to bed. We had a long but uneventful drive down to NC from Coshocton yesterday, and today has been a nice day relaxing with friends and family. This has been an amazing year for us, with so many huge changes and incredible experiences that we still sometimes can’t quite get our head’s around it all!

We have had cards and good wishes from so many of you – Thank you all so very much!! Unfortunately we haven’t been able to send our best wishes personally to all of you. We wish you all the very best as we take the opportunity at this time of year to celebrate the birth of Christ, and pray that you would know His blessing as we look forward to the year ahead.

Happy Christmas!!

Andy, Heather, Abi and Matthew.

This week has flown by! Tuesday was our first day of MMS training! Unfortunately child care did not work out and so Keith and Karen came to our home for the day and we read through the manuals while Abi and Matthew played. Then it was time for Abi's dancing from 4-5pm. After I got home I got a call to say the MMS apprentice wives were meeting that night at 7.30. Debra Coats was to be the speaker and as she only lives a few houses along, I would catch a lift with her. It was around minus 7 degrees C, dark and icy and two minutes after she picked me up the car broke down - no battery, no lights! We could not find the hazard lights anywhere and praise God we were not on a main road in the darkness! (American hazard lights are on the steering rack so I have learned!) Debra's husband Dale came and rescued us and jump started the car and then we swapped cars with him and we continued on to the meeting! Debra is from South Africa and was in full traditional dress. She told us her story and her testimony followed by sticky toffee pudding - thanks Mary!

On Wednesday we continued our induction with an in-depth tour around the MMS hanger. It was fascinating to see the different aircraft and the detailed work that goes into repairing them. In this picture you can see an airplane's floats have still to be fitted and behind the floats you can see the airplane is being suspended from the ceiling with it's tail anchored on a weight to stop it moving.

This plane started off in Alaska, with wheels, and will soon be starting a new life flying off the Amazon in South America!

I have enjoyed cooking meals for two families this week. On Friday night we had Pastor Don Lain of Coshocton Church of the Nazarene and his wife Nancy and daughters Abigail (20) and Christa (10). They have been living in New York state before moving to Ohio a few years ago and it was great getting to know them better.

We also had an MMS family round for dinner on Sunday evening. Paul Gettle is also an apprentice like Andy, however he has completed one year of his training already. His wife is Kristen and they have three boys Grant, Cole and Evan. We were able to introduce them to home made Chicken Korma!

We have managed to do a little more exploring this week and took a trip to the busy city of Columbus. There seems to be quite a lot to do there such as a science centre, indoor adventure swimming pool, and a zoo etc. We just went to see where the shops were and have a look around. The zoo etc. can come at a later date. The temperature has begun to get a little warmer around minus 3 now ;-) We decided to go sledging down the front garden. Debbie and Jeff from NC gifted the children with some interesting looking sledges which proved to be a huge hit - both for the kids and us! I'm not sure who had the most fun. Andy and I are really missing our wellies so while the kids were warm and dry we ended up with soggy ankles and socks! I really hope they arrive before the deep snow comes in Jan/Feb! We called the shipping company today and have our doubts that the stuff has actually even left the UK. Please pray that things will go smoothly and quickly in this area. We are so thankful for our house and the fact that there is at least one bed in it! Thank you to all who have, and are continuing to pray for us. We really appreciate it.

This week at church was the nativity celebrations and it was great worshiping with the choir and the children as they related the Christmas story. We are heading off to North Carolina for a week on Thursday morning which is about an 8 hour drive. Please pray the weather will allow for safe travels!

There is much more to the Song "Away in a manger" apart from the different tune this side of the pond. God made "A WAY" through the birth of Jesus, to allow us to come with all our faults, all our baggage, all our dirt and into a relationship with Him. This is the reason we celebrate, the reason we give to others, the reason we show his love at Christmas, that we might show others the "way" to the child in the Manger - the Son of the living God.

Merry Christmas

love from the Swanson's.

A Month and a Day!

It has been a month and a day since we arrived here in Coshocton, and you'll know from our last few blog posts that we have been pretty busy during that time setting ourselves up with everything needed for day to day life. It is amazing how much you take for granted when you have years to build up to it! Having to find and furnish a home, pass your driving test, buy a car, find a church, make new friends, adjust to a new culture, and get used to a whole new lifestyle doesn't usualy all happen in a month!

Well, you will be pleased to hear that we really feel like we are getting there! Life is starting to settle back into a routine for us now that we have moved into our home. Driving on the "wrong" side of the road, now feels normal. Walmart doesn't feel so huge, and we are filling our car up with "gas" not petrol!

This last week we have taken advantage on being pretty much on top of things to just have a bit of a relax together as a family. The weather took a bit of a milder turn at the end of last week, the dusting of snow that had been lingering melted away, and the kids were able to spend a bit more time playing outside. There is a little bit of decking outside our living room which lets them get out and about, but still keeps them penned in a bit! Matthew is ever the explorer, and very few gardens out here have fences, so having some way of restraining him is good!! The wife of the pastor at our new church was good enough to lend us some toys for Abi and Matthew, including a little kitchen with pots, pans and plates. The good weather gave them a great opportunity to treat Teddy to a bit of al-fresco dining on the decking!

Saying Grace with teddy...

Being a bit more settled, Heather is back in the kitchen doing what she does! We both promised ourselves we would watch the waistlines when we moved over here, but I'm afraid I married far too good a cook!! Translating all the recipes into American measurements, and sussing out a new oven, mean that we are trying out all sorts of old favourites again. Today it was bread - the first one wasn't quite right, so try, try and try again... very nice!

Fresh from the baker!!

We had a bit of a Christmas get together on Saturday night with the other staff, trainees and families from MMS. It was a really good chance for us to meet up with everyone again, catch up with friends we already know and get to know some other people a bit better. Heather played piano with Paul leading everyone through a few carols, then Dwight (MMS's CEO) shared a few thoughts on Christmas and what it really means. We then spent a bit more time socialising before everyone headed off home again. It was a really good evening - thanks to Dale and Deborah for opening up their home to such a large invasion! I would love to share a few pictures from the night, but we had to go on a hunt around Coshocton for Matthew's shoes before the party (a long story for another time!!), and in the chaos, the camera stayed firmly in the drawer at home!

This week I'm set to do my first bit of MMS work! I won't actually be starting in the hanger until 3rd January, after the Christmas break has passed, but before starting I will have to go through an orientation on all of the MMS manuals, systems, policies and procedures, a bit of a safety induction and a few other pre-start formalities. Some of the orientation will also involve Heather, so tomorrow Keith and Karen will be coming to our home to spend the day running through the books. We had tried a few options for childcare so that we could do the induction at the hanger, but nothing was working out, so we are doing things a bit differently (not like us...)! It will be good for me to get into this (even if parts of it will no doubt be a bit dry!!), and feel a bit more like I have started at MMS; Heather and the kids are busy finding their feet in their new lives here, and I will feel much more settled when I actually start at the hanger and begin doing what we came here to do!

Thanks for keeping up to date with our going's on - we really do appreciate all of your thoughts, prayers and support as we carry on working for MAF over here in Ohio.

Andy

Our first Visitors!

We just moved into our house a week ago and the first four days have been spent cleaning and unpacking. It is wonderful having a room each again for us all and we don't have to tip-toe around anymore. Although all of our furniture has still to arrive we are managing. We were able to purchase our car on Wednesday morning now that I also passed my driving test on Tuesday. The rest of the day was spent baking and borrowing more bedding in preparation for our first visitors! Debbie and Jeff Baisley from North Carolina who we have known for many years came to stay till Sunday morning. Our children have been blessed with three sets of grandparents, two sets in the UK and their American "Mi-mi" and "Poppy". The Baisley's drove for almost 10 hours to get here - supposed to only take 7-8 hours but they were stuck in snow blizzards along the way. It is Debbie's birthday soon so Abi helped me make some fairy cakes and we decorated them as a surprise!

We travelled to Millers Bakery ( Again!!). This place is becoming a favourite of ours. They sell all sorts of lovely things like home-made jams and pasta as well as their famous warm cheese tarts! We also took a trip to the Lehman's store in a place called Kidron. (http://www.lehman/)

It is about a 45 minute drive from Coshocton. Lehman's is an Amish hardware store. I did find Cadburies curly-wurlys made in the UK there! (not for me of course - for the children!!: 0) Most of the shops we go to around the outskirts of Coshocton county including a walmart have a car park AND a buggy park for all the horses and buggies belonging to the Amish community. We paused for a little photo outside the Lehman's shop. It was very cold that day! Lately most mornings have been around minus 9 or 10 on our thermometer.

Debbie and Jeff brought us some Christmas tree decorations and so we thought it was about time we got a Christmas tree. We have a box of decorations in our shipment so were reluctant to buy any more decorations. It was already lighted so Andy got his creative hat on and had the kids hang up starbursts tied with string. Matthew saw a coat hanger in a washing basket and was very proud of himself when he got it to hang on the Christmas tree. Abi began adding her colouring pictures to the tree and they made stars for the top. I have noted that only four days on and I believe there is nothing edible anymore hanging on the tree. There were a few peanut butter cups that I believe Andy may have nibbled at! I did feel very "little house on the prairie" hanging all our homemade decorations up. Very unique I am sure you will agree.

Sunday we said goodbye to our guests but we are glad we will see them soon as we are going to spend Christmas with them in North Carolina. It will be wonderful to experience Christmas in an American household.

We have been attending the Church of Nazarene in Coshocton for the last three weeks and believe we may have found a church to settle in! We have been so blessed by the preaching and Andy and I are in shock that we have sat together through-out the sermon for three weeks in a row! Can't remember the last time that happened. Check out www.coshnaz.org/main.html if you want to see it in more detail.

Today we thought we would go and register at the library and the video shop. Venturing out once the gritters lorry had passed we went to the library first. Matthew loved pulling books out from everywhere and I did not enjoy trying to find all the right places to put them all back. Then we continued with a screaming tantrum when he thought he could just wander away with videos tucked under his arm. Needless to say we did not get any books out today and I am sure everyone in the library was glad when we took the "noise" straight back out to the car! Andy and Abi went into the video shop and I stayed with Matthew who was still trying to come back down to a normal voice! Then a quick trip to walmart for some computer speakers ( hope to be able to skype soon) and home for lunch. Not quite the lovely outing we had anticipated but that's family life. Abi is doing well but I think is struggling finding enough things to keep her busy and occupied. We have given them a few christmas presents early to help them pass the time till our stuff gets here. I think a trip to hobby lobby to get some gluing/painting stuff might be on the list of things to do. We are beginning to feel really settled in our new home. Coshocton county is very scenic and we feel very blessed to be here. Andy is due to start work on the 3rd of January and he is more than ready! : 0)

We are keeping up with the Scottish news and are amazed at the snow in the UK at the moment. I believe some parts of America are also experiencing a lot of snow. Coshocton is just on the fringes of the major snow storms at the moment so we are quite glad we can still get out to the shops.

Our new address is 26835 Township Road 1205, Coshocton, Ohio, 43812.

Our phone no. is (001 - if calling from the UK) (001) 740 552 5220 - just remember we are five hours behind the UK. We would love to hear from you (and see you) and thank you to those who leave comments on the blog, facebook and email.

God Bless

Heatherx

Settling in...

It is hard to believe that we have only been in Ohio for just over a fortnight!


We have been busy since we arrived here, basically setting up home from scratch; it is very easy to forget the little things that we take for granted when you are planning a move halfway round the world... until you arrive and realise that you have no electrical appliances (everything runs on 110V over in America!), no face cloths, no dusters or polish, no TV, no salt or baking powder... not even an alarm clock!



Needless to say the last 2 weeks have involved arranging the "big" things, like a home to rent, a car to get about in etc, but they have also involved a lot of time trying to find good deals on electrical goods, and the bits and pieces we know we don't have coming in our shipping container some time in the New Year. Heather has spent a huge amount of time in Walmart, carefully examining every pack of food we might need to make sure she has figured out the British translation of the ingredients list... to the point that we can imagine security guards shaking their heads as the "crazy Scot's" arrive back in store for another 2 hour shopping trip!!



So now 2 week's into our America adventure, and we have found a home, signed the lease and moved in. We have bought a car to get us around. (We both now have Ohio driver's licenses too!!) We have stocked our cupboards, and have got our heads around 1/2 Gallon of milk being a "4 pint-er". It has been great getting to know the Coshocton area a bit better, and settling in to life in this part of Ohio, which will be our home for the next 3 years.


Since we arrived in USA, the weather on the whole has been pretty mild - much milder than Scotland has had for the last week or so! The snowy weather is starting to catch up with us however, and this morning saw us waking up to a dusting of snow in the garden. It has stayed cold all day, and the dusting has had regular top-ups with snow flurries dotted through the day. We are told that it isn't normal to see snow this early here (just like Scotland!), so we will just have to wait and see if this is a passing snow cloud, or if we will be shoveling our way to the car soon!!

Our new Chevy, with the first 'snow' of the year.

Thank you once again for your interest, and for "popping in" to our blog to keep up to date!

A

One week in!

We only arrived little more than a week ago and already we have been blown away by our Amazing God! Thank you to all who have been praying. We got here on Friday the 12th and on the Saturday we heard that the house across the road was empty and the couple may rent to us. We arranged a viewing on the Sunday night and it was perfect! It has three bedrooms and a basement which is like a second sitting room. Although we are shipping a lot of our goods such as beds and drawers etc, this house was part furnished (very unusual to have a furnished rental so I am told) including a couch and electrical goods such as washing machine and dryer and even a dishwasher!!!! There is also a double bed in the house which is such a blessing as we are able to live comfortably until our shipment arrives. After seeing the house on Sunday Andy and I were just speechless. Our previous address in Tummel Bridge was "Riverside", our flat in Stirling which God led us to buy is in Abbey Mills, Riverside, and the house in Ohio we are about to rent is in the Riverview area of Coshocton. When we were here at Easter time, this was the area I felt we were going to live in. As I wash the dishes in the apartment we are in at present I can see our new house from the window. Although desperate to move in the landlords need a little time to finish off some jobs before we can move. We are praying this will be within the next week.
On to Monday and we opened our American bank accounts thanks to Michelle's guidance.
On Tuesday we thought we would go to Mission Auto - a car sales place nearby run by previous missionaries. They give very good discounts to MMS staff and were expecting us. Well, we had just gone for a little look to say hello and after a few hours we had a car - or should I say a mini-van. It is a seven seater and that means that I am able to pick visitors up from the airport (Columbus is a good one in case anyone is thinking of visiting :0). It also happens to belong to a local pastor who we have met on a few occasions. We are planning on settling the deal this coming week. Andy is sitting his Ohio driving test on Tuesday and when he passes ( we pray) we can get insurance for the car and it will be ours. At present we are blessed to have use of a mini-van which someone had donated previously to MMS.

Abi attended her first dancing class on Tuesday afternoon at 4.15. She joined the class no problem and although the others started in September she did her best keeping up with the moves. She even tried to converse with another little girl who just looked at her funny - I think Abi may have to adopt an American accent so they can understand what she says! There are about ten other 3-4 year olds in the class. Travelling home I decided to have a go at driving in the dark. Well the heavens opened and we were introduced to our first Ohio thunderstorm! Driving home in torrential rain in the dark on a different side of the road was quite a hair-raising experience for all of us but with the pace down at 2 miles an hour we managed to get home in one piece!

We also took a day trip to Zainsville - approx 40 minutes away. We had a nice day at the mall and were able to get some pillows and things in preparation for moving into our house.

On Friday there was a Christmas parade down Main Street in the centre of Coshocton at 6.30pm. Abi and Matthew really enjoyed all the sweets that people were throwing at the crowds as they passed and they even had a cuddle from the gingerbread man. Matthew was quite contented with the Trucks, fire engines and ambulance that came down with the lights flashing. Santa was last, riding at the top of the huge fire engine. Abi was overcome with delight when she saw him and keeps asking me if it is Christmas yet! I continually remind her why we celebrate Christmas! It was lovely to see so many people lining the main streets and to meet a few other MMS families. The weather was dry but very cold. You know it is cold when the children are asking to go in their prams and be bundled up!

Today - Saturday we decided to go exploring some more. Not too far away we went to an Amish Bakery! I am not sure if this is a good thing living so close to such an amazing bakery! Then we went on a little further to a place called "Berlin" and explored a large German food shop. Out side there was a car park AND a buggy park for all the Amish horses and carts!
Berlin is quite a popular tourist town with lots of interesting Amish craft shops. My favourite was the Hillbilly bank - a Sock with the opening glued onto a square of wood with a hole for the money. At the bottom of the sock it was cut and tied shut with a piece of string. hang it up and you have your hillbilly bank!

Tomorrow we are going to try our second church. We have decided to spend some time visiting a few - each for two weeks in a row as the ages of Abi and Matthew, often one of us will miss the service. I believe there are 54 churches in Coshocton ( approx). I can confirm that we will not be trying out all of them! : 0)

We have no TV in this apartment - thankfully there is a DVD player. Abi and Matthew are in the process of completing their cross-cultural training programme with the help of Sesame Street's double disc set! We have managed to purchase a 100 piece Tinkerbell jigsaw which is occupying Abi everyday at the moment. We have borrowed a pop up tent which Matthew has made into his "garage". I really should be revising for my written driving test which I will be doing this coming week but I am looking at my American food processor which has arrived from Amazon and planning my first baking session. Only problem is my British kitchen scales are floating on a ship on the Atlantic (we hope) so all my favourite recipes need a little more thought to convert everything to cups!

It's amazing to think we have only been here a week yet so much has happened. God is so good and I shall leave you with 1 Chronicles 16 v 28,29.

" Oh nations of the world, recognize the Lord, Recognize the Lord is Glorious and Strong. Give to the Lord the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come into his presence. Worship the Lord in all his Holy Splendor. "

God Bless
Heatherx

Well, the latest chapter has began!!

We set off bright and early on Friday morning for Glasgow airport. Our flights were both quite busy, but thankfully they weren't delayed by the weather Glasgow has had recently. When we had checked in online our seats were spread out all around the plane. Heather put her "teacher hat" on when we got onboard, and organised all our fellow passengers around so we could be more or less together. Thankfully everyone was happy to be shuffled around - maybe the thought of having a two year old sitting next to them while his parents were 3 rows away wasn't so appealing?!?!

Our stop-over in New York was just long enough to get through security and customs then catch our breath for a wee while before getting on the plane to Columbus. The pilot for that flight was quite taken with Abi and Matthew (who were about the age of his own kids) and had them both up in the cockpit while we waited for the buggies (sorry, strollers!!) to be brought up to the gate. This was a big help, as their patience threshold had dropped quite a bit by this stage in the journey!!

Abi settling into the front seat...

So glad they took the keys out before they let Matthew in!

Keith and Karen were good enough to collect us from the airport, and take us back to Coshocton. We are staying in a basement apartment of another MMS family, and there were a few welcoming goodies set out for us, and stocking the fridge when we arrived - thanks to everyone who helped!!

On Monday, Michelle will be helping us get started on the important tasks of setting up bank accounts, and finding somewhere to live, but this weekend has been a nice relaxing time catching up with our sleep and trying to get ourselves into the right time zone!!

Tomorrow we are spending a bit of time with Mark, Jenny and Abigail, who are also with MAF and about a year into the MMS programme. We will meet them at church on Sunday morning then have lunch with them before afternoon nap time - definitely naps for Abi and Matthew, and maybe for me and Heather if we slip back into GMT!!!

It is still taking a while to sink in that we now live in America! Exciting times!
Thank you so much to everyone who supports us in so many ways, and for your ongoing interest in what we are doing!

...nearly there...

Well time is ticking by, and our flights to America are rapidly approaching! We have dollars in our pockets, "We Buy Any Car" appear to be living up to their word, and we are all set to fly off a week on Friday!! We are really looking forward to being on our way to Coshocton, Ohio!!

Between now and then we have a busy time filling removal vans and saying our final farewells to friends and family around the country.

We would really appreciate your prayers this week for safety on our travels, strength as we say good bye, and sanity as we tie up so many loose ends before we go!

Thanks for all your support!

Closing chapter

This week finds us drawing things to a bit of a close here in Scotland. As I write this, Heather is rounding off her last day as a piano teacher in Perth & Kinross, and Abi and Matthew have just had their last session at The Honeypot Nursery.

Abi and Matthew say goodbye to some of the staff at Honeypot.

Our flights are booked for the 12th November; two weeks tomorrow! Although nursery and work are drawing to a close this week, we have a busy fortnight ahead as we get ready for the off!

This weekend we are heading over to Dunoon. It will be good to spend a bit of time with my family over the weekend before we leave for Ohio.
Heather has also been given the opportunity to play and sing at www.seasonsdunoon.com on Friday night, so she has been busy excercising her vocal cords for the past wee while, getting herself ready for that. On Sunday we will be spending some time with friends at Dunoon Baptist (the church where Heather and I met), before heading back up to Glasgow for a couple of days. Next week we will be spending a bit of time in Pitlochry. The removal company are coming for two days at the end of the week to pack all our stuff into a van for the first leg of it's transatlantic journey, then we have a few things planned to catch up with some friends up there. If you are free on Sunday morning (7th Nov) we will be taking part in the service at Pitlochry Baptist, then having a lunch afterwards for anyone who wants to stay.
In the afternoon / evening we'll be heading north to see some relatives in Gardenstown, before heading back to Glasgow to get ready for flying out on the Friday of that week!!

We had hoped we would be able to catch up with all our friends and family again before we head off, but time is just disappearing in front of us! The next fortnight is jam packed with trips around Scotland, but it would just be impossible to meet up with everyone, so if we don't see you before we go, thank you so much for your interest in what we are doing! Thanks for the many ways you have been supporting us, and please keep in touch as we head over to Ohio!

This is my command - be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Joshua 1v9

US Visa's!

Just a quick update for everyone!

Yesterday we spent the day in London visiting the US embassy for our visa interview; all went well, and we have now been given our M1 / M2 visa's for the next 12 months in America! Our next step is to arrange our flights over to Ohio where we can start our training with www.mmsaviation.org !! Hopefully we will be in Ohio by mid-November!

It has been fantastic to see how God is a part of all the little details as we have gone through the process of starting work with MAF, and it is exciting to see everything come together with yesterday being another step closer to flying out!

More family time!

Last post I shared a bit about our time with friends and family in Peebles, Pitlochry and on my birthday day-out to Amazonia.

This week we are down in Dumfries and Galloway. Heather's sister Rosey became Mrs McFarlane on Sunday when she married Kirk, and the family stayed on for a few days together at the lodge that was hired for the ceremony. They had a beautiful ceremony on Sunday afternoon overlooking the Solway Firth, with just close friends and family there. They are planning a big celebration and blessing service back up in Stirling early next year, which we won't be able to attend, so it was great that we were able to share in their special day before we head for Ohio.

Abi featured as a flower girl, Heather played piano and sang, and Matthew and I concentrated on looking as Scottish as possible!! It was a great day and good to be able to share special times with everyone there.

Monday brought Abi's 4th birthday, and it was good to take advantage of having so many people together in one place for the wedding - Abi had no shortage of helpers when it came to opening presents, and enough people at her party to play a proper round of musical chairs and have a treasure hunt!

The rest of the week has seen another birthday celebration - Hannah, our neice, hit her teenage years - and lots of opportunity for relaxing and recharging in the grounds here and along this bit of the Scottish coast.

Next week our focus will be back onto US visa's; our interviews with the Embassy have been set for Tuesday 19th October, so this time next week we will know for certain the sort of time line we are looking at for moving West. Watch this space for the update!!

Thank you so much for the interest you have shown in our work with MAF; thanks for the encouragement from so many of you, the prayers, the practical ways you have helped - it is all very much appreciated!

Another week!

Well it has been another busy week with the Swanson's!

Last weekend we spent over in the Peebles area, sharing a bit of what we are up to with Heather's extended family and some family friends - a really encouraging evening and probably the last time we will over-night with Great Grandma and Auntie Christine for quite a while! We had a relaxing Sunday morning (the first for a long time!!) then headed down to Peebles where we spent the afternoon and evening with a fantastic group of friends! Thanks to Emma and Graham for hosting, and thanks to everyone else who came along to hear about what we are up to and what MAF do! It was a great weekend, and we drove home last Sunday night tired, but grateful for so many good friends and family who are so interested in what we are doing.

Thursday had me and Matthew driving up to Pitlochry to collect our washing machine from storage. We felt it was sensible for us to keep a foot on the property ladder when we head overseas, so after selling our home earlier in the summer, we invested in a small flat in Stirling to let out while we are away. It has been exciting for us to get the keys for the new flat on Friday, but a bit strange because we have no intention of ever living in it! It has been a real blessing, getting a flat that has no need of redecorating or upgrading - hopefully the first tennant will have moved in before we leave in November!

Saturday was another good day! I turned 21 (and a bit...), so we all had a great day out with my mum, dad, brother, sister and brother-in-law. It was good to spend some time with them all before we leave Scotland for a while; we went to the Amazonia exhibition at Strathclyde country park. Could this be a taster for what lies ahead?!? Matthew loved seeing the monkeys, and Abi is quite fearless when it comes to tarantulas!!

The day was rounded off with a nice meal out, at a restaurant that had a few other birthday parties in last night! I felt a wee bit old when I realised that the combined birthday ages of the tables on either side of ours was still less than my grand total!!

Today we headed north to be with our friends in Pitlochry for church this morning. It was good to see friends who we hadn't seen for a few weeks, and we were able to spend a bit of time with Eric and Jenny over lunch before heading home again late afternoon. We might make it back up again for a weekend later in October, but it looks like the next weekend we are in Pitlochry will be our last one there for a while!

Thanks so much for your interest in our lives with MAF! It has been really quite humbling seeing how many people have taken an interest in the work of MAF, and our involvement with them.

Last night we had a great evening at the coffee shop in Wesley Owen, Glasgow, where we were able to share our story, and a little bit about what we are doing over the next few years! It was great to see so many friends there with us; some we have known for longer than we can remember, some we have only known for a relatively short time, but it was great to have a group of people there with us who were all so interested in what we're up to.

Today has seen our minds on the next steps we need to make towards our move to USA. We are now at the start of the process of applying for our visa's. It will involve a bit of recommendation (and assosciated forms!!) from MMS, an online application, a trip to London for an interview, and then (hopefully!!) ending with a little piece of very American paper glued into my passport!!!

We are looking at a training start date of 1st Dec, which will mean we will be able to enter the States anytime from the beginning of November (the visa allows entry up to 30days before the training starts). At the moment we are planning our last Sunday in Pitlochry as 7th November - if you are in the Pitlochry area you are more than welcome! (11am, Pitlochry Baptist... and you might even get some lunch!)

Moved out!!

We have now left Tummel Bridge!!

We've had a busy weekend moving all our boxes and furniture out of the house! Thank you very much to our friends who have temporarily donated their garage as a store-room!!

I have had a few days of driving a transit round Scotland dropping stuff off at all four corners of the land, and Heather has cleaned and hoovered our wee house for the last time; now we have moved out! The McDonald's will be getting the keys on Tuesday - I am sure they will have a great time in their new home!

We also had some encouraging news today - we are at 86% of our minimum support target, so everything is looking good for moving to Ohio before the year is out! God willing, we will be heading to Coshocton by the middle of November!

Thank you so much to everyone who has pledged support already - it is very much appreciated! If you haven't completed our supporter form yet, but want to, there is still time! If you don't have one, drop me a line and I will get one sent over to you!

Well, I am sitting here on a deckchair, in the middle of the living room where both my kids were born, surrounded by cardboard boxes and parcel tape. This will be our last night as a family in Tummel Bridge.
We have both had a crazy week; we have done presentations in coffee shops, village halls, took part in this morning's service at Pitlochry Baptist, met with Kirkie Baptist through the week; on top of this we have had a mother in law in hospital, a wife full of the cold (not just normal cold... this was full blown man-flu!) and 2 bambino's who are running on duracell extra...
It's a bit of a roller coaster just now - sad to leave, excited to go; tired but energetic.
There is no doubt at all that we are doing the right thing; this chapter is closing and the next one is about to start.

"My Grace is enough; it's all you need.

My strength comes into its own in your weakness.""

GRAND TOUR OF SCOTLAND!

I have started back at work and Andy meanwhile is heading up North this week to visit his relatives in Fraserburgh and the surrounding areas. Thankfully, the children are now settled in their nursery - big thanks to mum and dad for all their help taking them to and fro! I have been breaking the news to my pupils that I will stop teaching them at the end of October. I have really enjoyed teaching piano in Perth-shire and will miss it very much. After having sold my piano, given away my keyboard, I am for the first time in my life piano-less! It's a weird feeling. The plan is to use the money from the piano sale to purchase a digital piano that I can use in America and further afield without the worries of humidity, tuning, and waking sleeping children!

We are aware that however much we would like to, it is is not going to be possible to visit all our contacts personally in the time we have left. Instead we have decided to arrange several MAF presentations in a few areas around Scotland in the hope that people would manage to attend one of them. Apologies to our English and American supporters - perhaps we can visit your home via Skype! Here are the details of where we will be during August/September.

31st Aug. - The Coffee House, Moodiesburn 8pm.
4th Sept. - Tummel Bridge Village Hall 8pm, 12 miles from Pitlochry.
5th Sept. - Pitlochry Baptist Church 11am at the morning service.
23rd Sept. - The Chapter House, Wesley Owen, Bothwell St. Glasgow. 8pm.
25th Sept. - My Grandma's House, West Linton, Invite Only.
26th Sept. - Friends House in Peebles - Invite only.

We are sending out personal invites in the post to all our contacts but anyone is welcome to come to the first four events above and hear all about the work MAF do, How we became involved, and how you can join us in this venture.

As you may be aware we have only NINE weeks left to raise our salary but would like to report we are over the half-way mark! Thanks to EVERYONE who has joined our financial support team so far.

Getting ready...

One of the big things we knew we would have to cope with as a family when we decided to work with MAF was a bit of an unsettled up bringing for our kids. Our first 3 years or so with MAF will be over in Ohio at our partner organization http://www.mmsaviation.org/ where I will be training towards my aircraft mechanic’s licenses. After 3 years (by which time we should all be settled into life in Ohio!) we will be heading off again to a program somewhere in the world (could be anywhere from Papua New Guinea to Uganda) for the first of our 4 year spells overseas. We have committed to two 4 year terms, which could be on opposite sides of the planet!

We really feel that God has been preparing us in lots of ways over the last few years though, and now that the school term is back, that preparation is continuing. Heather is back to work as a music teacher, so she has travelled down to Glasgow for the next few days, where she will have easier access to her work, and where there are nursery places for Abi and Matthew; they will all travel home again on Thursday. Mean time, I am heading north to spend a bit of time catching up with some family before we head overseas.

This semi-nomadic lifestyle that we have had for the last year or so has been great preparation for us all in dealing with some of the unknown’s we will doubtless come up against in the future!

Well nearly 2 years ago we first started the process of applying to work with MAF, and after all that time, we are here!! We are now working through all the preparations for heading overseas - we have sold our house, and are getting everything packed up to either sell, store, ship or give away. We are busy building a team of supporters who will play a valuable role in everything we get up to overseas. It is definately a bit of a change for me - the last few weeks have seen me presenting to church groups, individuals and even having an interview for a local radio show!

We hope to use this blog as a way of keeping everyone up to date with what is going on with us - check back soon!!!