Hello's and Goodbye's......What a week!

Eilidh meeting her cousin Hannah.

My brother Kenny wiith Eilidh.

Abi and Auntie Hayley

Last Monday my brother Kenny, his wiife Hayley and their daughter Hannah, were able to come to Ohio for a flying visit! I have not seen them for two years so it was lovely to catch up with them.  They used to live in North Carolina and for the last few years they have been living in Isreal.  Eilidh has now met all her Uncles,  Aunts and Cousins! It felt very wierd saying goodbye when we have no idea when we will see each other again.  






The Beckwith's and the Linkletter's and Abi and Matthew

After they left mid morning,  it was time to get ready for a special MAF dinner party! Mark and Jenny Beckwith and their two daughters Abigail and Naomi are also with MAF UK and have now completed their training and are due to return to the UK on the 18th of December.  They will spend a few months in the UK before going to serve in a MAF programme in Tanzania.   Geoff and Celia Linkletter and their daughter Miriam are from Newcastle and are also with MAF UK, training at MMS.  Andy will be finished next year and Geoff will be finished in two years so it was wonderful to all be together for a meal before the Beckwith's start the next chapter in their MAF adventure!  We had cottage pie,  and rice pudding for desert.  It is not every day three Brittish families can all get together in the middle of small town America - Abi had the strongest American accent in the house that night :0)  The most humourous part when Jenny and I get together is when we come across words where I have to ask her to repeat what she is saying as I can't understand her accent! I don't struggle with the American accent here in Ohio,  only the English ones ;0)

We have enjoyed living in the country here in Coshocton and being close to Abigail's school is always a bonus.  We are blessed with wonderful land-lords also. This year they are trying to sell their house and wish to move back into the house we are living in at some point.  We were no longer in any contract and it was a little unsettling to know that we may have to move out some time in the year before Andy is finished his exams.  Even after his exams are over we will have lots to sort out in preperation for the next big move.  We felt we needed to look for another house to rent for our last year so we could guarantee we would be settled through this important year. On Wednesday we went to look at three properties and were about to sign a lease for one of them yesterday.  After telling our land-lords about it they have decided to offer us another years contract so we do not have to move after all.   With so many other big things happening in this next year we are so thankful we do not have to think about yet another move during this year.  

Thinking we may have had a possible move in the next few weeks we knew we would need to pursue a second car more urgently.  Andy's jeep is away to the scrap yard and he has been surviving on lifts part of the week and I have been home bound when he has the car the other days. Thursday and Friday evening we were looking at cars! Thankfully we were not due to pay for one un-till Monday.  Now that we are not moving it is not so urgent.  At least now he will still be able to get lifts from our neighbour but we are hoping to have another car for him to drive in January some time.   The lack of public transport makes it impossible to go anywhere without a car and the roads are not geared up for walkers.  There are no wide grass verges to move over to if a car is coming,  you would have to jump into the ditches at either side of the road!  There are no pavements (side-walks) expect those in the town - if we had a field with the house then a horse and cart would be an attractive alternative. lol!
Also this week on Friday evening we had the MMS Christmas get together. There was around 80 people there.  About six families are leaving soon to go to new mission organisations,  return back to their mission in Brazil and other places.   This was the third MMS Christmas get together we have been to and the biggest yet! There must have been about 13 children under the age of 6! Hats off to Dale and Deborah Coats for hosting 80 people at their house!


Some face painting fun on Saturday.

 On Saturday,  Andy took Abi and Matthew to an Amish store in Kidron,  about half an hours drive. The kids had great fun decorating biscuits and getting their face painted (all for free!). 






Today the children led the service at Church.   Kaylee, Abi's friend,  comes to church with us every Sunday morning and her Mum and little sister also came for the first time to hear them play the hand bells.   On a Sunday afternoon we try and rest and after such a hectic week which included three migranes for me and Andy still battling with a cough, as well as all of the above, we enjoyed a much needed nap!



Home Sweet Home!

Our three weeks in Scotland flew past so quickly.  It was great to see so many people and we are so thankful to God for the safe travels and good health he has given us throughout the whole time!  Thanks to those who made the effort to meet with us at the open day and other meetings,  and to all those who have hosted us either for meals, or accommodation or both! Thank you especially for your prayers! Although exhausting traveling with three children, we had a wonderful trip.  There were so many supporters and relatives that we would have loved to have visited but we just couldn't fit it all in. 

Playing in the leaves!

Meeting Granda for the first time!

Great-Auntie Christine traveled up to Pitlochry for a visit.

Our time in London was a little bit different this year.  Not only did we renew the visa, but we visited the staff at the MAF office in Folkestone, Kent.  We were also able to give a little presentation about life at MMS in Ohio.  It was exciting to begin talks about what is going to be happening over the next year and beyond.  I can hardly believe we only have one year left in the states, then after a few months in Scotland, we will be heading off to a MAF programme somewhere in the world! In about six months time we will start serious talks about where we will be placed.  So from here on,  there will be many 'lasts' as we enter in to a transition phase again.
We couldn't have arrived back at a better time!
Andy just had a few days back at work before MMS closed for 2 days for Thanksgiving.  These few days of rest were just what we needed to catch up on the jet lag and to 're-charge the batteries!'  We opted for a more quiet thanksgiving this year and had a lovely meal with our pastor and family.  Our pastor was raised in Haiti and it was lovely hearing their stories of growing up as missionary kids in Haiti.   We enjoyed some shopping in the sales,  and we were able to get Eilidh a booster high chair and a very long stair gate in preparation for things to come!
Abi missed her American friends a lot and was keen to get back to school.  This meant that she was up at five thirty in the morning ready on her first day back - the joys of jet lag! She is over that now and is back to her usual 6am rise ;0).   I have enjoyed going in to Abi's school to read the "Gruffalo" and the "Gruffalo's Child" to her class.  The school are looking for more involvement from parents and I am thinking and praying about volunteering to teach music in the school for a few hours each week.   At present the music education at the most elementary schools is purely vocal and the children don't get to touch an instrument until they are much older.   The school actually has a good supply of percussion instruments but they share a music teacher with many schools and he does not have time to do instruments with the classes.  I will let you know how things progress.  
Matthew is back at preschool and loving it.  He is able to read five books at home now in the "Biff and  Kipper" series,  and has been given his first reading book at pre-school which he is so excited about!  He adores Eilidh and is continually keeping her happy with cars and airplanes flying over her head.  Matthew has always loved rubbing his face against anything soft and his favourite soft place at the moment is the top of Eilidh's head! Her hair sticks up with about 2 inches of fluff at the moment and you will often find Matthew with his cheek buried in her hair - very sweet!
Eilidh is doing great and just had her 4 month doctor check.  Apparently she is very long (hence we are filling out 6-9 month clothes!)  She is doing great though and two teeth are not far away!  It was great introducing her to everyone in Scotland.  
Mother and Toddler's is going well and is was lovely to see the regular ladies there on Wednesday.  I was able to do some music and puppets with the tiny tots: 0)
Andy is back at work although he is feeling a little under the weather with a cold and sore throat at the moment.  He is persevering on with it, but would appreciate your prayers (and that the rest of the family don't get it!).
He has moved off the MAF 206 project that he has been working on for the last few months, and is now in the engine shop rebuilding 2 engines for 2 different mission planes. It is a very different kind of work from what he has been doing for the last few months, but a great way to learn ahead of his exams!