Calm doon Aunty Betty ... wir still alive!
My aunty Betty has told my mum and dad over the last few weeks, "Mark & Mary are still in Wick!" She is of course, referring that we haven't updated our blog for, well, a good while! And she's absolutely right! Sorry Aunty Betty, I know you check our blog every night for any news from your handsome nephew in Sefton ... but tonight ... be very shocked and delighted ...we're back!
When we were in UK we were chock a block visiting family, friends, youth groups, kids clubs, churches etc. etc. Before we knew it time was up! And hardly a blog to note. Well, suppose that the only consolation for Aunty Betty, Aunty Helen and all the rest of our devoted readers is that it is far better to see us for real rather than read a blog! That's my excuse and I am sticking to it!
We had a busy but great time in UK. We have a lot of thanks to give to a lot of people for their part in helping us enjoy a good month at home:
Mum & dad ... for putting us up and putting up with us! Thanks for looking after our kids for almost a week and for all your love and care. Was great to see my dad has been converted after many years ... no, don't misunderstand. I mean from a PC to a Mac! Only problem was that our diary was so full that I didn't have enough time to show him the way around his Leopard! Sorry dad!
David & Wilma Flett - for looking after us and letting us rest after a really busy time. For all your lovely hospitality and for driving all the way to Aberdeen to say goodbye. It meant so much to us all.
David & Grace Strachan & family - for all your practical love and support in so many ways. For letting us use your car for a whole month .. even though it meant Grace walking to work and being accosted by a complete stranger!! You guys are the best and your kids are fantastic. Thanks for the mega thick mega delicious hand made steak David .... look out Jamie Oliver! MMmmmm....
My brothers and their families ... so great to see Paul & David going on for God and inspiring their families to live for God. Lydia & Josiah's cousins are brilliant - Nathan, Aaron, Bethany, Daniel and our new wee addition to the Ritchie clan ...David. Wonderful to spend time with you all again and catch up. It was great for me to beat David again at the putting green ... Neil & Gavin were there to witness the great event!
Mary's brother Bruce and his wife Alison - We saw them a number of times and it was so good to see them preparing for being first time parents. We had great times with them. Congratulations are in order ... Alison gave birth to wee Eve last week! Missed her by a few days ... we did try all sorts of ways to speed up the process but to no avail.
Family members - Wow, saw so many in such a short time! Great to see most of my aunties & uncles as well as a lot of my cousins. Had an amazing meal with freshly caught prawns at my cousin Liz's house...thanks John! Especially great to see my cousin Shona and her family. We even saw my cousin George and family. What a guy!
Friends - too many to mention all by name but great to see Kenny & Suzie (I am still the PS2 Tiger Woods champ Kenny!), David & Jenny, Lesley & Stewart, Andrew & Lois, Norman & Gillian, Micheal & Alison (great night guys), Gareth & Shona, of course Vivien (my adopted Scottish daughter), Ben & Val (great time at Findlay's Ben), Derek & Jacinth, Victor & Alison, Steve & Molly, all the Aberdeen Missions team ... and tons and tons of friends from so many churches. We loved seeing you all.
Special thanks to Jennie Milne who often came and whisked Josiah away to her house so her son Seth and Josiah could play together. They are good pals now! I don't know how you do it Jennie ... 9 kids and still room for my two! Supermum of the year I think! You are a blessing .. especially to Mary. Thanks.
Special thanks also to Andy & Rachel David from Torquay who blessed us with a trip down to the west country to be with them for a few days (even though they were going on a 2 week trip to Africa the same day as we left!!) You are mad ... but we love you!
Even though we were not really prepared for sharing in churches, we thank the Lord for opportunities to minister in Torquay, Whitburn, Fraserburgh Elim, Fraserburgh AoG, Kings Church Aberdeen. We loved being with you all and pray that in some way we challenged and encouraged you. We had a great time in various youth & children's clubs - Salvation Army Jam Club in Wick, Powerhouse Kids Club, Calvary Kidz and GLO in Fraserburgh as well as the AoG Youth Cafe night. I also had an amazing time ministering at the Teen Challenge Centre at Sunnybrae ... what a morning! Gordon, Paul, Kenny & team are doing a fantastic work there.
Mmmm ... anyone else I have left out? If I have I apologise.
Well, we are back in sunny and roasting hot Santiago. Since coming home it has been quite difficult in so many ways. The kids took a week to get back to Filipino time ... they were going to sleep around midnight or 1am some nights! They have both been sick with fevers, diarrhea and sickness. Last week we were ultra busy as there was an SBTC Week of Refreshing for all students and ex-students. Last Friday we had a great Graduation Service for the students. Last Saturday we baptised 11 new believers from our Cornerstone Churches. One of them was the dad of Gio, the boy who died. When I asked him, "Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour?" He immediately replied with tears in his eyes, "With all my heart." the hand of the Lord is upon Gilbert.
Our Internet was on for one night when we came home and then we had a lightning storm. It completely blew my other computer and destroyed the internet cable. It has taken 10 days to fix! But tonight it returned ...what a relief! Hopfully now I can start to blog and let you catch up with all the Sefton news. So many great things happening here.
A funny story to end with. Lydia was working things out the other night as we prepared them for bed -" Mummy, is Jesus in charge of our family?" Mary replied, "Yes, of course." Lydia continued, "And then, is it Daddy that's the boss?" Mary replied again, "That's right Lydia"
A few seconds later Josiah stands up and said with a stronng teachers voice, "Well, Jesus says that Josiah-has-not-got-to-have-a-bath-tonight! And... he-needs-to-watch-cartoon-network ... OK?"
What could I say after that?
Goodnight Aunty Betty ... sweet dreams i'nicht!
My aunty Betty has told my mum and dad over the last few weeks, "Mark & Mary are still in Wick!" She is of course, referring that we haven't updated our blog for, well, a good while! And she's absolutely right! Sorry Aunty Betty, I know you check our blog every night for any news from your handsome nephew in Sefton ... but tonight ... be very shocked and delighted ...we're back!
When we were in UK we were chock a block visiting family, friends, youth groups, kids clubs, churches etc. etc. Before we knew it time was up! And hardly a blog to note. Well, suppose that the only consolation for Aunty Betty, Aunty Helen and all the rest of our devoted readers is that it is far better to see us for real rather than read a blog! That's my excuse and I am sticking to it!
We had a busy but great time in UK. We have a lot of thanks to give to a lot of people for their part in helping us enjoy a good month at home:
Mum & dad ... for putting us up and putting up with us! Thanks for looking after our kids for almost a week and for all your love and care. Was great to see my dad has been converted after many years ... no, don't misunderstand. I mean from a PC to a Mac! Only problem was that our diary was so full that I didn't have enough time to show him the way around his Leopard! Sorry dad!
David & Wilma Flett - for looking after us and letting us rest after a really busy time. For all your lovely hospitality and for driving all the way to Aberdeen to say goodbye. It meant so much to us all.
David & Grace Strachan & family - for all your practical love and support in so many ways. For letting us use your car for a whole month .. even though it meant Grace walking to work and being accosted by a complete stranger!! You guys are the best and your kids are fantastic. Thanks for the mega thick mega delicious hand made steak David .... look out Jamie Oliver! MMmmmm....
My brothers and their families ... so great to see Paul & David going on for God and inspiring their families to live for God. Lydia & Josiah's cousins are brilliant - Nathan, Aaron, Bethany, Daniel and our new wee addition to the Ritchie clan ...David. Wonderful to spend time with you all again and catch up. It was great for me to beat David again at the putting green ... Neil & Gavin were there to witness the great event!
Mary's brother Bruce and his wife Alison - We saw them a number of times and it was so good to see them preparing for being first time parents. We had great times with them. Congratulations are in order ... Alison gave birth to wee Eve last week! Missed her by a few days ... we did try all sorts of ways to speed up the process but to no avail.
Family members - Wow, saw so many in such a short time! Great to see most of my aunties & uncles as well as a lot of my cousins. Had an amazing meal with freshly caught prawns at my cousin Liz's house...thanks John! Especially great to see my cousin Shona and her family. We even saw my cousin George and family. What a guy!
Friends - too many to mention all by name but great to see Kenny & Suzie (I am still the PS2 Tiger Woods champ Kenny!), David & Jenny, Lesley & Stewart, Andrew & Lois, Norman & Gillian, Micheal & Alison (great night guys), Gareth & Shona, of course Vivien (my adopted Scottish daughter), Ben & Val (great time at Findlay's Ben), Derek & Jacinth, Victor & Alison, Steve & Molly, all the Aberdeen Missions team ... and tons and tons of friends from so many churches. We loved seeing you all.
Special thanks to Jennie Milne who often came and whisked Josiah away to her house so her son Seth and Josiah could play together. They are good pals now! I don't know how you do it Jennie ... 9 kids and still room for my two! Supermum of the year I think! You are a blessing .. especially to Mary. Thanks.
Special thanks also to Andy & Rachel David from Torquay who blessed us with a trip down to the west country to be with them for a few days (even though they were going on a 2 week trip to Africa the same day as we left!!) You are mad ... but we love you!
Even though we were not really prepared for sharing in churches, we thank the Lord for opportunities to minister in Torquay, Whitburn, Fraserburgh Elim, Fraserburgh AoG, Kings Church Aberdeen. We loved being with you all and pray that in some way we challenged and encouraged you. We had a great time in various youth & children's clubs - Salvation Army Jam Club in Wick, Powerhouse Kids Club, Calvary Kidz and GLO in Fraserburgh as well as the AoG Youth Cafe night. I also had an amazing time ministering at the Teen Challenge Centre at Sunnybrae ... what a morning! Gordon, Paul, Kenny & team are doing a fantastic work there.
Mmmm ... anyone else I have left out? If I have I apologise.
Well, we are back in sunny and roasting hot Santiago. Since coming home it has been quite difficult in so many ways. The kids took a week to get back to Filipino time ... they were going to sleep around midnight or 1am some nights! They have both been sick with fevers, diarrhea and sickness. Last week we were ultra busy as there was an SBTC Week of Refreshing for all students and ex-students. Last Friday we had a great Graduation Service for the students. Last Saturday we baptised 11 new believers from our Cornerstone Churches. One of them was the dad of Gio, the boy who died. When I asked him, "Do you confess Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour?" He immediately replied with tears in his eyes, "With all my heart." the hand of the Lord is upon Gilbert.
Our Internet was on for one night when we came home and then we had a lightning storm. It completely blew my other computer and destroyed the internet cable. It has taken 10 days to fix! But tonight it returned ...what a relief! Hopfully now I can start to blog and let you catch up with all the Sefton news. So many great things happening here.A funny story to end with. Lydia was working things out the other night as we prepared them for bed -" Mummy, is Jesus in charge of our family?" Mary replied, "Yes, of course." Lydia continued, "And then, is it Daddy that's the boss?" Mary replied again, "That's right Lydia"
A few seconds later Josiah stands up and said with a stronng teachers voice, "Well, Jesus says that Josiah-has-not-got-to-have-a-bath-tonight! And... he-needs-to-watch-cartoon-network ... OK?"
What could I say after that?
Goodnight Aunty Betty ... sweet dreams i'nicht!
4 comments:
hey Mark I am SO pleased for you that you have your computer back!!...and is that Matt Kerr with you baptising Gilbert..or another Filipino??? Missing you guys :)
Good to hear ur all still alive!!
Was missin the blogs myself!!
Wow you guys have been busy since u've been back!!
Wat r those pair like - wat a laugh!
Advanced Happy Birthday to u papa Mark - that's cause I can't be there in person to tell u! Gutted!
Usually about now I'm getting ready to go to sefton - instead at the moment supposed to be writing my last essay of the year!
Love and prayers,
Ur adopted Scottish daughter hahahaha!
Its great to hear you on BLOG again. I thought you had taken up permanent residence in WICK!!!! YOu ar back and busy its great to see people going through the waters of baptisim (lives being touched by GOD) Hope the children and 'parents' are getting over jet lag and bugs since you went back. We have had some warmer weather since you have been gone but I'm sure not your TEMPS!!!! Love to you all BJ 'N BJ xxx
Happy Birthday my friend!
nice to hear you on blog... hope to see you soon at sefton. our love to ma'am mary,lydia and josiah. miss u ol
love
rommel/mirasol/jeremiah
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