M-n-M's blog

January Birthdays

2010-01-28T10:35:00.003Z

Happy Birthday Megan, Joanne, and Chantelle!

A picture of the two kids' club birthday girls.

Alex wanted to join the picture.

Then more wanted to join the picture.

When Frank joined, we had one of all the kids!

Pat and Beanie did the washing up. Thanks, ladies!

The Mark Bradfields Christmas 2009

2010-01-16T12:33:00.003Z

My husband surprised me by starting to grow a beard in December. I have always liked them and it was my favourite Christmas present!

Christmas Dinner 2009

2010-01-13T13:33:00.004Z

Wednesday the 16th Bethel had their Christmas dinner and play. This year was THE STORY OF BELLS. The children put a lot of work into it and everyone enjoyed the evening. This year four of the youth fellowship girls helped Paul Ho to serve the main meal. They did an excellent job. Sadly, no pictures seem to have been taken of that! It was so good to seem them helping in the church and enjoying it!

December Birthdays

2010-01-13T12:59:00.003Z

Hello! Yes, I know it has been a long time since my last entry!

The December party was a bit different in that I have a December birthday! Pat and Ethel organised the party and the ladies did the work so I was able to sit and enjoy. However, it took me most of the party to relax instead of thinking that I should be doing the work! The ladies did a great job. Pat made a gluten free cake that was simply delicious!

Birthday girls Margaret, Monica, and Kaitlyn

Whenever the children have a birthday they each receive a large Galaxy bar, so Mark thought since I organise that, I should get one too! I enjoyed every bite! (Mark helped me to eat it!)

Bangor

2009-10-27T16:23:00.003Z

We finally made it to Bangor to visit with Stan and Karen in their new home. Here are some photos from that trip.

October Birthdays

2009-10-24T20:41:00.002+01:00

There were four birthdays this month. Toni, Frank, Paul and Rachel Leigh. Rachel Leigh was not quite sure what to make of it all, and was not interested in blowing out her candle. Toni and Frank were more than willing to do it for her!

Lindy, Anna and the Jones'

2009-10-14T12:22:00.004+01:00

Mark wrote the summer kids' club lessons around the club house of a group of Christian young people. The project for the older children was to begin building a club house for all of the young people at Bethel. Even though there is still some work to be finished on it, they have a wonderful time playing in it after church. They were a big help in the work and in plans for it.

Summer Kid's Club 2009

2009-10-10T17:16:00.007+01:00

We had another good summer kids' club. Here are some pictures of the younger group and the club store on Friday. We had an excellent bunch of kids!

Mark's Birthday

2009-10-10T17:02:00.006+01:00

Mark and Joshua's birthday was on a Sunday this year, and as it was our turn to cook, I turned it into a party. Ethel made the cake. We had four children staying with us for the week of Holiday Bible School. We had a great time.

John's Birthday

2009-10-10T16:58:00.001+01:00

My father-in-law's birthday was on a Friday this year and we went to Tandragee for the family dinner.

Uncle Tom's Birthday

2009-10-09T12:21:00.003+01:00

In August we went to Donegal to Mark's Uncle Tom's 70th birthday party. Mark saw some cousins that he hadn't seen in years.

I was dressed first. We didn't colour coordinate on purpose!

July Outreach

2009-10-09T11:31:00.004+01:00

In July we did a week of outreach in the city centre. It was a cool, rainy week, but the Lord blessed us with dry patches, rain coats, and plenty of willing helpers.

September Party

2009-10-09T11:20:00.003+01:00

There were several September birthdays, but Steve was the only one able to be at the party. He did his best to enjoy it for all the birthday people!

August Birthday Party

2009-10-09T11:11:00.003+01:00

The August party was all-male and had close birthdays. Alan and Blaken Lee have birthdays just a day apart and Mark and Joshua share the same day!

Alan, Mark, Blaken Lee, and Joshua

Joshua and Blaken Lee are good buddies, so it's quite fitting they have birthdays the same month!

July Birthdays

2009-10-09T10:58:00.004+01:00

The monthly parties have become a tradition which we all enjoy. Here are pictures from the July party/bbq. We had our Saturday kid's club as a bbq and invited the adults to join us!

The birthday boys: Neil, Samuel, and Nathan

Hello!

2009-10-09T10:57:00.001+01:00

Hello! We have been very busy since the last posting. (As I'm sure you can all relate to!) I will do my best to catch up over the next few days!

A Special Person

2009-07-15T14:16:00.002+01:00

Ethel's birthday was in June. She and her husband, Paul, are a great help at the church. Thanks Ethel, for your friendship!

Record-Setting Dinner

2009-07-15T14:14:00.002+01:00

Sunday the 5th two of Mark's brothers were here for church and we had a missionary. The Lord has blessed us with a large table, and we certainly needed it as we had sixteen for dinner!

4th Preparations

2009-07-15T14:09:00.003+01:00

Mark's family came to help me celebrate Independence Day. It was a wonderful day! I didn't get any photos on the actual day, but did get some of Mark and nephew Henry building a shelter for the BBQ. It was good we had it, because when it was time to start the meat it was raining and windy. Thankfully, it stopped and we were able to eat outside and the kids had a great time playing!

Handy Man

2009-07-15T14:06:00.001+01:00

My hubby is a very capable man at many things. Here he is finishing converting one of the old farm rooms into storage space.

Baptismal Service

2009-07-15T14:03:00.001+01:00

In June we had a baptismal service followed by a barbeque. However, the children were the only ones brave enough to eat outside, as it was on the cool side that day!

Enniskillen

2009-07-15T13:55:00.003+01:00

Mark and I took a day trip to Enniskillen and the Marble Arch Caves. It was a very enjoyable and relaxing day!

May Kid's club

2009-07-15T13:42:00.007+01:00

We have been having beautiful weather since May, and we took advantage of that to have some outdoor games, which, unsurprisingly, included water! I was the smartest one in the bunch and was inside cleaning and setting up for Sunday! (And taking pictures from the windows!)

June Birthdays

2009-07-15T13:39:00.003+01:00

Once again, I am playing catch up! We had about seven birthdays but due to chicken pox and other circumstances, Karen and Thomas celebrated on their own!

Trip to Portadown

2009-05-20T15:53:00.004+01:00

Last weekend we went to Portadown to visit Mark's family. When we are there, we try to get together at his dad's place for a family dinner. Here are some photos of our most recent one.

May Birthday Party

2009-05-20T15:49:00.002+01:00

Last Wednesday we had our May birthday supper. It was, as usual, a good evening. The weather was nice enough for the children to play outside, which they thoroughly enjoyed!

Neill and Esther's Wedding

2009-04-23T18:25:00.008+01:00

On Saturday, the 18th of April, Mark had a first: he officiated at the wedding of Neill and Esther, a couple from the church. It was a good day.

I was very proud of my husband!

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Neill's brother-in-law, Steve Nadeau, came from Massachusetts for the wedding. We always enjoy his visits.

Jill and her three girls looked beautiful!

All of Esther's grandchildren in attendance.

Mark's sister came and played for the wedding, which I really appreciated, as it would have otherwise been my task!

April Birthdays

2009-04-23T18:22:00.003+01:00

In April we had our first birthday supper to celebrate all of the birthdays in a given month. It was an enjoyable time and we look forward to our May birthday supper!

Indian Party

2009-04-23T18:13:00.004+01:00

Several weeks ago we had an Indian party after finishing our missionary story Ringu of India's Forest. Ethel and I spent much of the evening getting the children dressed in their turbans and saris! We then played a couple of games and sampled a variety of Indian food. The children enjoyed all of it, and after church the adults came back to help with the leftovers. JJ gave a good description of the food when he fanned his mouth and said, 'I want more, but first I need another drink!'

Good News Baptist Church

2009-03-26T11:44:00.004Z

You have probably gathered that today is catch up day! On the way to see Mark's family, we stopped in Newtonards to visit the Cullens and their church. Here are some photographs from that time!

Bradfield family

2009-03-26T11:07:00.004Z

Several weeks ago we were down visiting Mark's family. Here are some photos from that time. Last week Trevor and his family were up. I thought I had some photos from that visit, but I guess I didn't actually take them! Enjoy. You'll see that Ben was the most willing to have his picture taken!

Mark and his dad

Ben and Connor

Ben

Beth and Charlotte

Charlotte and Lynn

Beth and Ben

Ben

Uncle Mark and Ben (Now you know why the nieces and nephews are so happy to see him coming!)

Mothering Sunday

2009-03-26T10:16:00.008Z

Sunday, March 22, was Mother's Day here in the United Kingdom. It has been a while since we had a church dinner, so we thought this would be a good day to do so, and Mark suggested the men do the serving and cleaning up. The children were drafted into service, as well! When the Sunday school children heard what was planned, they wanted their moms to come, so it took on the proportions of a Christmas dinner!

The children sang two songs with Chloe, Courtney, and Toni singing trio on one of the verses. Nathan, Jade, and Frank read several Bible passages about mothers. All did an excellent job.

It took me half way through the meal to relax and enjoy it - I'm usually the one overseeing the meal, with the excellent help of one of the other church ladies. The men had a great time, but I don't think we women have to worry about losing our jobs! We heard quite a few comments about Father's Day! (which we women think is every church dinner!)

In all fairness to the men, several of the men are always quick to help if needed, and Billy can always be counted on to clear tables after the meal. We are truly blessed with our Bethel family.

Here are some photos from the big day.

Update on Alice

2009-03-23T20:07:00.003Z

Thank you for praying for Alice. Sadly, the surgery was as hard on her as we had feared. She had quite a rough weekend. She is doing a bit better and is eating some. When we visited her today Mark fed her half a plate of her dinner and half a bowl of rice pudding. The nurses were very pleased with that. She doesn't usually eat that much. Her kidneys were not doing well, but their function is improving. We have been praying for the Lord's will.

Successful Surgery

2009-03-18T11:56:00.002Z

Thanks for your prayers. We went to see Alice last night. The surgery went well and she was looking as good as I've ever seen her. We pray that she will recover and be able to return home.

Please Pray for Alice

2009-03-17T10:15:00.002Z

Yesterday Alice, 95, fell and broke her hip. She is not only a neighbor, but before age stopped her, a faithful attender at Bethel Baptist Church. Last night her nephew rang Mark to tell us that in the afternoon she had fallen. We got to the hospital just after nine, and thankfully, they still see the value of allowing pastors to visit their flock, and allowed us in. Alice will be having surgery today, and all prayers would be appreciated.

At Long Last!

2009-03-03T11:57:00.006Z

Hello! No, I did not lose my camera or forget my blog sign in details. We have just been busy. Have you ever noticed that sometimes it is so easy to blog, and at other times it seems so much work? Well, I hope that I am back into blogging form and that I will keep you a bit more updated.

The Saturday before last we did outreach in the town. We now have two megaphones. It is sad how many people think that they are ok or think that we are preaching a load of rubbish and are 'narrow minded biggots.' It is so sad to know that one day they will realise that they were wrong, but it will be too late.

Last Saturday we had our monthy kids' club. The numbers were down a bit, but the ten that were there had a wonderful time. Paul and Rachel Leigh stopped in around lunch time, and Rachel enjoyed lunch and playing with a beach ball. She was none too happy when her dad took her home for a nap!

On Sunday there was a wonderful spirit in the church, both in the morning and evening service. My Sunday school class can have anywhere from six to twelve students. I have faithfully prepared for the largest number, but over the last couple of months the most we have had is nine, so this past Sunday I prepared only for the nine, and guess how many came? ELEVEN! We should never give up!

Mark and Monica

Bethel Baptist thinks that Rachel Leigh is about the cutest thing!

Mark and Rachel Leigh

Some of our Sunday night group staying near the heater!

Joshua, Nathan, and Chloe putting off playing long enough to pose for me.

Bro. Paul and Leonard

Yes, I know that she is in a good number of the pictures. Can you blame me?!

I'll leave this picture to your own interpretation!

Esther and Ethel

Bro. Billy and Bro. Neill

One last chance to see Rachel Leigh, sitting with her mom.

What Do We Learn?

2009-01-20T19:52:00.003Z

The people of Bethel Baptist Church have the habit of shaking hands when each person arrives at church and once again before heading home. Young and old alike do this. Today we called in with Paul and Ethel to fix a computer and when it was time for us to leave 15 month old Rachel Leigh came running to shake our hands! We were so tickled by it. I was reminded of how important it is for all of us - both young and old - to make sure that we are influenced by good habits .

God's Wonderful Ways

2009-01-15T21:06:00.002Z

This past Monday was our monthly ladies' Bible study. We normally have about 45 minutes of Bible study and then a time of food and fellowship. (Of course!) This month I had decided to just use biscuits and sweets that I had on hand instead of making something special. At about 4:30 I began to panic (as only a woman can!) that this was not acceptable and that I needed to bake something. Before the crisis could become full-blown I received a text from Ethel that she had made some peppermint bars to bring to the Bible study! When the ladies arrived, Margaret handed me a tin of biscuits! Once again, God went above and beyond in supplying! It is a seemingly small thing, and yet it was a powerful reminder that the Lord cares for us in ways that we cannot imagine and supplies our needs before we even know that we have them!

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T20:57:00.003Z

Where does time go?! It's hard to believe that it is over a month since my last post! We had a good Thanksgiving. My father-in-law came for the big day and we had a typically American feast. He has learned to enjoy mashed sweet potatoes.

Since the last post, we went to Newtonards for their Christmas dinner, spent a long weekend in Bangor to celebrate our 1st anniversary as well as my birthday, had the church Christmas play and dinner, and went to Portadown to see Mark's family.

Last night we had a special kid's club during church. Ethel and I had expected numbers to be down on Christmas Eve, but we had fourteen, just three shy of our seventeen regulars! After church everyone came in the back for hot chocolate and mince, fruit, and apple pies. We had gotten a kilo bag of mini marshmallows, and at least half of the bag was devoured - by both big and small kids both in hot chocolate and on their own. It was a good evening.

Today was a good Christmas Day. We had friends in for dinner. Sadly, three were not able to make it due to illness, so we made up plates and sent them home. Today's dinner was a typical Northern Ireland Christmas dinner (that blending of cultures, which I so love!) We did have mashed sweets potatoes again - my husband has also enjoys those!

It is hard to believe that we have already been married for a year. The Lord is so good and I am so thankful that He has brought us together!

May the Lord bless each and every one of you in the New Year with a closer walk with Him.

Happy Birthday, Jake

2008-11-19T21:48:00.002Z

Tomorrow is my nephew Jake's 15th birthday. Have a great day. I love you lots!

Christmas Baking

2008-11-13T12:20:00.003Z

That's right - yesterday I started stocking the freezer with Christmas goodies. I am known for doing things as far in advance as possible, but this is early even for me! Next weekend we are going to visit some friends that we will probably not see again before Christmas. Before my marriage, it was just understood that I would be spending Christmas week with the Spiers family (and taking some of their favourite American baking) Their friendship is truly a gift from the Lord. They were there whenever I needed them. They received more than one panicked phone call, and short-notice visits when I needed support.

Mystery Solved

2008-11-13T11:35:00.002Z

Since the 1988 Presidential election I have always voted by absentee ballot from whichever country I was ministering in at the time. To the best of my knowledge, my vote has always arrived in time. I was surprised and disappointed to be informed by my local polling station that my vote had not arrived for this past election. I was, quite frankly, puzzled as well as dismayed at this news. A week or so later the mystery was solved when I received a letter informing me that my ballot had been received, but as I was a first-time voter it would be considered a provisional ballot and not counted until seven days after the election. Monica Bradfield had never voted before - it had always been Monica Hain!

(On the letter there was a place to complain about the provisional status, and I do intend to comment on a vote not counting until after the election has been decided!)

Anti-Halloween Party

2008-11-08T15:36:00.002Z

When trying to explain to the new children why we had a party at church on Halloween night, Jordan Edgar coined the title which expresses it so well: Anti-Halloween Party. We want the children to learn that being a Christian does not mean that you cannot have fun. Mark likes to give the children a safe alternative and the adults an escape from all of the Trick or Treaters. We started the evening with a short service. Then, the adults went into the fellowship hall to watch a Christian DVD while Mark, Alan, Dennis, and Steve played games with the children. Great fun was had by all.

Our Chinese Service

2008-11-05T16:59:00.003Z

This past week Po and Sunday Lo were visiting from England. Po is still in Bible school there, but this is their third trip to Derry/Londonderry to do outreach with the Chinese population of our town. Sunday morning Po preached and Paul Ho interpreted for we English speakers. It was a blessing to be reminded how the Lord loves and cares for all people. There were three Chinese visitors in the service as well as Ling and the two boys who have become regulars. We are eager to see how the Lord will use Bethel in helping Brother Lo to minister in Derry.

Irish Stew

2008-11-05T13:53:00.002Z

Since marrying Mark my cooking/eating habits have changed some, as have Mark's. We are learning to merge two cultures and tastes. One of his favourite meals is sausages, baked beans, and mashed potatoes. (a Northern Ireland favourite) I have also learned to make shepherd's pie and today I made Irish Stew for the first time! We are never too old to learn, are we?! I am really enjoying learning to make the dishes that Mark likes to eat. He is actually quite a good cook and has a knack for seasoning things, so I have made that his official job.

Chinese Party at Wednesday Kid's Club

2008-10-16T22:51:00.006+01:00

The past five weeks we studied Hudson Taylor, missionary to China. To conclude the lessons, we had a Chinese Party. Ethel was the mastermind behind this exciting evening. Many of the children dressed in Chinese clothes or brought something made in China. (Ethel let me borrow one of her tops.) We started the evening with chicken fried rice and prawn crackers (from the best Chinese takeaway in Northern Ireland!) We then had slices of Chinese mango pudding, which was more like jelly/jello. Ethel split the kids into two teams and they took a quiz to see how much they remembered about our story. Following the quiz there was a chopstick competition, and each child took home the sweets that they successfully got into their bowls. At this point the adults were finished with their service. The children did their worksheets and ate moon cakes and Chinese wafer cookies. The adults finished off the fried rice, tried Chinese tea, and helped with the moon cakes and cookies. It was an enjoyable evening for all. We desire that it helped the children to understand that the Lord made and loves all people no matter their nationality or customs.

Congratulations!

2008-10-08T09:01:00.004+01:00

On Monday morning my friend Sandra had her fifth child, a beautiful boy named Jordan. The Lord has blessed me with Sandra's friendship, and I am so thankful for the way that He works and the people that He leads into our lives.

Autumn Giveaway

2008-09-30T15:38:00.001+01:00

Chryl over at Chyrll's Corner is have an Autumn Giveaway. The gifts look lovely, so check it out.
The deadline to enter this giveaway is 11:30 a.m., October 6th.
She will draw the name at 12:00 p.m.

Crab Apples and God's Love

2008-09-25T18:59:00.002+01:00

Last autumn I was given a jar of crab apple and clove jam. Mark has talked about it ever since, and I have been trying to find someone with crab apples so that I could make some for him.I had given up. Yesterday I got a text from Ethel. She had been given some crab apples while visiting friends near Belfast! I was reminded that God does care about even the small things that are important to us, and that He often answers in ways that we could never imagine!

Bible Study With A Difference

2008-09-25T18:40:00.003+01:00

Mark and I had a wonderful opportunity/experience this morning. For several months we have had two Christian Chinese ladies attending church . Yesterday Ling contacted Paul Ho to ask if he and Mark could come to her house this morning to offer encouragement to a young Christian who had suffered the loss of a loved one. We were there for close to two hours. Paul interpreted for Mark, with Ling assisting from time to time. There were several times where Paul was obviously doing some teaching of his own, answering questions that the young Christian had. It was a blessed reminder that 'Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them.' It doesn't matter what country we are from or what language we are speaking, when we are all God's children and indwelled by the same Holy Spirit!

Street Preaching

2008-09-20T17:15:00.003+01:00

We had a good morning handing out tracts and street preaching. There were ten of us all together, standing at three different locations in the city centre. There was a Christian couple visiting from Scotland who stopped to encourage us and say how good it was to hear the gospel being preached. It was a great blessing to meet them. Mark talked the entire hour and a half that we were there.

A Busy Month

2008-09-19T16:07:00.007+01:00

Hello! I'm sure that most of you can relate when I say that since I last posted an entry it has been busy, busy, busy! We had our holiday Bible club, protested a gay pride parade, had family up visiting, went down to visit friends and family, and have kept regular church activities flowing. In a couple of hours we will be going into the city centre to hand out tracts and do some street preaching (Mark, and other men if they are interested!). Below are a few pictures of our activities of the past month.

At holiday Bible club we have a store on the last day. We adults got a bit carried away with the shopping, and there were four tables full of gifts!

It is our desire for people with 'alternative lifestyles' to realise that the Lord loves them, and that it is His desire for them to be saved and live according to His word.

Me with my favourite person!

Uncle Mark and Connor. Connor and his sister Charlotte made a cake for Mark's bday. It is pictured belowed with their cousin, Henry.

Henry comes to stay with us several times a year. He and Mark have a great time. The younger boys in church are always excited when he comes!

Happy Birthday, Mark!

2008-08-16T11:35:00.002+01:00

Today is my husband's birthday! I thank the Lord for bringing him into my life, and for the fact that Mark loves and serves the Lord.

Happy Birthday, Sam!

2008-08-13T10:31:00.003+01:00

Two of my favourite people have August birthdays, and one of them is today! Happy birthday, Sam, I love you very much!

Papa's Birthday

2008-08-04T11:16:00.002+01:00

Last week we gathered to celebrate my father-in-law's (Papa to the grandchildren) birthday. We had the typical problem of getting all seven grandchildren looking at the camera at the same time, so I posted all four photos!

Extra Photographs

2008-07-15T22:58:00.005+01:00

When I was putting pictures from camera to computer for the baby shower, I discovered some from our trip to the States that I had missed before. Hope you enjoy these!

Baby Shower

2008-07-15T11:52:00.006+01:00

Last night we had a surprise baby shower for Karen Cullen. We had it the night of our monthly ladies' Bible study, so we were able to get her to the house without suspision. Lawrance, from their church in Newtonards, joined us as well as Stan's mom, two sisters, and Aunt Anne. A wonderful evening was had by all.

Friday Night Bible Study

2008-06-28T22:13:00.004+01:00

Each Friday night Mark conducts a Bible study here at the house. Ethel brings her three children and Chloe and Josh are excellent at entertaining themselves during the study. Rachel, however, excells at entertaining we adults during the study! Not many can fight a 7 month old's charm!

Reception

2008-06-28T17:13:00.011+01:00

While we were in the States for our three week visit, my parents had a reception so that my friends and family would have a chance to meet my new husband. I wish that I had thought to take my guest book along so that I could have had a record of who attended our second reception. It was a wonderful day with friends and family coming from near and far. The only close family member absent was my niece, Mandy, and her family, who live in Georgia. My brother and his family made the journey from Kansas. All of my uncles and aunts as well as four of my cousins and three of their children were present. Two of my mom's cousins even came all the way from Kentucky! Pastor and Mrs. Morgan, whom I worked with in Berlin, made the journey from their home in southern Pennsylvania. It was a truly special day. Please forgive my over-indulgence on the number of photographs that I am about to share from such a wonderful day.

Sam, Mark, and Monica

Mark, Ralph, and Dad Their was a program at the reception, and 'Ralph' did an excellent job. I think that he may be the most talked-about part of the day!

Gram playing my childhood favourite, the Assurance March

M and M

Dad, Uncle Donald, we four, and cousin Jessie

Dad, Mom, Uncle Donald, Aunt Judy

the four Roger Hain kid's with their spouses

Jack, Cindy, Monica, Nina

Mrs. Morgan, Pastor Morgan, Mark, and Monica

Levi in front of Grandpa and Grandma Hain's house

family basketball game

family basketball game

family relaxing on porch after reception

all of the Gingrich's (mom's side) in attendance

Sister Nina sings 'No Less Than Me'
One of my favourite songs.

North Carolina

2008-06-27T18:21:00.006+01:00

Doug, Ginny and Monica

Ginny and Monica

The Fox girls

Allen, Chyrl, Monica and Mark

Mark and Lydia

While in the States, we were able to go to North Carolina for fours days. My best friend from college picked us up at Charlotte airport, and we were able to spend several hours while she and her husband showed us their 'home' territory. Doug and Ginny were in Northern Ireland for our wedding, but needless to say, we were not really able to spend much time together. It was wonderful to catch up. Ginny has been a great support in the 25 years that we have been friends. They then drove us to Taylorsville to spend several days with Allen and Chyrl Fox and their family.They were at Bethel when Mark first started attending and have been a tremendous help to him in his Christian growth. It was wonderful to spend time with them and to get to know them better, after having heard so much about them through the years. Lydia asked Mark to preach at her homeschool graduation. Mark did an excellent job preaching at the first HIGHSCHOOL graduation that he had ever attended!

Time With Nephews

2008-06-14T11:24:00.006+01:00

Being an aunt has always been one of my favorite roles! I have always taken great pleasure in spending time with my nephews and niece, and this trip home was no exception! I really enjoyed seeing Mark and my beloved nephews get to know each other! (My only niece lives in Georgia, and was not able to get to Pennsylvania for our visit. We made up for that with phone calls!)

Oldest nephew Jason with wife Heather and son Levi
We love having Heather as part of our family, and all of us dote on Levi!

Brother Jack with sons Darren and Jonathan

Uncle Mark and Levi

Mark and I babysat Levi while Heather and Jason were moving.
We were very impressed with his intelligence! We had a great time.

My youngest nephew, Sam, was able to visit quite often.

This is all of the Hains minus Mandy and her family.
Front row: Sam, Darren, Jake, Jonathan, and Taylor
Middle: Jack and Kris, Paul and Nina, Dad and Mom, Dave and Cindy, Mark and Monica
Back row: Heather, Levi's head, and Jason

Sam and Mona (me) have always been close, and have a great time together.

Jake in his baseball uniform.

Taylor, who lives near to my parents and is able to visit quite often, which they love!

Darren - 3rd oldest nephew. Where do the years go?!

Mother-Daughter Banquet

2008-06-08T17:17:00.003+01:00

While we were in the States, my home church had their mother-daughter banquet. It was wonderful to be there and to get to spend time with the family. Dad was in charge of the waiter staff, and drafted all three of his sons-in-law. It is so wonderful to spend time with family - both 'blood' and church. It was great to see everyone.

Dave (brother-in-law) and Mark

The waiters from our family (Sam changed before the picture was taken.)

The three brothers-in law really do get along!

The three Hain girls and their spouses.

Heather, Cindy, Mom, Nina, and me

Family Cookout

2008-06-07T13:16:00.006+01:00

Another beautiful picture of me, but too good of Sam and Heather to leave out!

Sam came along home, and he and Mark built a model.

We are finally unpacked and into the routine of things. I thought that the easiest way to share about our three week trip would be to do so over several different posts. The main purpose of our trip was to spend time with family so that they could get to know Mark. It was a very successful trip! He fit into our family so well.

On the Friday following our arrival, my sister Nina and her husband, Paul, hosted a family bbq. We had a great time.

Safe Return

2008-05-28T17:33:00.003+01:00

Just a quick note to let all of you know that we have had a safe return from our three weeks in the States, and to thank you for your many prayers. Once we get unpacked, over jetlag, and settled back into our routine, I will update with pictures from our trip.

A Quick Update

2008-04-28T09:15:00.006+01:00

Hello! I just wanted to let all of you know that we are still alive and doing well. We have been keeping busy with church ministries as well as Mark's family and my 'family' which the Lord has provided throughout my years here as a single missionary. He has always been faithful to provide me with good friends in each country I have lived in, but He certainly provided abundantly here in Northern Ireland.

Below are some photographs. I hope that you enjoy looking at them as much as I enjoy posting them!

Billy watching Mark and the children use massive amounts of energy at the Saturday kids' club.

We just finished our spring quarter in Sunday School, and had a party. Fun was had by all, even the 'big' kids who came in after church to eat the leftovers!

More fun at the Sunday School party!

Joshua is a real sweetheart! He loves to sing, and it often chokes me up to hear him singing the old gospel hymns at the top of his lungs!

My husband and I after church on Sunday.

Jade, another excellent singer! Her father is starting a church 1 1/2 hours away, so they are no longer at Sunday School. She took it upon herself to get her Sunday school sheets from me each week, and say her verses! Now, THAT is gumption!

The 'gang' at Saturday kids' club. There were eighteen this month, which was a great turnout!

Too cute a picture to not post it!

Happy Birthday, Cindy!

2008-04-07T21:08:00.003+01:00

Today is my sister Cindy's birthday. Cindy has always been a great encourager and supporter of my ministry as a missionary teacher, and I just wanted to wish her happy birthday! I don't think that I have any digital pictures of her (for which she is probably thankful!).

COMPUTER CLASS

2008-03-22T20:56:00.007Z

On Saturday Mark had a computer mechanics class for the children. While it was initiated for the home schoolers, it was open to any and all that were interested. He started with the basic pieces of machinery of monitor, speakers, keyboard, computer, and how to plug them all in. He then had them open up some old machines that he had and showed them the inner workings of the computer, how they all went together, and what they did. They took them apart and then had to put them all back together. It looked like a wonderful time, and made me VERY thankful that I no longer have computer worries now that I have Mark!

W5 outing

2008-03-20T21:21:00.006Z

On Thursday we took a home school trip to W5, which is described as an 'interactive discovery centre.' It is an amazing place full of physical activities in which the children also have to use their minds. Their favourite activities seemed to be the Lego, weather forecasting, life-size computer game in which they stood in a blue room and were the figures in the game, and car building. There were six children, six adults, and one adorable baby. It was a very enjoyable day.

Lego - even the two biggest kids there enjoyed it!

Rachel was in good form all day!

A good bunch of kids.

Weather forecasting.

Preparing for the dinosaur egg race. Nathan was the winner.

They got me on one of these as well, but hopefully that picture won't appear on a blog!

Tug of war with a difference.

Good News Independent Baptist Church

2008-03-07T10:45:00.006Z

Fellowshipping and admiring baby Rachel.

Marky, Jade, and Jeremiah Jonathan (J.J.) Cullen

Pastor Stan Cullen

The children have grown up together, and it is

a delight to see their interaction!

We even had a bunny rabbit in attendance!

On Thursday fifteen of us from Bethel Baptist Church travelled to Newtonards (near Belfast) to support Stan Cullen in one of his first services as the pastor of Good News Independent Baptist Church. While it is a small work, there are three members who have been a great help to Stan and Karen as they prepare to continue this ministry. They are renting a small flat for the church, which will also give them a place to stay Sunday afternoons and Thursdays between tracting and the evening service, as for now they will be travelling the two hours from Londonderry/Derry.

Stan and Mark each preached, we had some good singing, and food and fellowship after the service. As you will see in the photographs, the children had a wonderful time.

J.J. Cullen spent the afternoon with Mark and me and rode in the bus because Stan and Karen went early to clean and pass out tracts.. He is an adorable, well-behaved little boy who reminds me of my nephew Sam. Marky rode back home with us after the service. He had fallen asleep during the service, which meant that he was wide awake the entire way home, which was good because Mark and I were both fighting sleep. I wish that I had thought to record his conversation! One comment that I do remember is his puzzlement that none of the people who got tracts that afternoon came to the service. His conclusion was, 'Maybe they didn't know how to read.'

Little is Much

2008-03-04T15:10:00.004Z

This past Saturday we went to Londonderry city centre to hand out tracts. There were ten of us - six adults and four children. It is the social event of the week for these four eager youngsters. I do believe that it is one of their favourite things to do!

Many times in my life I have been involved in door to door visitation and putting tracts through doors, as well as invitations to special services. However, never before in my life have I been as aware of how much a simple tract could impact many lives.

While Mark was not saved because of a tract, he grew in the Lord and became an independent Baptist because of one.

Mark had been saved for several years, but had not found a good church. He had reached a point in his life where he wanted to grow and was reading his Bible and asking the Lord to lead him to a church that could be a family to him. Not long after, several men from Bethel Baptist Church were out and just 'happened' to put a tract into his mail slot. When he returned home from work he rang the number, went to the Friday night men's meeting, and ten years later is the pastor of that very church.

I will always be thankful that those men did not get weary of putting thousands of tracts through doors and getting few or no responses. It has so reminded me of how important it is for us to be faithful and obey the Lord no matter how small the work seems.

Saturday Kid's Club

2008-02-17T09:47:00.003Z

One Saturday a month we have a kid's day at our church. It runs for about four hours and we usually have an average of fifteen children. We start with some songs and warm-up (another word for energy burning!) activities. We then have about an hour for a Bible lesson, verse, and related worksheets. Mark chooses a theme for each club, and we try to tie it into the entire day. After the lesson we provide a lunch of sandwiches, pancakes (sweeter than American pancakes and a favourite treat straight out of the packet spread with butter), biscuits (cookies), crisps (chips), and a drink. We then have either a craft time or Christian dvd and some more games. The craft and lesson time are broken into two groups with Mark, Paul, and Billy working with the older group and Ethel and me with the younger children. Bethel is blessed with active, willing church members. Below are some pictures of this past Saturday's club.

The older children working on wooden models.

More hard work on the models.

Ethel and I made heart shaped chocolate cakes and had the younger group decorate them for their parents. Mark tried his hand at cake decorating as well!

Getting ready to start the days activities.

Game time!

The younger group had a great time decorating their cakes and did a wonderful job!

Chinese New Year Party

2008-02-09T20:09:00.000Z

There are three families in our church that homeschool. On Wednesday, February 6th, the Ho family hosted a Chinese New Year party for the homeschoolers.The event was held in the Ho's homeschool classroom. Ethel did a fabulous job. She had been planning it for weeks. She had activity books which had their name in Chinese, a page for them to copy counting to ten, a dot-to-dot with Chinese numbers, as well as some other pages. There was an opportunity to make Chinese lanterns, practice Chinese writing , a chopstick competition, and loads of delicious junk food! Ethel and her sister even dressed in Chinese clothes! Fun was had by all, especially we big kids that were invited!

Busy making lanterns.

Practicing Chinese writing.

Even though it was a fun day,

it was an educational one as well.

Some very eager children!

Ethel, the creative mind behind a wonderful day.

Enjoying some Chinese treats,

and some non-Chinese ones as well!

Chantelle, the chopstick champion!

Nathan came in a close second - they were tied

it went into overtime!

The chopstick championship in progress.

Displaying their lovely lanterns!

Too cute a picture to not post!

Wedding Day

2008-02-01T19:30:00.000Z

Mark, Monica, Ginny, and Doug

My sister, Nina, was my matron of honour.

My father-in-law, John, a real sweetheart.

Two handsome men.

Mark and Monica Bradfield (M-n-M)

Jade (left) and Rhoda (right)

They both looked beautiful and did a wonderful job!

Arriving at the reception - I was finally able to relax!

My sister, her family, and my parents,

over for the wedding.

They really enjoyed meeting and getting to know Mark.

A day that my parents (and I!) thought would never arrive!

The Start of Our Life Together

2008-02-01T19:23:00.000Z

Hello and welcome to our blog! Since the purpose of this blog is an easy way to keep my friends and family updated on Mark's and my new life together, I am going to begin by sharing some our wedding photos. It was a wonderful day, when we were surrounded by friends and family. Six of my family members came from home, as well as my bestfriend from college and her husband. It is a day full of many wonderful memories.