At Long Last!

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?

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

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

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

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

Christmas Baking

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

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!)