Hello there, how are you after all that "weather"? I can see why it was a pain for so many but personally we enjoyed the experiences. Nice to go out and play in for a while, nice to look out at once back inside beside a cosy fire and happy to not have to go too far. For Jonathan that was a different story and he met the black ice firsthand but all was well thankfully.
So these days we have been doing lots of snow experiments. Utilising what we have around us and testing it! Now I have to say that done our findings are inconclusive to actually anything of any importance to anyone but boy we had fun trying. We melted the snow and then strained it to see how dirty it was! We tasted it... just like the ice cubes in Pizza hut seemingly! We melted it in different wrappings and then we .... wait for it.... sculpted it and painted it! The delivery lady got to see it when she appeared yesterday at the door. She must think I am some kind on eejit but hey would she be far wrong???? Well we have also played some of the Christmas games that we all received and have enjoyed that although can see that to our shame Bethany's knowledge for the Disney pictionary was far above anything that we could muster! More Disney films this year!!! We have also done our fair share of just living. It has been a nice time of just being ourselves and being together.
Jonathan starts tomorrow going into the schools. This first time he is able to go with the local minister and see what is involved so that will be really good.
The girls have started swimming lessons and are very much enjoying that.
We are looking forward to soon meeting up with another homeschool family here on the Island. So all is well. Trust you are knowing a good time these days and experiencing much of Jesus. Yours E. xx

A New Year!

Happy New Year to you both my readers! Can you believe it 2010? It was inconceivable what I would be doing and where I would be living when we brought in the New Millenium! So much has changed in life since that day. We have 2 lovely lassies. We have been with a Missionary organisation, a church in Edinburgh and now as freelance Missionaries in the Isle of Skye. I could never have foretold my future if you had given me a piece of paper and a biro on that New year 10 years ago. So what about this year what does it hold? Surely 10 years is difficult to predict but 1? In all honesty I have no idea. I look at a new calendar and wonder what will fill its' slots. The only thing I know for sure is that all I do I want to be with Him. Moses spoke to God and said if Your presence God does not go with us then do not lead us up that Mountain. He knew the importance of going into the battles with the Lord on his side. Without doubt there may be battles ahead this year.... I want Him with me.
This week we are having a quieter week as we take down the decorations. It has been a full and busy time with us being at my Mum's and then having friends to stay. I am looking forward to playing some of the girls Christmas games and such like and spending some quality time before we get back to school.
Well on that note I am going to go and see what they are up to! I might be missing out on Uno Spin! Take care these days, not just physically but spiritually. What better time to start a new prayer time or Bible study than in the New Year. Lets make this decade count for Jesus. With love, E. xx

Sooooo Exciting!

I know I have said this before but I just love Christmas to bits! All the stuff that is involved in it I think is brill. I love buying the presents and giving them, receiving them and I definitely love all the food that comes along at Christmas too. I don't however love having a cold at Christmas and I do! Boo hooo! Ok that was me feeling incredibly sorry for myself and now I am back on track. You know sometimes we can have a look at our lives and think... if only! If only we had more money how much fun Christmas would be, if only we had a bigger house then how much more room we would have for Christmas presents and parties. If only's never get us anywhere but discontended. As I feel sorry for myself with a stinking cold really i look around and see how fortunate I am. I know of one lady this year who will be spending Christmas all alone because she is estranged from her family.I think now how fortunate I am to be going to My mum's house and spending a family Christmas. When we look at ourselves only, we have a tendeny to think.... if only but when we realise what others must bear on a daily basis then sometimes it helps us to get our lives in perspective! We can't always afford the fine things of life as what the catalogue would tell us would be the top ten gifts but we have something that no ammount of money can buy. Jesus does really make our lives richer... why not give the gift of Jesus to someone in your neighbourhood this year. Someone who seems to have it all yet maybe has nothing at all or someone who you know is hurting with a pain they could hardly describe. Invite them over to play a game or have a coffee, or both!
I am going to try it... will you join me?
I hope you have a wonderful CHRISTmas. Put Him first and include Him in all your traditions.... your family will benefit!
With love, Elizabeth. xxxx

Christmas is a coming!

Well hello there, I am getting very excited about Christmas. We just love any excuse in this house for a party and we are looking forward to all the parties we will have over the festive period. Jonathan has our house lit up like Blackpool tower and you can probably see a glow across the Atlantic Ocean... it is our house!
The girls have been busy making things for Christmas as presents.... look out those family of mine! A lady from the village had us over to make German biscuits with lots of spices and nice christmassy cutters so we have about 80 of them if you fancy poppping in for a coffee and biccie.
These days are always busy for most. We get lost in the madness sometimes and we can easily forget what the reason for Christmas really is. Our thoughts and attention are taken by the trappings and we don't give Him His rightful plce in all the proceedings. I love Christmas in a big way and there is nothing I like more than all the trimmings of a great festive period, but we are trying really hard to stay focused on not just those things but on the Christ who came for us and died for us and rose for us and is coming again for us.
We are getting a shower... it almost is unbelievable! We 3 long haired girls have had to make do with baths and jugs to wash our hair.... but now on Monday it would seem that the shower will start its monumental task of being installed! The only draw back is that we have to empty Lydia's room... that too being a mammoth task in itself!
Tomorrow we are of to a cake and sausage birthday party... that should be fun hey a Desperate Dan kind of birthday. Then I am hoping to get up to the relatives in the North end of the Island this week with their Christmas cards and calendars I have got them.
Jonathan has been busily typing out our latest prayer letter. It is a time consuming task but one that we very much appreciate as we know so many people who are so interested in the work here. I am constantly amazed at the support we have received since being here.
Jonathan starts in the schools work with the local Minister in january so that will be good and I know he is looking forward to that. He has also got the opportunity to go into the 2 localish old folks homes on a quarterly visit. So we have decided to all go and that the Von Tinks will sing. Hopefully most of them will be deaf cause if not they will be after we have gone! Seriously though we thought it would be a good ministry for the girls to be involved in. Jonathan and I had discussed it and just the other night there was a devotion in the girls book about a girl going to an old folks home and not being too impressed at having to be there, but very soon she realised that actually she was blessed to be there than she had even been a blessing. The little questions at the bottom spoke of our responsibility to these folks who are elderly and infirm. It was great to see the Lord guiding the Girls through his Word even in their young years.
I am very fond of a homeschool writer called Sally Clarkson. She does a blog that I try to read a soften as she writes it. It is called It takes joy. She has such a powerful way with words and has a real desire for Biblical womanhood and motherhood. I am re-reading her book Mission to Motherhood and find it a real challenge. So often we imagine if this period of our lives were over and the kids were grown and away how much ministry we would be able to do, but she challenges us to think of this motherhood as a ministry of itself and any other outside of that must be just a bonus. So many times in these last few days her writings have spoken into my mind when I am just about to lose my cool with one of the girls over something that really I should just take in my stride and see as a learning opportunity. I am enjoying that but at the same time I am wondering how long before I blow? I guess like offering ourselves a s a sacrifice to Jesus, it is about recommitting every day to the task in hand.
I love this season where there is time to enjoy board games and baking and just being with my wee ones. They are really great friends.... oh and we all love the Elf film so at the moment we have loads of one liners from that... you got to see it if you haven't already!
I know all this sounds a bit more fluffy than I normally am.... but I have been thinking recently about how the Father views me... and if I can love my children this much how much more can the Infinite God of Love adore me? He loved me so much that He gave me a gift, one that would last for all eternity and one that would never leave me. One that would pay my debt, and give me all I need for life and love and godliness. He gave me Jesus! That is Christmas. E. xxx

Oops!

Hi there, you know how my last post said I thought I'd cracked it? Well, guess what? I didn't. Seemingly if you click on my photos they are too big for your page or something like that. So I am trying to be taught how to stop that from occuring!
These past couple of weeks have been busy with Jonathan's mum and dad being here and then our friend Carole came from Edinburgh for a few days. It has been nice to catch up. This weekend my sister and brother in law are staying.
At the moment half the school is sick with a virus and so the St. Andrew's day quiz that was scheduled for tonight (Saturday) has had to be cancelled... seeing as we are well I think it should have gone ahead and then I may have had a chance of winning!
Tomorrow we are making our way down to York to our good friends, who have sadly lost their baby at 20 weeks of pregnancy. Baby Lydia never got to breathe in this world but we know that she is in the best place, I am sure though as comforting as that is it will still be a difficult funeral on Tuesday and then for the cosiderable future as her mum and dad and brothers come to terms with their loss.
So often people want an explanation of why these things happen. I don't really know except all I do know is that God shows Himself to be so real at these times that through it all He can and will be glorified if we allow Him access.
I have no photos for you as you can see but I will keep trying to learn!
Ok I am off to pack will be in touch. E. xxx

Well I have returned and think I have finally cracked how to do my blog on this computer. I was never designed to know how to properly work a computer. What were you designed for I hear you ask and that I will come back to!
Life here in Skye is really good. We are very much enjoying being here and meeting people and getting to know them and share with them.

I don't know if you can see our handiwork but we tried to carve the name of Jesus into our pumpkin!



The morning service has been going now for 3 weeks. Every week we have had someone join with us and the Mackinnons to worship our Saviour and I myself have been really blessed through these times. jonathan was out this morning taking one of the local remembrance day services and although we missed him from an IT perspective for the singing it went fine and it is good that he was able to share with others.



On Friday night the terrible weather subsided for just enough time for us to have a great bonfire and firework display. We had food and hot drinks to warm us up. Just as the fireworks ended the most enormous hail storm came on. Most went home but I wasn't leaving without having been able to toast my marshmallows so a few of us were able to get just about close enough to manage it.




Within the village there is a great sense of community and all we had to do was to mention we were going to have this night when some of the others were so keen that it felt like we had very little to do to get it together. We hope that at some point those same folks will want to come along to the services and other things that will be organised as outreach.
Jonathan's mum and dad come tomorrow for a week. Elizabeth ( My mother in law is also Elizabeth Tink) has not been so well and gets easily tired so hopefully they will find it restful here. Jonathan is to travel to Inverness to pick them up. While there he has to go to a town about 20 miles away to My Aunts house. She has a fancy dress shop and we are going to a fancy dress party next Saturday for our friends 40th birthday. As I am writing this I still have no idea what I am going to be and as I will not be able to go with Jonathan I will have to trust his judgement on what he picks out for me!!!! Could be good.... could be bad! Will let you know!
As for what has God designed me for? To bring Glory to Himself was what we were hearing about this morning in the service. We so often look for acclaim and yet it should all be about Jesus and that in itself should bring us joy unspeakable. I am going to give it a good shot this week, how about you?
With love, E. xx

Some photos.

Just some random photos to show off our beautiful scenery up in Skye and of course Jonathan working hard while I just take photographs! Will write more soon. E. x