so beautiful it hurts a little

The problem when I wait so long to update is that I don't know where to start so I just keep putting it off! Not a good cycle. As a side note, my eyes got tired reading all of this as I was proofreading, so I decided to add some bold type to keep things interesting. That's what's up with the random bold words.

Well, since we arrived in Kyle last week we've been happily busy. The two pastors who we are working with here have spent a lot of their precious time introducing us to the area and to their parishioners. We are so grateful to them and their families for making us feel so welcome and at home. Roddie Rankin is the pastor ministering in Kyle and Plockton, and Gordon Matheson is the pastor ministering in Strath and Sleat. There is a helpful map in the top left corner of this website...we're staying in Kyle of Lochalsh.

So, on to some highlights from the week:

On Wednesday and Thursday we went door to door in several of the small towns inviting people to an event this coming Friday night. I'm super excited about the event. An apologist named John Blanchard is coming to discuss Christianity and answer questions from the audience. We hope to have a lot of people from the community show up, especially perhaps those who don't believe in Jesus yet.

Michael and the girls also had the chance to go into a couple of the primary schools with Roddie and Dave (who works with the youth) to watch/give presentations during assemblies.

Once a week each of the churches puts on a type of soup kitchen for folks in the community to gather and eat a meal together, so we attended both of these lunches and had a chance to visit and help serve and clean up. Seeing the hospitality of those in the church towards those both in the church and those not in the church was so encouraging.

On Thursday evening, the primary school here in Kyle had a 50th birthday celebration for the building that they're in, so we went along and heard some real live Highland bagpipers and fiddlers. Caleb LOVED it and has been giving his reenactment of the bagpipers all week. I'll have to catch it on video soon because it's the cutest thing. I met another young mom named Lyndsey there who invited me to a playgroup on Friday mornings down the street from the house where we're staying. It was a great spot to meet other moms in the community, so the kids and I plan to go back every week Lord willing. Please pray that God opens up doors for conversations and friendships there.

More from this week included dinner with the Mathesons and the youth from their church, a seal expedition (where we did in fact see seals!), a video shoot for the upcoming holiday club, prayer meetings, communion service, and lunch at the Rankins' after church.

The pictures below are from a hike along the coast that we took with Roddie in Drumbuie, a quiet little village where highland cattle and sheep roam the one track road that winds along the hillside.