Mum update

It’s been a while since I last posted an update, and a lot has happened in the meantime. As some of you know it has been almost two years since we returned to Scotland to help care for my Mum due to her dementia diagnosis. This has brought its fair share of challenges.

Two months ago, things took another turn when Mum fell and broke her hip which resulted in surgery. It has been a whirlwind of activity since then, with two different hospital stays and plenty of ups and downs along the way.

In consultation with medical professionals and extended family, we decided that moving Mum into a care home would be the best thing for her. Last week, we made the transition, and while it has been an emotional and challenging time for all of us, we know it's the right step for her care and well-being.

The staff at the care home have been supportive and helpful so far, and Mum is slowly getting used to her new surroundings. It’s hard to see her go through this, but we are hopeful that this new chapter will give her the care and support that she needs.

Thank you to everyone who has reached out to support us during this time.

Joshua's 21 birthday

In May we had the opportunity to go and celebrate Joshua turning 21.  It was so good to be with him and meet his friends, go to church and see where he lives.  I'm a few months late in posting but here are a few photos from our time together.

On our way to church - a reminder of God's promise!

The view from the apartment we were staying in thanks to friends :)

Happy "12th" birthday J :)

Fun night with friends

It was a "Uganda" reunion at J and Talitha's birthday bash.  Who would have thought they would all meet up in Australia one day?

 

 

 

Me and my boy

Thankful for these three (Zara, J and Georgia)

Fun times with the family.

A whirlwind tour around MAF Uganda

I'm not sure where you are reading this blog from but we feel like we haven't had a summer yet in Scotland.  Ever hopeful that August and September will produce something different.  I think it doesn't help when Simon travels as he experiences the contrast between here and Africa.  Last Saturday he returned from Uganda where he was doing some checks and a couple of operational flights.  You can watch the video of our Uganda facilities below.  Hopefully, you don't get too quesy watching it as he swings around from one area to another :)

 

 

Journey with Simon in South Sudan

Simon was in South Sudan for two weeks as part of a disaster response team.  This enabled a pilot from South Sudan to help out in Kenya and respond to the needs that severe flooding brought.  During Simon's time in South Sudan he took some short videos to give people an idea of what a typical days looks like.

Live Interview on Facebook

On Wednesday 29th May at 6.30pm we will be doing a Facebook live stream interview in conjunction with MAF Scotland.  This is an opportunity to ask us questions and find out more about what we do.  If you already have questions in mind then please send them into scotoffice@maf-uk.org otherwise you can ask them on the night.

If you go onto MAF Scotland's Facebook page you will see Andy Martin sharing about this event!  Any questions related to this event please contact scotoffice@maf-uk.org.

Its a travelling season

As I sit and write this update the weather is dreary and isn’t very inspiring.  At least we are heading towards the months of better weather so lots to look forward to and much to be thankful for.  I can understand why the Scot's talk about the weather a lot and drink lots of hot tea. :)

Last week I was in Budapest for the European Member Care Consultation.  The sun was shining and there was blue sky – just lovely!  I had never been in Hungary before, so it was great to do a wee bit exploring in between the sessions.  A few photos below to give you a visual for those who haven’t been.

Heroes Square

Vajdahunyad Castle

Danube River - the boat in the photo travelled from Basel, Switzerland

 

Reformed church on the banks of the Danube River

 

It was a busy week but many highlights including meeting a few MAF colleagues that I had only met online or knew by name.  Online is good but face to face is much better.  The theme of the event was Building Bridges – Cultivating mutual respect, understanding and learning across generations, cultures and genders.  There was a mixture of main events, workshops, and time to share with each other.  I especially enjoyed the discussions around burnout, Third Culture Kids (I’m married to one and my kids are TCK’s – interesting dynamics 😊), crossing across generations (how do we reach the younger generation), debriefing and trauma and much more.

Now time to process it all considering my work with MAF in People Care - what will be useful, as a team, as we continue to serve staff in MAF.

Simon has been home for a couple of weeks now.  He had a busy start to the year with two trips to Liberia and Uganda for flight checks and operational flying.  His last flight home from Liberia was interesting as he worked his way to London with Air Maroc.  Unfortunately, the flight was delayed from the start so that put him into London later than planned (after stopping at a few places in Africa on the way).  He missed his flight in Gatwick but had the opportunity to jump in a train and travel two hours south to Luton to catch another plane to Edinburgh.  However, after just reversing out of the gate the plane stopped and the police arrived.  There had been a bomb threat, so all passengers had to leave the plane.  Simon ended up having to stay overnight in London but connected with a friend from Edinburgh who was on the same flight which worked well as they were able to catch up.  Anyway, thankfully he made it safely home and we are enjoying a longer stretch of having him around.

We give thanks that Joshua is doing well and for many answered prayers.  At the beginning of the year, he changed his major to Digital Design and is enjoying the course a lot better.  He had hoped to get an apprenticeship in this area rather than going back to university, but the doors didn’t open for this, so he is continuing to stick with his studies.  We also give thanks that his work (Rebel Sport) agreed to a transfer to a store closer to where he lives which now saves him on travel costs.  Since his motorbike was stolen, he has had endless trouble with it due to the damage that was done. It got to the point where it wasn’t reliable at all, and he found himself pushing it to the garage or having to be picked up by the breakdown truck.  Long story short he was able to get another one which has relieved a lot of stress for him and for his mum 😊.  We are looking forward to seeing him at the end of April as we will be flying to Australia to celebrate his 21^st birthday and catch up with friends.  Thankful for a gift that makes it possible!

Zara is continuing to work in the coffee shop and do as much travelling as possible whilst she is living in Scotland.  A friend from the States came for a visit in February and they headed off to Denmark for the weekend with a day in Sweden.  As you can imagine they came back with a few stories and lots of memories – so good!  Continue to pray for Zara as she prays through what the future holds for her next.  God has a plan for us all, so we trust Him to show us in His good time.

Thanks to all of you who check in with us and share what is happening with them too. It is always good to be connected.  Thanks also for your prayers as we navigate being apart at different times and caring for my Mum.  It can be a bit of a juggling act but thankful for the support we receive.

 

Grateful for family time

 I can’t believe that we are already at the end of January – it has been a whirlwind the last two months.  Thanks to all of you who specifically prayed for Joshua’s safe arrival.  He arrived as planned on Christmas Eve.  Thankfully, he was able to enjoy Christmas Day before succumbing to a bug which he probably picked up on his travels.  This lasted about a week before he was beginning to feel more like himself.  The last week he was with us we travelled up to Nethy Bridge in the Cairngorms National Park.  Zara got her Christmas wish for snow.  The whole week it snowed and it was like a winter wonderland – such a gift!

Life this week has returned to Wunderli “normal” with Zara and I both in Scotland, Joshua back in Australia and Simon to Africa.  Thankfully they both arrived safely and are getting back into a routine.

Pray for Simon as he helps out in the Liberia programme and travels to Guinea this weekend via Ghana, Togo and Mali.

Pray for Joshua as he has some decisions regarding his Uni degree and is also waiting to hear back from some job applications - wisdom needed for him in this next month.

Pray for Zara as she considers her future this year and the wisdom to know which path to follow.

Pray for Pam as she holds the fort at home, cares for her Mum and wisdom in her role in the MAF People Care Team.

Enjoy some photos below of our time together as a family.

Definitely a great way to start 2024 - All 4 of us together!

Me and my not so wee boy :)

Simon and his not so wee girl :)

Castle Roy and Murdo the Highland cow

Simon enjoying his first African sunset in a while.  Somewhere between Sierra Leone and Liberia!