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.
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| Heroes Square |
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| Vajdahunyad Castle |
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| Danube River - the boat in the photo travelled from Basel, Switzerland |
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| 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 21st 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.
