Embarking on new Phase in God's Leading

Well, the culmination of what began almost three years ago in an isolated point on the Isle of Skye will come to fruition this weekend in Kensaleyre. God has obviously led us to have a pastorate here and it is about to commence! This Sunday I will be "preaching as Sole Nominee" ( what is referred to as "preaching in view of a call" in the states). Last year the congregations had the opportunity to hear me preach several times and lead Bible studies, however, this is the official preaching before the vote for me to become their pastor. I would appreciate your prayers as I continue to prepare the message. After Sunday, I should be "voted in as the pastor", but I won't start my responsibilities there until after the 25th of Sept. On that evening, there will be an official "handing over" ceremony and then celebration. It is a rather big event. In the Gaelic language, the word for "induction" actually is translated into " marriage." It's considered to be a serious commitment by both the pastor and congregations. All the members of the Presbytery, members of the Isle of Skye churches, pastor's friends and family are invited and encouraged to attend. It is like a wedding feast, with food, music, and congratulatory speeches. We hope to have some pictures of the festivities and will post them on the blog.

I had the joy of being invited to speak in a public school this morning. I had the floor for about 7-8 minutes to share a message with about 60 elementary aged children. I wore my cowboy boots, hat and jeans which caused a little stir! They were challenged to guess where I came from by how I was dressed. I told them that I was proud to be a Texan, and also proud that I had Scottish ancestry, but that I was most proud that I belonged to God through faith in Christ Jesus. I shared the story of Samuel anointing David as King. David wasthe youngest and the most unlikely to be chosen as king, but God saw his heart. I encouraged them to not be so concerned with their outward appearances because what was in their hearts was what mattered to God. This is a wonderful opportunity for the pastors on the Isle of Skye every fortnight (2 weeks). Please pray that even in these limited encounters seeds will be planted in the children's hearts and minds that will one day bring forth a harvest of faith in Christ.

In Scotland, the equivalent of Vacation Bible School is what they call "Holiday Club." The parish we are working in hosts a Holiday Club each year. Unfortunately, the club was the week in which I had to be away for my final evaluation. We did, however, enjoy being involved for two days before having to leave for Edinburgh. The goup that coordinated the club did an outstanding job of incorporating five of the stories of Jesus' miracles that involved food: when He turned water into wine, the feeding of the five thousand, etc. The crafts each day were linked with the Bible story for each day. They had great activities for the children, as well. The songs all involved hand and body movements...this was a problem for me. At my age, I am struggling to get my hands and feet to move in sequence at the same time. Ha! Well, we had a great time getting to know and love on the kids.

After my successful passing muster in Edinburgh, Linda and I took a few days off and spent some time in the Border area of Scotland. We visited some beautiful, historical abbeys, saw some beautiful scenery, saw the place where Sir Walter Scott was burried, visited the original Wallace Memorial (this magnificent structure is literally out in the middle of nowhere) and toured several jaw-dropping castles and the lush gardens associated with each. I just don't think that there is any place in Scotland that is no drop-dead beautiful.

Blair Castle
















The Wallace Memorial





















Jedburgh Abbey










Renovation work on the manse is nearing completion. All but two rooms have been painted and and flooring is being laid down now. We were so eager to get the work done in the manse before the 7th of Sept. because that was the date our household goods were to arrive at Kensaleyre. As it turns out, the shipping company cancelled their departures out of the Gulf of Mexico...which of course includes the Port of Houston. The shipping company is now transporting our crate to Savannah, Georgia where it will be sent on to Scotland. It now looks like it will arrive the last week in Sept. When we read the email, Linda and I looked at each other and said, "Well, praise the Lord!" If we say that God is Sovereign, it means that He is in control of EVERYTHING!! We believe that He has a purpose for the delay, and though we do not know why, we trust that whatever it is will be for His glory and our good. We have some basic necessities in the manse, so we plan to go ahead and move in after Sept 14th and make do until our shipment arrives. Yes, God is faithful and we are so thankful for His provision in all things!

As we move to being installed in our new ministry, I am so very thankful to those of you who have already invested in our work. There will be material and equipment needs that are not provided by the Church of Scotland, and the parish is small and does not have many resources. I want to produce some flyers to hand out around the community and post notices in store fronts advertising our services and ministry. We also need to purchase teaching materials. The Lord knows what we need and we are trusting His provision. If you would like to be apart of our ministry here, we have established"Heart Matters Ministries" as a non-profit organization and your gifts may be deducted from your taxes as a charitable gift. Any amount would be great help towards spreading the Gospel here! You can send your gift to Craig Goedecke, 145 Lamont, SA 78209. Please pray for us above all! That is what we covet more than anything.