A week has gone by in Peebles now, and I’m getting used to the small-town life. People don’t exaggerate when they say everyone knows everyone – it means that doing a ‘quick bit of shopping’ always takes longer than expected!
This first week has been about getting to know how the different clubs work and finding my way around (not that it took very long, you can pretty much walk anywhere in less than 10 minutes). The couple I’m staying with, Laura and Gordon, are looking after me so well; they organise and run all of the kids clubs in Peebles, and there’s 6 over the course of the week for all different age groups.
Tuesdays is Smarties (an afterschool club for P3-6 – 7-10 yr olds? I’m still getting my head around the Scottish schools system), then 712 club in the evening (for P7 and S1-2 – ie yr 6-8). Wednesday is another after school club called Smileys for P1-2 (the cuties). Thursday and Friday are both lunchtime clubs called Adventurers at two local primary schools, then Sunday club is during the morning church service.
It all adds up to a lot of prep for both the stories and the crafts/games for each club! At the moment we are well immersed in all things Easter: Laura and Gordon have an office which is full of cabinets and boxes of resources, and this morning the floor was covered in shredded yellow paper, foam crosses and fluffy chicks.
In between times, I have folded hundreds of leaflets for the Easter holiday club, cut out donkeys for the wee kiddies crafts and made palm branches for the kids to wave at church (classic Palm Sunday). It seems that every day features the words ‘I’ve had an idea…’ before Gordon and I are creating something new, overseen by Laura the taskmaster. I’m really enjoying getting more involved with all the work they do!
Yesterday I led the story at Smarties where we were learning about Jesus’ death on the cross – next week is the resurrection. I also got to share my testimony with the guys at 712 club which was great.
The weather has been amazing so far (surprisingly) – I came to Scotland ready for constant rain but I’m so glad that hasn’t been the case! Peebles is such a beautiful little town. There’s lush walks along the river and so many little spots to catch the sun when it’s out.
On Monday we took a mini-day-trip/drive to St Mary’s Loch, Grey Mare’s Tail Reserve (the 5th tallest waterfall in Britain apparently woop) and ended up in Moffat for coffee + cake, which is another town just like Peebles about an hour away. It was amazing driving through all this Scottish countryside: it’s just hills after hills and it made me wonder again at God’s amazing creativity.
Peebles is beautiful
Spot the Gordon
EDINBURGH RECOMMENDATIONS #2: Go to Mimi’s, like now. Especially if you love cheesecake as much as me.
OVERHEARD AT DINNER: ‘Sausages are my life.’ We had a family round for Sunday lunch which was fun – feeding the ducks and playing in the park was a great way to spend the afternoon.
GAME OF THE WEEK: It took me a few tries but I eventually managed to knock down the pringle tube with my shoe from across the hall. The race/competition element were a bit stressful at first.
OVERHEARD AT KIDS CLUB: ‘I’m giving up chocolate for Lent’, while happily chomping a dairy milk bar. I don’t think he realised how close Easter was.
CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK: I’ve been amazed again by maybe the fundamental of faith this week – Salvation. ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved’ says Acts 16v31, but we have to hold this together with James 2v24-26 which says ‘…you see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone…as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead’. Works don’t save us (hallelujah for Easter), but they show we have been saved.
‘Transformation of the total person is at the heart of the gospel message. If responding to the good news of Jesus Christ does not lead us to becoming followers of Jesus, taking him as our model and example and, by the power of the Holy Spirit within us, growing more Christ-like in the way we live, we haven’t truly understood it or experienced it’s power in our lives.’
– Peter Maiden
Coming up … Tonight is Home Group bible study with some guys from church, tomorrow evening we’re going to the High School for their Spring Concert. This Easter Sunday there’s a baptism too, and on Easter Monday it’s the High School’s Easter service.
Please pray…
- For Laura as she prepares her message for the High School service – it’s such a great opportunity to share with the school what Jesus means today
- For me preparing the story of the resurrection for the Smarties next week; that the kids will understand how incredible this good news is!
- For preparation for the holiday club and that lots of kids will be open to coming along, even if they’re not regulars at the clubs
This is my Venture 