Mission Team Week One

Our team arrived in beautiful Scotland at various times and in various states of jetlag to the Glasgow airport on Tuesday, June 17. We were welcomed by Stephen McCollum and Beth Bogue who gave us a brief orientation – going over a bit of our schedule for the coming weeks, and getting the tour of Airdrie Reformed Presbyterian Church, our home away from home for the next few weeks. Although we would gradually meet more people from the congregation, we already felt their warm hospitality from the biscuits, crisps, and even cooked meals left at the church. Throughout the week, two or three of us would each join in on the various small group Bible studies called MET groups (Mutual Encouragement Times).

On Wednesday, we saw the Wishaw RP church, where there had been an active congregation for many years, and where Airdrie hopes to plant another church again in the coming years (they do weekly Bible studies and monthly church services at the Wishaw church towards that end). For that morning, we worked on cleaning up some of the grounds around the church and a bit of mold inside. In the afternoon, we went out for the first time to distribute leaflets in people’s mailboxes near the church (a good way to see the surrounding area!). We were thankful for cool temperatures and sunshine!

Thursday’s schedule was a bit more fluid as we began preparing for Holiday Bible School and tackling the “odd job” list. We were joined by some members of the Airdrie church in the evening to distribute more leaflets. These leaflets are a Parish Newsletter, which includes an article on “hope,” information about the Kid’s Club and Drop-in Café at Airdrie RP, and of course an invitation to join the worship services.

Download the parish newsletter here.

On Friday, some of us walked through the town center to ask shops to hang a poster for an evangelistic service coming up. Others stayed behind to give the church a good clean before the Lord’s Day. That afternoon, we had a prayer time with Stephen, where he encouraged us to strengthen our prayers by arguing with God from the Scriptures. It was good to spend some time praying for Airdrie and the congregation’s work here. Then we had a bit of free time, enough to stop at a bakery and bask in the sun at a park (in the midst of days averaging in the low 60s ^oF, 80^oF feels hot!). Friday evening was Kid’s Club Party – an hour and a half of bouncy house hopping; the kids only stopped bouncing for face painting, Happy Meals, and Ice Lollies.

We were blown away on Saturday by our trip to Falkland and St. Andrews to see some Covenanter sites and hear the stories from our tour guide Jimmy (who, with his wife Helen and dog Skye, does Reformation Tours – a ministry of the Scotland RP Church). We saw the home of Richard Cameron, the castle where Andrew Melville grabbed the king’s sleeve and called him “God’s silly vassal,” the sites where Patrick Hamilton and George Wishart were martyred, the castle where John Knox was convinced to go into the ministry before being taken as a galley slave by the French for several years, Samuel Rutherford’s grave, and much more.

What I have not mentioned on each of these days are our wonderful hosts, giving up rooms in their homes for us for these three weeks; the times of team devotions led by our Team Lead, Rich Torelli; our shopping for and cooking meals together; the game nights; trying new types of biscuits; and of course, the inevitable misunderstandings between a team of Americans and our Scottish friends.

We were, as you might imagine, glad for the Lord’s Day to come. The two times of worship, meeting the rest of the Airdrie congregation, fellowship over meals and tea, and some quiet time of rest were all a great blessing. There have been several men and women who have been encouragers to us throughout all this week. One that we met on Lord’s Day evening was Airdrie’s 93-year-old elder Sam, who has trouble walking and needs to be given a ride to church. But he knew us all by sight, as he had printed out our pictures and itinerary and had been praying for us each day after looking up what we would be doing. What a joy to meet such a person and such people!

Tori Sturm