The Lochinver part of our adventure has finished for the moment as we have moved 45 miles eastish to Lairg - it would be less than 45 miles if you were a bird but the mountains get in the way.
If you want to read more about living here, have a look at Sutherland Skies.  See you there! xx

This is a sign on a park on the Isle of Lewis.

We liked 'please respect the Sabbath' !

Another unreasonably long gap between blogs - I think I have put my finger on why - it's this waiting thing - I really want to do a blog telling how it's all happened and the house is sold etc. But the weeks go by and in that department there's nothing to report - so blog gets put off again.

WELL..... it's all about learning to wait.

I've talked about it before. But that's what it's about. I keep saying 'it's got to be God who does it' but then I fret, chafe and rush about trying to do it myself, try and make it happen - do that Ishmael thing. One of my brilliant friends once led a great mnyfc away day and talked about the way we will always crack along the same crack, stumble on the same issue over and over until it's really sorted by God - given up to Him. Waiting has always been my thing, my fault line - where the emotional earthquake is likely to happen. Very wise words from brilliant friend!

Have I got waiting sussed? Not yet BUT I have come to a place of understanding it a bit more than before because God has spoken to me through a book by Joyce Meyer called Expect a Move of God in Your life ...Suddenly.
But this is a book about waiting. And getting on with a glorious life while waiting.... this is a prayer from the book that I'm sure Joyce won't mind me sharing ' God, if You don't do this, it isn't going to get done. And there isn't any point in me making myself miserable from now until it happens because I've decided I'm waiting indefinitely (which is the phrase in the amplified Bible used to describe how they waited for the Holy Spirit in the upper room in Acts 1.13) and I don't know if that means five minutes or five years.'

This has SO helped me!!!
So expect regular blogs from someone who is determined to wait in the 'indefinitely' way of the Upper Room - whilst enjoying life in the Highlands!
Some interesting things that have happened since last Blog - in a random order....

• Andrew has preached at Lairg Christian Fellowship - good stuff



• Flossie has had an Eel Study Day



• Andrew has a job as a mechanic with Loch Duart - a local fish farm - starts on Monday



• Jude and Flossie have started trampoline lessons



• Jude and Flossie have got up close and personal with a lovely LAMB



• Cle has started a Prayer Box at Element and Teen Cafe and has several young people asking us to pray for them and their lives

The job for Andrew is particularly FAB and a real answer from God, so another new phase begins......

X

This frozen loch - Craggie - is on our way to church at Lairg.

Coming down to have a look at how thick the ice was was a BRIBE from me to encourage good behaviour and willing Sunday school attendance (hmm!). Today we taught our friends there ' Wide and long and high and deep'.

Flossie making carrot cake. Isn't it great when they get a bit older and cookery is FUN? Flossie now makes us cups of tea - fantastic!

Us at our friends' croft in Lairg after church a couple of weeks back - our kids would like us to get a quad bike - Jude used to say 'Twod bike'... but has grown out of that particular cuteness.

Another month has passed here in the North West Highlands. Lots of snowy days. WE go on waiting for our Norfolk house to sell so we can settle up here, but we have to also remain willing to return south if that doesn't happen. It's hard to wait but it's good to read of all those heroes in the Bible who waited on the Lord - for fulfilled promises and destinies - and what did they have while they waited? They had their friendship with the God of the Universe - He who made the mountains (and is friends with ME!). I'm reading Tommy Tenney 'Finding Favor with the King' which is about Esther and challenges me to want nothing more than God himself and not the 'trappings' of the palace - find the KING himself and that will be enough - it is just the book for me at the moment and I highly recommend it.

What with Tommy Tenney, David Crowder, Andrew Jarvis and JESUS, how can I lose??

Cle

You make everything glorious

You make everything glorious

You make everything glorious

And I am Yours

(So what does that make me?) David Crowder

Snowy weather in Lochinver.

It's all melted now but the Ullapool High ski trip got really delayed trying to get away because of SNOW! I was delighted to be invited to ski with them.

We are now back into usual routine of school and work after a great time in Norfolk for Christmas and then the ski trip and finally the Deep Impact event for Christian youthworkers at Aviemore.

It is beautiful living here. Happy settled children, lovely scenery, warm people.

We continue to trust in God's call to us to leave Norfolk and GO, but that doesn't mean everything is easy peasy.

We have started to go to church in Lairg, right at the centre of the county where all roads seem to meet - this seems to be the place where we are fitting in best in terms of style of worship, vision and leadership. Although our English accents and the far North Highland accent create a bit of confusion at times for all of us, we have a very strong sense of speaking the same language when we talk of God's huge love for this area and His desire to see us bring His kingdom in HERE!

Both of us are now qualified to drive ANY minibus in the highlands - very useful indeed - we took 40 Lochinver young people to the panto in December.

ONE DAY I will get the hang of this blogging thing and regular and detailed portraits of our life, struggles and joys will pop up every week or so - rather than these big vague updates.

Our God isn't big and vague either....His plans, ways and will are perfect, good and pleasing and how He loves us!!! x

Steadfast

I was praying about our situation the other day and the word 'steadfast' came to me. So I get my Bible and I look up steadfast in the concordance bit - thinking about that old chorus 'The steadfast love of the Lord never ceaseth, His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning, new every morning, Great is thy faithfulness, O Lord, Great is thy faithfulness'.

What do you know? In my NIV concordance there are quite a few 'steadfasts' BUT they are ALL about God making ME /US steadfast ! Well HURRAH I say.

I like 'steadfast' - it's a good Anglo Saxon word about standing firmly in a particular place - and we do believe we have been called to this particular place.

So with Psalm 108 in mind and Psalm 112 'He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord' , here's the latest....

Things that have happened since last blog:

School is going well for both Flossie and Jude. This week Flossie has 2 days out of school, one to take part in some drama workshops and one to go out with the Ranger to see an ancient archeological thing called a 'broch'. Days out are a nice and frequent occurance in our school's programme.

We have a really hectic weekly programme of work and work related stuff - this week my 'girls only' fitness class starts - I'm very pleased that's happened.

Andrew is getting on well with his Fishermen's Mission work and we all went to lead worship (him) and speak (me) at a service in Kinlochbervie - where we introduced the congregation ( 12 including 4 Jarvis Clan) to Godfrey Birtill.

Things that haven't happened since our last blog:

We are still waiting for the house sale to complete - the end is in sight with this tho - hurrah!

Brownies is still waiting to start - this is INCREDIBLY frustrating but we will get there in the end I am certain.

Pix this time: us staffing a bike race 'food station' on Saturday - shortbread and bananas!

Jude in the rain on the beach - in new super duper 'Keeler' jacket (supporting Scottish Industry!!!)

AND the view from our garden (again) - tho the sun hasn't been out for several days!!!!

Sporadic!!

Jarv and Cle on the beach at Dornoch 30th Aug

Jude's 5th birthday tea party at Clactoll Beach 7th August

I really must get better at keeping this up to date. A September resolution. We have been here 5 months already, July and August have passed in a bit of a blur: a great time at Clan in St.Andrews, visits to Norfolk to see our parents, taking the young people from Lochinver to the Black Isle show, our own Highland Games being the wettest for 72 years or something!

My blogging may be sporadic but our God continues faithful - in the ups and downs and serious and minor wobbles He is the same......

Mountains and valleys

Suilven dominates the sky-line here. Not a very big mountain but a shape like no other - it's what you can see in our profile pic. Andrew and I managed to climb it a couple of weeks ago, we had a great time and could see miles and miles and miles from the top and our village and our house tiny dots below. If you have seen Kung Fu Panda - I really identified with the hero arriving at the top of the mountain a complete breathless HEAP, but it was great to do.

Another mountain top we experienced this last month was at Bught Park in Inverness, where we took 25 young people to hear Luis Palau and Delirious and saw 2 lads commit themselves to Jesus - we now have a little nurture group of just a few young people...please pray for them and us as we find the best ways to disciple them.

We have just finished helping out at holiday club in the village and met lots of children and their families, played games with them, helped them do craft and got them thinking about David. So really rather weary just at the moment BUT it was great to be involved in that as a whole family - Jude and Floss are great at teaching the actions to songs!

One of the verses we taught the children is You are my Strong Shield and I trust in You completely! It was a HUGE effort to get up that mountain for me, but thanks be to God that He has power for us all to live for Him and do all He's asked of us: He gives rest to the weary!