Reading the signs

So what is that reminds me that we are now only one day away from our annual weekend to Alltnacriche?
Is it that I haven't been to bed before 2am every night this week? No. I'm remarkably prepared and my ActionScript programming worked first time for the quiz on Saturday evening. It's not pretty but it's functional, so job done.
Is the steady stream of questions from young people about all the things that were in the letter they all received two weeks ago? No. Maybe it helped that I've been away for a week, but I think all those going have a fair idea of when to meet and what to bring.
Is it the sudden increase in email traffic between a dozen different people to talk about catering, red tape, silly games, adventurous activities and active diseases? Well, I've certainly had those, but there is a stronger reminder...
Yes, this is the week that my computer, with all the details for the weekend, decides to take a week off! Not a murmur from the power pack and subsequently no access to the numerous hard drives full of admin, videos, music and pictures.
Thankfully I hadn't prepared many materials and the iPad has come into its own for email access, so a big thanks to Jackie for reentering all the kid's details; what they all owe will have to wait until next week. Other than that, rewriting all the room lists, program's and various forms, though tedious, hasn't put me back to much.
And the sun is out! So it seems a fine day to drive the road to Lochcarron for the first time since before Christmas, along the temporary surface on the railway whilst strengthening work to prevent further landslides continue.



Still only a daytime service so a good job we had organised separate transport from Lochcarron to Aviemore for tomorrow, and a full service would be of great benefit to our work. We've particularly missed the Friday night contingent from across the loch.
So here I am sat outside Applecross Primary half an hour early! That's normally unheard of, and that includes the brief breakdown at the convoy on the lochside, which held me back another 10 minutes. Break time... Best go and get set up.

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Concert night

Almost at the end of a great week working alongside Taste from Viz a Viz and Foolproof, the theatre company from Edinburgh. It's been great to go into lessons and get to know some of the kids, and see how ready they are to chat. So a full week of music, English, PE, and Soc Ed lessons. Taken a bit by surprise this morning to arrive to the news that I was leading the S1 and 2 Soc Ed classes, but as it turned out it was a shared responsibility and we had more than enough material, and great support from the guidance staff. The highlight for me today was the chance to get together some of the churched kids to chat about what will happen next week. Sarah Strang gave a good account of her experiences as the only Christian in her year at Plockton, and the support she found the clubs we ran. So the outcome of the meeting is that BHS is going to start a 60 Second Club on Wednesday break time as PHS runs our own. Be fantastic to create some sort of link between the two schools. And following that, they're hoping to get some sort 'space' to gather on a Wednesday lunchtime.







So concert time this evening brought out around 80 kids to see more of Taste and Foolproof and consider the choices that we have in life. A lively and kid set was well received, and about 9 kids left their name wanting to find out more about following Jesus, so answers to prayer and an encouraging conclusion.
Last day tomorrow sees more music and PE, as well as the first of my S3 lessons in the morning with half the year group, and then the other half last lesson of the day. And back in the Highlands before Saturday with a good refreshment, lots of excitement in catching up with, encouraging and being encouraged by Sarah, and one or two ideas to follow up in once home.


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Location:Berwickshire High School

Welcome to Duns

So February turned out to be a mixture of quieter and non stop madness! One of the drawbacks of having times of less intensity is that, while they are a gratefully received times to recover, it is easy to forget about other deadlines which loom on the horizon. Point in case: it was a complete shock to discover that we only have two weeks before our weekend away to Alltnacriche, having planned out in my head a week away, then an extra fortnight to finalise the program for the week away.
So, it just means a bit of mental readjustment, and much more than panned to look forward to next week. For the time being, the week away has been in the diary for several months as I visit Mark, the Associate Worker in Berwickshire, to help out with his Christian Focus Week. Great to see another high school, working as I do only in Plockton, and see how other Trusts operate. But of course the biggest draw for me was the chance not only to see, but also to work with Sarah Strang who left S6 last year is now working with Viz a Viz ministries working in schools across the UK. As the work in Plockton perhaps is beginning to enter a new tough phase it is just brilliant to see one of our young people so ably exercising and discovering her gifts. The girl who left us six months ago stands before me on stage as I type, a young woman fully committed to working out her faith as God has allowed her.




Of course, although I was coming for all those reasons as part of my staff development, and being able to show our continued support to students beyond their time in Plockton, as well as sharing in the blessing of experiencing the fruit coming partly from the work of COOL, I'm not allowed to get off without doing any work. An easy start this morning sitting in on an S1 assembly followed by an S1 social education class led by someone else, but I have to look forward to leading Soc. Ed. for 100 S6 on Wednesday. Whilst I can be thankful that I wasn't in at the deep and today, it has been disappointing that all our input to the S4 and 5 students has been curtailed due to curriculum pressures. So two lessons I had prepared were missed today but well hopefully be able to work with the other years throughout the week.
Although twice the size, I'm struck over the similarities with Plockton, especially at how open the kids are to talking, and also their engagement with the lessons we've been in so far. All good, but we're currently praying for the success of the planned concert on Thursday evening, as there has been some doubt over whether it will go ahead.

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Location:Berwickshire High School

Ferry to work

My first trip of the year to Applecross Primary combined with my first ever journey to work by ferry, thanks to Highland Council providing a temporary service to avoid the closed road along Loch Carron. A very clear and bright day gave perfect conditions for both the crossing and the journey over the Bealach an Ba to the ten children in Applecross, to deliver the first of three assemblies on Easter (Palm Sunday today) followed by the SU holidays advertising.



It might seem early in the year for Easter, but the theme of welcoming the King worked well with it being 60 years to the day since Queen Elizabeth II became Queen.



Off to Malcolm's this evening to catch up following the Celebration on Friday.



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Getting 'otter

I don't often see otters, but spotted the first one of the year running across the A87 on the way home from church last week (me, not the otter). And today the weather has risen 10 degrees overnight too!
January has been busy in the office, getting up to date with youthwork reports, newsletters and the annual report, the latter of which are available on the website. And of course the mad dash getting things together for the annual celebration quickly came upon me... 3am video editing on Thursday, but we did have ten years to cover! An excellent evening, well attended and a special thanks to Calum and Highland Council for putting on a ferry for us from Lochcarron with the road still being closed. It did seem strange not having our chairman present, sadly due to the death of his mother in law, but Roddie led the 10th annual celebration very well. I am concerned however that his church may not a get a sermon tomorrow, given all the effort he put into the songwriting to mark my ten years! Hope the recording worked. Andy Bathgate brought a great message from Mark chapter 1, reminding us of the good news which we bring, and everyone else did their bit to make the whole evening a success. That even included a last minute change of venue due to a burst water main in Dornie! Thanks to Fiona for getting the school opened for us. Three prayers from young people, including Joshua Mockett, a Bible reading from Jackie MacLennan and Colin Carmichael, and worship led by Tony, Mary and Heather. Thanks to all and more. We even had a message by video from the chairman, and he managed to limit it to just over 7 minutes; not bad!
After all that, I was truly surprised to be showered with gifts: a brilliant photo collage from the years (right up to last week in Glenelg youth club) thanks to Bethany Lane and others. And then prevents for Joshua and Keziah, flowers for Ruth, a meal at Kinloch for the two of us and a rather nice, though thoroughly undeserved, iPad. Guess I've no excuse to update the blog more regularly now!
Thanks to everyone; I only wish we could give iPads out to all, which would be a more accurate mark of our first ten years, as COOL truly is a community project which we've worked on together. I like to think too that our presence has played a small in bringing the churches together, as well as all the young people we've worked with over the decade.
Back to some youth work now, which includes numerous primary assemblies, some deep thinking to do regarding our discipleship, Alltnacriche weekend planning and a couple of days with SU next week... here starts the next ten!


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Listen

Highlight of November was this year's SU Scotland staff conference at Lendrick Muir, with teaching from Tommy MacNeil of Stornoway. A highly significant week both personally and corporately, calling us back to a place of depending on God and yet, when hearing from Him, away from being swayed by well meaning onlookers. Lots to digest over the weeks and months ahead, but the one pohrase that sticks in my mind was that 'Scotland needs its leaders to lead'. Hmm.
As aprt of the planning team this year, I was privileged to work with Gavin, my colleague from Dundee, to MC the main sessions. I also prepared a seminar but due to unpopular demand, was very blessed to be able to spend it with a couple of friends drinking coffee and reflecting on Tommy's input.
So, back up the road (200 miles) on December 1st in time for a Take One Action film night at the school, then off to be with friends following a family death. Long day, Thursday!
Commitments in Kyleakin for school assemblies and youth club followed but today the snow arrives for the first time this winter, and so my Applecross booking for this afternoon inevitable was cancelled. Still, a few things in the office filled its place, including a very rare moment of letter writing — by hand! Off to SoundWaves team meeting this evening before meeting with Malcolm in the morning as we consider a few things for the months ahead.

Keep Praying

So we come to the end of another week of Prayer for Youth meetings, each evening in each of the four parishes I cover. Been a great week getting to grips with some of the issues we're facing, from illness to spiritual apathy, and standing beside younger brothers and sisters to seeing exciting developments with Engage, our new Bible reading club. It's also been a useful week to catch up on some news I've been out of touch with around the parishes, such as one or two groups struggling to find leaders, or getting low in numbers, to desperate situations with individuals facing life's toughness.
A few primary assemblies to pad the days out, and managed to get quite a bit done for the SU Staff Conference which I'm part of the planning team for, and leading a couple of sessions at. But having every evening out this week, my employers will also be very pleased to hear that on a couple of afternoons this week I have found time to make the most of the good weather and go and spend time in my heavily overgrown garden!
Our secound Engage club met yesterday lunch time, with a couple of new faces, and everyone, although not finding it easy, still enjoying and committing to the next six week of Bible meditation together. Great to see so many young people wanting to go deeper and it's a mutual benefit. Lunch today also saw our second planing meeting for Alltnacriche with 3 out of the 4 young people on the planning group turning up. Allowed us to make some progress thinking about the teaching program and a few ideas that were thrown up for the next meeting...