Rome to Kyleakin

Ocotber seems to have been a busier onth than usual. I'm used to having time off during the October break which didn't happen this year, but was good to be on top of the prep for this year's S6 Conference ahead of time, especially as no one else was available to plan it this year.
So, another successful trip to Rome with 20 Plockton students. Always good to have a bit oif good weather at this time of year, and after six weeks of rain at home, a welcome relief. Every year is different, and although I think this was the first year we didn't discover anything new, it's the differences in the groups that make each trip unique. We just about know what we're doing now and our way around the city, and everything went very smoothly. Perhaps it's a little too easy to forget what we're caled for sometimes, but this was another year of exciting opportunity to demonstrate something of Jesus to the kids, and we pray that doors will open for the year ahead now, as we minister into people's lives.
Two weeks back in the office gave me a much needed break,, and time to get to grips with some papers on morality, in prepapration for the S6 conference. Lots of reading, which I find struggle with, but thanks to the BBC for their recent program on the Science of Good and Evil, which gave us a really helpful basis for discussions.. So once schools went back, and 60 Second Club restarted, Thursday last week brought us the conference. Great to welcome to the team this year the new priest from Portree, Fr. William MacLean, as well as Colin from SU and Tom, his year out student. Most exciting for me was to share the work, not only with the usual team of local ministers, but also with Graham Patey, a friend from years back when I was teenager. Graham had a significant input into my spiritual development and has the gift of being able to ask just the right questions to get people thinking. I knew he would be ideal for the day and his objective perspective, coming cold into the school, gave me an added insight into one or two of the students which I am praying for as a consequence.
So a really good year group, well up for discussing and sharing their point of view, which made the day really successful. I also had the chance of furthering one or two oncversations as a result on the Friday in Rab's room, as I left Graham to visit the maths department (his daytime job!). Dave's Club gave us the chance to discuss the future of Engage, and it looks like folk are happy to take the Bible reading into Wednesday lunch times, freeing up break times for the usual weekly time of prayer. Still looking for wisdom on how best to run that, but that's for next week now.
Friday Nights had a great turn out, including a new face and two or three who rarely come. Phew. And a fitting conclusion to the month was the excellent joint communion, with about 200 people attending Kyleakin Village Hall as most local churches deferred their evening service to this joint event. A day in Inverness with SU colleagues yesterdaqy, then straight on to a SoundWaves team Bible study... meetngs today and tomorrow is holiday. Be nice to breathe a moment.