Linda seems to be getting on well in NYC, she was a wee bit apprehensive at first, but she’s definetly getting into it, she was enjoying hot pretzels in the Rockefeller centre the last I heard…..

I’ve had a pretty good 2 days. Got lots of reading and thinking done, some of the results can be found on my ministry blog. Was through in Falkirk today meeting my Mum and my good buddy Yin for lunch. Also bumped into a few old high school friends and was reminded why I didn’t really miss Falkirk( the 2 are not connected!).

I’ve been doing a lot of rethinking recently about my priorities and my character I’m just not who I’d like to be. So I’ve decided to work on building my character. Don’t ask me how,I don’t know exactly. One thing I really want to change, is to become a stronger person in debates/hard conversation/meetings. Too often Ilet my self be intimidated by other who seem to be confident. I need to believe that I have good, valid things to say too. I think I care too much about how others percive me and how much they like me. I don’t give them, or me, enough credit to trust that people will still like me even if I do disagree with them…..

It’ll be interesting to see how Israel changes my thinking and my perspective…..definetly exciting times ahead!!!!

Peace Out

Se you in 10 days

Chris

Jonnie and Susie have asked the family to choose flowers to lay at her grave on saturday. They’ve decided they want to lay a single red rose on her coffin, which will be white. Linda and I want to get pink gerberas(how on earth do you spell that!?!?) while Ann and Andrew are toying with getting flowers in the shape of a teddy bear for her.

Jonnie and Susie asked Andrew and I tonight to be pallbearers. We don’t have to carry the coffin to the grave but the 4 of us (Jonnie and his Dad too) will be lowering her down. I’m so touched and honored to be asked to do such a thing, but so scared too. I’m terrified of messing that part up somehow……..

It’s such a lovely feeling that they want me to be a part of that though. i know thats selfish, but it feels good to have something useful to focus on, other than hugging everyone as I do! It’s going to be such a hard day, even harder than all this week. We’re all dreading it, wishing it hadn’t come to this.

Heard a lovely story today from one of Linda’s good friends: Vicky answered the door to another friend Gill, who had come to tell her of Iona passing away. Gill just burst into tears which vicky read correctly as Iona dying. So they just cried and hugged each other. Joshua, Vicky’s 3 year old son came in and said “Will I not get to meet baby Iona then?” to which Vicky replied “No darling, i’m sorry”. Joshua just looked at the 2 of them and said “Don’t be sad then, Iona’s with Jesus, he’ll look after her”. Possibly not 100% acurate on what they said, but it’s such a lovely story and makes me fill up everytime i think about it.

Thank you everyone for all your prayers and messages of support, they mean so much to us. We know so many people don’t know what to say, and we understand that. We’d rather hear from someone than have silence. The best phone calls Linda’s had in the last few weeks were with Vicky, they both just sat on the phone and cried together….

I just miss her so much, we all do. It’s amazing how close we all feel to her after 7 weeks of knowing her, kissing and cudling her, praying for her and talking to her.  Pray for Jonnie and Susie, they’re gonna need so much prayer in the coming days, weeks, months, years.

Peace out

Chris

(In pink, for Iona)