So much for blogging, let's try novel writing?

I am really not very good at this. That much is clear.

My last post, "Things I've Learned", has sat as a draft for about three weeks now, sadly. I hit "Publish" after writing that much (even though I wasn't finished), but it never cleared and actually published apparently. So I apologize fully for leaving my loyal readers in the dark for about a month now. Shameful. I'm going to attempt to fill in the gaps with this post and give you an idea of why blogging has been knocked down a few priorities. That being said, I am SO thankful for all of the texts, messages, and even mail from home! They have meant so much and have truly been a huge encouragement.

Experiences
Ohh where to start? Everything here is a great experience. To name a few...

~Singing at the Fishermen's Mission: Rhona, a lady from the church, asked me upon my arrival if I would come sing a few songs for a thank-you luncheon for the volunteers that work at the Fishermen's Mission in Aberdeen. Sure, I thought. So, that Monday, we went up the road to the city and I got to sing some old Scottish folk tunes and old hymns to a bunch of lovely Scotsmen and women. Part of that can be seen here. :)


~Leading worship at the church: This is obvious, but I have to include it. What other twenty-year-old gets to lead a body of believers to the throne of grace every Sunday? Ok, maybe some. What other twenty-year-old gets to lead a body of believers primarily made up of older, wiser, and Scottish people? Definitely not many. The congregation of Stonehaven Baptist have truly been a blessing in areas they don't even know about. Their exuberance and resonance for music on Sunday mornings could put some teenage church camps to shame. Not that it's a competition- we are all ONE in Christ- but you get the idea. I appreciate their patience with my occasional lack of rhythm, clarity, and/or lyrics. It's been a blessing to get back to the depth of some old hymns and find new ways to apply more contemporary worship as well. I am thankful for Nathan's patience in working with me as well since we have had maybe one week in which everything has gone "as planned". Maybe next week he will get an accurately timed service for future planning purposes. I also appreciate the lessons he has taught me about effective worship and the thoughtfulness he brings to each week's service. All things that will undoubtedly change the way I think about and lead worship when I come home.

~Holiday Zone Time: We had a blast teaching the preschoolers through 5-year-olds at Holiday Zone Time (think VBS) earlier this month! I got to be in charge of music, so that was good fun. I have some great preschool songs about how great God is to get stuck in my suitemates' heads this coming year, hand motions included. I loved seeing the kids get excited about the music and the motions, but more importantly I loved watching them listen to the lessons about God's faithfulness and remember the stories later in the week. We made some great connections with the kids from the community and their families, and I am excited to hear about what God does through those relationships in the autumn when the year-round Zone Time starts back up again. I'll be putting up a video of one of our songs later unless I can compress it to blogspot's restrictions, but here's some pictures:

~Ceilidh: Yep, I got to experience traditional Scottish dancing. Think contra-dancing with a few more hops and spinning involved. We had one of these dances at the end of our Zone Time week as a send-off for the American team that came over to help us with the week. It was a great evening for all...lots of food and fellowship and a game or two that left me with bruises the next day. All worth the laughter. Pictures here:

~Piano Lessons: Since Zone Time, I've had the opportunity to teach piano lessons and basic music theory! I have truly found my element. I mean, I've known this for a bit now, but getting to actually apply it has confirmed that I am on the right track as far as my university studies right now. The combination of the musical skills I've developed and my Type-A personality have definitely destined me for #teacherlife. Make that #musicteacherlife. The high I feel when I finish a lesson is probably nothing compared to the obliteration my students feel (from too much information), but God has definitely made it clear that this is what I'm supposed to be doing. In what capacity or where is still a mystery, but I'm glad we've got the basics figured out. Funny thing is, I am really enjoying the adults I'm teaching, almost-dare I say it-more than the kids? Who knows, maybe He just knows He'll have to give me a lot more patience than I currently have to work with kids forever and isn't going to do that? Time will tell :) Here's pictures of my "classroom" and some students in action:

That's all for now, but know that this is only the tip of the Scottish adventure-berg. :) More (hopefully) coming soon!

Things I've Learned...

  I thought I'd be a bit more general with this post and see if I can cut down on length. Fingers crossed.
  Here are a few things I've learned, observed, and been told since arriving in Scotland.

Basic Stuff:
  -They don't say "yes ma'am" and "no sir" here. It has something to do with "ma'am" and "sir" being reserved for nobility and royalty in times gone by, and I've been told by locals more than once not to say it. This Georgia peach has just been trying to be polite like her momma taught her, but I am slowly making the adjustment.
  -Fun words and sayings. Krystal actually had a mini Scottish dictionary for me upon my arrival, so I need to  find some good ones in there for you to enjoy. "Chuffed" and "bletherin" are my favourites so far I think. Also notable are "midges", the little flying pests similar to "skeeters" in the South. :) Locals say they are "going to hospital" rather than "going to THE hospital". An umbrella is a "brolly", which I love. There are many more I'm sure I'm forgetting, but I have a few more weeks to share them!

  -Food. I did try haggis, but it wasn't done traditionally apparently so I have to have another go at it. I'm told to decline any colored pudding I'm offered. Black, white, purple, the lot. Google it if you're wondering. I plan on staying away from it all. They butter EVERYTHING here. Seriously, the Scots and Paula Dean could go head-to-head. Sandwiches and burgers come with both pieces of bread buttered, so either order something else or see if they can do it without, which is normally not worth the weird looks you'd get. Juice or "squash", rather, is generally uber-concentrated and has to have water added to it before drinking it. They don't refrigerate eggs, which is the strangest thing to me! Go figure? Cookies are biscuits, fries are chips. Lunch is dinner (sometimes) and dinner is tea, unless it's afternoon tea. What? Definitely some good Lord of the Rings jokes there. Tea and coffee are second to breathing, and they don't really believe in artificial sweeteners. Fortunately they do sell it, however, and that was one of my first purchases for my morning cup-o-Joe. I have enjoyed the produce here though-it is all amazingly fresh. The fruit especially is GREAT. There's more I know I'm forgetting, but I'll mention it soon enough I'm sure.

  -Nature. Is incredible. You can just see for MILES everywhere you go, which makes for fantastic drives no matter where you're headed. Clouds move incredibly fast and the weather changes at the drop of a penny, several times a day. We've really only had about three rainy days though, so I can't complain. I definitely prefer this over the Georgia heat and humidity. :) The climate here on the coast makes everything green. That can be seen just below and all over Facebook. The flowers are SO fresh in supermarkets and even better outside in gardens and on the hills; I feel like I'm in Alice and Wonderland at some points.

   -Cars and such. I've gotten used to driving on the wrong side of the road, but not quite to the steering wheel being on the wrong side. I generally head for the right side and meet a laughing driver who ask if I plan to drive. Whoops. I'll get the hang of it eventually. I've also noticed a greater variety in colors of autos here, which I didn't expect. Neutral colored cars are definitely a majority, but when you do see colored cars it's a different hue than you'd see in the States. There is also a car that is two-tone pink and white that we call Madeleine's car. Not something I see at home. Roads are windy and narrow and hilly. Drivers are brave souls. Especially double-decker bus drivers. Oh, also, I saw my first Toyota pick-up truck in town yesterday. Hallelujah.
  -Walking. Being in a small town has been great! I love being able to walk practically everywhere, no doubt about it. Walking is not just the most common mode of transportation, it's a lifestyle. I've already gone on several walks with friends with no specific destination in mind. A walk and a wee blether on a fine afternoon? I sure don't mind.

Ten down!

I can't believe I've just been here ten days! So many things have happened and I've seen so much that it feels much longer! Thank you all again for your love and prayers, it really means a lot! I am overwhelmed every day by the greatness of this opportunity and God's provision through those of you who have support me financially. 
Where to START with this past week? I feel a bit like I'm ten years old again because I'm keeping a daily journal to aid my memory lapses when I sit down to write my posts. :) I'm still trying to figure out how to do this properly and not overwhelm with information...hopefully next week I'll get it down to a science and be able to cut things!

What my planning sessions look like...

  Last Friday the 14th was my first official day of "work" with Nathan: we talked out details for that Sunday's service and the rest of the summer's to-do list. He has been taking the church through a series called "What is the vision for our church?", outlining some core values for the church as we prepare for a "relaunch" in the autumn (I've had to adjust to saying that instead of "the fall"). Thus, I structured music around themes about the Church's foundation (In Christ Alone, The Solid Rock) and God's love and grace (The Power of the Cross, There is a Redeemer). I've found that I'm pretty scattered when it comes to planning...I jump from the Word to Nathan's sermon notes to hymnal to Scottish hymnal to chord book within the span of five minutes, but through prayer and His direction it all comes together! You can get a taste of my planning process in the picture below. Besides planning for Sunday, Friday was a day to walk around town and learn where important things are like the bank, post office, and coffee shop :)
  Saturday we headed to Aberdeen for a Costco adventure after Krystal and I finished a Bible study with Bonnie and Sharon. I should note that Sharon's home is BEAUTIFUL-I felt like I had stepped into Pride and Prejudice, which, as you know, is no problem here. Costco was a madhouse-apparently it's the place to be on a Saturday in Scotland? It was pretty funny to get a little piece of the States with a British twist. All the diverse dialects were great too. After meeting Rhona and Allan for afternoon tea at the Raemoir Garden Center, we headed home for dinner (tea) and crashed early to prepare for Sunday morning!

Costco in Aberdeen

  Sunday the 16th was SUCH a blessing. Since I hadn't had much time to prepare with Nathan coming in Thursday night-and me recovering from jet-lag-and since it was my first Sunday with the church, I wasn't sure what to expect and how it would go, etc. But-of course- the entire time in worship was beyond anything I could have put together in my own strength. The people were wonderful and the entire service was a huge encouragement to me! After the first song I had to turn the keyboard up because I almost couldn't hear myself above the congregation's singing- something I've never had to deal with in the States! I'm excited to see what the rest of the summer has to bring after such a start with worship. That evening we had a "jam sesh" for me and the guitarist, Gareth, to bounce some songs off of each other and for any other church members to input suggestions for worship music. It went very well and I'm looking forward to bringing back some of the UK's worship to the States. Underground YHC should especially be on the look out. :)
 Monday was a wonderfully slow but awesome day! Krystal took me biking up through Dunnottar Woods-amazing and GREEN. Pictures also attached. I caught up on writing postcards, etc. before we headed out to Dunnottar Castle! Unquestionably one of the greatest things I've ever experienced! The magnitude of the views from the castle and the castle itself absolutely blew me away. Nathan and Krystal are incredible and got us all season passes, so I can go back as much as possible while I'm here :) Pictures can be seen below, but there are about 150 others on Facebook :)
  Tuesday is order of worship and planning day, so I was at the office for a good bit getting things started for Sunday. Gill, an absolute angel from the church, came by for a good bit and it was lovely getting to know her. Think the Denise Murphy of Scotland, YHC-ers. Tuesday afternoon, Haley Bouma came by and got me for a hike up to the castle (about 1.7ish miles?). She is a beautiful Renaissance woman and I am super excited to have her around to hang, hike, and who knows what else! Haley's family is American, but she's lived in Scotland since she was 5 and just graduated from "uni" in England. It's been neat to hear how college life compares between the UK and the States among other things. We stopped by Auntie Betty's for ice cream on the waterfront on the way home, yum. Honeycomb ice cream is a Scottish delicacy, so of course I had to get it. It didn't disappoint. That evening, we had Allan, one of the church deacons, over for dinner (tea-I'll call it that eventually). He is a true Scottish gentleman and we all had some good laughs over a board game and tea. I've also been invited to lunch with him and Rhona this Sunday, woo!
  Wednesday the 19th was packed! Starting off, we popped down the road to Johnshaven for me to get my haircut! Krystal and the kiddos went down to the park while I had a good time with my stylist Jo. Like a lot of things in Scotland, they take their sweet time talking to you while they shampoo, condition, and cut your hair, so I got to know her well and we had a good time in the little shop. She liked the color of my hair and told me never to color it. I promised. After meeing up with Krystal and the kids, we headed up the road to Sheri (spelling questionable) and Andy's house for lunch! Sheri is actually from Holland (!!) and her husband is English. They met in Israel. Talk about a adventuresome life. I had a good long blether (definition below) with Sheri and have been so encouraged by her passion for the Lord. She truly has a heart for sharing His love with others and is bold in reaching out to those in her community. So inspiring. That evening we had a sort of game night for college-age kids because there are actually a good number of us (something I wasn't expecting)! We had Linzi, who attends the church with her family, Haley and her brother Chase, his girlfriend Anna and friend Jamie, and Anna's sister Rachel! We had a marvelous time and taught them the card game Scum, which turned into quite the competition as we lost track of how late it was. We're planning on getting this group together a lot this summer and hopefully adding people to it!
  Yesterday (Thursday the 20th) was a nice slow day! I worked mostly in the office: re-doing the power-point template for Sunday mornings and putting together this Sunday's slides. Besides that I spent a good bit of time practicing for Sunday-my fingers and vocal chords are slowly getting back in shape. Went to the church's Thursday night Bible study and was very much encouraged by the fellowship and truth found there. 
  Today was the first day I actually felt a raindrop since I've been here! The weather has been beautiful and sunny just about every day, which is quite un-Scottish I'm told. I'm not asking questions and being thankful that it's been so pretty out! I did some computer work for Nathan this morning and then went to lunch with Krystal, Bonnie, and the kids (happy birthday Bonnie!). We have a fun night ahead with meetings and birthday celebrations, but til then, more practice for me. 

SUMMARY:
I'm having a great time and have already learned so much! The church members have been so welcoming and encouraging and my first Sunday leading worship internationally was nothing less than Spirit-led; I am consistently reminded that nothing is more powerful than giving control over to God and letting Him do immeasurably more. OH, side-note: Nathan's benediction for his current series is Ephesians 3, the immeasurably more passage. Awesome. I've loved getting to know several church members and can't wait to have many more blethers with more of them :) I got to visit my first Scottish castle (once driving, once hiking so far), Dunnottar Castle. It's the one Merida's castle in Brave is modeled after, actually! I felt like I was in Lord of the Rings the whole time. I got my haircut in a lovely little shop in Johnshaven-not too short, promise! I'm also pretty sure I visited the Bennett estate...the Boumas' house is straight out of Jane Austen. I've met some great friends already and can't wait to develop these friendships over the summer and beyond. It is also note-worthy to mention that Krystal and I have gotten up every morning at 7 to run-wooo! I think today we are definitely starting to feel the wear of it, so we will probably take a well-deserved rest tomorrow. Back at it Monday! All in all, I am confident that this is where I was supposed to be this summer. I have already been able to use my musical training and gifts to serve the church, and I have no doubt that the people will continue to be an encouragement to me! I also know that they will continue to challenge my faith and boldness as we reach out to Stonehaven and the surrounding community this summer. Please keep me in your prayers: pray for energy, enthusiasm, and wisdom! Also keep in mind the mission team from the States that are coming over July 6th to lead our Holiday Zone Time (think VBS)!

Words learned:
Blether-used to describe either a person who regularly indulges in fairly inconsequential chatter OR the actual content of the conversation. "Ye cannae beat a cup o' tea and a guid wee blether."
Crabbit-jaggy, bad-tempered, sharp-tongued, and seriously grumpy. 
Scuppered- sunk, in for it. eg. If you don't take a jacket with you in Scotland, you'll be scuppered.
Dinnae and cannae substitute for don't and can't-I LOVE THESE.

A "casualty" can just be an injury here...not a death, Nathan and I found.

Foods tried:
Honeycomb ice cream
Cullen skink (think seafood chowder, yum)


xx,
Emily

Safe and Sound

Disclaimer: I doubt any other posts will be this detailed or scatterbrained...I've only had a day and a half to write about (ha) and I'm still recovering from jet lag so my processing (and grammar) is a wee bit spotty. I'm also not proofreading.
After an exciting start to my journey with a delayed and then rushed flight, I have arrived and settled in! Krystal and her friend Bonnie met me at the Aberdeen airport and we headed to Stonehaven. Driving on the "wrong" side of the road was one of the first things to get used to as we made our way out of the city. The drive to Stonehaven was beautiful and GREEN-I was blown away at the view around every turn, despite the cloudy sky. Once back in Stonehaven, we drove through the center of town to see a few major landmarks before going home to Nathan and Krystal's. At home I was greeted by Miles and Madeleine and got to meet Haley, who was watching the munchkins while Krystal was away (Nathan was at a pastor's conference Tuesday through today). After chatting with Haley and her mom and getting a tour of the house, Krystal, the kids, and I had lunch followed by nap time. Nap time is and probably will be my favorite for the next couple days. :) After resting we took a lovely tour of the coastal side of Stonehaven. I've included pictures below! As you can see, the day cleared up perfectly to reveal just how beautiful it is here. I am still blown away that I get to be here all summer. After taking the kids to the park, we picked up fish n chips from the UK's best fish n chips joint (really, it's been voted as such, how fortunate) and took our food to a picnic area overlooking the sea. Perfection. Picture proof of that can be found on Facebook. After making our way home, I dragged myself upstairs and crashed hard. Somehow I managed to keep my eyes open til about 7:30, so I had a solid night's sleep :)
This morning (Thursday) we got up and headed to the bus stop after breakfast! We rode up front and "up top" per Miles and Madeleine-and me secretly- to Johnshaven, the little fishing village where Nathan and Krystal lived when they first arrived in Scotland. It shouldn't go unmentioned that the views on the way were incredible: rolling green hills for days complete with a collection of cows and sheep and windmills. In Johnshaven we met Sheena, a lovely lady from the church. She has a beautiful home right on the coast (pictures soon) and we had a great time playing on the rocks, popping seaweed pods, and catching critters "at sea". I would like to mention that almost all the rocks and stones that made up the beach were purple. Best beach ever. I had a chance to get to know Sheena while Krystal went up the street for a haircut. We had lunch and tea (of course) and just a lovely visit all around! When we made it back to Stonehaven we were greeted by Nathan at the bus stop and have since been home visiting and having dinner (supper? I'm not sure yet). Jet lag is setting in so I will probably make it long enough to unpack before I crash.
Thank you all for the love and prayers for my adventure over! All the notes, comments, and likes have really been wonderful.
Love,
E

NOTE: I now have a hair appointment at the place Krystal gets hers done next Wednesday and am accepting summer hair suggestions.

Words learned: chuffed-pleased, excited,: I'm chuffed to see you!

Favorite sight (so far): view of the town from the boardwalk, pictured 1st below

Here I Go!

Today is the day! I can't wait to see what God has in store these next few months in Stonehaven!
If you would like to contact me between now and August 8th, you have a few options!
-Facebook, Twitter, and e-mail, naturally.
-SMS texting from your phone at 682-841-9924!
-Snail mail:
  Nathan and Krystal Young
  Emily Espy
  45 Cameron Street
  Stonehaven
  AB39 2HS

  United Kingdom
My flight is headed out of Atlanta at 5:30 pm! Thank you all for your love and prayers!

Three Weeks to Go!

My flight is officially booked! Attached is a picture of my excited face. I will be flying out June 11th around 5:30 pm! I am so very thankful for those of you who have so generously given toward my trip, and I am confident that He who is able to accomplish immeasurably more will provide the remainder! Beyond that, I have been completely overwhelmed by all the encouragement I've received via email, social media, snail mail, and most importantly, PRAYER. Knowing that I have an army of prayer warriors supporting me is a huge blessing and I am so thankful for all of you! Please continue to pray for me as I practice, prepare my heart, and pack for the trip! Alliteration, I know. On top of that, please pray that opportunities to carry the Name above names will open up frequently and that hearts will be broken for the Truth. I am SO excited to see what God does in Stonehaven this summer and my prayer is that He will use me in any and every way to bring glory to His Name! Love y'all!

(Attached is a sneak peek of the view I'll get to enjoy while I'm in Stonehaven.)

Mission Approved!

My internship application has been approved by Biblical Ministries Worldwide, so my trip to Scotland is officially official through a mission board! Along with some other technical details, they are able to provide a tax deductible receipt for any gifts given under my name for my trip! If you are interested in giving this way, visit their How To Support page here: http://www.biblicalministries.org/content.php?pid=75 for that information. If you have already given to me directly and would like to receive a tax deductible receipt, please contact me and I will arrange for that!
I will have more information about this in the next day, but I wanted to let y'all know that this is now an option! Thank you again for all of your support-emotionally, spiritually, and financially!