Peterhead

Sunday morning I was awakened by the crashing of waves from the North Sea hitting the rocks outside Uncle Micheal and Auntie Mo's house (they told me I could call them that). I got up early so I could enjoy the time I had to visit with them and enjoy the view from our window. I got ready and went down stairs and had the opportunity to visit with Auntie Mo for a while. After that I went into the common room and just sat in front of the window admiring the beauty of God that was right in front of me, and then I had an "aha" moment. I began to realize that I have God's beauty around me all the time, it wasn't like He just but beautiful things in Scotland, believe it or not He put them everywhere. I had never felt more aware than I did when I realized how much I take for granted in the United States, like God's beautiful landscape.

Later that morning we went to church and met some of the sweetest and most lovely people I had every met. I sat with the Strachen family and visited with their twin girls, who were very cute! After church we had a Sweet and Savory...i.e. a potluck. I met so many different couples and I really enjoyed just sitting there and listening to them tell their stories of how they got to be at Peterhead or how they became a Christian. I have never been more enthralled by these elderly people than I had at that point.

This is John. John was a cook and fisherman for 45 years on the North Sea. He has been retired for 10 years and says one of his favorite things to do is to cook. He makes an infamous fish pie that he is required to bring to every sweet and savory. I asked him if he had always lived in Peterhead and he replied yes. He began to tell me about his father. His father was also a fisherman but when his dad was 42 years old he was out at sea and had a heart attack and died. John was only 17 and was the only child. He said at that point he knew he was to be a fisherman like his father. I also asked if he had ever fallen in before while fishing. He looked at me and slowly raised his sleeve. Beneath his sleeve was a scar and then he began to explain that in his 45 years at sea he had been thrown into the North Sea 4 times by either the nets or by a wave. I then asked what was the longest time he had to wait to be rescued and he looked at me and said 10 min, but it felt like forever. John is a very interesting man and I will always remember him and smile when I look at this picture! This is Donald and Grace. In my opinion her name is very fitting of her personality. I sat across from them at the Sweet and Savory and of course we got to talking. They didn't grow up in Peterhead, in fact they both grew up about 18 miles north of Peterhead. They met at a charity event and Grace wasn't too keen on the idea of getting to know Donald; she was a widow at the time. Anyways, with some charm and some flattery Donald won over Grace but with one condition. Donald had to go to church with Grace at the Church of Christ. He did and has been a faithful member since. I asked him about his parents and if he had been in the North Sea before. He just smiled and replied that when he was stupid he used to go swimming in it with his buddies. He said after he dad got back from WWII they both went and jumped into the sea from a cliff and vowed never to make that mistake again. Camille and Aubrey stayed with them and I guess talked about how they would be able to point out which one I was by how I acted. Well, before I could say by the way my name is Megan...Grace said...you're Megan aren't you. To which I replied is it that obvious. This couple was really sweet and I could see their love for the Lord and their passion for doing his work.Last but not least there is Uncle Micheal and Auntie Mo. I have already mentioned them but I want to say a little bit more about them. I could not have been more blessed than to have had the opportunity to have stayed with them. They made me feel more at home and at the same time made me feel more home sick than I had this whole trip. It was the little things like putting a jug of water on the side table by our beds, and folding the towels perfectly in the bathroom, and having her moo moo on while we visited. Things like that make a person feel like I could live there and never feel like I was intruding. Micheal and Mo are great people who have done a lot for the people of Peterhead and for the Lord in their lifetime. I only wish everyone could have the drive they do and the servant like attitude they do!

After church we went back to the lighthouse and the harbor to get a few pictures in the daylight. I got to see some of the seals swimming in the water, although it seemed like everytime I was about to take a picture they would dive under water. Mike made friends with the lady who stays at the lighthouse and she let us come in and get right up close to it. They had a guard dog named Lenox who happened to be a german shepard. And since I have the touch as my mom likes to call it, we became best friends and played catch and had all sorts of fun. I was more interested in the dog than the lighthouse, but I got to see the lighthouse the night before.

After that it was time to get on the bus and head back for our last week at the Carronvale and our last week to be a light in a place that in a lot of ways is still very dark.