September/October 2008
Dear Pastor and Church Family,
Thank you for your prayers and support. It has been an exciting, yet difficult past two months for us. Our container arrived on time and with everything intact. Believe it or not, once we sealed the container in Indianapolis, it was never opened until it arrived at our house for delivery!
We have had a wonderful time adjusting to the country and to the existing church, but we also have had set backs in getting things set up. We are slowly adjusting to “Scottish Time”. (Let’s just say that most people are not in a hurry to get things done.) For us, some changes have taken place quickly and quietly. With an ASDA, aka “Wal-Mart”, just 35 minutes away, it has been easy adjusting to grocery shopping. We can find a lot of stuff that is available in the States, but most of it tastes different. Even though they are the same brands and packaging, the ingredients are slightly different. On another food note, we finally tried Haggis, a traditional Scottish dish. Barbara thought it was utterly disgusting, but I liked it.
I also got a crash course in driving on the other side of the road. Thanks to another missionary leaving the field at the same time that we arrived, we were able to purchase a minivan at a reasonable price (2003 Kia Sedona with 31,000 miles). When you have been driving in the States for over 10 years, you do not realize how many things you do out of habit. It is like learning how to drive all over again. I can drive on my US license for a year, but I am studying for the driving exam over here. Their laws are little different and it could mean the difference between passing and failing the test.
The Lord has been blessing us here in our finances. The exchange rate is at an all time low in over 10 years, mostly due to recession here and there. We were finally able to get our bank account set up. Getting a bank account here is like getting a job in the States. You have to set up an interview, fill out an application form, provide references and bank statements, and have a credit check run on you. In all it took over an hour for everything. We also were able to set up all of our utilities, insurances, and taxes. It has taken a lot of patience, but now we are settling in a lot more.
As for the ministry, we have been very busy here. Not only am I doing the Thursday night Bible study, Barbara and I are both running the Tuesday Night Kids Club. It is basically VBS broken down into six weeks done on Tuesday nights. We are having a great time with the kids, but we would like to see more visitors. As always, continue to pray for as we labor for the Lord.
Taking the Gospel back to Scotland,
Keith Harris
Keith, Barbara, Mia, Paul, and Annelisa Harris