A How it started was in the summer of 2004.team of young people and leaders from the Banchory Presbyterian Church came to Seattle for a mission trip. This was when I first encountered the charm that was the Banchory folk. Immediately I made connections and had a blast. Before I knew it they had left and I tried to keep in contact with people but it was difficult. The second leg of this relationship between the Churches in Banchory and myself happened that following summer, 2005. I was not actually allowed to be on the trip being that I was a graduating senior from high school and the trip was for students who would still be with the Edge of Seattle the next year.
Somehow I convinced them to let me go (in reality it was just me asking Jeff Aitken, he is the man!). So we arrived in Banchory and immediately I fell in love with the town. It was so great. I had always wished I lived in a small town and this was my chance to do that for two weeks. Everyone who I knew from the summer before had seemed to be so much cooler and connections began to be formed and solidified. Other than a few incidences including swinging from a kitchen counter because of the free feeling while wearing my first kilt and smacking my head on the floor or getting a forehead to the jaw because of winning a header in the Scotts vs. Statesmen at the Scott’s lovely home the trip was a marvelous success in so many different ways. While there I fell in love with the town,
the church,the people in and around the church and just got feeling of this could be a place that I might want to live for the rest of my life. All these things pushed me to try a great deal harder to keep in touch with the amazing people or should I say amazing friends that I made those past two summers. I even intended on returning the following summer to find a job and hang out although that plan never panned out in the end. That following fall, one month into the second year of university I received a bebo (an online communication service much like facebook or myspace) message asking me to come work with Tony Stephen the Youth Pastor at the Churches in Banchory asking me to work with him for a year. When I read what he asked I instantly got so excited. I was so giddy but had no one to talk to about it that would really understand. Once that initial giddiness wore off I realized that I was in school. There was no way I could go. All these emotions came with one message on an internet site and most likely a half serious offer. At that point I responded to his message but did not touch on the offer. I began to pray about it (a lot!) and talked to people who I respected. Every day I would wake up and the only thing on my mind would be Banchory and everyone in Banchory.
After five weeks of praying and talking and really seeking for what God wanted for me and what he had on my heart I felt the tugging get stronger to go. I went in to talk to my school and see what could possibly happen with my schooling if I left for a whole year. The answers were exactly what I wanted to hear. Everything financially would stay the same; I would be able to come back without any sort of downfall. This was it. I found out from my school on Friday morning, the same Friday that I was going home to visit with my Grandma who was in from Illinois. I messaged Tony back telling him what the plan of attack was. I told him that things were looking so great and that I was going home and would talk to my parents about it. I got home and all that day I was looking for a moment to talk to them about it…. didn’t happen on Friday. I woke up on Saturday and was looking for a moment to bring it up…. didn’t happen. I woke up on Sunday and went to church and was looking for a place to bring it up…it wasn’t until we were eating lunch, my Grandma, mom and dad were at the table along with my little brother and it came out. One of the most awkward conversations I have ever had or at least the very beginning of it and after the first minute I just spilled it all out. It felt so good to get it off my chest. Both parents were stunned but in the end both were supportive of the trip. That was it! Nothing could stop me now. It was so beautiful; it was such a “God thing.” It was so great, it worked with school, it worked with family and it was something that God had put on my heart but did not ask me to go until I was ready (or maybe just a little more ready).
After that it was just a matter of time until I got all the documentation was filled out and my Visa was in hand. It was officially going to happen.
