Dear Friends,It's been another fun-filled year, and seems to have passed even quicker than 2001 - I have been reminded that Christmas is nearly here by your letters and cards arriving, so I thought I'd better get on and write ours.
It is lovely to hear from everyone, and we do welcome all the offers of "come and see us" and maybe this year will be the year we finally make it! The same applies with us; if you are ever in the area and need a bed or just a cup of tea you are very welcome, and we would love to see you.
I hope this letter finds you all well.
Hannah monkey@blamire.fsworld.co.uk
Now a teenager!!!! And 5ft 7!!!! Hi this is my bit. I continue to play the cornet and I'm doing grade 3 this Easter. My latest musical ambition is to play the bass guitar. I still go to the youth group PYF every Sunday. I have a great time because all the people there are like me. I also enjoy going away on weekends with them; the last place we went was Bispham (near Blackpool).
I enjoyed enormously a conference that we went on in the summer; I took my best friend Hayley as well, who decided that she wanted to become a Christian whilst we were there - BRILLIANT! Also, I went on a singing course over the summer, which I loved (so from Rock music to cathedral choir - a good catholic taste in music I'd say!).
I continue at the Grammar school in Skipton and I have settled in better this year than last, although it is hard that I have no "local" friends there. I have quite enjoying being able to start doing babysitting and earn some money, but I need lots of sleep, so too many late nights are not a good idea!!
I'm a very busy persons (as you can probably tell!) but I'm enjoying it!!!!
Ruth menace@blamire.fworld.co.uk
Growing up fast (11). I think, judging by the length of her trousers that she is trying to catch up with Hannah although she has a way to go yet. (3 shoe sizes and about 6 inches at a guess.) Also, continues to play cornet, but loves to sing and dance - fun to watch if you catch her when she doesn't know that you're there!!
Most annoyed that she can't start going to Hannah's youth group until next September, so is intending to start her own "cell" group in the new year with friends from school and church.
Ruth is a voracious reader and is thoroughly enjoying having a close friend who is a librarian - if she ever disappears we can be fairly sure to find her with her nose in a book under her covers!!
Susanna susanna@blamire.fsworld.co.uk
Now 6! Also developing very quickly, and like Ruth, often to be found reading. Susanna asks permission to do her homework (!) and gets most upset and concerned if she thinks it's going to be late in (long may it continue!!!).
She has decided that she wants to learn piano and Jonathan gives her a lesson whenever it's possible. She also loves to sing and is quite confident at performing in front of people, particularly good at reading aloud as she puts in so much expression, and is now quite regularly asked to read at church, which she enjoys.
Looking forward to Christmas enormously, and can't understand why she isn't buying presents for herself as well as others!
Jonathan jon@blamire.fsworld.co.uk
Jonathan continues to work busily for Digital Audio (www.the-digital-audio.co.uk) in Skipton, making CD's, adverts, etc. Also very involved with church being the organist/pianist for most of the worship services, and running a youth club on Friday evenings.
He is becoming quite an expert at putting together presentations (for use with a data projector) for services - images to song words etc. - and these have really enhanced the "contemporary" worship services we have once a month. The only down side is the hours and hours of work that each one takes, so many late nights (early mornings) have been had preparing them!
Jonathan's mum has not been well this year, but we are praying that an operation planned for just before Christmas will sort things out, and her life can return to "normal".
Sarah sarah@wellspring.org.uk
It's been a busy year with a mixture of activities. I still do a very small amount of nursing when the home rings up desperate, but spend most of my time (other than looking after family!) in front of the computer doing work for Wellspring as a part-time administrator, or planning/running a couple of Youth groups that I work with. One of the groups has just finished a "Get God" course - Introduction to Christianity - which was great and the group want to go on and do "Get God 2 (the revenge?)" in the New Year; the other is a youth "drop-in" that was opened in the village in May 2002 as a churches together project where I head up the team of helpers. This has been successful in terms of building relationships with the youngsters, and I would love it to grow and bring fruit in spiritual terms as well. I always said that I didn't believe that I was cut out to do youth work, but God obviously had other plans!!!
I have also just taken exams for a level one bookkeeping qualification - I'll get results in the New Year - and this was good fun, something completely different, and I hope will help me with taking over the books for Wellspring soon.
Family aims for 2003
To play more together!
To have a holiday where neither I or Jon are "on the team"!
To come and visit some of you.
And I think this needs to be the year where Jonathan fulfils his dream to go down "Gaping Gill" one bank holiday weekend. (I've always been to scared to let him go, but their website assures me that they haven't dropped anyone yet!). There, it's in print now, I can't change my mind!!!
Lots of love and many blessings to you all,
Jonathan, Sarah, Hannah, Ruth and Susanna
