Staying in Scotland

Warm Christian greetings from wet and windy Edinburgh!

Angela and I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you that we will be staying in Scotland a little longer than we anticipated. While this may come as a surprise, I can assure you that it is not because I have taken a call to a Scottish church or that Angela has decided to make a career at the Royal Infirmary or that I have had to extend my coursework. The reason for our delay is that we are expecting our first child!

This news brings closure to what seemed like a never-ending period of ‘waiting upon the Lord’ and ‘leaning not upon our own understanding.’ Thank you to those who have harboured us in your prayers. As always, God’s timing is impeccable. He faithfully ‘directs our steps’ at every intersection of life. And he does so with fatherly care and flawless wisdom. This baby is his—a heritage from the Lord God Almighty (Ps. 127:3). To him all praise and glory!

Angela has just begun her twelfth week. She is due in mid-September. As I have come to expect from my beloved wife, she has adjusted to her new role as an expectant mother with (tough and tender) grace. The little one has already caused a fuss, as Angela has not only endured ‘morning sickness’ but 24/7 sickness! Nevertheless, she steadily continues her duties at work, weekly serves the little children in her Sunday school and others at church, and has even made a trans-Atlantic round trip flight to Florida. She is scheduled for an ultrasound on 10 March and her first meeting with a mid-wife on 12 March. All-in-all both mother and baby seem to be doing well. I am a proud husband and father-to-be.

Angela and I have decided to stay in Edinburgh to have the baby. We are fully covered under the National Healthcare Service, so we do not need to return stateside for the delivery. American friends who have had children here in Scotland have enjoyed excellent maternity care. We are confident that we will receive similar treatment. Our provisional plan is to move back to the states approximately in late November or December. This should give us a wee bit of room to adjust to family life, allow me to finish my thesis, and provide some time for us to visit family. In an ideal world we hope to start our new post (wherever that may be!) in January of the New Year. But as they say, this schedule is subject to change!

Joy overflows in the Tweeddale home. But how do we even begin to express it? While singing with the congregation at Buccleuch this past Lord’s Day (on 2 March 2008) from Psalm 22 I was struck deeply by one particular stanza.

Posterity will serve the Lord;
And generations still to come
Will tell a people yet unborn
The righteous acts that he has done (Ps. 22:30-31).

These inspired words summarize well the burden of our hearts. Our chief prayer is that our child will know Jesus. We long for our baby to serve the Lord from its earliest days. We long that he or she would be able to tell a people yet unborn of the righteous acts that Christ has done. We long for our baby, like John the Baptist, to leap for joy in Jesus—even in his/her mother’s womb (cf. Lk. 1:39-45). “For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36).

As for a few matters of prayer and praise:

• Pray for the health of mother and baby. Pray also for the conversion of this child. Praise God for his covenant faithfulness and for the little one he has given us!

• Pray for Angela’s work. She was finally approved at the end of February for a job she was promised over a year and a half ago. This will give her a measure of greater liberty to practice in her field as a radiographer. A start date however has yet to be determined. For now she plans to work until mid-August—the time of her birthday! She has done an awesome job executing her post at the Royal Infirmary amidst a demanding first trimester. I could say much more. She is an excellent wife and is far more precious to me than all the jewels in the world (Prv. 31:10). Praise God for the strength he has given her to perform her duties with excellence, and praise him for the new job.

• Pray for stamina and mental clarity for me as I try to finish my thesis. Praise God for this rare privilege to study, live, and serve in Edinburgh. We love this great city. We want to make the most of these remaining months as we anticipate taking the lessons learned over the past three years back with us to the states.

We appreciate and cherish your continued prayers and support. Please drop us an email at your convenience. We would love to hear from you. And, if you would be so kind, spread the news!

With grateful hearts to the Lord of all life,

Blessings in Christ,

John, Angela, & Baby Tweeddale

Picture: John, Angela, and Baby (at 10 weeks) at Grandpa and Grandma Tweeddale's home in Eustis, FL. Click on image for a better view.