Returning Home

We woke up too early. Our last bus was this morning at 3am Scotland time. Our bus ride was one hour from the hostel to the airport. We arrived at the airport an hour before take off and got safely to our gate. Our flight went smoothly and was a nice nap time. :) We are now sitting at the airport in Amsterdam waiting for the longest leg of our trip.
We cannot wait to see our families and tell you all about our trip! It has been both long and short. We missed our families and yet, we feel as if we did not have enough time with Scotland. It was beautiful.
We will see you soon...
Grace

Farewell Scotland

Hi everyone!

     The day we dreaded has finally come: our last day in Scotland. It probably wasn't as picturesquely bittersweet as some of us would have wanted. It was cold, with sometimes biting wind chills. Many of us would probably have preferred to stay in the bus, where it was warm (and where our new bus driver unashamedly violated the NO SMOKING plaque on the dashboard). But Jimmy, our faithful guide throughout this entire week, was quick to point out that the Scottish Covenanters of the sixteen hundreds had gathered together in far worse conditions - in chilling rain and freezing snow, with soldiers seeking their demise. And yet they gathered day after day, simply because of their love for the Lord and His Word. I figured that I, bundled in my coat, hat, and scarf, could withstand some low temperatures in order to hear the stories of such brave people.

     Nine o'clock A.M., and we were on the bus for the last time. We headed to both Lanarkshire and Ayrshire, and visited various historical monuments and locations relevant to the history of the Covenanters. Jimmy told us heartbreaking stories of men shot in front of their families, of women executed like common criminals, of young boys shot where they stood for nothing more than carrying a Bible. And he told us uplifting stories of courage in the face of adversity, of living for Christ upon penalty of death. He stressed to us the power of prayer: that Scotland wasn't turned around by acts of men, but by a revolution in prayer to God. And that is the only way to bring about true change, both on a national and personal scale. The power of prayer must never be underestimated, as it often is in both the United Kingdom and America.

     After the tours, we headed to a restaurant on the loch and enjoyed dinners of steak pie, macaroni and cheese, haddock, and chicken. For dessert: a choice of strawberry gateaux, fudge sundae, or Scottish ice cream (which is exactly the same as regular ice cream. Still delicious though 😋). Then it was back on the bus and back to the hostel. We presented Jimmy and his wife Helen with a card, big (some tearful) hugs, and many thanks for their kindness throughout the week. 

     Tomorrow, we have no adventures to look forward to - unless a nine hour plane ride from Amsterdam to Detroit is considered an adventure. However, I am so thankful for the opportunity to travel to this great country, and learn about how God worked in its history. I hope I never forget the rolling green hills peppered with herds of sheep; the fresh mountain air, sweetened by the sounds of birds and rolling water; the wind turbines which seemed to pierce the silver sky; the centuries-old ruins of castles and cathedrals, looming over little villages; the pulsing energy of a thousand footsteps in the city of Edinburgh; and the magical beauty of the Scottish Highlands, cloaked in mist. I am terrified of forgetting these things, but am comforted when I realize that they will never truly be gone. Even if they do eventually slip my mind, like pressed rose petals from the pages of an old book, they won't completely leave me. They will always be with me, adding a soft honey glow to the things I do remember, memories which I will cherish in my heart for years to come.

Farewell Scotland - you will be sorely missed.
Kana Turley
   

     

Goodbyes are always the hardest part...

I don't know how we haven't done this, but somehow we have not introduced you to Jimmy and Helen Fisher, so allow me. 

Jimmy and Helen have been our kind hearted guides throughout this week. I think I speak for all of us here when I say we loved being with them! They were so kind, warm and welcoming. They would go out of their way to serve us and were so willing to explain and explain again what they were saying when we missed it the first time. Jimmy is the one who shared the information with us and told us about the monuments that they took us to. Jimmy is so passionate about history and our Lord and it really shows! Helen coordinated all of our stops and got everything together and because of her, everything ran smoothly. She would always go and grab tickets or tokens and make sure that we were all where we should be. 

I have learned so much from Jimmy and Helen! Jimmy made the history come alive for me and made me become more excited to learn more on my own about the history of Christianity. Helen has been so caring and lovely to be around. Whether we were talking about dogs or the thesis presentations that we are working on, she is genuine through and through. 

I have absolutely loved getting to know Jimmy and Helen! ...I have always hated saying goodbyes, and these were no easier...

Waving goodbye to Jimmy and Helen.

With much love and thanks, 

Grace

Ps. If anyone you know is planning on going to Scotland I would highly recommend going on the Reformation Tours with Jimmy and Helen!

Bittersweet Goodbye

Dear Loved Ones,
Today is bittersweet.
Sadly, it is our last day in Scotland. We are all dreading tomorrow when we have to leave this beautiful country. I have learned so much on this trip, especially about how privileged we are. Today we drove around Lanarkshire and Ayrshire and visited the graves of local Covenanters who died for worshipping God and having a Bible. I am so blessed to be in America because I can worship God and read my Bible in the open freely. On the bright side, I am excited to come back to my family, and share about our adventures to waterfalls, mountains, quaint shops, graves of martyrs, beaches, bridges, and so much more. Therefore I will leave Scotland with tears in my eyes, tears for the martyrs, tears for all the exciting, interesting things, tears for the goodbyes, and tears for the hellos.
Sincerely,
Victoria Taylor

the covenanters

Hello everybody! Today was our last day in Scotland. We toured Lanarkshire and Ayrshire - learning the history of the covenanters, the brave protestant reformers of Scotland. Some of the things that these men and women experienced surpass any persecution we face in the United States. As Christians in the United States we sometimes don't realize how lucky we are here. People in those days were shot for carrying a Bible. Some were sold into slavery for listening to a minister preach the word of God. Many people died for their faith or had a loved one taken from them because of their Christ centered lives. They had it so much worse than we have it here. I am so grateful for these people who sacrificed their lives so that people could worshop God freely. The memories of these valiant people will stay with me forever.

Here is a little haiku I wrote about Scotland:
The hills of Scotland
inspired me much more than
The cities ever could

Hello Tall Oaks Families,

Despite the declining weather today, I have been thankful that it had been dry up until now. We toured the countryside of Lanarkshire and Ayrshire, visiting different graves of the many martyrs who have died for their unwavering faith in Christ. Among those shot was an eighteen-year-old gentleman whose fiancée had been waiting for him at home. Still others were sixteen-year-old boys, and even children, on whom the soldiers had no mercy. However, God used these horrific situations to bring about the reformation of Scotland, and to the Protestant nation it is today.

Today was our last day in Scotland, which is a very bittersweet thought. I have thoroughly enjoyed our week here, especially the thoughtfulness and kindness from our tour guides, Jimmy and Helen. I have had a fulfilling trip that was both educational in learning about Scotland's reformation history, and adventurous in hiking through the Highlands and sheep fields. Although I am excited to return home to my family and bed, I will miss the stunning landscapes and the many dogs and sheep that dotted the country. I sincerely hope to return to this beautiful land!

Sophia Schmiedel

A Note for the Parents....

Hello! Greg and I wanted to take a minute to let you parents know just how delightful these dear young adults have been so far on the trip. Like their chaperones, they are not perfect. But they are genuine and kind and they generally take good care to be thoughtful to one another. They've stepped up in every way. Adults with whom we've come in contact have commented to us about what a nice group of kids they are -- not "typical American teens."

I hope you enjoy the pictures below from the past four days.

Thanks for keeping us in prayer! God is answering and holding us close!

Love,

Janet

The Clyde River behind the hostel where we're staying.

Another view of the Clyde River here in New Lanark from the Wee Row Hostel

Tori at the Glasgow Cathedral

Stirling Castle- statue of Robert the Bruce
and a man with his blue parrot named Divina. ☺

Dr. Who?

Waterfall in the Highlands

Underground tunnel beneath St. Andrews Castle

The square at St. Andrews

Kana at Loch Lomond

Fish 'n chips at a traditional Scottish chip shop

Jimmy sharing reformation history 

at the Grass Market in Edinburgh

Graveyard in Edinburgh

John Knox burial site - in a parking lot behind St.Giles Cathedral and beside Parliament Hall

John Knox burial marker

St. Giles Cathedral crown

 

Panoramic view of Edinburgh from inside the castle wall

 

Edinburgh Castle

 

St. Margaret's Chapel - the oldest structure in Edinburgh castle, 

dating back a thousand years

 A group of young children touring Edinburgh Castle 

wearing their gold paper crowns

 

Edinburgh

 

Edinburgh

This man had his 17 year old pet owl, Hazel, out on the street in Edinburgh

 for some fresh air

 

Victoria Street, Edinburgh

P.S. All the students are truly grateful for this gift to tour Scotland. Jimmy and Helen Fisher have also beenh a genuine gift to us all. They're patient, joyful, kind, and a good brother and a good sister in Christ to us.

A Day on the Town

Dear Tall Oaks Families,
Wednesday morning we work up with the sun. We followed a trail to gaze at the majestic waterfall on the Clyde River in the back of the hostel; there our adventerous spirits were awakened. After a delicious breakfast (made by our faithful gracious host Mister Scott) we boarded the bus (driven by our awesome driver Mister Alex) and headed to Edinburgh. Our tour guide Mister Jimmy showed us the place where many faithful Christians died as marty's for crimes such as having Bibles and denying the King as the head of the Church. We saw the graveyard where  about 1,000 Christians became prisoners and suffered for their faith. We saw torture devices used on Christians to extract info about other Christians. The point is we learned something very valuable today. We learned that we are very privileged to be able to openly profess our faith throughout our everyday journeys. If you remember anything from this blog, remember that.

Now for the more lighthearted leg of today's journey.
WE SHOPPED TILL WE DROPPED! (Literally. Scotland is uphill and downhill. The stairs and mountians are no joke). It was interesting to visit the quaint Scottish shops and see how different they are than our own.
To end this looong blog we have three very important things to tell you.
1. The people here are so kind and willing to help. When shopping in the many shops, we met many amazing people. They are so quick to help and always willing to have a good conversation.
2. Today, we sadly said goodbye to our kindhearted, jovial, very patient bus driver. We cannot thank him enough for driving us on numerous adventures.
3. Lastly if you are ever in Scotland, make sure to visit the Edinburgh Castle. The fabulous crown jewels will also inspire any girl to believe she can be  a queen.
Thanks for reading,

Victoria Taylor and Jordan HuntHunt

Adventure in the Highlands

Sleepy eyes. Tasty breakfast. A long bus ride. Stepping off of the bus, we broke out into an adventure in the Highlands. As we brace ourselves for the cool northern breeze we experience the splendour of God's mountains, dusted in snow. A lone sheep wanders before our eyes, as the rest wander in the distance. The cloudy sky attempts to conceal the sun. With a dull thud our boots hit the mud, we explore the land of the Highlands. The cars buzz seemingly close, yet we are lost in the conscious beauty of our Master. We tire quickly, but we continue our trudging. We descend the sloping hillside, and rise again to meet the peak of a new hill. At the end of it all, we advance past a pond with a white farmhouse planted by. We pace our steps till we're halfway across the bridge, and each finds their place for a group photograph. And for a moment, we are lost in the Highlands. This is an adventure that we will never forget.

-Noah & Lydia

The Highlands

Today was absolutely magnificent! There was only one problem -- I wanted to take a picture of everything! Every moment was picturesque. From the beginning until the end of the day, everything I saw was beautiful.

The first stop was the well-known Loch Lomond. This was a great experience because our chorus sang the song, Loch Lomand, a couple of years ago. It was nice to see the place that we were singing about.

Though Loch Lomond was wonderful, the highlight of the day was the Highlands. The Highlands are great for hiking and admiring God's creation. Also, we saw a lot of sheep. It was pretty awesome.

Overall, today was excellent! I'm looking forward to tomorrow. I hear there's lots of shopping to do.

~ Joy Brunson

The Town of Luss, Loch Lomond

    The rolling hills and road-side flocks of sheep have captured our attention as we drive to our next location, but our trip would not be the same without The Bus. Driving on the wrong side of the road still gets us, but our bus drives never fail to entertain. Our faithful bus driver, Alex, is quiet but funny and finds all of the students very amusing. On some days our drives are only an hour, and others maybe three, but give us time to rest, eat snacks, blast music and take naps in between each stop.

   Today we visited Luss, a small little town on the edge of Loch Lomond, which was once a farming town. The streets are bordered with little houses and bungalows. Each house is decorated with brightly colored flowers, fences, or vines traveling up the stones. Right above the town there sits Luss Parish Church which is home to some of the oldest graves in Scotland, including the graves of Vikings (dating back to the 800's).

Here we are after singing the Doxology -- sorry the video won't upload.

We have had the privilege to sing in each one of the churches we have visited. Each stained glass tells a story and has been perfectly decorated with the appropriate colors. As we sang the Doxology, some visitors made their way into the parish to listen and adore the beauty of the stained glass and stone walls. (Two women commented on our singing and thought we were part of a professional choir that travels around to each town!) Luss was a small and beautiful town that was surrounded by the magnificent and blue waters of Loch Lomond. 

 
    --Lily Willis

Walking through the tiny village toward Loch Lomond

This stone baptistry is over 1,500 years old and still in use

One of many of the ancient, beautiful stained glass windows at Luss Parish Church

Ducks

My favorite part of Lock Lommond was all the ducks in the town of Luss, set against the magnificent deep water and venerable mountains. After some time on the pier out over the lock, I walked back in to shore and carefully down to the water's edge. Then i simply sat down and watched twenty or so ducks in action. I love ducks.

                  

It was pretty great. As Joy said in her post, everything we saw today in the Highlands seemed to deserve a picture. I certainly felt that way, but as I became so filled with the beauty around me, the only thing I could do was put my camera down and take it all in. The pictures God set before me will always be in my mind. And that was just the drive into the Highlands. When we stopped the bus and got out to go for a hike, Jimmy said, "I'll meet you at the bottom of this hill." And off we went! In a way we were set free into this grand and awesome playground. (With permission), a few of us climbed up a couple hundred feet into the hills. Today was an adventurous day, and it all took place in the context of God's love, sovereignty, beauty, and magnificence.
~ Aaron Weber

Chariots of Fire

Hello all! What a privilege it was for us to visit the West Sands beach in St. Andrews, where the iconic opening scene from Chariots of Fire was filmed. It was a great way for us to unwind in the middle of the day as we have had a busy first few days here in the U.K. The three junior boys who are members of the cross country team even got a chance to reenact that opening scene from the film! (Yes, Mom, Mrs. Baumann and Aaron both got some sort of video.) It has been a fantastic trip so far and I cannot wait for what still lies ahead. In the meantime, enjoy the break stateside!
- Benjamin Schneider

Of Scotland Adventures and Learnin' Lots...

I had to post a family picture!  <3

Wow! This trip has been such a blessing! Yesterday we had the privilege to join Airdrie Reformed Presbyterian Church for both their morning and evening services. I was struck by the power of the Psalms that the fifty or so of us who were gathered were able to sing together. The community at ARPC is so welcoming and hospitable. They made us feel very comfortable and provided lunch and dinner for us and then welcomed us back to their evening service.

 In the morning service we studied from Romans 9:1-10:4 which speaks to the great sin that we commit and the great patience that God has with us. The language that is used in this passage is so powerful. I would encourage you all to set aside a little time to read it as well as Psalm 119:129-136. The evening service continued in the same thought with Romans 10 and the theme of weeping over our sins and rejoicing in God's great patience with us. 

In between the services we were able to go to the Glasgow Cathedral where we were able to walk around, take some pictures and see a memorial that was set up for John Knox, all before we got to sit in to hear a little bit of a choral concert by the cathedral choir that was held there that afternoon. While walking the grounds of the cathedral we saw a mound that came up the side of the wall. We stopped and were told that it was a mass grave where the bodies of martyrs and criminals alike were thrown. Bodies of Christian reformers were placed there by the corrupt Catholic powers because they were seen as criminals. That was such a horrible thing to hear. We all seemed to cringe when we were told what we were standing on.

Today, we traveled to St. Andrews beach which many of you might know from the opening scene of Chariots of Fire where Eric Liddle ran on the beach. (Which some of our boys did today...) 

We were able to learn so much today! I'm sure you have read Rebekah and Ben's entries, so I will not repeat, but will add what we learned at St. Andrews castle. This castle has seen many deaths. It was sobering to stand there and look over the ruins that remain. The bishop that stayed there ordered the burning of George Wishart as well as several others. However, he had so much evil in his heart against him that he sat in his room and watched out his window as George Wishart was burnt at the stake. Later, when the reformers seized the castle and captured the bishop they killed him by hanging him out the very same window. A very unique thing about this castle is that because the reformers had seized it and were inside, and the French catholics were attacking with no advance, a battle was fought UNDER the castle. We were able to go down in the tunnel that the French started on the outside and the Reformers started on the inside and saw where they met and fought underground. It was astounding to look around and think of the lives that were claimed on the very ground on which we were standing. 

As I continue to learn more about my faith and those who preceeded me, I continue to grow in respect and admiration for the strength that God supplies to His people and their trust that is given to us only by Him. 

With love from Scotland, 

Grace

The seniors at the castle ruins.