Progressive Meal

Once every few years I organise a PROGRESSIVE MEAL at Hopehall and, in recent years, we've been able to invite a number of international students along.

It's quite a mammoth task with seven starter hosts and six main course hosts and 56 people going in different directions to different locations to enjoy different courses with a different group of people - which is why it only happens once every few years!

Then everyone comes back together at the church for some wonderful desserts and a spot of entertainment.

Our enteratinment slot included music from Hollie & Barry ...

A song Chinese song from Sarah, Jessica & Fu Yu ...

A sketch from Eric entitled 'My word, you do look queer (ill)' ...

A sketch entitled 'The Law' from Eric & Lynne ...

Plus songs from Misha and music from Jack

- if anyone has photos of these do please email them to me.

TABLEtalk - International Night

Everyone looks forward to our annual INTERNATIONAL NIGHT at TABLEtalk ... and what a feast we had this year with dishes from China, Taiwan, Poland, Russia, Ghana, England, Wales and Scotland.

We don't have a set programme for the evening ... people eat and chat and eat some more!!
HOWEVER, we did have some entertainment from ...

Eric who, being from the far off land of Yorkshire, taught us some Yorkshire phrases and read a poem about Yorkshire Pudding.

Cindy sang us a popular Taiwanese song

Misha & Lena sang us a Russian and English song

We ended the evening with a few manic games to burn off some calories, including my favourite hula-hoop game :-)

Day Trip to Troon

Day Trip to Troon

- a very windy day ...

I came home with half a kilo of sand in my handbag (not intentionally!!)

(left to right) ERIK (Sweden), FU YU (China), LENA (Russia), EMMANUEL (Nigeria), RAZVAN (Romania), PATRICIA (Germany), GLORIA (Ghana), JOEY & LIMING (China).

Day Trip to the LOGOS HOPE

The LOGOS HOPE

- bringing 'knowledge, help and hope' to many around the world

Another great day out - 12 students joined several friends from Hopehall Church to visit the OM (Operation Mobilisation) ship Logos Hope which was docked in Edinburgh.

One group was given a tour of the ship by the tallest man onboard (6' 8")!

(from left to right) Gloria, Theo, Lynne, Wendy, Cherry, Liang, Alistair & Julia
(from left to right) Titi, tour guide, Patricia, Aileen, David, Liz, Cindy & Abiola

Easter Sunrise Service

Several students were brave enough to rise early and join our inter-church Easter Sunrise service up Gleniffer Braes. It was a great time to come together and celebrate the significance of Easter.

Afterwards it was back to Lynne's flat for a cooked breakfast!

Day Trip to the Easter Play, Edinburgh

THE EASTER PLAY

Princes Street Gardens, Edinburgh

This is the group of students who joined our annual trip to Edinburgh to watch the outdoor Easter Play.

Misha & Lena from Russia

Cindy from Taiwan and Titi from Nigeria

Gloria and her sister Theo from Ghana

Liang & Cherry from China

The play takes place in six different sites around the gardens and we, the audience, follow the actors as they unfold the story of Jesus. The play begins in a market place where we see and hear of the many miracles Jesus performed.

Here Jesus heals a sick woman

(Matthew 9:18-26)

Zacchaeus climbs a tree in order to see Jesus

(Luke 19:1-10)

Nicodemus, one of the Pharisees, comes to question Jesus.

(John 3:1-21)

Jesus speaks with his disciples at the last supper.

(Matthew 26:17-30)

Jesus is arrested after praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.

(Matthew 26:36-56)

The Roman soldiers mock and beat Jesus.

(Matthew 27:27-31)

Jesus is crucified

(Matthew 27:32-56)

But the story doesn't end there ... as he foretold, on the third day Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to many of his followers.

(Matthew 28:1-10)

The message of Christianity is a message of the empty cross - Jesus died in order to reunited us with God but He didn't remain in the grave, He rose again!!!

We were all grateful for great weather and such a moving, thought-provoking play ... after a welcome cup of coffee we headed home.

Student Comments

"A great day ...

thanks for the chance to serve!"

Abiola (Nigeria)

Fundraising event

COMMUNITY CAFE, CAR WASH,

SALE OF BRIC-A-BRAC

& HAND-MADE CRAFTS

Our fundraising event on Saturday, April 4th was a great success and I'm sooooooooooooo grateful to all the students and volunteers who helped to make it a great day. Everyone worked so hard!!!

Our craft stall was a big hit with many and such an encouragement after our many hours of work.

We sold cards, gift scrapbooks, bookmarks, gift boxes and fridge magnets.

Cindy, Magda & Ania worked non-stop in the cafe serving numerous bowls of soup & toasties & baked potatoes ... there were a few muddles and some really manic moments but all-in-all most people went away happy.

A BIG THANK YOU goes to Volker, Abiola, Sugu and others who washed car after car in both sunshine and drizzle ...

FINALLY ... after four hours of hard work, we all got to sit down and enjoy a toastie and tea.

Many, many thanks go to Richard, Sandra & Lorraine for their partnership and all their help.

We raised a grand total of £800 !!!