Elliotts Abroad – Our Family Adventures Overseas

Moving by Sadie Elliott

We are looking forward to moving into our new flat this week. Some of our friends and family are surprised by our moving yet again since we arrived in England. Although we don’t enjoy the moving process, we are so thankful that the Lord has answered our housing prayers.

Our new place boasts it’s very own off street parking spot (a first for us over here in England- we are moving up in the world, tee hee) as well as double glazed windows (also a first for us over here.) These small things are a very big reason to move. We will no longer have to hop up onto the sidewalk and park in between bollards. Additionally, the double glazed windows and electric radiator heaters should lower our utility bills during the winter months.As an even better added bonus the bathroom is equipped with an extractor fan (yet another first!) and something we were looking for specifically when we were house hunting.

We are also thrilled because Colin will be able to use the small second bedroom for his office and workspace during the day. That means for the first time since we moved to England, we will actually have our very own bedroom! The flat is a bit larger than our cottage as well as having a lot of natural light, which will also help during the gray and dark winter days ahead.

We will miss the beautiful views from our cottage windows and we will miss the aspects of living in the village. However, we are more than happy to say goodbye to drafty windows, spiders and their food, and all the nooks and crannies in this current place.

We will post updated pictures once we have actually settled and moved into the flat. We already know where we want to put all our furniture and decorating ideas abound! Thanks for all of you who have been praying with us and for us about our housing situations.

Elliotts Abroad Newsletter 5 – May 2009 by Colin

This is a little smaller newsletter (Newsletter – 2009 – 05 – v1 – i5). As you all will read, we have had a lot to occupy us in the last couple of months. We are so grateful to have seen many of you this past month as well. Because of the finances, it will probably be over a year before we are able to visit again. But the internet enables us to correspond via email and you can also call us as well.

God has been very good to us in our finances this month. Because of the favourable exchange rate, we have received additional money from my student loan. We plan on keeping this money aside to earn interest on so that we can simply pay it right back when it’s due – however it provides a little financial security in the meantime.

We covet your prayers, particularly in these areas:

• in sharing the gospel with our non-Christian friends and the strangers we encounter on the streets
• for Colin’s upgrade this month – an essential step forward in his doctorate
• for Sadie’s teaching – that the children would be given the gospel and for her coworkers to be affected by God through her
• for increased faith
• for our friends who are having children in the next few months (and who have now just had children)
• for travel mercies as we vacation with some friends in the North and study the book of Hebrews together
• for the upcoming music projects our church has asked Colin to help with

Elliotts Abroad Newsletter 4 – March 2009 by Colin

This newsletter (newsletter-2009-03-v1-i4) has two major components – a thorough description of our church and what we are doing along with our church; and lots of photos.

We’ve had a really busy month and are glad to simply have gotten this out. My mother has come and visited us, my grandmother passed away and we have begun to prepare for our trip back to the us (April 7 – 17). Include in this a hefty teaching schedule for Sadie and a large project that I finished up just last week and you have a miracle that we were able to see this one through.

What made it easier was that we were speaking about our favourite thing in England – our church. Even if we had no purpose to be here other than just simply breathing – we would do our utmost to stay because of these believers we have met here. Of course Oregon will always be home, but if it is possible to have a second home – we believe we have found it. We miss everyone in Oregon dearly, but we are comforted in that distance by a family of believers here who have taught us and shown us so much.

We praise God for his provision. For Sadie’s job and my schooling – both of which are going well. God has blessed me in my schooling with a tremendous opportunity in Belgium to both speak at and plan part of a major conference in ancient history. This is nothing I believe I am qualified to do, or should even have the opportunity to do – but God has seen fit to put the responsibility before me and so I will do my best to honour him.

Also, thank you for praying for our church to find a larger place to meet. God has moved in this area and we may be in a new place by next month! This is not too soon – many do not have seats on a Sunday.

We covet your prayers, particularly in these areas:

• travel mercy as we fly out in April
• in sharing the gospel with our non-Christian friends and the strangers we encounter on the streets
• for our financial well-being and family budget
• for Colin’s research – the conference he is planning and other opportunities in his career
• for Sadie’s teaching – that the children would be given the gospel and for her coworkers to be affected by God through her
• for increased faith
• for our friends who are having children in the next few months

Thank you for your prayers and support. For past letters, please visit the archives.

To subscribe to future newsletters by email, please click here and sign up.

Our Updated Sunday Morning Drive by Colin

Here is an eight minute video (with annotations) of our drive from our cottage to church:

ABC’s of Life in England by Sadie Elliott

A

“All right?”- commonly used phrase that we hear, and now say all the time, used in greeting others when you make eye contact with them. An answer to this question is not required.

A to Zed - the book of maps available for major cities in England. You will get lost. This book is essential to any outing!

“A and B roads”- used to describe “main” roads and to differentiate roads for neighbourhood streets.

B

Bisto – a granular instant gravy mix that makes for yummy roast dinners.

Boots – the shoes you wear to play Football. Also a pharmacy store. In the singular fo: the trunk of your car.

Biscuit – a crunchy cookie, usually dipped in your tea.

Bonnet – nope not an oldfashioned hat; the hood of your car. “Have you looked under the bonnet?”

Bangers – sausages. “Would you like some bangers with breakfast?”

Bin Liner – a garbage bag.

Bristolian – a person who comes from Bristol. The dialect spoken here.

C

Cream – you can purchase all sorts of creams: single cream, double cream, creme fresh, Devon cream

Castles – which we love to visit, and really, around just about any corner.

“Cheers!” – used to say “thank you” and “goodbye”

Curry- the only spicy food that most Brits eat. “Do you want to go out for a curry?”

Chips- masquerading as french fries.

Cream Tea-  having tea along with scones, jam, and devon cream.

Crisps - potato chips.

Cello-tape- scotch tape.

Cottage – a small, old house usually in a village. Where we live!

Cash Point-  an atm.

D

DIY Shop- a “do-it-yourself” shop, or home repair center.

Diversion- sounds nicer than it it is: a detour.

“Dogey”- phrase pronounced “daw-gee” meaning something is possibly unsafe or not such a great idea. “That area is a bit dogey”

E

Estate- a housing development.

Excess- the deductible for your insurance.

Engaged- when someone is busy.

Easy Peasy- term used by kids and teachers to mean that something was a “snap!”

F

Football- known to Americans as the sport: soccer.

Full stop- the punctuation mark at the end of most sentences, a period.

Fish n’ Chips- important to know where these are in the neighbourhood for a quick dinner option.

Fizzy Drink- soda pop.

G

Grace Church -our church here in Bristol, England

Garage- pronounced “gare-aj”   is the place you fill up your car, a car dealership, or an auto shop.

“Get it sorted”- phrase to mean, “we will get it figured out, don’t worry.”

Garden- back yard.

“Go for a walk”- really means, “hiking”

“Get told off.”- phrase meaning to have been in trouble with an authority figure.

H

“Hiya!”- a common way of saying hello

Hob – the term that means stove

Home Groups- we love being in Matt & Lizzie’s home group in our church.

“Have a word”-  indicating you wish to speak with someone.

Holiday- a vacation.

I

Inverted commas- also known as quotation marks.

Indicator- turn signals.

Icing sugar- powdered sugar.

J

“Joint”- term used to mean a cut of meat for roasting.

Jumper- a sweater or sweatshirt.

Jam- is really jelly.

Jelly- is really jell-o. You can imagine my confusion when we sing the “Peanut butter and Jelly” song.

K

Mrs Kipling Pies- which Colin must eat every week. He prefers apple flavour.

Kayak- the search engine we use to look for plane tickets to go back home.

King size bed- queen size bed in the States.

L

Lost- you will be getting lost on a regular basis because streets aren’t properly signed.

Lorry- a semi-truck.

Lead- cord connected to anything electric.

“Lush!”- a phrase used to mean “really nice!”

M

Museli- Colin’s favourite breakfast cereal here.

Metric System- the measurement system used here.

Marj & Nathan – our good friends here!

“Mate”- a friendly term.

Motorway- term used to mean highway or freeway.

Minced Meat- ground beef.

” Mind!” -phrase used to mean “watch out!”

N

Narrow roads- at almost all times.

Normal- the word used by most to mean “regular”

Number plate- your licence plate on your car.

O

Off licence- a store that sells alcohol.

Overtake- to pass someone on the road (which you’d better not do if there is a queue)

P

Pub- local restaurant for families.

Parallel Parking- just learn to do it, because you’ll have to do it almost all the time. The Brits are brilliant at it!

Paracetamol- the equivalent of tylenol.

Pitch- sports playing field.

Pudding- dessert of any kind.

Primary School- an elementary school.

Petrol- the fuel you put in your car.

Pants- underware.

Post- mail.

Q

“Quite”- a word used to mean “a little.” Example: “It was quite nice.” translation: “It was kind of nice.”

Queue- a line to wait in, not to be subverted!

R

Round Abouts- those circular intersections!

Radiators- the central heating system in almost all houses here. Also used to dry clothes here as the average family does not own a clothes dryer.

Reusable Bags- found in all grocery stores and most other stores to be used in place of plastic bags.

Rubber- an eraser.

S

Skype- the internet phone service that keeps us in touch with our friends.

Saloon- a style of car, a sedan.

Slip road- an exit from a road.

Scones- biscuits. You would never eat these with dinner.

Skip- the dumpster.

Spanner- a wrench

“Sorted!”- phrase used to mean, “finished!”

Sweeties- candy.

Semi-detached-  a house only attached on one side to another house.

Secondary school- high school.

Squash- concentrated juice to be diluted with water. A common cold drink here. Also a game played similar to racket ball.

T

Tea- what everyone drinks all the time. It is courteousy to offer tea to anyone who enters your home, friends, relatives, or fix-it and repair men.

Take Away- cheaper than eating out, also known to Americans as “Take out”

Torch- flash light.

Tip- the dump.

Terraced- a house in a row of houses attached on both sides.

U

Unexpected obstacles in the road- at all times, in any direction.

Umbrellas- haven’t really been that necessary over here compared to Oregon.

V

Virgin Media- the company that provides our internet service.

Village- a very, very small town with just a few shops. We live in a village it has: one restaurant, 2 realesatate agents, a tatoo shop, a music shop, two churches, a car repair garage. You can drive through it in two minutes, England time– that means it’s tiny!

W

Wales- one of our favourite places to visit.

Wellies- rubber boots. Often worn when you “go for a walk” or “go into the garden.”

Whinge- to complain about something.

Wardrobe- most places don’t have built in closets, so you will need to buy a wardrobe.

X

When you “tick” a box.

Y

Year One- the grade that Sadie teaches equivalent to first grade, only the students are 5 years old.

Yorkshire pudding- essentially extra crispy pop-overs.

Z

Zed- the last letter in the alphabet.

Zebra crossing- cleverly marked pedestrian crossings in the raod with black and white stripes and flashing lights.

Elliotts Abroad Newsletter 3 – Jan-Feb 2009‏ by Colin

This newsletter is a couple weeks later than I intended. But this is for good reason – I put together an exhaustive piece on how to visit us. Even if you don’t think you could ever make it – please take the time to read it because it took a lot of work!

Also there is a small update about how things are going with our church here. I hope to cover more of this soon. Please see the link (newsletter-2008-12-v1-i3) for our latest newsletter.

Additionally, if you know of anyone who would like to be added to our email list, they can just send us an email or follow the subscribe link and I will be excited to add them.

We have a lot to praise God for: we have a new place to live, a better location. We also praise him for so much more: our friends and family here have been a blessing to us in so many ways.

We covet your prayers, particularly in these areas:
- for our church to find a larger place to meet
- in sharing the gospel with our non-Christian friends and the strangers we encounter on the streets
- for our financial well-being and family budget (DO NOT SEND MONEY PLEASE)
- for Colin’s research – I have applied for some new funding. Pray that God would grant it!
- for Sadie’s teaching – that the children would be given the gospel and for her coworkers to be affected by God through her
- for increased faith

Thank you for your prayers and support.

Colin and Sadie

That Be Brizzle! by Sadie Elliott

This is what a true Bristolian sounds like! Sadie gets to hear it everyday, and she can vouch for it!

Eugene to London $586 on United in late February! by Sadie Elliott

Pretty nutty fares here. Eugene to anywhere international for under $600 is a great price. How much better when it means coming and staying with us in our country cottage?

Sadie would be on vacation during this time as well. Extra bonus!

Investigating History: Whitchurch Village by Sadie Elliott

The other day, when Colin and I took a stroll down the lane by our house, we were thrilled. It was an idyllic walk, past the church that chimes the time for us each hour and on into the nearby farmlands that our kitchen window looks out onto from the garden. We commented on the stone walls, hedges, and local manor houses that we passed. However, it wasn’t until this morning that we were able to find out a little more about our village.

We love waking up to the pleasant chimes that come from the church located just “kitty corner” behind our house. In fact, our bedroom window peaks into the churchyard. It was fascinating to find out that the church is actually build on the site of a chapel called St. White, which is most likely why the village was named Whitchurch. The tower of the church is Norman, dating from the 12th century and was presumably built when the people moved from an old village (referred to as Filton) to the present village. It was also incredibly interesting to find out that there are acutally underground passages connecting the church, manor house and former inn.

Visit us in February: Less than $600 by Colin

There are a lot of cheap flights out there right now. Visiting us at the end of January or early February is around $570 if you fly out of Portland.

This is the CHEAPEST way to see other parts of the world – to just pay for tickets and food – staying over with friends and family. We are talking about visiting another continent for around $700 per person including airfare. Take advantage of this while you can.

We will be posting a guide on how to visit us for next to nothing soon, so watch for that in a few days.