[Mairead NicSuain] Tha mi à Sgalpadh na Hearadh ach tha mi air a bhith ann an Dùn Èideann seachd bliadhna deug air fhichead. Chaidh mo thogail ann an dachaigh Chrìosdail agus gu dearbh ann an eilean agus ann an coimhearsnachd Chrìosdail. Ged a bha mi a’ dol dhan eaglais bha mar gum biodh rudeigin a dhìth air mo beatha agus thachair tubaist na mo bheatha gu pearsanta agus 's ann às dèidh sin a fhuair mi a-mach gun robh rudeigin a dhìth air mo bheatha spioradail. Chanainn gu bheil an creideamh agam gu math eadar-dhealaichte on a thachair an tubaist a bha seo agus 's e sin nuair a chaochail mo bhràthair. Chuir e às dha fhèin air drochaid ann an Dùn Èideann an seo agus tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gun do rinn sin atharrachadh mòr na mo bheatha-sa. ’S ann aig an àm sin a rinn mi a-mach gun robh feum agam coiseachd còmhla ri Crìosd agus gur e an Cruthadair a thog mi tron àm dhuilich a bha sin. ’S e àm sònraichte a bh’ ann na mo bheatha-sa agus ann am beatha an teaghlaich agus ’s e àm duilich a bh’ ann agus àm a thug tòrr àsainn, tha mi a’ smaoineachadh, air fad. Ged a bha e glè dhuilich a' tighinn tron àm a bha sin thàinig mi a-mach às aig a' cheann thall ged an latha a chaochail mo bhràthair ach cha robh dùil a'm gu tighinn mi bhon sin idir. Ach bha mi a' faicinn nuair a chaidh mi dhachaigh mar a bha mo mhàthair air a togail agus daoine eile a bha timcheall oirre agus nuair a thug mi ùine agus a’ coimhead thairis air an àm a bha sin rinn mi a-mach gun robh cuideigin ga mo thogail tron àm sin agus ’s e an Cruthadair a bha a’ dèanamh sin. Gu pearsanta tha strì na mo bheatha fhèin a thaobh euslaint agus tha mi a' smaointinn gum bi mi a' dèiligeadh ri sin nas fheàrr airson gu bheil mi a' faireachdainn gun urrainn dhomh bruidhinn ris a’ Chruthadair leis a h-uile càil a tha a' gabhail àite na mo bheatha agus bidh amannan ann mar an t-seachdain sa chaidh far an robh tòrr cràidh orm agus dìreach a' faireachdainn gu math tùrsach uaireannan agus tha fhios agam gu bheil aig a' cheann thall gu bheil an Cruthadair ann air mo shon.
[Mairead NicSuain] Tha mi a' smaoineachadh às dèidh a bhith nam bhanaltram suas air well tha mi dìreach deich bliadhna fichead, chunnaic mi mòran san àm sin agus cuideachd a thaobh na h-obrach a tha mi a' dèanamh thairis air a' gheamhradh. Tha mi a' dèanamh night shelter còmhla ri Bethany agus cuideachd dìreach a' faicinn feadhainn a' tighinn chun na h-eaglaise againn. Tha cafaidh againn trì latha anns an t-seachdain agus tha sin fosgailte dhan coimhearsnachd agus tha mòran a' tighinn ann nach eil a' tighinn faisg air an eaglais. Tha mòran mnathan òga a' tighinn agus tha sin a' toirt cothrom dhòmhsa bruidhinn riutha agus tha fhios agam gu bheil mòran aca anns an latha a th’ ann an-diugh a' fulang le rudan a tha anns a’ bheatha aca gu pearsanta agus 's e dìreach a bhith a' bruidhinn riutha agus a’ faighinn rin taobh agus a' toirt dhaibh-san misneachd bruidhinn riutha mo dheidhinn càil dhen beatha-san.
[Mairead NicSuain] Tha mi a' smaointinn gu bheil e cudromach nach fheum sinn a bhith a’ cur ar barail fhèin air daoine agus gum feum sinn a bhith dàimheil a thaobh a h-uile duine son chan eil fhios againn cuin a dh'fhosglas an dorais. Mo chreideamh dhòmhsa cha chreid mi gu bheil càil eile cho cudromach nam bheatha 's e tha a' smaoineachadh. Tha fhios a'm gu bheil uaireannan gu bheil an saoghal a' faighinn beagan cothroim ach aig a' cheann thall 's e an rud as cudromaiche na mo bheatha.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Alleluia, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2009.
[Mairead MacSween] I am from Scalpay in Harris but I have been in Edinburgh for thirty seven years. I was raised in a Christian household and certainly on a Christian island and in a Christian community. Despite I went to church it was as if there was something missing in my life and an accident happened in my personal life and it was after that that I found out that something was missing in my spiritual life. I’d say that my faith is very different since this accident happened and that is when my brother died. He committed suicide from a bridge here in Edinburgh and I think that that greatly changed my life. It was at that time that I realised that I needed to walk with Christ and it was God that lifted me through that time. It was a profound time in my life and my family’s life and it was a hard time that took a lot out of us all, I think. Despite it being very difficult coming through that time I came out on the other side even although on the day my brother died I didn’t think I’d be able to come back from that at all. But when I was home I saw my mother and other people that were around her were lifted and when I spent a while and looking back at that time I realised that someone had carried me through that time and it was God that did that. Personally there is a struggle in my own life with ill-health and I think that I deal with that better because I feel that I can talk to God with everything that is taking place in my life and there are times like last week where I was in a lot of pain and justfeeling very sad at times but I know in the end God is there for me.
[Mairead Macsween] I think that after being a nurse for well thirty years now, I have seen a lot in that time and also with the work I do throughout the winter. I do a night shelter with Bethany and also just see people coming to our church. We have a café three days a week and we are open to the community and many people come that do not come close to the church. Lots of young women come and that gives me the opportunity to speak to them and I know that lots of them in today’s day and age are suffering from things in their personal life and just talking to them and getting beside them and giving them confidence to speak about anything in their own lives.
[Mairead Macsween] I think that it is important that we don’t force our own point of view on people and that we have to be relate to everyone as we don’t know when the door will open. I think that my faith is the most important thing in my life. I think that sometimes the world gets little chance but in the end religion is the most important thing in my life.
This programme, Alleluia, was first broadcast in 2009.
[Mairead NicSuain] Tha mi à Sgalpadh na Hearadh ach tha mi air a bhith ann an Dùn Èideann seachd bliadhna deug air fhichead. Chaidh mo thogail ann an dachaigh Chrìosdail agus gu dearbh ann an eilean agus ann an coimhearsnachd Chrìosdail. Ged a bha mi a’ dol dhan eaglais bha mar gum biodh rudeigin a dhìth air mo beatha agus thachair tubaist na mo bheatha gu pearsanta agus 's ann às dèidh sin a fhuair mi a-mach gun robh rudeigin a dhìth air mo bheatha spioradail. Chanainn gu bheil an creideamh agam gu math eadar-dhealaichte on a thachair an tubaist a bha seo agus 's e sin nuair a chaochail mo bhràthair. Chuir e às dha fhèin air drochaid ann an Dùn Èideann an seo agus tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gun do rinn sin atharrachadh mòr na mo bheatha-sa. ’S ann aig an àm sin a rinn mi a-mach gun robh feum agam coiseachd còmhla ri Crìosd agus gur e an Cruthadair a thog mi tron àm dhuilich a bha sin. ’S e àm sònraichte a bh’ ann na mo bheatha-sa agus ann am beatha an teaghlaich agus ’s e àm duilich a bh’ ann agus àm a thug tòrr àsainn, tha mi a’ smaoineachadh, air fad. Ged a bha e glè dhuilich a' tighinn tron àm a bha sin thàinig mi a-mach às aig a' cheann thall ged an latha a chaochail mo bhràthair ach cha robh dùil a'm gu tighinn mi bhon sin idir. Ach bha mi a' faicinn nuair a chaidh mi dhachaigh mar a bha mo mhàthair air a togail agus daoine eile a bha timcheall oirre agus nuair a thug mi ùine agus a’ coimhead thairis air an àm a bha sin rinn mi a-mach gun robh cuideigin ga mo thogail tron àm sin agus ’s e an Cruthadair a bha a’ dèanamh sin. Gu pearsanta tha strì na mo bheatha fhèin a thaobh euslaint agus tha mi a' smaointinn gum bi mi a' dèiligeadh ri sin nas fheàrr airson gu bheil mi a' faireachdainn gun urrainn dhomh bruidhinn ris a’ Chruthadair leis a h-uile càil a tha a' gabhail àite na mo bheatha agus bidh amannan ann mar an t-seachdain sa chaidh far an robh tòrr cràidh orm agus dìreach a' faireachdainn gu math tùrsach uaireannan agus tha fhios agam gu bheil aig a' cheann thall gu bheil an Cruthadair ann air mo shon.
[Mairead NicSuain] Tha mi a' smaoineachadh às dèidh a bhith nam bhanaltram suas air well tha mi dìreach deich bliadhna fichead, chunnaic mi mòran san àm sin agus cuideachd a thaobh na h-obrach a tha mi a' dèanamh thairis air a' gheamhradh. Tha mi a' dèanamh night shelter còmhla ri Bethany agus cuideachd dìreach a' faicinn feadhainn a' tighinn chun na h-eaglaise againn. Tha cafaidh againn trì latha anns an t-seachdain agus tha sin fosgailte dhan coimhearsnachd agus tha mòran a' tighinn ann nach eil a' tighinn faisg air an eaglais. Tha mòran mnathan òga a' tighinn agus tha sin a' toirt cothrom dhòmhsa bruidhinn riutha agus tha fhios agam gu bheil mòran aca anns an latha a th’ ann an-diugh a' fulang le rudan a tha anns a’ bheatha aca gu pearsanta agus 's e dìreach a bhith a' bruidhinn riutha agus a’ faighinn rin taobh agus a' toirt dhaibh-san misneachd bruidhinn riutha mo dheidhinn càil dhen beatha-san.
[Mairead NicSuain] Tha mi a' smaointinn gu bheil e cudromach nach fheum sinn a bhith a’ cur ar barail fhèin air daoine agus gum feum sinn a bhith dàimheil a thaobh a h-uile duine son chan eil fhios againn cuin a dh'fhosglas an dorais. Mo chreideamh dhòmhsa cha chreid mi gu bheil càil eile cho cudromach nam bheatha 's e tha a' smaoineachadh. Tha fhios a'm gu bheil uaireannan gu bheil an saoghal a' faighinn beagan cothroim ach aig a' cheann thall 's e an rud as cudromaiche na mo bheatha.
Chaidh am prògram seo, Alleluia, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2009.
[Mairead MacSween] I am from Scalpay in Harris but I have been in Edinburgh for thirty seven years. I was raised in a Christian household and certainly on a Christian island and in a Christian community. Despite I went to church it was as if there was something missing in my life and an accident happened in my personal life and it was after that that I found out that something was missing in my spiritual life. I’d say that my faith is very different since this accident happened and that is when my brother died. He committed suicide from a bridge here in Edinburgh and I think that that greatly changed my life. It was at that time that I realised that I needed to walk with Christ and it was God that lifted me through that time. It was a profound time in my life and my family’s life and it was a hard time that took a lot out of us all, I think. Despite it being very difficult coming through that time I came out on the other side even although on the day my brother died I didn’t think I’d be able to come back from that at all. But when I was home I saw my mother and other people that were around her were lifted and when I spent a while and looking back at that time I realised that someone had carried me through that time and it was God that did that. Personally there is a struggle in my own life with ill-health and I think that I deal with that better because I feel that I can talk to God with everything that is taking place in my life and there are times like last week where I was in a lot of pain and justfeeling very sad at times but I know in the end God is there for me.
[Mairead Macsween] I think that after being a nurse for well thirty years now, I have seen a lot in that time and also with the work I do throughout the winter. I do a night shelter with Bethany and also just see people coming to our church. We have a café three days a week and we are open to the community and many people come that do not come close to the church. Lots of young women come and that gives me the opportunity to speak to them and I know that lots of them in today’s day and age are suffering from things in their personal life and just talking to them and getting beside them and giving them confidence to speak about anything in their own lives.
[Mairead Macsween] I think that it is important that we don’t force our own point of view on people and that we have to be relate to everyone as we don’t know when the door will open. I think that my faith is the most important thing in my life. I think that sometimes the world gets little chance but in the end religion is the most important thing in my life.
This programme, Alleluia, was first broadcast in 2009.