[Preseantair] An t-Ògmhios dà mhìle ’s a dhà dheug agus latha mòr do Mhàiri agus Alasdair MacAmhlaigh. Tha dùil gun tèid Alasdair a dhearbhadh mar mhinistear san Eaglais Shaoir aig Coinneamh Clèir nan Eilean Siar. Às dèidh trì bliadhna sa cholaiste, aon deuchainn eile an-diugh. Toiseach beatha ùr dhaibhsan agus dhan chloinn Luke, Emma agus Ceit.
[Màiri] Chuir e a-steach an t-uabhas uairean a thìde, fhios agad, a’ dèanamh a’ chùrsa a tha sin agus tha mi ’n dòchas nach eil e gu bhith mar sin nuair a bhios e na mhinistear, gum faigh e beagan a bharrachd tìde le theaghlach!
[Alasdair] Ann an dòigh chan eil cus de bheachd agad dè tha iad a’ dol a dh’fhaighneachd dhut. Sin as coireach gu bheil an deuchainn nas duilghe na a h-uile deuchainn a th’ agad anns a’ cholaiste. Tha iad sin sgrìobhte. Tha beachd agad. Chì thu na pàipearan deuchainn o na bliadhnaichean roimhe sin. Ach mar seo chan eil càil a dh’fhios agad dè tha iad a’ dol a dh’fhaighneachd dhut ann an dòigh. Tha fios ’m gu bheil cuideigin a’ dol gam cheasnachadh air a’ Chonfession, Westminster Confession. Agus tha fios agad gur e rudeigin às an leabhar-sa a bhios ann ach tha an t-uabhas ann. Agus feumaidh cuideachd fios a bhith agad càit’ anns a’ Bhìoball an deigheadh tu airson seo a dhearbhadh.
[Preseantair] Ach do Mhàiri mar bean a’ mhinisteir ’s e a’ chiad choitheanal aca as motha a th’ air a h-aire agus gun chinnt càite am bi sin.
[Màiri] An-dràsta tha mi a’ creidsinn gur e sin a’ cheist as motha a th’ orm. Tha, fhios agad, dè am pàirt dhan t-saoghal, uill tha fios a’m gur ann ann an Alba a bhios e co-dhiù a thèid sinn, ach càit’? ‘Eil fhios agad? Agus tha sinn air a bhith ann am mòran de na coitheanalan a tha bàn ’s bidh mi a’ cantainn “An dùil a bheil An Cruthaidhear a’ dol gar cur ann an sin no an dùil a bheil An Cruthaidhear …”. Agus bidh mi a’ coimhead ri coitheanalan agus bidh mi a’ cantainn “dè dhèanainn ann an siud no dè dhèanainn ann an seo?”. Chan eil fhios agad dè seòrsa mansa a tha thu a’ dol a dh’fhaighinn ann no dè seòrsa taighe anns am bi thu. ’S bidh mi a’ cantainn rium fhèin “uill ‘eil thu a’ dol a chruinneachadh àirneis airson, fhios agad, ’s mathaid gum bi trì, ceithir rumannan agad. Nis, chan eil na tha sin de stuth againn. Dè ma bhios sinn ann am mansa beag? Bidh agam ri fèill reic a dhèanamh agus tòrr de na rudan a tha mi air ceannach a reic! Ò dear, tha sin na uallach orm. Rudan beaga daft mar sin.
[Preseantair] Ann an Steòrnabhagh, àm na deuchainn agus tha Alasdair a’ feitheamh ri dhol a-steach air beulaibh ministearan na clèire.
[Alasdair] Bha mi a’ feuchainn ri cunntadh cia mheud ministear a th’ air a dhol a-steach an siud agus chaill mi cunntas orra. Tha mi a’ miannachadh gum bi feadhainn aca rudeigin trang agus gum bi rudan eile aca feasgar Dihaoine agus nach biodh uimhir an seo, ach a rèir coltais tha crowd math agam. Tha mi ’n dòchas nach fhaighnich a h-uile duine aca ceist dhomh no bidh sinn an seo fad an latha!
[Mairi] Tha tòrr rudan a’ tachairt an t-seachdain-sa dìreach airson m’ aire, tha mi a’ smaoineachadh, a thoirt air falbh gus nach bi agam ri bhith a’ smaoineachadh. Tha mi air a bhith a’ call a’ chadail ’s a h-uile càil! Ach sin mise. Tha mi a’ call a’ chadail agus tha Alasdair mar sin mar bhalach beag, a’ cadal mar bhalach beag. Tha bho chionn trì bliadhna agus tha mise, ’s mise an aon duine a bhios an-àird tron oidhche ’s bidh mi ag ùrnaigh leam fhìn. ’S mathaid gur e sin a tha còir againn a bhith a’ dèanamh! Ò sin obair bean a’ mhinisteir! Pàirt dhi co-dhiù.
[Preseantair] An ceann dà uair a thìde faothachadh do dh’Alasdair agus an deuchainn mu dheireadh ullamh.
[Alasdair] Tha e seachad co-dhiù! Agus tha iad riaraichte gu leòr. Chuir iad a-mach mi greiseag. Bidh iad gad cheasnachadh agus tha iad an-còmhnaidh ga do chur a-mach. Ach cha tug iad tòrr ùine mus do dh’iarr iad orm tilleadh a-steach air ais. Tha mi a’ smaointinn gur e soidhne mhath a bha sin!
Chaidh am prògram seo, Bean a' Mhinisteir, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2014.
[Presenter] June 2012 and a big day for Màiri and Alasdair MacAulay. It is expected that Alasdair will be confirmed as a Free Church minister at the Western Isles’ Presbytery meeting. After three years in college, one more exam today. A start of a new life for them and for the children Luke, Emma and Kate.
[Mairi] He put in an awful lot of time, you know, doing that course and I hope that it isn’t going to be like that when he is a minister, that he will get a little more time with his family!
[Alasdair] In a way you don’t have much idea what they are going to ask you. That’s because the exam is more difficult than any exam you have had in college. Those are written. You have an idea. You see the exam papers from years before that. But like this you have no idea what they are going to ask you in a way. I know that someone is going to question me on the Confession, Westminster Confession. And you know that it is something from the book but there is a lot in it. And you also need to know where in the Bible you would go to confirm this.
[Presenter] But for Màiri as the minister’s wife it is their first congregation that is on her mind the most, without certainty of where that will be.
[Mairi] Just now I think that that is my biggest question. You know, what part of the world, well I know that it is in Scotland that it will be anyway that we go, but where? You know? And we have been in many of the vacant congregations and I say “I wonder if the Creator is going to put us there or I wonder if the Creator…”. And I look at congregations and I say “what would I do in there or what would I do here?”. You don’t know what sort of manse you are going to get at all or what sort of house you will be in. And I say to myself “well are you going to collect furniture for, you know, perhaps you will have three, four rooms. Now, we don’t have that amount of stuff. What if we are in a small manse? I will have to do a sales fair and sell lots of the things I have bought! Oh dear, so that is my worry. Little daft things like that.
[Presenter] In Stornoway, exam time and Alasdair is waiting to go in in front of the presbytery ministers.
[Alasdair] I was trying to count how many ministers have gone in there and I lost count. I am sure that some of them will be fairly busy and that they will have other things on Friday afternoon and that not so many would be here, but apparently I have a good crowd. I hope that not everyone asks me a question or we will be here all day!
[Mairi] Lots of things are happening this week just to keep my mind, I think, away so that I don’t need to think. I have been losing sleep and everything! But that’s me. I am losing sleep and Alasdair is sleeping like a little boy, sleeping like a little boy. Has been for three years and I am, I am the one person that is up during the night and I pray by myself. Perhaps that is what we ought to do! Oh that’s the minister’s wife’s work! Part of it anyway.
[Presenter] After two hours there is relief for Alasdair and the final exam completed.
[Alasdair] It’s over anyway! And they are satisfied enough. They sent me out for a while. They question you and they always send you out. But it wasn’t too long before they asked me to return in. I think that is a good sign!
This programme, Bean a' Mhinisteir, was first broadcast in 2014.
[Preseantair] An t-Ògmhios dà mhìle ’s a dhà dheug agus latha mòr do Mhàiri agus Alasdair MacAmhlaigh. Tha dùil gun tèid Alasdair a dhearbhadh mar mhinistear san Eaglais Shaoir aig Coinneamh Clèir nan Eilean Siar. Às dèidh trì bliadhna sa cholaiste, aon deuchainn eile an-diugh. Toiseach beatha ùr dhaibhsan agus dhan chloinn Luke, Emma agus Ceit.
[Màiri] Chuir e a-steach an t-uabhas uairean a thìde, fhios agad, a’ dèanamh a’ chùrsa a tha sin agus tha mi ’n dòchas nach eil e gu bhith mar sin nuair a bhios e na mhinistear, gum faigh e beagan a bharrachd tìde le theaghlach!
[Alasdair] Ann an dòigh chan eil cus de bheachd agad dè tha iad a’ dol a dh’fhaighneachd dhut. Sin as coireach gu bheil an deuchainn nas duilghe na a h-uile deuchainn a th’ agad anns a’ cholaiste. Tha iad sin sgrìobhte. Tha beachd agad. Chì thu na pàipearan deuchainn o na bliadhnaichean roimhe sin. Ach mar seo chan eil càil a dh’fhios agad dè tha iad a’ dol a dh’fhaighneachd dhut ann an dòigh. Tha fios ’m gu bheil cuideigin a’ dol gam cheasnachadh air a’ Chonfession, Westminster Confession. Agus tha fios agad gur e rudeigin às an leabhar-sa a bhios ann ach tha an t-uabhas ann. Agus feumaidh cuideachd fios a bhith agad càit’ anns a’ Bhìoball an deigheadh tu airson seo a dhearbhadh.
[Preseantair] Ach do Mhàiri mar bean a’ mhinisteir ’s e a’ chiad choitheanal aca as motha a th’ air a h-aire agus gun chinnt càite am bi sin.
[Màiri] An-dràsta tha mi a’ creidsinn gur e sin a’ cheist as motha a th’ orm. Tha, fhios agad, dè am pàirt dhan t-saoghal, uill tha fios a’m gur ann ann an Alba a bhios e co-dhiù a thèid sinn, ach càit’? ‘Eil fhios agad? Agus tha sinn air a bhith ann am mòran de na coitheanalan a tha bàn ’s bidh mi a’ cantainn “An dùil a bheil An Cruthaidhear a’ dol gar cur ann an sin no an dùil a bheil An Cruthaidhear …”. Agus bidh mi a’ coimhead ri coitheanalan agus bidh mi a’ cantainn “dè dhèanainn ann an siud no dè dhèanainn ann an seo?”. Chan eil fhios agad dè seòrsa mansa a tha thu a’ dol a dh’fhaighinn ann no dè seòrsa taighe anns am bi thu. ’S bidh mi a’ cantainn rium fhèin “uill ‘eil thu a’ dol a chruinneachadh àirneis airson, fhios agad, ’s mathaid gum bi trì, ceithir rumannan agad. Nis, chan eil na tha sin de stuth againn. Dè ma bhios sinn ann am mansa beag? Bidh agam ri fèill reic a dhèanamh agus tòrr de na rudan a tha mi air ceannach a reic! Ò dear, tha sin na uallach orm. Rudan beaga daft mar sin.
[Preseantair] Ann an Steòrnabhagh, àm na deuchainn agus tha Alasdair a’ feitheamh ri dhol a-steach air beulaibh ministearan na clèire.
[Alasdair] Bha mi a’ feuchainn ri cunntadh cia mheud ministear a th’ air a dhol a-steach an siud agus chaill mi cunntas orra. Tha mi a’ miannachadh gum bi feadhainn aca rudeigin trang agus gum bi rudan eile aca feasgar Dihaoine agus nach biodh uimhir an seo, ach a rèir coltais tha crowd math agam. Tha mi ’n dòchas nach fhaighnich a h-uile duine aca ceist dhomh no bidh sinn an seo fad an latha!
[Mairi] Tha tòrr rudan a’ tachairt an t-seachdain-sa dìreach airson m’ aire, tha mi a’ smaoineachadh, a thoirt air falbh gus nach bi agam ri bhith a’ smaoineachadh. Tha mi air a bhith a’ call a’ chadail ’s a h-uile càil! Ach sin mise. Tha mi a’ call a’ chadail agus tha Alasdair mar sin mar bhalach beag, a’ cadal mar bhalach beag. Tha bho chionn trì bliadhna agus tha mise, ’s mise an aon duine a bhios an-àird tron oidhche ’s bidh mi ag ùrnaigh leam fhìn. ’S mathaid gur e sin a tha còir againn a bhith a’ dèanamh! Ò sin obair bean a’ mhinisteir! Pàirt dhi co-dhiù.
[Preseantair] An ceann dà uair a thìde faothachadh do dh’Alasdair agus an deuchainn mu dheireadh ullamh.
[Alasdair] Tha e seachad co-dhiù! Agus tha iad riaraichte gu leòr. Chuir iad a-mach mi greiseag. Bidh iad gad cheasnachadh agus tha iad an-còmhnaidh ga do chur a-mach. Ach cha tug iad tòrr ùine mus do dh’iarr iad orm tilleadh a-steach air ais. Tha mi a’ smaointinn gur e soidhne mhath a bha sin!
Chaidh am prògram seo, Bean a' Mhinisteir, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2014.
[Presenter] June 2012 and a big day for Màiri and Alasdair MacAulay. It is expected that Alasdair will be confirmed as a Free Church minister at the Western Isles’ Presbytery meeting. After three years in college, one more exam today. A start of a new life for them and for the children Luke, Emma and Kate.
[Mairi] He put in an awful lot of time, you know, doing that course and I hope that it isn’t going to be like that when he is a minister, that he will get a little more time with his family!
[Alasdair] In a way you don’t have much idea what they are going to ask you. That’s because the exam is more difficult than any exam you have had in college. Those are written. You have an idea. You see the exam papers from years before that. But like this you have no idea what they are going to ask you in a way. I know that someone is going to question me on the Confession, Westminster Confession. And you know that it is something from the book but there is a lot in it. And you also need to know where in the Bible you would go to confirm this.
[Presenter] But for Màiri as the minister’s wife it is their first congregation that is on her mind the most, without certainty of where that will be.
[Mairi] Just now I think that that is my biggest question. You know, what part of the world, well I know that it is in Scotland that it will be anyway that we go, but where? You know? And we have been in many of the vacant congregations and I say “I wonder if the Creator is going to put us there or I wonder if the Creator…”. And I look at congregations and I say “what would I do in there or what would I do here?”. You don’t know what sort of manse you are going to get at all or what sort of house you will be in. And I say to myself “well are you going to collect furniture for, you know, perhaps you will have three, four rooms. Now, we don’t have that amount of stuff. What if we are in a small manse? I will have to do a sales fair and sell lots of the things I have bought! Oh dear, so that is my worry. Little daft things like that.
[Presenter] In Stornoway, exam time and Alasdair is waiting to go in in front of the presbytery ministers.
[Alasdair] I was trying to count how many ministers have gone in there and I lost count. I am sure that some of them will be fairly busy and that they will have other things on Friday afternoon and that not so many would be here, but apparently I have a good crowd. I hope that not everyone asks me a question or we will be here all day!
[Mairi] Lots of things are happening this week just to keep my mind, I think, away so that I don’t need to think. I have been losing sleep and everything! But that’s me. I am losing sleep and Alasdair is sleeping like a little boy, sleeping like a little boy. Has been for three years and I am, I am the one person that is up during the night and I pray by myself. Perhaps that is what we ought to do! Oh that’s the minister’s wife’s work! Part of it anyway.
[Presenter] After two hours there is relief for Alasdair and the final exam completed.
[Alasdair] It’s over anyway! And they are satisfied enough. They sent me out for a while. They question you and they always send you out. But it wasn’t too long before they asked me to return in. I think that is a good sign!
This programme, Bean a' Mhinisteir, was first broadcast in 2014.