[Màiri] Bha mi a’ smaoineachadh gum biodh tòrr rudan snog an cois na h-obrach. Bha mi a’ smaoineachadh gum biodh bainnsean ’s bhiodh baisteadh ’s tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gun robh dealbh agam dha tòrr rudan àlainn a bhiodh a’ tachairt. ’S tha mi a’ creidsinn gu bheil mo shùilean air fosgladh gu mòr dha a h-uile seòrsa rud eile a dh’fhaodadh a bhith an lùib a bhith sa mhinistearalachd.
[Preseantair] Às dèidh a’ chiad bhliadhna mar mhinistear agus bean ministeir tha Alasdair agus Màiri air freumhaichean a chur sìos ann am Baile Dhubhthaich agus a-nis tha misneachd aca coimhead air adhart.
[Alasdair] Tha e a’ toirt greis mus tuig thu coitheanal agus bha ollamh agam anns a’ cholaiste a bhiodh a’ cantainn rinn “na atharraich càil anns a’ chiad bhliadhna”. ’S e reusanachadh a bh’ aige fhèin gun tuig thu carson a tha rud air a dhèanamh anns an dòigh anns a bheil e air a dhèanamh. Cha do rinn sinn tòrr atharrachaidh mar sin. Rudan beaga agus rudan tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gun robh taic ann air an son. Ach tha sinn a’ faicinn a-nis gu bheil, tha an eaglais ann am Baile Dhubhthaich rudeigin beag. Ghabhadh i ’s dòcha fichead duine eile air madainn Sàbainn. Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh ann am beagan bhliadhnaichean gum feumadh sinn togalach nas motha agus mar sin tha sinn air tòiseachadh a’ lorg làrach airson eaglais ùr air no togalach a th’ ann mar-thà a ghabhadh atharrachadh. ’S e rud math a tha sin gur e sin an duilgheadas a th’ againn – dìth àite.
[Màiri] Tha mis’ gu bhith seo gu brath tuilleadh! Chan eil mise a’ dol a lìonadh bucas tuilleadh! Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh dh’fheumadh an Cruthadair a dhèanamh gu math soilleir dhuinn gum biodh E ag iarraidh oirnn falbh mus fhalbhadh sinn taobh sam bith.
[Mairi] I thought that there would be lots of lovely things involved with the work. I thought that there would be weddings and baptisms and I think that I had a picture of lots of lovely things that would happen. And I think that my eyes have really been opened to all sorts of other things that could be involved in being in the ministry.
[Presenter] After the first year as minister and minister’s wife, Alasdair and Màiri, have put down roots in Tain and now they have confidence to look ahead.
[Alasdair] It takes a little while before you understand a congregation and I had a professor in the college that would say to us “don’t change anything in the first year”. The reasoning he had is that you will understand why something in done in the way. We didn’t make many changes like that. Little things and things I think that there was support for. But we see now that, the church in Tain is somewhat small. It could take perhaps twenty other people on a Sunday morning. I think in a few years that we could need a bigger building and therefore we have started looking for a site for a new church or an existing building that could be changed. That’s a good thing that that’s our problem – a lack of space.
[Mairi] I am going to be here forever! I am not going to fill another box again! I think the Creator would need to make it very clear to us that He wanted us to leave before we would leave for anywhere else.
[Màiri] Bha mi a’ smaoineachadh gum biodh tòrr rudan snog an cois na h-obrach. Bha mi a’ smaoineachadh gum biodh bainnsean ’s bhiodh baisteadh ’s tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gun robh dealbh agam dha tòrr rudan àlainn a bhiodh a’ tachairt. ’S tha mi a’ creidsinn gu bheil mo shùilean air fosgladh gu mòr dha a h-uile seòrsa rud eile a dh’fhaodadh a bhith an lùib a bhith sa mhinistearalachd.
[Preseantair] Às dèidh a’ chiad bhliadhna mar mhinistear agus bean ministeir tha Alasdair agus Màiri air freumhaichean a chur sìos ann am Baile Dhubhthaich agus a-nis tha misneachd aca coimhead air adhart.
[Alasdair] Tha e a’ toirt greis mus tuig thu coitheanal agus bha ollamh agam anns a’ cholaiste a bhiodh a’ cantainn rinn “na atharraich càil anns a’ chiad bhliadhna”. ’S e reusanachadh a bh’ aige fhèin gun tuig thu carson a tha rud air a dhèanamh anns an dòigh anns a bheil e air a dhèanamh. Cha do rinn sinn tòrr atharrachaidh mar sin. Rudan beaga agus rudan tha mi a’ smaoineachadh gun robh taic ann air an son. Ach tha sinn a’ faicinn a-nis gu bheil, tha an eaglais ann am Baile Dhubhthaich rudeigin beag. Ghabhadh i ’s dòcha fichead duine eile air madainn Sàbainn. Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh ann am beagan bhliadhnaichean gum feumadh sinn togalach nas motha agus mar sin tha sinn air tòiseachadh a’ lorg làrach airson eaglais ùr air no togalach a th’ ann mar-thà a ghabhadh atharrachadh. ’S e rud math a tha sin gur e sin an duilgheadas a th’ againn – dìth àite.
[Màiri] Tha mis’ gu bhith seo gu brath tuilleadh! Chan eil mise a’ dol a lìonadh bucas tuilleadh! Tha mi a’ smaoineachadh dh’fheumadh an Cruthadair a dhèanamh gu math soilleir dhuinn gum biodh E ag iarraidh oirnn falbh mus fhalbhadh sinn taobh sam bith.
[Mairi] I thought that there would be lots of lovely things involved with the work. I thought that there would be weddings and baptisms and I think that I had a picture of lots of lovely things that would happen. And I think that my eyes have really been opened to all sorts of other things that could be involved in being in the ministry.
[Presenter] After the first year as minister and minister’s wife, Alasdair and Màiri, have put down roots in Tain and now they have confidence to look ahead.
[Alasdair] It takes a little while before you understand a congregation and I had a professor in the college that would say to us “don’t change anything in the first year”. The reasoning he had is that you will understand why something in done in the way. We didn’t make many changes like that. Little things and things I think that there was support for. But we see now that, the church in Tain is somewhat small. It could take perhaps twenty other people on a Sunday morning. I think in a few years that we could need a bigger building and therefore we have started looking for a site for a new church or an existing building that could be changed. That’s a good thing that that’s our problem – a lack of space.
[Mairi] I am going to be here forever! I am not going to fill another box again! I think the Creator would need to make it very clear to us that He wanted us to leave before we would leave for anywhere else.