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7 April 2026
Praise
Travel Update:
Thankful to report that after 2 cancelled flights I finally arrived home (for expected period of 4.5 weeks) after an eventful 33-hour journey! With Bahrain airspace closed, I travelled 5 hrs by car from Bahrain to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) through a sandstorm. From there I flew to Dubai where I had a 6.5 hr layover – passing quicker than expected due to having been evacuated along with all other airport travellers to the basement after police issued a missile warning. Amazingly we left Dubai only 20 mins behind schedule, arriving in Glasgow with just enough time for me to catch the last bus home to Skye. The snow followed us all the way to Spean Bridge.
Health Update
With uncertainty about whether I would be able to travel home for my first yearly cancer scan, I decided to get the necessary scans done locally, particularly as I had recently experienced some discomfort in the area where I had surgery last year. The ultrasound and MRI both showed some abnormalities, although it is not yet clear what this represents – a further biopsy was recommended. However, after taking advice from friends and family back home, it was felt, as flights were available from Saudi, it would be best for me to return home and continue with my planned annual check-up here (17 April), where I would be in a better position for any further investigation or treatment if required.
Bahrain situation update
I am very thankful to God for His protection over the past five and a half weeks during the conflict affecting Bahrain and, I am deeply grateful for your prayers and believe the peace I have been experiencing is a result of those prayers. Thank you for strengthening me from afar. Prayers are higher than any missiles. Since the last update, the situation has remained largely unchanged — it has not worsened, but neither has it improved. There continue to be consistent sirens and blasts heard daily. Despite this, life for many people is continuing as normal as possible under
the circumstances.
Kiosk update
It has been a joy to see many Bibles being sold during this period of which many were to locals as well as to have very meaningful conversations. To mention only a few stories: one young local Bahraini girl dropped by asking to buy a Bible. She was particularly interested to know what the Bible says about the End Times, especially in light of the current war situation. She asked many thoughtful questions and expressed a desire to return to continue the conversation after she had begun reading. The night before I left, two young local lads passing by were surprised to see Bibles being sold in Bahrain. One shared that he always wanted to read the Bible and more so now because of the war. His friend also expressed interest but was concerned about taking a Bible home in case his parents found out. His friend kindly said he would share his with him. My colleagues messaged me yesterday saying another young local lad purchased five Bibles – one for himself and four to give out to his friends! One Saudi man stopped by the kiosk after noticing the Bibles and browsed for some time before finally purchasing two different translations. He shared that he first read the Bible in 2012 after being exposed to it at a UK hotel he stayed in while visiting his married sister who was living in UK. Two weeks later during another visit to Bahrain he bought another Bible, the book of Genesis with explanatory notes and an Arabic Commentary on the Bible. The following day he came back asking if we had other books of the Bible with explanatory notes. He left delighted with the Arabic NIV Full Study Bible! Another Saudi man passing by stopped suddenly surprised to see the large Sharif Arabic Bible on display. He asked if he could look inside it – satisfied with what he saw he then purchased it – sharing that during a vacation to Switzerland, in 2014, he was given a Bible the same as the one he was holding – he however had to leave it behind because Bibles were prohibited in his country.
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