About Me

 

Welcome to Part of the Main!

My name is Betsy.

I am a Christian, a follower of Jesus, a receiver of grace and mercy, and a new creation. This means I was once lost but I’m found now and I’ll never be lost again. It means I am far from perfect but fully forgiven. I don’t know it all but I do know this: Jesus saved me on that famous cross and gave me an eternal life of knowing him . . . that surely is a beautiful inheritance!

I am married to Alex.

Alex is my best friend. He is a wonderful husband and father all of the time, a biblical scholar most of the time, and a football enthusiast whenever he gets the chance. He’s a sushi-eating optimist who’s interested in everything from grammar to rock-climbing. He’s perfect for me.

In the last several years Alex has completed his PhD in theology at Oxford, with a view to teaching and serving overseas in Christian education. We moved to Java in August of 2015. (A little more about our journey is here.)

I am the mommy in this family. We have four precious little ones.

Norah is our first baby, born in December 2008. Every day she’s a little taller. I tell her she grows sneakily, in the night. She’s always had a lot to say and we don’t want to miss a word. Norah’s our artist; she loves beauty and our home is knee-deep in her creations. She likes to help out, dress up, make-believe, and giggle. I call her “Sparky” because she’s full of zest–she wakes up each day not only bigger–but with greater enthusiasm for life.

Harriet is our sweet second child, born in England in November 2010. She’s a very jolly little dumpling. She’s full of fun and mischief. Especially mischief. Harriet loves story books and baby dolls and Norah, her fellow member of what they call “The Sister Club.” This one tends to collect affectionate nicknames–we call her “Wee Chicken Lickin’ ” and Norah has dubbed her “The Chocolate Bean.”

Hugh arrived in November of 2012. He has inherited his daddy’s adventure streak and Mommy’s full-time job is protecting him from himself. Hugh deeply loves all things automotive, with a special place in his heart for fire engines and tractors. When his grandpa sent him a new metal tractor for his third birthday recently his Daddy said, “Wow, Hugh, a new tractor!” Said our boy, “Daddy, that’s a John Deere.”

God gave us Walter in November 2014. He fully understands what is expected of a  fourth child and behaves accordingly, remaining at all times fat and happy. His cheeks are dreamy and we can all only just refrain from swallowing him whole. At this writing he boasts six teeth, two words, and the most powerful throwing arm I have ever seen on a baby.

We are overseas service workers and it is our privilege to live on this huge island.

I am a teacher by profession but at the minute I am the lady of the house.

I dream about becoming a writer, so this is where I write.