Wilhelmina Elizabeth Aiken was born on 30th May 1961... a long name for such a tiny baby. As she grew up think she was relieved that she was simply known as Beth. She was born prematurely and weighed only 3lb 4oz. She spent the first month of her life in an incubator. It was very fitting then that later on she worked as a neo- natal nurse, caring for premature babies. We lived on a farm when we were growing up and had many different kinds of pets...budgies, rabbits, dogs and cats. Beth’s caring nature was always evident and I remember her having a favourite cat called Sooty ( no prizes for guessing what colour it was..we weren’t very original when naming our pets!!) Beth often tried to give the cat a bath which surprisingly enough he was not at all happy about. She would then wrap him up in a big red bath towel and take him for a walk in the doll’s pram. As children we role played many situations. I remember once we were pretending to go shopping. We were in the car. I was in the driver’s seat and Beth was the passenger. I leaned across to close the door and somehow managed to close Beth’s toes in the door. Another time Johnathan and I were digging a hole with a shovel...not a child’s plastic one but a real metal shovel which was probably taller than we were. There was an argument as to who would have the shovel so somehow Beth got in the way and as the shovel swung round it hit her under the nose. She liked to remind me of these incidents but she usually elaborated on the story by saying that we almost cut her nose off. She did have a scar to prove it. I’m reminded of a quotation I heard recently “ Sisters never quite forgive each other for what happened when they were five.” When Beth was about 11 years old she made a decision which would shape and influence the rest of her life. She made a choice to accept the Lord Jesus as her personal Saviour and Lord. She had been attending a mission at which my uncle was the speaker and one Friday evening on the way home from school she made her decision. Although she was just a young girl at the time, her faith grew stronger over the years and helped her through many situations which she faced. As we reached our teens we went off on holidays together. A vivid memory is a camping holiday in France. You may have heard of 3 men in a boat... well we were 4 girls in a Ford Fiesta! It was an interesting holiday to say the least. We drove down to the South of Ireland where we were going to take the ferry across to France. That night before we boarded the ferry, as we were driving along, the exhaust fell off the car! We couldn’t afford a top of the range tent so we had to settle for a 2 man tent which we had borrowed. We got lots of quizzical looks from people on the campsite as they watched us pitching the tent. They counted 4 of us then looked at the tent and wondered how we would all fit in. We did, tho it was a tight squeeze. When Beth was 18 she started her nursing career in the Ulster Hospital. She completed her general then her children’s qualifications. She planned to continue and do her midwifery training but as there were no vacancies in the Royal Hospital in Belfast she applied to Ayrshire Central and was accepted to start midwifery training in 1984. Around this time she attended Seagate Evangelical church in Troon, where she spent many happy years and made life -long friends. She worked for sometime as a sister in the neo-natal unit in Ayrshire Central, and then she felt she should go further afield. She was really interested in the work of VSO and in 1991 she went to work in the Maldives for 2 years. Now we think of the Maldives as an exotic holiday location but this was not the case when Beth was there. She was working in a hospital on one of the small islands which was quite primitive and not well resourced. Technology was not as it is today so she was only able to phone home when she went to one of the larger islands. While she was there she had many memorable experiences and made many friends. In 2011 Beth, Brian & Lois were able to go back to the Maldives on holiday and visit the hospital and some of the people Beth had worked with. When she came back to Scotland in 1993 she didn’t get her old job back so she started working in Yorkhill and the Queen Mother’s hospitals. She also studied part-time and obtained her BSc degree. I remember the first time Beth mentioned Brian’s name. She had been over in Ireland for a few days and I was driving her back to the airport when she told me she had met someone. Sometime later we met Brian and we could tell that the 2 of them complemented each other. Brian was calm, easy going and very laid back. When Beth got stressed out Brian was often heard to say “ How about a wee cup of tea? “ Beth had always had a sense of adventure and this took her to many places all over the world. She went to Peru, Nepal,Tanzania, Israel and India to name but a few. Once she phoned me and said that she and Brian were going to fly over to Newtownards (where we lived.) She said they would land in Newtownards airfield in the morning, have lunch with us , then fly back home in the evening. She then went on to explain that they would be flying in a 4 seater light aircraft and Brian would be the pilot. I remember thinking that she must either be very brave or totally mad. Of course I was sworn to secrecy so was not allowed to tell my parents until Beth & Brian were back on Scottish soil. Mum and Dad couldn’t quite believe that as they had been sitting at home having Sunday lunch, Beth and Brian were flying along the Antrim coast near to their house. In April 2001 Beth & Brian were married in Seagate Church in Troon. This gave some of the guests from Ireland an opportunity to wear a kilt for the day. It was a very memorable day but at the ceidilh it was very easy to spot the Irish contingent as they were the ones messing up the dances! The following year in May their daughter Lois was born and this brought great joy into their lives. Throughout their lives together Beth & Brian’s door was always open. People were more important to them than possessions. Last year they fostered a little girl for 8 months until Beth became ill. For the past 9 months Beth had endured many hospital appointments and tests ,she had spent time in hospital, and had numerous treatments. It was a rollercoaster of emotions as well...raised hopes then bitter disappointments. Through all this stressful time she held on to her faith in God and if anything her faith became stronger. She claimed God’s promises. Two of her favourite Psalms were Ps 46 & Ps 139 Verse 1 of Ps 46 says God is our refuge and strength an ever present help in trouble. Another promise which she held on to is found in Isaiah 43....When you pass through turbulent waters I will be close to you. Beth always put others before herself and even in the last few weeks when she was finding things difficult because of her illness she was still struggling to make gifts for those who had helped her in any way. We all have been touched by Beth in different ways and have our own special memories of someone who packed so much into her life and had such an influence for good. I would like to leave this thought with you as I finish. You cannot predict tomorrow. You cannot fully prepare for all of its contingencies. You cannot fully provide for all you’ll need in your future. God not only CAN but He already has! He is never caught off guard. He is never taken by surprise. He never comes up short. So you do not have to live with anxiety about the future. The peace filled heart is the one that recognises “My times are in His hands.”