In Nanuku settlement, guitar class members know what they like. By far the most popular tune at the moment is 'Hope Jo'hana', which was mentioned in a post not so long ago when I'd set the parable of 'wheat and weeds' to it. But now, as our current Confirmation class of six enthusiastic souls needs to learn The Apostles' Creed, I've reworked that too. Heresy? Nah - I think we're OK...
Araf, whose 8th birthday we celebrated last Saturday, also knows what he wants. He's addicted not to sweets and chips, but to eggs in any form: fried, boiled, poached - you name it.
He's now loads more confident in English and enjoying Maths too. He can count up to 100, this being significant for what's to follow. Nattering away a few weeks' back he was urging. 'It's my birthday soon Pastor Val - you're going to come to my party!!'
'Oh OK, thanks,' I said. 'Do you think you'll be getting presents? Here's a question, Araf: if you could choose anything at all in the world, what present would you like?'
His eyes lit up. 'I want 100 eggs!' he declared triumphantly.
A reader of this blog recently asked me in an e-mail, 'Do you actually do any work?'
Excuse me! Splutter of indignation. So, by way of reassurance, let me begin with a paragraph which is suitably haughty, affronted and self-justifying in tone.
Since the last post, Dear Reader, I've been doing yet MORE grant applications for our Extension Education's digital upgrade, and what a joy that task is - not; marked student assignments, naturally; pressed on with the edit of the next two BD courses; had numerous meetings including Women's Centre Advisory and Project PTCEE task group; sorted job description and advertised for Learning Systems Manager; begun preparing lectures to give at a forthcoming Bible Society event and of course interacted with and done the utmost to encourage those pressing on manfully and womanfully with our courses. The most recent interaction turned out to be more of a counselling session with someone newly enrolled who was - God bless them - almost paralysed with fear about handing in the first assignment. Seriously sweating and shaking. 'I don't want to fail - I've failed at so much in my life'. We had quite a long chat about the roots of that lack in confidence and some prayer, of course. All will be well, I'm quite sure.
So, the day to day ministry and mission of Distance Education and life in a busy College rolls along. Do feel free to send questions...
But in the meantime, here's a bit more of life beyond. Last Thursday was Diwali, a public holiday in Fiji, and I went in the afternoon with leaders from the Dudley Circuit for pastoral visiting to some local informal housing - the Suva Muslim League settlement - where six houses had burnt down the night before in a sudden fire and families had lost everything. Though no lives. What else matters, ultimately? We took some supplies and monetary donations, heard stories and attempted to offer words of encouragement, solidarity and prayers. It had been particularly difficult for fire trucks to reach the area because of the way the houses have sprung up over the years on an embankment overlooking the main road and interconnected by tiny concrete bridges and planked walkways. We'll visit again in a week or so with Deaconess Ruth Prakash and the local pastors, having mobilised some more resources. Moving to stand with Indo-Fijian Christians of the Methodist tradition loving their Fijian Muslim neighbours and responding rapidly with practical outreach. Thanks to Victor for rounding us up.
Areena, our Director of Finance at the College, a faithful Hindu in religious practice, invited me to visit her and her husband and family on Diwali. So after the pastoral visit, I headed a bit further out of Suva and enjoyed a really lovely time at their new home which they've built themselves. It's quite high up and with a veranda - brilliant for viewing the Diwali fireworks. Lots of delicious sweeties.Thanks, kind people...
Then it was to dear Nanuku late evening - the settlement Church I help out in - for more sweeties - #DiwaliSugarfest - and delicious snacks. It was drizzling gently with rain: probably a good thing on a fiery night. The over excited youth group, sugar hyped and fizzing with festivity grasped 'Pastor Val' by various elbows and wrists and with incessant, excited chatter, we visited homes, admired the posh houses dazzlingly illuminated on the big main road, and then trailed back down the mud tracks into the compound, with its wooden, tin-roofed housing similar to that earlier described. Firecrackers, explosions of multi-coloured stars and spurting pinwheels were going off in all directions. In Nanuku on Diwali night you have to neatly sidestep sizzling rockets and try not to have a coronary when something phenomenally loud and flashy fires off a few millimetres from your eardrum. The smoky, balmy air is alive with light and laughter, screams of delight and infectious giggles. At every home there are sweeties, smiles, snacks and saris. It's quite wonderful. Heartwarming. Spirit-lifting. Enormous fun.
Could Church be more like this? Now there's a topic for a future post.
Is it a 'Health and Safety' nightmare? Totally. At our College there are notices given in Chapel by people with stern and serious faces about, 'NO firecrackers on campus'. There's also the smog, the coughing and the carbon footprint. Will the Government, before too long, tighten up and clamp down? You know, I really hope not, and yet.... recall the first story on this blog? Here are a few Nanuku on Diwali night pictures.
In marked contrast, health and safety was greatly to the fore as some of us signed up for a 5k 'Yellow Ribbon' walk on Saturday organised by the Fiji Corrections Service.
So, having signed our lives away via the necessary legalities, we all set off at 7am on a kind morning with a breeze. It was a great event, superbly organised; all about supporting second chances for prisoners, rehabilitation into communities, etc. Fine stuff. I started off pounding the pavement with the College group but somehow fell into step with a couple who work for the Ministry of Defence and had a moving and deep theological conversation - as you do - about forgiveness, new starts, the trauma of past events that haunt the soul and how faith can help or hinder recovery. And that got me thinking about the global nature of that conversation. Although the examples on this occasion were Fiji-generated, it could have been taking place in any part of the world because, absolutely everywhere, damaged lives and souls seek restoration and reformation. Luther doesn't have the monopoly on that last bit. And so I'm asking God especially this week, as I know others are, to show us how we can most helpfully keep walking in step with those needing second chances. We thank our present Acting Principal, Selai, for encouraging us to take part.
Writing messages of hope for inmates on yellow ribbons which are then pinned onto the 'tree' boards below.
Wow. It was inspiring to attend the book launch hosted at PTC last Friday evening for some brand new Pacific theology publications, brought to birth through the creativity and hard graft of Revd Dr Upolu LumÄ Vaai, pictured below.
Dr Upolu would be the first to credit others too: co-editors Professor Unaisi Nabobo-Baba [University of Guam] and Director Aisake Casimira [Institute of Mission and Research, PTC]. And at the launch were a number of other highly distinguished Pacific academics. I felt very privileged to be there and hear them speak.
From the left, Director Casi as mentioned above; Dr Melani Anae [University of Auckland], Professor Konai Helu Thaman [University of the South Pacific], Dr Upolu, Professor Bill Ashcroft [University of New South Wales], Prof Unaisi, and Rev Prof. Orm Rush [Australia Catholic University].
Themes of relationality, interconnectedness and decolonisation are woven through the two texts: required reading and essential preparation for anyone coming to serve in this region, I would say. And tied in with the book launching, a new network is born - the Pacific Itulagi Research Network
Some of the eminent Professors had been put to work earlier, conducting the oral defence exam for one of our PhD students. I had been present at this nerve-tingling occasion as a 'scribe' - just note-taking, not speaking. But again, what a privilege to be there and to witness at first hand the spot-on, stupendously articulate and quite stunning defense given by our man in the hot seat. And here he is! Heartfelt congratulations Dr Faafetai Aiava.
And here's the celebratory lunch. [The new Dr had a steak, but secretly admitted his preference would probably have been a sleep!]
And now we're at the 10th of the 10th, and it's Fiji Independence Day. Hurrah! Here I am with Seru, my lovely neighbour, top chef and advisor on all things culinary in Fiji. Can't believe it's over three years since she patiently walked me around Suva's vast market, explaining what to do with wiggling crabs and fluffy, hairy seaweed.
And, predictably of course, there have been phenomenal Showers of Blessing on such a great day. Praise the Lord! God Bless Fiji [and soggy Suva].
