Water features

The thing is, it's been a bit wet...

It was a temporary flood, however, caused by a thumping downpour and a drain that couldn't be bothered to make an effort. My heroic neighbours Judah and Joaf cleared leaves and gunk away from it and I wandered around poking things and being cheerful. 

Drainage on campus isn't great. Student houses can suffer much more I'm told, being on slightly lower ground. We're also awfully near the sea wall if big stuff were to happen. No warnings as yet though. 

Here's the sea, come to mention it, and my terrific new neighbours Jeffy and Julia from the house opposite having a more conventional paddle in Laucala Bay just up the road. We had a little outing together last weekend - just an excuse to go for ice cream really..

Their Dad, the Revd Dr Rayappan Isaac joined the staff last month to teach Church History and together with Mum - whose name is Fragrance - it's just great to have them around. They come to the Pacific Theological College from Tamilnadu Theological Seminary in South India: a place that I always feel I know personally from SO many contacts, colleagues and interactions with it over the years, especially in Birmingham at Selly Oak and the Queen's Foundation. So it's good to be brought up to date with news of TTS yet again and one day - God willing - I'll pay a visit to the great place in flesh not just in spirit.

How was your Valentine's Day? We went to Suva's picnic park, 'we' being the Pastoral group I now have the pleasure of gathering together and offering a pastoral hand to. We're about ten families and I hope, perhaps, some will agree to be featured on the blog sometimes and share a little about themselves. Interesting people - fascinating stories. Here we are on the big tarpaulin in the park sharing food. 

Everyone brought a plate. When that instruction is given in Fiji it means, 'Bring a plate - but full of food, please'. Some have been caught out, apparently, turning up dutifully to events with 'a plate' and nothing more than a hopeful smile because that's what was literally requested! It's quite normal at an outdoor picnic I discovered, to invite passers-by to come and eat too, with a friendly cry of 'kana!' - roughly translated as food/eating here! - and a beckoning hand. One brother strolling past did join us: a street seller hoping to find customers for little packs of earrings. I'm afraid sales were poor on that occasion, but hopefully dinner was good and we were glad of his company. We enjoyed Valentine's Day prayers in the park as well - here's the little card I made for everyone from which we sang and read the Scriptures together.

I've mentioned in passing that Suva is a stopping off point for many a cruise ship. P&O's Arcadia (with the yellow funnel), currently doing 'The World' having started in Southampton, graced our shores last Monday 16th February.

And out of all the ships on all the seas in all the world, my friends Desmond and Litsa (I've known Desmond since Reigate days in the mid 1980s, heaven help us) were on it and arranged for it to drop anchor (or whatever they do) in Suva on my birthday. (To be fair, you've probably guessed that P&O's itinerary had fortuitously arranged it that way!) 



So it was a joy to see them and they came up to the College to see the set up, meet everyone and share a special morning tea. You can probably spot them in the second row...

It was a lovely time and it got us all thinking.... What about future opportunities for contact and conversation with passing travellers? I mean, where do Suva's cruise 'day trippers' usually go? And what quality of impressions and encounters do they manage to have? They don't have a great deal of time: off the boat at 9am and back on board at 4pm. They're around the shops I suppose? Maybe taking a whistle-stop taxi tour? But what about coming to US: to meet an amazing community of Church leaders and their families from diverse islands across the Pacific. Perhaps we could offer a short lecture/presentation about the place, a walk around the glorious campus, and for sure we know how to put on a great morning tea or an early light lunch. It's a thought, eh? 

Here's what Desmond and Litsa's e-mail said in retrospect.

Dear Val,

Thank you so much for the pictures and the hospitality you and your colleagues showed  We loved it and will remember it for a long long time.

Please give everyone our love and thanks for their warm welcome. The atmosphere and sense of friendship was tangible.

There's ministry beckoning...

Here's Salome, our administrator in the Education by Extension Department, trying to sign them up for a course. 'Plenty of time for reading on that ship!' She's unstoppable..

And here we are with Finau and Seru. When I said, 'We know how to put on a great morning tea...' what I meant of course was that Seru and her team do! Thanks ladies.