Less than a week away

So we've reached the last week of Advent.  I'm writing this on Tues 19th Dec and the College closed officially for its Christmas break on 15th. Campus opens again for 'business', as it were, on 9th Jan. But the resident PTC families and some other staff, including myself, are very much around and enjoying the gentler, more relaxed feel as we get things done but take a bit more time over them. I value the less regimented days on campus out of term time. 

Some families find themselves temporarily split over Xmas as Mum or Dad; whoever's studying, goes to the home island to carry out field research for their theses. Too expensive for all the family to travel. Much waving on Facebook across the islands and understandable bouts of homesickness. New people appear to take up temporary residence in some of the empty houses, plugging the gap between the end of one academic year and the next. That all helps with campus security. We're particularly blessed that former Principal Rev Dr Jovili Meo is spending some time resident here, in a low key way, for family reunions. Back on his former patch. There's a thud, thud, thud of nails being hammered into slats as wooden shutters are put up on some of the more vulnerable buildings. Cyclone season again. PTC prepares, though no signs of troubling activity up to now. May it stay that way.

I'm on the treadmill of editing BD courses again and the most recent: 'Explorations in Ecumenism' by our colleague Revd Dr Rayapppan Isaac has just been launched. Thanks Isaac! Here's Administrator Nisha and our new Learning Systems Manager Nitesh waving the finished product at the world.

Nitesh, who's recently joined the Extension department, is busy getting us up and running for online operations. Watch this space for a new year launch. It doesn't half take time sorting the 'tech' for these things though. 'Oh, that's straightforward!', we all think, and then something entertaining occurs which involves another bit of head scratching, a team consultation and a fix. All good though. I love the start of a project and seeing it through. Grateful for good colleagues who know what they're doing and go the extra mile.

When PTC campus closes, so does our Chapel, which has always seemed extremely odd to me. [But who am I....?] No daily prayer - no Advent services etc. We attend the local churches we go to on Sundays of course - and that's a good thing. There's life beyond campus - hallelujah! But it's just a marked contrast when daily worship and an active Chapel life during the week suddenly ceases.

So we opened up last Sunday afternoon, and for good reason. We held a memorial service for Sister Kathleen Kapei, much loved by our Melanesian community, who sadly passed away while visiting relatives in Papua New Guinea. She was formerly the Provincial Sister in charge of the Anglican Community of the Sisters of the Church in Solomon Islands and had a powerful, peace-making witness during turbulent times. There's a small tribute written to her here, part of which I'll paste below.

“If women and children can be recognized as equals of men and allowed to exercise their rights as human beings, then men and women, families, communities and the society at large will benefit.” Christian faith and love for local communities triggered Sister Kathleen’s work for the welfare of women and children, human rights, social justice, and peace in Solomon Islands. Prior to the social unrest and ethnic conflict in the late 1990s, women and children already faced discrimination relating to recognition, education, health and other social, economic, and cultural factors. The troubles worsened their situation: children could not go to school, women were raped, and general violence against women and children increased. Family survival became an issue in both the urban and the rural areas. The Sisters Household was located in the no-go (war) zone so for Sister Kathleen to work meant she risked being abused and harassed by both warring parties. But it also meant she could influence both sides, too. One day, because Sister Kathleen and her party had to work in between the two warring parties, both sides called a ceasefire for that day. On another occasion, Sister Kathleen and a member of the Melanesian Brotherhood were camped in between the two warring parties. That day, members of the Malaita Eagle Force signaled to them that they wanted to discuss something. The member of the Melanesian Brotherhood suggested that Sister Kathleen should go and talk because Solomons’ women are respected in culture and peacemaking. When Sister Kathleen arrived, the Malaita Eagle Force asked for permission to fight the other party for five minutes. With courage, Sister Kathleen refused permission. Her order was heard and respected during that day. These are only two examples of Sister Kathleen’s many involvements and peace building experiences during the troubles.

Very moving memories were shared during the service here from those who knew or worked with Sr Kathleen in the past and held her in their hearts. Here we are, giving thanks for a life passionately lived for justice, for reconciliation, for peace and for Christ.

Today involved a visit to mourn with the family and colleagues of the late Rev Esala Nasaroa, a minister of the Methodist Church in Fiji, and a former MTh graduate here at PTC in 2015. He died just a few days ago in a road traffic accident on Fiji's other main island, Vanua Levu, where he and the family had gone to see relatives for Christmas. A great shock; much coverage in the media etc. Talatala's wife Radini Temalesi does theological studies through our Extension department. We love her dearly and the family is so much in our prayers. Rev Esala was teaching at the Methodist Theological College and so a group of us went there today for the reguregu - the pre-funeral gathering. Burial will actually be on the other island where he'd travelled to: his village is there and the family farm. Here we are, sharing in preparations, devotions and the Fijian protocols which show deep respect and convey such immense meaning: the presentation of traditional mats, bark cloth, yaqona root and a whale's tooth, tabua. All accompanied by precise rituals of speech and gesture. We were formally led and guided in these matters by Rev Savenaca Vuetanavanua and Acting Principal Selai Tuidrokadroka. Vinaka vakalevu - many thanks to them. 

Rest in peace and rise in glory, Talatala Esala. Thanks for all the jokes especially. You brought us laughter and a lightness of spirit so many times. God Bless you for that.

Been carol singing yet? Ohhh we have! The irrepressible Nanuku congregation with assorted additions came to visit us last Sunday afternoon and we did the rounds of the houses here, being blessed with refreshments on the way, and ending up at mine for even more. This week during the evenings we're singing around the Nanuku settlement houses, rain and mud permitting... it's chucking it down again as I type. We therefore anticipate some very squelchy and less than Silent Nights...

It's tempting to adopt the popular belief that there isn't a lot of the above to be had at the moment; the state of the world being what it is. 

But friends, that's a worrying trend. An even slippier slope.

Lead us not into temptation.

A Blessed Christmas to you and yours