Did you miss me?

I wondered if you might have wondered where I'd gone? But the answer is, nowhere: happily. It's been the long Summer holiday of course here: schools have only just gone back this week. And at PTC, loads of colleagues have been away from campus for quite a long stretch including the Principal, Academic Dean, Finance Director, Finance Team Leader and assorted Faculty members. When so many senior staff are all away at the same time, I'm not entirely sure how that works. But far be it from a mere overseas mission partner to express an opinion on local arrangements. We were given turns at being Acting Principal. My week was uneventful apart from needing to sign big cheques to deal with asbestos removal and attempt to persuade a couple of colleagues to kiss and make up. Not literally. Senior staff may be away but support and maintenance staff have been slogging it out to get all the logistics and practicalities sorted for another academic year. They requested cream buns with morning tea the other day. I more than happily obliged. They deserve 100 cream buns each, and more.

We've had about 10 new local student enrolments in the Extension Dept. during the 'holiday' and it really is wonderfully encouraging the way people drop by, share their testimonies and are so keen to embark, for example, on some Biblical studies or a more in depth look at Christian Ethics or Worship and Preaching or Pacific Church History. It helps that our office: double fronted, bright and sunny is the first one you come to after the main College gate. The kettle's usually on, there are never ending supplies of breakfast crackers in a big plastic box, and we bought ourselves a fridge as a Christmas present. 

People call in all the time, and conversations which start in a fairly formal and business-like manner on the topic of 'doing a course' become rich sharings about life and faith. Pastoral opportunities too. Many times, feelings of failure and rejection are spoken of emotionally. 'I flunked my school certificate and it devastated me'. 'I'm sure the Lord is calling me to some form of ministry but I'm so discouraged by my Church's systems and it takes so long'. Then the questions come about admission and enrolment with us. What are the hoops to jump through for Extension studies? It's going to be another experience of rejection here, right? 

'Well, if you're starting on the Certificate programme', I say, 'you just need to be able to read and write in reasonable English. We want to be an open door not a closed shop'.

'And when can I start?'

'Anytime. Now even, if you've got the course fee'. 

(Which turns out to be less than they'd anticipated usually, and we SO want to keep it that way, local income and funding streams permitting).

'And when do the classes start?'

'Well, you don't come to classes as such. You get on with it at your own pace and in your own time. Team up with other local students if you can - it's good to work in small groups. Local PTCEE students get together on a Friday for support and some input from me, so do come to that if you can. But if you can't, just come and have a chat whenever you've got a problem - we're always here'

We smile at each other. I always offer a prayer and it's always accepted with sincerity. Salome - ever encouraging - does the 'admin' bit at her desk and computer with efficiency and grace. And then they're all signed up.

When V, an early retired, professional women signed up the other day, she took my hand with tears welling up in her eyes. 'I've been saying to God for so long that I want to study, I want to study. And now he's made a way. This is my new start.'

New Year - new sign-ups. It's all very encouraging.

New preaching plans roll around too and I continue to be included at Wesley City Mission and Dudley which I'm humbled by and appreciate. At Wesley, we've just said goodbye to assistant minister Rev Viliame Fatiaki who was one of the friendliest and most welcoming ministers to me when I came here in August 2014. Instantly a brother in the Lord, along with his lovely family. It was sad, of course, but very uplifting to go to his farewell service and lunch. He's off to be a secondary school chaplain not far away in Nabua. That school's blessed, I can tell you.

I didn't know until the farewell service that Rev Vili had been in the youth group at Wesley many moons ago, and it was there he felt his call to ministry and was formed and shaped. Ex-youth group members got together at the lunch to sing a song that had meant a lot to them at that time. Click below to hear it. Rev Fatiaki's in the purple shirt on guitar. 

In nutritional news, you'll be delighted to hear that I discovered, purchased and consumed All Bran for the first time in 15 months. 

Except it's appeared here all of a sudden in a different guise....

Not to worry

Twiglets are us...

Those on campus from Vanuatu have been keeping an eye on their country's elections today. It all happened a bit by surprise. Pacific Beat reports:

Key points:

• Snap election called after half the government jailed for corruption
• A total of 264 candidates standing in 52 seats
• With 36 political parties involved, new government likely to be a complex coalition

A total of 264 candidates, standing in 52 seats, have had little more than seven weeks to campaign, so the reports say. Most are members of 36 political parties, many of which have formed in the lead-up to the election. There are still more than 50 independents in the mix. Observers have said one of the issues with the snap poll was that there were thousands of dead people still eligible to vote — some reports claiming as many as 55,000 registered voters were no longer alive.

As ever, our companions from Vanuatu here ask us to pray. 'We just need the prayers'.

And back in the office, and so that the new fridge wouldn't feel over conspicuous, we got new curtains to keep it company. This is where your Fund for World Mission money goes, friends...  A machinist in town ran them up for us in a jiffy. They're kind of a bark cloth pattern - tapa it's called. Sort of more authentic than the last lot which were rapidly disintegrating. Salome organised a splendid office Summer-clean up too, and while the furniture was out drying in the sun....

...she persuaded the faithful Josese, one of our Certificate students, to ascend to great heights inside and faff around with curtain poles. 

'How much do we have to pay you Jojo?' I enquired. 

'I'll do it for a free course,' came the answer. He didn't even blink.

They're smart these budding theologians. 

The First Of Jan

Happy New Year Everyone. Here's a prayer for us...

How was your Christmas?

Nativity at House 12, designed by Mercy and Josiah Neal

On the day, it was a full day, but a lovely day.

I'd gone to the Sacred Heart Cathedral for midnight mass on Xmas Eve (at 8pm, but that's when they do it). The Gospel, Luke 2.1-20, became a simple but spellbinding live nativity as young people walked us through the story and created the stable scene. It was done carefully, sensitively, and narrated skilfully, with no hurry or fuss. I was so impressed and admiring of the catechists who'd worked with the young people to achieve this. With 'nativity plays' I'm convinced we should trust the power of simplicity more, allowing the Gospel to live and breathe without undue decoration. 

In his sermon, The Archbishop of Suva, Peter Loy Chong, reminded us that no-one would have these nativity narratives without the witness and commitment of real disciples, on fire to share faith. 'We only have these stories to tell, because those who gave them to us had first found life through Jesus'. I've thought about that a lot and am grateful to him.

Up at 6.00 Christmas Day to be with my 'regulars' - the Nanuku congregation at 8.00. Deaconess Ruth Prakash took the service, wearing cheerful, festive red and gold instead of her usual Deaconess's blue and white uniform - a little to the congregation's surprise, but truly celebratory! It's always great to benefit from her brightness and energy. Little by little my comprehension of Fijian-Hindi is improving and I'm much better at the bhajans now. The only English-speaking service option I could get to after that was again at the Sacred Heart at 10. (The Prots had started early!) Fr Donal; retired, Irish, been in Suva forever, brimming with enthusiasm, presided at Word and Table. 'GOD becomes a BABY!' he exclaimed, eyes alight, face flushed, as though this had struck him for the first time. 'It's - it's an ENORMOUS mystery! God's love brought right down to earth in a smelly old stable. For us. Children - you MUST come and see baby Jesus in the crib after Mass'. And many did.

Back home about 12 in time to deliver the remaining plates of mince pies still waiting for a home. Food moves my way too: delicious plates of chicken and fish and fruit and coconut milk brought as gifts. It's most definitely the  Pacific way to share food with neighbours and ensure that no-one misses out on the Christmas feasting. You feel so blessed and humbled. The fridge groans and shudders slightly more than normal... 

Then Crystal Valerie - who else?! - makes her appearance along with Mum and Dad, kindly bearing gifts - and more food. It was so kind of them to come - a fair way by taxi - and make a Xmas Day visit to House 12. 

So then, it was time to settle down and raid the fridge, right? Well no, because Yogesh, a frequent and faithful colleague in ministry because of his taxi service! - invited me to his place to meet his wife Shobna, son Nelson and other family members. So, chauffered each way by his immense kindness, I had a lovely time getting to know Yogesh's folks, and was fed royally. Thanks everyone. You're the best.

And all of a sudden it was about 8.00pm. Some present unwrapping followed and then a number of Skypes, What's Apping and texting from 9pm onwards. Good to see and speak to Nigel and Richard and cousin David among others as their Xmas day was beginning and mine was ending.

My Christmas Day was peaceful, full of  worship, friendship, food and festivity. It was also uneventful weather-wise. Not so for those in flood damaged areas of the UK, Brazil, Argentina etc. Nor for those tornado-struck in the US. 

When we're enjoying peace and pleasure, we can't help but ache for those experiencing quite the opposite. And so we pray...

God, in coming to us as a vulnerable new-born,

you heighten our longing to shelter and protect those who need it most.

We give thanks for those who have opened inns and stables, homes and halls this Christmas, 
so that neighbours; known and unknown, 
may be kept warm, dry, secure and reassured. 
We praise you that, through their example,

Your Gospel Lives.

Amen

Chennai and Cumbria

Carols in Nanuku settlement

It's a bit blurry, but you can see we've been doing house-to-house carols around Nanuku settlement. A warm welcome from our Church members and our neighbours - Hindu or Christian - who are phenomenally generous with snacks along the way!

 

We've sung this little blessing at each home - an adapted verse of  'We are marching in the light of God'.

 

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year too; Merry Christmas, Happy New Year too!

Merry Christmas, Happy New Year too; Merry Christmas, Happy New Year too!

May God bless you, now and evermore; may God bless you now and evermore!

May God bless you, now and evermore; may God bless you now and evermore!

 



A doddle to remember, whatever your natural language, and seems to have gone down well. We offer it in love for your carol singing too!

 

If you read nothing else this Christmas....

With thanks to Sally Lowe for sharing...

REFUGEE

We think of him as safe beneath the steeple,

Or cosy in a crib beside the font,

But he is with a million displaced people

On the long road of weariness and want.

For even as we sing our final carol

His family is up and on that road,

Fleeing the wrath of someone else’s quarrel,

Glancing behind and shouldering their load.

Whilst Herod rages still from his dark tower

Christ clings to Mary, fingers tightly curled,

The lambs are slaughtered by the men of power,

And death squads spread their curse across the world.

But every Herod dies, and comes alone

To stand before the Lamb upon the throne.

Malcolm Guite

Nothing in depth and theological. (Though when you think about it....)

Cute baby photos!

Salome brought Crystal Valerie - my namesake (yaca) to the PTC staff party.

We're nearly 6 months old, smiley, know our own mind, and like Xmas tree lights very much.

We also have an ample collection of flowery hats and headgear that would put the Duchess of Cambridge to shame.

Let's hear it for

December doings

Did you have time to flick through the graduation album on the previous post? It's full of cheeriness, so if you need a bit of that in December, I recommend it. And talking about cheerful sights....

 

After graduation I went to Hong Kong for 10 days for a break and met up with cousin David. First time for 15 months to see family in the flesh as opposed to through Skype (they look pasty and aren't eating enough fish...) and I'm grateful to David for lugging back a suitcase full of Christmas presents to post for me in the UK! We stayed in walking distance from the harbour and enjoyed the peak tram, the Po Lin monastery and the Ngong Ping cable car among other delights.
 

 

 

We also heeded wise words on the metro....  

 

The residential College closes officially from 16 Dec to 6 January. A number of families have already left. Some are fortunate enough to go back to home places for holidays if finances and Church permissions allow. Some stay. So we're a reduced but jolly crew. The few Faculty who are around take turns to be Acting Principal and it's my week of unbridled power at the moment. So far this has included a worrying amount of cheque signing - though I'm assured that as soon as the dosh comes in it needs to go out somewhere, and I can see that's true. It's pretty hand to mouth. Unexpected sparks up a pole fizzed and crackled last Sunday leaving some houses, including where I stay, without power and it's a pain to get it fixed at the weekend. One day without electricity isn't a massive deal. It just so happened though, that 40 plus people from the Nanuku Congregation were coming carol singing around the campus that evening with food and fellowship at House 12 (Ogden residence) afterwards. Mmmm, I thought. No light or power. That'll be interesting. I consulted the stewards. 'Oh - we'll just take our plates down to the sea wall and have a picnic - they've got light there!' Good plan. And actually, if you walk a little further down the sea front to Suva Park, it's got lights and trees agogo, (c/o the ever-present Vodafone). With carols from local choirs most nights. See below....

 

 

In the end, my resourceful neighbour persuaded the Powerwise men to do something clever with wires, and behold there was light at 6.00pm and a mass of carol singers descended on House 12, not by candlelight.

 

Distance learning continues to have a life of its own and the assignments still roll in having little respect for the holidays. Quite right too. Also the 're-do's' as we call them: resubmitted work, some as a result of genuine and appreciable struggles, and some  because people who should know better were just messing about. What are the chances of 2016 being the year we conquer poor academic practice and plagiarism? I'll let you know next December!

 

I'll be getting the latest BD courses on the shelf over Dec and Jan: Biblical Exegesis awaits editing and Academic Skills needs fresh work. But it can be fulfilling doing that sort of work minus the restrictions of the Semester timetable, and in such glorious surroundings. Christmas services and celebrations will be in the Dudley Circuit and at Nanuku congregations.

 

If you've been following the Climate change discussions COP21-Paris 2015 #COP21, so have we, as you might well imagine. Our students from Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Kiribati, the Solomon Islands etc live these realities. We pray for the 12 December agreement to be translated into committed action. Mr Samuel Manetoali, Minister of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meterology of the Solomon Islands has been much quoted.

“Climate change is a man-made problem and can be addressed, here in Paris. We are the last generation that will be remembered to guarantee humanity’s survival. We have one shot at getting it right. Let us not fail our people and the future of humanity.”

Not a bad Christmas message.

If we're in gmail contact, there'll be a Christmas e-card coming your way. Here it is for blog readers too, with my love. Grace and peace for now and the New Year.