All done and dusted!

It’s Sunday evening, and I’ve just seen Man City win the League Cup – well the bits for which I could keep my eyes open! This morning we had the Confirmation service for 53 people. I typed name cards for each of them - it was the only way to ensure that my list corresponded with those who came and that I had the names spelt correctly. When you’re dealing with names like Thabiso Johannes Gadinabokao or Tebogo Obed Gaselalelwe life is not easy! And, of course, they all had to be written into the register. We began on time at 08.00, but I was still holding 3 candidates name cards. In the end all was well – and they were actually all present. Everything went according to plan, and when we finally processed out of the church at 12.30 +Steve’s comment to me was that it had been a short service!! Apparently no-one had expected it to finish before 13.00, but I had applied a little unAfrican organisation to the way the candidates went forward, which was what saved most of the time. It took almost half an hour for the Bishop to bless the children at the end of the service. They don’t come to the altar with their parents or Sunday School teachers – they all come afterwards. I had thought that after the confirmation the numbers would be halved – not a bit of it. I think they must have all made a special effort to be there today. There were just as many as last week, and +Steve gave them all a time-consuming episcopal blessing. In the meantime the congregation were singing their hearts – and lungs – out. It was deafening. If I was staying here longer, the blessings would have to change, but as I only have four more Sundays in Matlosane and for two of those I will be away from Jouberton, it seems a little late to do anything now. Let the new priest sort it out when he arrives. Today’s was a joyous service of dedication – but, as the church warden said, we shall see how many are there next Sunday.

Afterwards there was lunch for the Bishop and Church Council – and me. But I was also invited to the lunch given by my host’s family, because one of them had been confirmed. It reminded me of the Christmass episode of the Vicar of Dibley, where she accepted 3 invitations to lunch. I went to both, eating mainly at the first, but unable to say No to pudding and custard at the second.

As to the rest of the week, it has mainly been taken up with the preparations and admin for today. Friday I spent time working with Ruth on the Diocesan website, which will one day see the light of day, we’re just not sure which day!

Yesterday it was St David’s Day and I didn’t have time to make welsh cakes, and I had no daffodil to wear. It felt very odd. It was also the Community of St Chad Festival Service – and having been heavily involved in the last two, I sent Philip a ‘Greeting’ for everyone, which I hoped he’d read out at the service. Modern methods of communication make our world so small – but it has taken 4 weeks for a birthday card I sent by Air Mail to England to arrive. Given that there are daily flights direct to the UK, you wonder where the hold-up is.

This week brings Ash Wednesday and Lent. That means being in Jouberton after dark on Wednesday, and I’m a little wary of that. Even in the day light it’s not safe for a white woman to be driving around alone - I happily drive to the church, but after that I always have at least one man with me. So I think that it will have to be convoy to the main road after the service on Wednesday.

Life is now beginning to slow down a bit, and I’m hoping to have time to do some of the reading I wanted to do, a bit of reflecting on all I have been doing, and be a bit of a tourist. We shall see!