Tuesday 13th October

We have been suffering a heatwave here - though today is a bit cooler, cloudy and very windy. The ground is in dire need of rain, as this is spring and the eventual harvest depends on it. There was talk yesterday of the cattle that died around Zeerust – in the north of the diocese - last time there was an El Nino. The heat is very energy sapping!

All busy watching a toddler during the Collection.

Last Sunday I was in Jouberton, where I was based last year. I first went here in 2007 when a typhoon had destroyed the church and clergy house. The priest had to leave – some of the money for rebuilding had ‘disappeared’. So a new priest came, and began well, but left with no notice in December 2013, leaving a divided congregation. I filled in for 3 months, and when I left last March a new priest arrived. He lasted three months – and divided the congregation even further. So they have been without a fulltime priest since last June. Their troubled history shows – the congregation is smaller, all of the lay leaders are different and they are having great trouble paying their Share. No-one seemed to be doing any work with the children, and the number of servers is down. A new priest should arrive in January. Pray for that parish, its people and its new priest.

Later on Sunday the family took Letlotlo, the Bishop’s eldest daughter, back to school. She is sitting the equivalent of her GCSEs – and battling with Macbeth! Shakespeare is bad enough when your first language is English, goodness knows what it must be like if your culture and first language is Setswana. Leruo has to change schools in January, and hopefully today we shall know if he has been accepted at the first choice school. Ngata goes on her merry way, having a Top 10 badge in her year for academic work. They are all lovely children and a credit to +Steve and Brenda.

It is very busy in the Diocesan Office at the moment, tying up ends left after the Archbishop’s visit and the clergy retreat, and of course, preparing for Family Day on 25^th. I have been preparing the Service Book, but now am waiting for the Bishop to choose hymns and decide who is doing what so that I can finish it. +Steve is very busy interviewing clergy and church wardens about the clergy moves that he plans for January. At the Retreat I encouraged them to dream a dream, identify hopes, think what they would like to see in their obituary if they were to die in five years’ time. One person came out of his interview yesterday beaming – his dream already coming true!

I nearly didn’t get to see the Welsh match last Saturday – but in the end, as I was by myself, I went out for a meal to a place where it was being shown. Having lost, we now have to play South Africa. I think I shall be the only person in Klerksdorp shouting for Wales! But I shall keep my end up, wherever I end up watching it. I too can dream and hope!