A three week update...

Wow! It must be three weeks since I last posted because Bonnie and Wink have left and are on their way back to Virginia. It was great having them and listening to their various reactions to things. They feel there has been quite a change in PG in the last two years – people in general not as appreciative or friendly – is that the result of increasing, though still very small, prosperity?


Wink was able to do a number of chores that were needed around the church. He also discovered that one of the support beams under a water tank had rotted and broken. The whole tank had to be drained by cutting a hole in the outlet pipe. Some new lumber and a pipe repair job should get things back in order soon. In the meantime, I still have one tank to work from, and we are hooked up with the town water if necessary. But if he hadn’t noticed what was happening the whole system might have collapsed.

This weekend is the celebration of the Garifuna Settlement in Belize – all-night parties and all-day drumming, fishing derby, beauty pageant, etc. Most of my congregation was at a fundraising event instead of being at church this morning! But we did have 4 visitors, making 8 of us all together. And I was preaching on how we need to wait actively and prayerfully on the Lord as we look at St. Joseph's future (including not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some!).

As far as I know there will be no priest here when I leave and the nearest one will be about 2 ½ hours drive away and already very busy. Please do pray that we will be wise in our waiting and our preparation for 2007.


Two weeks ago we cancelled church here so that I could go along with a dozen parishioners to the villages of Punta Negra and Monkey River for their Harvest Services. Fortunately the weather was fine and not too hot as we were traveling by boat. The trip cost a whopping $400US! They were good services. At Monkey River the school children (about 70) attended and presented a program. Then we had Baptism and Eucharist. It was Deacon Tess who led the last service in St. Stephen’s Church, and she returned to Canada almost one year ago.

Christ the King Sunday is just ahead and then Advent! I would really like to be winding down over these last few weeks, but I guess that will have to wait until Christmas week. I suppose that should be plenty of time.

Pictures: (Click to enlarge)
Bonnie with Youth Group and SI preparing a banner
Wink enjoying a day off at Placencia
SI with Joseph Moreira, teacher and lay reader at Punta Negra