The Solomon Islands with TSSF - Day Six:

Sunday. The programme said church at 6am, then breakfast at 8 with the brothers and chapter starting at 10. Could we start earlier? No, some people had commitments in their local parishes so would not be able to arrive until at least 10am. There was a service at 7.30am, so Sarah, Helen and I decided to go then, thinking that would give us plenty of time before chapter at 10am. We arrived late, to find 6am still going. That should have been a warning sign. 7.30 started at 8am, and after sermon, sung Eucharist, notices, long notices, and rev up about being a high church and so fasting after 12 midnight till after church including bettlenut and drink, we finished well after 10am. Lucky I had breakfast first. There are not extra prayer books, or hymn books. You bring your own. And the language has been simplified, so even the bits you think you know are hard to join in with because they are slightly different. But such and experience. The choir right in front belting it out. Clouds of incense, clouds, just wonderful with a thurifer who pumped that thurible, did 360’s, and had incense everywhere. The altar disappeared when sensed. Brilliant. Such colour and drama. Wonderful.

Then to chapter, and the area reports, which again were a missed bag of areas meeting or not, being involved in mission or not. Again I emphasised that lets build on what has been done and really get TSSF going in Melanesia. Included in this were reports from George on the mission to sex workers (which Fr Caulton ahs said needs to be changed to mission to the under-served. They really don’t like the whole talk about sex thing. Most of them men giggled through that report.) We also heard from Charles about Taronaira and Daton about his work with those with Disabilities. It is so good to hear from TSSF people who see their work as part of the TSSF mission. And certainly for Taronaira and the sex workers this was work specifically set up my TSSF. It is so inspiring really.

After lunch we affirmed the job descriptions, and then elected people for each post. We had only one accepted nomination for Regional Minister - Ambrose BBugota. After that I encouraged people to have a vote, and we did for every other post. Mostly those who had been in the posts were reaffirmed, which was great. I was very glad that Luisa was elected as treasurer, which means there is a woman involved. She will be very good for them. We charged through the rest of the business, including one election to life profession, finishing about 5.30. another long day.

Walter and his family

That night we went to novice Walter’s place for dinner with his family. What a privilege that was. Saying prayers with the whole extended family, including mummy and daddy, eating the most beautiful food, speeches from us including other TSSF members, and then reply from the family, more prayers and singing and then farewells. Such a good night.