Sunday, Feb 18th

The morning came early – 5:30 a.m. (I wonder if I’ll become a morning person after a few months of these hours?) and my usual pre-worship nerves were present. I spent an hour going through the service and my sermon in my head. A small sip of orange juice and it was time to get ready to go. I become very interior in that time before worship and this morning I was challenged by having to focus hard on the driving and chat with Basil. When I arrived at South District, Jenny was already there with a wonderful smile and a hearty greeting. No staying inside myself now – what I have prepared and memorized will be as good as it gets – always good to know that the Holy Spirit can usually find something to work with! I rely on this partner – she has always been hovering and helping and prodding.

By 8:00 a.m. a few people had gathered for worship. Basil had previously informed me that many people come late to church. Over the years, the church has had to decide between being rigid about coming on time or not at all, or welcoming people whenever they could get there. I’m glad they opted for the later. By 8:30 the congregation had swelled from about 9 people to probably around 50. A few more children arrived after that as parents dropped them off closer to 9 (don’t forget, the children stay in church for the whole time of worship and then go for an hour of Church School).

It was time for my “Children’s Time” and I surprised them by inviting all the young people up to the front. I had stickers for them and openly admitted my pale attempts of bribery. The children asked questions of my family and my church. I always find it so calming to talk with children, even if you have to be ready for the most profound questions or answers. We then talked a few minutes about who they could go to for encouragement when they had a challenge of some kind. They had their list – friends, family, teachers, pastors. I summarized the Transfiguration Story from the angle of the human Jesus needed a lot of encouragement to go forward into Jerusalem, knowing that he was in big trouble and may get killed. In that story, Jesus got help from 2 of the “big” prophets who had “been there, done that” and from God. God came with a voice of affirmation and a presence that even the disciples understood clearly. Then I invited the children to take some little books and crayons that I had brought and draw some pictures of Jesus. I plan to bring these pictures back to the children in my home congregation when I return.

The service included hymns that were in The United Church’s ‘Voices United’ as well as the Methodist Hymnbook. I shared this with the congregation, noting that music is often the way in which we can touch the universal Body of Christ. My sermon was in a simple story-telling format. (My last pastoral charge encouraged me to develop that style as they found it a very accessible way for whatever the message might be. My interview team for ordination further challenged me to develop my sermons with “the Bible in one hand and life in the other”.)

Before I knew it, it was 9:45 and the last hymn was being sung. And my goodness, was it being sung! That is certainly one thing I have noticed over and over again – those gathered for worship sing with such gusto – full harmonies, bodies engaged, and faces expressing the feelings – what wonderful moments to witness.

After church and many kind words of welcome, it was time for the children to start rehearsing for their Harvest Cantata. As the mom’s were busy handing out poems and readings to individual children to memorize, I found myself looking after the 2 youngest children – a little boy of 11 months and a young girl of about 3 years. That was a treat for me and the mom’s were very grateful for that help so that they could focus on the other children.

By 11 a.m. things seemed to be coming together for the children and it was time to go home. Older children scurried to the cookie jar and all shared some snacks and relaxed. We had to wait about 10 minutes to leave to building because, as it often does, the sky just opened up and it poured! The children were grumbling because it felt cold to them so I shared them stories of the snowfall back in Ontario which made this rain feel very warm to me. They looked at me a little strange when I teased them about asking my family to mail some snowballs to them. But quickly the young boys caught the idea of how much fun it would be to have a snowball fight and they began an imitation one! The rain stopped and we all went outside in various directions to our homes.

The afternoon was quiet after lunch. I enjoyed the side garden, a little bit of sun and the sounds of life. Before I knew it, it was time to get ready for the harvest cantata at Dalkeith Church in south Bridgetown. I was picking up 2 of the women from South District church and bringing them into Town. I was glad to have the company and the opportunity to get to know the people from South District a little more.

The service was enjoyable with a large mixture of younger and older participating. The church smelled of citrus fruits and breads and the children were delightful to watch. The oldest member of the congregation (late 80’s?) came up and sang a song that somehow transported me into my imagings of life 100 years ago when songs gave hope and songs were a gift that were shared in the midst of hardships. The man then played a hymn on his harmonica and it reminded me of my own extended family and their roots in “Down East” music (East Coast music with its strong Celtic influences).

The evening finished and I became somewhat anxiously aware that it was quickly getting dark and I needed to drive everyone home yet! Stepping quickly into the parking lot, I soon realized that quickness was not needed. The whole parking lot was jammed and blocked – we were not going to be moving anywhere soon. There was nothing to do but try and relax and say a few prayers for safety. After 20 minutes or so, there were some encouraging movements of a few vehicles. We got in the car and were directed out into a little laneway where I inched between bushes and cars. A deep breath and we were on the main road. This part of the drive was not so bad because we were in the City with its street lights and traffic lights. Then came the turn onto the country road! To have some appreciation of the challenges, one needs to know that there are no shoulders, no line marking, often just rock walls on the left and car lights appearing around bends out of nowhere (and left-hand driving!). I drove painfully slow through the countryside but the women were very encouraging. Made it back to South District and was relieved to some degree knowing that the road back to Rose Hill was generally wider and lit up by houses in many spots along the way.

When I got back, I sighed with relief and said a quick prayer of thanks – I am sure that Basil and Mary were very relieved as well. That journey sapped me of any remaining energy from a long day. A quick call home to my family and I was ready for bed! But it was good day, a very good day – till next time,

Blessings!

Saturday tour

Saturday was a day of varied experiences. The Forbes’ welcomed friends from Louisiana who had put to port in Bridgetown for the day. Basil had arranged for a van to take the 6 of us touring (little Nathan came along!). As we began the journey, we went past the airport. It was nice to see it from a bit of a distance for there are some attractive architectural features. I had been far to preoccupied to notice anything on the day that I arrived.

The east coast of Barbados is far more rugged in its coastline features than I had seem before. I also noted more market gardening lands with peppers, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers and spinach. The earth appeared rich and loamy. I saw a few “black-bellied” goats but few other farm animals. I noted to Mary that I didn’t see very many chickens wandering around, something that was perhaps more common in other parts of the Caribbean. She explained the nearly all the chickens are now raised commercially in barns because of the health risks. A few of the “oldtimers” may still have them in the rural areas.

Our first stop at Ragged Point was the site of the abandoned East Point Lighthouse. It had been erected as one of the many that ringed the island in order to provide protection against pirates and enemy ships. Information from the lighthouses would be conveyed to Gun Hill at the height of the island through a series of flags. Because of this defense system on this small island, Barbados had a relatively quiet history and was rare compared to other islands in the West Indies in its continuous rule by the British Monarchy. I came across a similar flag relay system of defense when I visited Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada this past fall. The view of the Atlantic Ocean from this location was wonderful.

As we drove along the coast there was a notable amount of new construction of homes. Although there was a mixture of styles, many were indeed large homes; in fact, these homes are referred to as villas. Basil explained that these homes are being built by Barbadians who had left the island to work and live overseas for most of their lives. Leaving their lucrative careers and nearing retirement, the former residents are returning “home” in substantial numbers. They are building homes that would be similar in size and comforts to that which they have left behind.

Further up the coast we stopped at St. Mark’s Anglican Church located on Conset Bay. The presence of the Anglican Church is evident everywhere on this island from the names of the parishes, to the names of schools and certainly in the visual landscape with cemeteries and steeples on hills doting the countryside. This grave marker is dated 1881. In the background you can see the East Point Lighthouse. Walking about this site certainly gave me an appreciation of the ruggedness and tenacity of the first missionaries that brought the religion of the English Monarchy.

Our last stop was further north at St. John’s Anglican Church, one of the oldest on the island (1645). Judging by the number of tourist taxis and vans in the parking lot and the small scale vendors under the shade trees, it was a popular stop on the tours around the island. The inside of the church was beautiful, stately and rich in its use of mahogany woods. What was very unusual was the cemetery that spanned the area between the church building and the cliff. There were many, many family crypts – stairs leading down to a sealed door with an ornate structure on top. As you can see from this one example, the names were inscribed over time as family members “ passed over”. There was one crypt that had obviously had a fairly recent burial. What I noted was a maybe a 1 ½ ft x 1 ft hole that had been broken through on the side and resealed with cement. The hole would have been just large enough to slide the cremated remains of the deceased into the crypt. The plaque above this recent addition had the date 2005 on it.

Some crypts were not as ornate nor necessarily in such good condition. But they were all equally fascinating! The landscape was mature and added almost a park-like feel to this special cemetery at the cliff of the island. There was certainly a sense of wholeness and balance in the scene aided somewhat to my eye, by the fascinating tree that looked dead yet flowered beautifully at the ends of its branches! By the time we finished walking around and taking in the special nature of this place, the tours had all disappeared leaving me with an opportunity to speak to one of the young vendors. Making beaded, metal and leather bracelets and necklaces I guessed this man to be a Rastafajarian by his long dreadlocks. His name was Andrew and he lived in the village below the church for most of his life. He just smiled when I asked if he enjoyed or grew tired of the rhythm of the tourists coming in and out and kept working on his craft.

It was time to head home. This leg of the trip took us through the middle of the island, through old plantations, much older vegetation than I saw anywhere else on the island so far, irrigation ponds and systems, fruit trees, including grapefruit, mangoes, banana as well as larger market gardens. It was beautiful and restful on the eyes and nourishing for the spirit.

When we arrived home, the typical Bajan Saturday lunch awaited us – Pudding and Souse (see former blog). I felt like an “old hand” at eating this food and thought of my own friends and family that would likely find themselves picking through the fare in a similar fashion to Basil and Mary’s American friends. I chuckled to myself and remarked how similar people are when we go into different cultures and begin to sample their foods. After lunch, Basil took the guests back to Bridgetown for some shopping.

The rest of the afternoon and evening were spent re-writing my sermon for the next morning as well as finalizing the worship service. I went to bed early for it would be a very early start for this “non-morning” person.

Thanks for visiting - come again!

Heading into the weekend

Thursday night was my first “social event” – choir practice!! South District is starting to prepare for their harvest cantata and they formed a choir for that. It was very nice to meet some of the people outside of a worship context. Fortunately I read music so I could pick up the soprano line quite readily. We were practicing 3 songs with 1 more to come next week. Thank goodness for all the singing in my last pastoral charge in Port Dalhousie – they certainly have some high melody notes! I went with Mary because I’m still not anywhere confident enough to drive at night. It was good to do something together.

Friday morning I was off again to Bridgetown for a meeting of all the pastors in Bethel Circuit. It was a good thing that I left extra early because I managed to miss a turn as I was getting into the thick of traffic in the heart of the city. Did a few extra circles around but found my way to the office nonetheless and on time!

There are 6 Churches in the Bethel Circuit. Somehow, I was expecting 6 pastors to be at this meeting. This speaks to my assumptions of my experience with The United Church which has been solo ministry (one minister for one congregation) or team ministry (several ministers in a larger congregation). The UCC does have plenty of multiple pastoral charges throughout the country but this does not shape my personal experience. Rev. Bourne is responsible for 3 churches – South District, Vauxhall and Dalkeith. He is the minister that I will be working with most closely throughout my time here.

The meeting was very fruitful in that I met informally with Rev. Bourne, Rev. Walfall (my Learning Supervisor), Rev. Dalaney and Rev. Saunders (chaplain). As well, schedules for several months were provided which began to structure my time here in Barbados. We began by finalizing details for Ash Wednesday (I’m reading Scripture), Maundy Thursday (I’m preaching), Lenten Study every Wednesday (on the book of Revelation and I’m doing the 3rd in a series which I do not know yet what that may be) and then there is a week of Evangelistic Services in March, a Children’s Evangelistic Training Program on 2 Saturdays, a Preacher’s training course and ongoing Harvest Cantatas for the next many weeks. These are the Circuit Events (kind of like Presbytery events) and we are expected to attend all. Now the planning of my time at the churches can be planned accordingly.

After the meeting, food appeared as if out of nowhere – homemade garlic bread, raisin biscuits, whole wheat buns – all still warm – butter and jellies, lasagna and some fruit and drinks. I sampled the baked goods and shared some conversation with Cheryl who is the manager of the Circuit Office. Others sat down and had a hearty meal before they left for their respective ministries for the day.

The rest of the afternoon was free so this time, I wandered to a shopping mall. Located like most shopping malls, this one was by one of the major interchanges well away from the heart of Bridgetown. Conclusion? Some things don’t change from country to country! There was a food court, clothing stoes, children’s stores, electronic shops, furniture stores, book stores, phone shops (I had to top up my cell phone), hardware, decorating and touristy type stores. It was interesting to check it out but not being a “mall person” back home, I have to admit that I had far more fun on the next part of my adventure for the day – the grocery store!

To get to that grocery store, I had to ask a woman standing in the shade outside the doors of the mall for directions (its not marked on the map so I couldn’t begin to figure this out by myself). Within a minute of starting the conversation, we were bustling towards her flatbed truck and “my car”. I followed her for about 10 mins and then she pulled into the parking lot of the grocery store I was seeking. We both parked and walked into the store together. I thanked her and we went our separate ways – sweet lady!!

I was intent on buying some groceries for the Forbes household since Mary makes supper for all of us every night. I spent nearly 2 hours wandering every aisle in this supermarket. It was fascinating for me to see common products and different products. A couple of things that stood out in my mind:
1) almost all the containers of juices are actually fruit drinks – I had to really search for a carton of regular unsweetened orange juice, not from concentrate (again, this simply shows my dietary preferences);
2) the Healthy Request line of soups that we have in Ontario appeared to have at least 3x the number of options, including fish based soups and gumbo soups;
3) there was a huge selection of vegetarian and gluten free products (gluten free I’m not sure about, but I believe that all serious Rastafarians are vegetarians as well – someone can correct me on that if that is not so)
4) the fish selection was much, much bigger but almost all of it appeared to be frozen – I didn’t stop to examine where the fish came from – local or imported – West Indies or elsewhere
5) there was a deli type section that had mostly cheese and BBQ chicken as well as a limited take-out section
6) most of the vegetables and fruit were common – I was surprised how much of the fruit came from the States just like us. Also, I had learned that there is a big difference between sweet potatoes and yams (we seem to use them interchangeably at home). There were several different looking yams, including one that one of the older ladies told me originated from Africa and was brought here by the slaves; and
7) the extent of sugar enriched products and correspondingly, the extent of the “sugar-free” section of products (I was told that Barbados has a significant number of people with diabetes)

Well after all that observing (surprise, surprise) and the shopping, I was ready to head home. There was a very pleasant teen girl that packaged all my bags, put them in a cart and loaded them into my car. I wonder if this is one of the ways that the businesses provide some employment for teenagers because there were essentially 2 teens for every checkout! Interesting. I made it back to Rose Hill with no further complications and was glad to be back. I stopped for a moment to watch them cutting the sugar can on the plantation - interesting machine! It has been a good day of experiencing other parts of life in Barbados.

Time to go …guests have arrived from the cruise ship and Basil has made arrangements for a mini-van so he can tour all of us around a bit of the island.
Till next time….blessings.

Thanks for visiting - come again!

back again!

sorry for being away - turns out blogspot and explorer are not happy together these days -

I'm half a week behind but here's a posting...

Thursday, February 15, 2007

<>Sitting on the side veranda this morning for my devotions, there was a freshness to the breeze that I had not sense earlier – is it that I am becoming more acclimatized or I wonder if yesterday’s independence has created a freshness to my general state of being?

Let me share that day – it started out trying to figure out how to get me into Bridgetown because Basil was still quite sick and Mary was waiting for little Nathan to come for the day. Well, after a few phone calls, it turned out that I was going to drive “my” car (on lease by the MCCA) on my own and that Mary was going to drive behind me with Basil just to make sure I got there OK. Well, off I went, nervous but OK – past St. George’s church, past the gas station, watch that corner with the fast traffic, through the small town and then the 1^st round-about! We had decided it would be easier to get to the city by a different route than the one I had practiced with Basil, so, no sweat – just turning left at this round-about – only one lane of traffic to watch. All went well and I remembered to stay on the left!! Then, the dreaded round-about where I had to go round to go straight!

Deep breath, stay calm, watch for everything and then – go! Well I did it (only later was I told that I almost got clipped by an inside car that I can’t even remember seeing. My prayers for a 5 foot safety zone all around the vehicle worked that moment!). Well I arrived in time for the meeting and Basil and Mary turned around to go home.

The meeting was with Rev. Paul Walfall who is my Learning Supervisor and with Rev. Bourne who is responsible for the pastoral needs of the 2 congregations that I have been assigned to. It was a very cordial and productive meeting because Rev. Walfall had obviously read the internship material sent from The United Church of Canada along with all the material I had sent. Also I had spent Monday and Tuesday of this week working on my draft learning goals and had a fairly clear idea of what learning I wish to accomplish with my time in Barbados. Everything seemed to mesh surprisingly well.

After this meeting, I decided to explore a bit of Bridgetown while making my way down to the Royal Bank of Canada for some business. The inner wharf is only a block away from the District Office where the meeting was and it has recently been renovated for the upcoming Cricket World Cup. The plaza that has been created is quite beautiful and opens up this central part of the city. I believe the open air market used to be here and I wonder what has happened to it?

Walking across the pedestrian bridge, it was funny to experience myself looking as a tourist but not being a tourist and not being a local. I was aware of these differences and I was equally aware that they seemed to matter to me. Walking along the boardwalk was pleasant for I do love the water and with the boats that were docked, the area reminded me of the marina where I walk my dog a lot. Once I left the boardwalk, I found myself definitely in the “tourist” commercial hub. Yet, I had some errands to run – the first to do some banking and the second to get a soya caffe latte (my weakness that I developed in those many trips to Toronto for school). I got it cold instead of hot and thoroughly enjoyed it! Then I needed to find a cheap store where I could find some paper and crayons for some children’s activities I had planned for worship on Sunday. Lo and behold I found a Woolworths – that brought back childhood memories of the Woolworths in my birthplace, Welland, Ontario. Once a thriving chain store, I had no idea it had survived in other parts of the world though they’ve disappeared from my known Canadian landscape. In I went and I was not disappointed on the selection and prices.

Once my errands were accomplished I stopped at the local chicken chain store, Chefettes and bought myself a chicken roti (flatbread type with curried chicken) and ate it by the waterfront. Then it was back to the car. By this time I had decided that I was going to be adventuresome and go do some touring of the south coast ( also I knew that I could avoid those nasty round-abouts by sticking to the coastal highway). So back to the MCCA District Office and into “my” great little car and off I went. Couldn’t do much sightseeing because I was really concentrating on my driving --left hand side, don't forget! --but I certainly did get a sense of the busy hotel district around Rockley Beach and further, the fishing village of Oastis. Then I stumbled on a little area further east along the coast called Silver Sands. Having made a wrong turn and ending up in a dead end street, I nonetheless was met by a friendly homeowner doing some gardening. He directed be to a public beach, saying that I would like it. I took his advice, found it easily and there I had my first chance to see that lovely ocean, walk in the sand and put my feet into the Atlantic waters. How very therapeutic for my soul!

So there I wandered a little bit and took some pictures. As I made my way back to the car, I stopped to call home and see how everyone was doing after the horrible blizzard. Knowing all was well despite the snowstorm, I got back into the car and started to head back towards Gun Hill. Stopping at a garage station, I examined my map and decided to continue the adventure by navigating the small roads through the countryside. It was wonderful though I had to concentrate on the driving and the sun for navigational aid. But I saw market gardening and sugar cane and horse training and a very interesting funeral where the women were mostly in white flowing dresses and turbans and I could hear the drumbeats and the tambourines. I would have loved to take some pictures but it was impossible to stop on the narrow country road nor would I feel right about doing the “toursity” thing with a funeral. I asked Mary later and she told me it was likely the Apostolic Church because their members are known for wearing turbans.

Well the afternoon was starting to fade and I knew it was time to stop the adventure for that day. I called Mary to let her know I was I my way home and I stopped to buy some flowers as a thank you for their hospitality and help. In the little corner market, while mom was fixing a bouquet for me, a little girl and I had a great talk about school and playground games. It was delightful.

I made it home and Basil and Mary were both so happy to see me and hear about my adventures. I was glad to be back safe and sound and full of some sense of one part of this island. Between the sun and the wind at the beach and the very concentrated time of driving my mind was very, very tired.

And so I am back to this morning on the veranda where my rested senses seem to be in hyper mode. I wonder what the day will bring.

Till next time...blessings!

My first Sunday on the Island

Well, it was my first Sunday in Barbados and it was surely was the Lord’s Day!!
The morning started shortly after 6 a.m. – I had to get ready to leave the house at 7:15 – we were leaving a little earlier than usual because I was driving!! Arrived at South District Church which is east of Bridgetown and nearly due south of the Forbes home. It has been home to a congregation in this area since 1911 and has recently undergone a renovation to expand the common areas and upgrade the sound system in the sanctuary.

I will have to posts pictures next time – I was pretty nervous about stepping into this community which will be one of two that I have been assigned to so I did not focus on picture taking. Yet, very shortly my nerves calmed down when the first person arrived. Her name was Jenny and her son brings her every Sunday because she is confined to a wheelchair. What a warm welcome she extended to me and expressed gladness that I will be with them for some time ( I hope she still thinks that way after my sermon next Sunday!). Within minutes the life in the church began happening. The organist, Henson greeted me with a great handshake and many words of encouragement when I told him that I give him permission to tell me when to sit and stand when I lead worship with them. The children began to come in and joked around as more and more people arrived. I also met a 20 something man who has been a lay preacher for some time as well as a Sunday School Superintendent and youth group leader. His name is Craig and he will be working with South District Church for the next year before he heads off to theological training in Jamaica in order to become an ordained pastor.

By the time 8 o’clock came, I felt comfortable and curious about the service. The Methodists use a Prayer Book that harked back to my memories of my formative years in the Lutheran Church. So far, so good ….a few of the hymns were familiar….a few just a little challenging because they have only words in the Hymn books. But within a verse or two, I sang along with gusto! The itinerant preacher (one that travels from church to church throughout the country) extended a very warm and genuine welcome to me during the service and invited me to participate in the welcoming of Craig as a new member to that congregation. Very touching!

Then came time for communion. Only the Holy Spirit would have planned this – I left my pastoral charge in Port Dalhousie with a communion service and I arrived at South District with a communion service – how the Body of Christ is indeed one! They have communion with the small pieces of bread and the small cups of juice but everyone comes to the alter rail to receive them from the steward of the congregation and the preacher. The children come up after for a long and warm blessing. I am told that the sermons take anywhere from 20 mins to 45 mins depending on how the Spirit moves the preacher – I wonder what they will think of my 15 – 20 min sermon – or will I be surprised and find the Spirit moving me in a new way?

There were five hymns and all the prayers and the readings and the announcements were done by the people themselves. It was wonderful to see the laity so active and I was reminded later in lunch-hour conversation, that its only been the last 6 years or so that many of these churches had regular ministers attending them on Sundays and providing some oversight of their matters. The rest fell to the stewards and the membership themselves. Something perhaps for me to ponder on my return to our system in The United Church.

Well the end of the wonderful service came at about 10:45. There was a call for the Pastoral Oversight Committee and I was invited to attend. There were about 10 people and within minutes I realized that this group had been called to primarily deal with the issue of putting together what the UCC calls the Leadership Supervision Team and which the MCCA calls an assessment team. Three of the people who are to be on my team were there - one is Basil, the other is Craig and the third was a woman whose name I forget at this moment. When we had an opportunity for a short discussion after the meeting, we realized we had much in common in understanding how people can learn from their failures because she is a teacher and carries that understanding into her classroom. Promises to be a very good team!! I had the opportunity to share with them my perspectives on trying outreach ministry. I kept touching a somewhat foreign wall to me for outreach also encompasses door to door evangelism. The kind of outreach I was talking about is referred to as secular outreach. I get the feeling that I'll be called to do both - definately a new experience for me!! Nonetheless, I was quickly reminded of some of the differences betweeen our societies. I was asked how I began my "secular outreach" and I joked about how we have coffee shops at every 4th corner and one just has to sit there and listen to conversations to see what people are talking about that matters to them. They pointed out that there are no coffee shops only rum shops on every corner!! How would I handle that? I was asked - with some help with a few of you I answered - I was glad they all laughed. But it did enforce in my mind again that our worlds, so often the same, are indeed different and that I cannot have any answers for them and their desires to be engaged with their worlds. We can only companion each other for a few months and learn together how to begin a long but potentially rewarding journey of living our faith outside the walls of our churches.

No sooner was that meeting finished, I was immediately invited to go with the Pastor and the steward and two women who brought the communion elements to the home of a blind, elderly women. We walked the few homes down from the church and entered a breezy room, delightfully decorated with sharp reds and warm wooden floors. There we shared 3 hymns and prayers and communion with this woman. I took the time to go around to the back with one of the communion ladies (I’ll have to learn if they have a proper title) to meet the daughter of this elderly woman who was preparing lunch. I told her that I hoped to come and visit and talk another time.

Then we walked in the opposite way down the main road and stopped at a bright green and white home tucked just behind some other homes. The fluttering of laundry beside the home made me want to stop and paint the whole scene! We entered the beautiful home of another elderly woman and she was promptly introduced as the matriarch of the church. Her daughter came and joined us and we sang some of their favourite hymns. The sharing of the bread and the wine were a moving experience for all of us. Blind as well and unable to walk, this matriarch reached out to me after the Pastor asked me to say the prayers – her gratitude brought a tear to my eye. After the short service, I also talked to this daughter and asked if I could come visit in the next few weeks. She was glad to be able to offer her time.

Well by the time we walked back to the church it was now past noon and Basil and I were certainly tired. Perhaps you can share my feelings of surprise to see the children just coming out of Sunday School – they had been there since 8 that morning!!! I was floored – now that certainly will be an idea I will ponder the possibilities of!

Lunch was a feast again. Basil had been cooking late into the evening and got up at 3 Sunday morning to cook his favourite Bajan dishes. Mary and Basil and I sat down and ate a spicy gelled mixture prepared by cooking pigs’ hooves. I know this would not appeal to most people but it reminded me of the Estonian food that my mother would cook for special occasion which in Canada would be called headcheese. We also had a dish called Carailli (Bitter Melon) which is a bumpy looking vegetable. Mary cooked it in curry and it made an absolutely excellent sauce for the rice and beans. All this was complimented by coleslaw and a tossed salad. My the bounties of the harvest were great! I think I really impressed my hosts with my approval of their food. We had a good chuckle over my experiences of eating chicken foot soup in Jamaica with the Youth Ministry Team in 2001. Mary said she had made a big pot of that last week and will make it again before I leave.

The afternoon was a time of rest and relaxation and by 4 o’clock I was getting ready to leave again. This time to the Harvest Cantata at the Bethel Methodist Church in downtown Bridgetown. Another district steward, Martha picked me up and took me to this special event since Basil began to develop quite the head congestion. They were both glad that I still wanted to go and assured me that I would not be disappointed.
I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!! What a delightful evening it turned out to be. This is the start of the sugar cane harvesting season. Sugar cane was traditionally the main if not in some periods the only export off the island. Sugar cane is wrapped in the history of these people right from the early slavery days through their emancipation and then the trials and tribulations of a shifting global economy. Nonetheless, this harvest time equates to our celebrations of Thanksgiving.

The celebration was outstanding. In a recently refurbished and modernized sancturary with a wrap around balcony, and four dropped microphones in the chancel area and a screen and projector, this old church was beautiful. I remarked at the two toned tongue and groove ceiling (Basil told me today that it was made of red heart wood and green heart wood – it looked like a birch and a red oak to my Canadian eyes.) The high pulpit was decorated above in gold to represent the sun and below with blue fabric and neon fish to represent the glorious ocean of course!. All the window sills were full of plants and woods from the various island that form the Methodist Church of the Caribbean and Americas. There were the most outstanding Bird-of-Paradise arrangements and the smell of the oranges and grapefruits and homemade bread made for an exotic setting for this Cantata. The children (100+) of this church came filing in with their colourful clothes and barrettes and the teens with their T-shirts from the Youth Club. How lucky was I to sit in the row right behind them all! The time included the nursery school children singing and others putting on skits; one age group did a puppet show with paper bag puppets, there were two different groups of liturgical dancers, the teens did a drama and a “rap” skit where they were “fighting” over which of the islands were more beautiful – the message was of course that each was beautiful in their own way and God created them all for us to enjoy and take care of them. That was the solid message behind the theme of “Harvest of the Caribbean”. There was an adult choir, a men’s choir, and a Women’s Guild Choir that added wonderful music as well as individual youth singers and two brothers who played the recorders. I was so disappointed when the 2 ½ hour celebration was over! The time went so quickly and was made richer by the fact that the little gentleman next to me, John ended up sitting on my lap so he could see better – what a treat for me. As well, Craig from South District Church sat with me and I was able to glean a bit more information about things from him since this was the church where he had been the Church School Superintendent. Was he proud!! Half way through the evening he too had 2 little boys sitting on his lap! After the service I was introduced to 2 other pastors as well as my learning supervisor, Rev. Paul Walfall. But, since I was at the mercy of my ride, I could not linger any longer!

The ride home was full of wonderful feelings but then everyone once in a while I drew a breath of panic as I was the passenger in a car driving the dark Barbados roads. I came to realize in that ride home that it will be a long while before I have enough nerve to tackle that on my own!

What an eventful day it was indeed on this my first Lord’s Day in Barbados!! I am blessed.

Till the next time….. peace and gratitude to all.

Stepping into the journey

Welcome to Barbados!

I think I have at least put one foot into the life of the Bajan people as of today, 48 hours after arrival. I was treated to the traditional Bajan food saved for Saturdays because of the extensive preparation: "Souse and pickle" is a cucumber type relish with hot peppers and pork strips that is used to spice boiled yams (white and milder than the yams or sweet potatoes that I am used to in Canada) along with a spiced mashed potato that is served as a sausage, called "Pudding". Before too many mouthfuls I needed a glass of water and was wiping my nose from the spices - but it was really delicious and I had a second helping along with a second glass of water!

This meal marked for me a self-understanding of my journey into the bowl of life here in Barbados. (The image of a bowl is of particular importance to me as a way of understanding and talking about my engagement with life in all places - more on that another time). The bowl that I have stepped into is a somewhat familiar one - the bowl of family life.

The generousity, warmth, laughter and activity in the kitchen of the Forbes household is amazing! My hosts for the duration of this journey are Mary and Basil Forbes. They live in Rose Hill Plantation which is very close to the infamous Gun Hill on the north-east side of Bridgetown. Rose Hill Plantation was about 68 acres when Basil Forbes purchased it. It is less now since portions are being sold off for further development of houses. The home is a wonderful blend of 150 year old elements and new construction. Ceilings reaching 15 feet high on the main floor arch over doorways that are likely 4ft wide by 8 feet tall, with those that open to the glorious veranda being double the width. All the rooms have large windows, many of them with window seats - a favourite place, I would imagine for many a book reading hour or two! The kitchen is large and just oozes with the joy of family life. Never quite without the smell of cooking food or recently consumed meals, it is the central gathering place of the large Forbes family. Extended members of the family come and go with wonderful ease, the children always wanting to talk with Basil, the grandfather and Mary the grandmother. Today it was wonderful to see the youngest Forbes - Nathan, age 4 months, alongside cousins Naomi and Matthew along with a Mom, a Grandmother and a great-Grandmother. What a bowl of blessing this kitchen is!

These last 48 hours have been a change - warmth a given (with a delayed winter bearing down on Southern Ontario), clouds a blessings and brief rain showers a relief for this Canadian person! But beyond that, sights are familiar and different and sounds are familiar and different. There is the splendour of gardens, the sight of laundry crisply fluttering on the clothesline, people sweeping porches and raking yards, children playing ball hockey on the street, teens hanging out and chatting in a car pulled to the side of the road, cars being washed, babies being fed and women making meals - all like home, in fact very much like home on a summer's day. How much humanity does human things the same!

Sure, there are palm trees that gracefully sway in the warm breezes - but they remind me of the old cedars growing from the rock of the Niagara Escarpment above my house. Those plants that are indoor plants for us Canadians grow wild and in gardens, only they are 10x the size here in Barbados! People lean on their porch railings and talk with each other with laughter and yelling erupts from the children playing in the yards and on the streets.
Young men laugh and prod each other over their vehicles as they wash their "pride and joy" together in front of houses. Dogs bark in the distance and radios play in the houses. And babies gurgle and smile the same the whole world through while adults burst into smiles in response. The sweetness of human life is universal!

This morning while meditating on the veranda with the hummingbirds in the bougainvillea, I read Numbers 18: 29 "You must present as the Lord's portion the best and holiest part of everything given to you". My whole day has been one of experiencing people giving the best to each other in those ways that so often our society sees as mundane - gifts of laughter, a loving touch, presence, sharing, celebrating - the essentials of human life lived together as each lifts up the love that has been graced to them. Life is not a commodity in these experiences that I had today - each moment stands as if in resistance to a global empire that is trying to shape them as secondary, secondary to the human abilities to produce and consume things. The sounds of gurgles, the sense of joy, the scenes of creation bear testimony to the goodness of that which God has given. Now I am challenged to see this place, be in this place and live from this place as my offering back to God.

Till next time.....blessings!

Getting ready to leave winter in Southern Ontario!