E NEWS 1ST MARCH 2024
Our Founder’s Day Anniversary on the Pitione Foreshore last had a good attendance. Unfortunately Te Kakano o te Aroha had put the wrong date down and thought it was the following week. We continued on anyway in the beautiful sun but blustery breeze. Here’s a photo from that day.
It was another unique birthday for our Sir Lloyd Geering on Monday, 106 years young. He was in good spirits when I visited him but a bit tired after family celebrations over lunch. Here is a photo of him on the day:
For me too, it’s another year older today, two years away from that elusive Gold Card. I returned last night from a whirlwind trip to Auckland to celebrate my niece Raegan’s marriage to Liam Rollinson (she is so grateful she doesn’t have to spell out Taule’ale’ausumai any more lol!) It was so good to sit at a table with all my siblings and my oldest nephew and his wife instead of my usual top table with a bunch of boring ministers.
I loved every aspect of the wedding celebration. My niece’s wedding dress even though I moaned about the “$3k” price tag, she looked a million dollars.
The following day because I happened to be in Auckland I had booked Thursday as another family day and had a return flight at 7.30pm. Well, I chose to attend Fa’anana Efeso Collins funeral because he was a good friend. In hindsight, I should have watched parts of it on zoom and just taken an easy day off. It was extremely long, I was spent after 3 hours out of a total of 4 ½ hour service. However, it was a great celebration of his life. The praise and worship team led by a former Sunday school pupil of mine had two slots during the service. By the time the second slot came around, I must have been the only person who remained seated and decided to answer my emails. I was so over it and had been praised and worshipped out, I didn’t care what my neighbours thought.
My siblings had bought the suitcase I had left in Samoa to the wedding for me to bring back home. By the time I arrived at the airport I was shattered. I had booked a flight on Jet Star quite some time ago and when I arrived at the check-in I was served by a Samoan woman who knew me (I didn’t know her). I had a carry on suitcase and my big suitcase to check in, with Jet Star you have to pay for your baggage and your carry on so it would have cost me $54 for both bags. I told her I had just come from Efeso’s funeral and I was too tired to lug my carry on baggage around with me and I knew I would struggle to put it up in the overhead locker. She said, put both your bags through check-in to save you the hassle and she put me seat 6A so I could have a window seat and not be disturbed. She didn’t charge me for the baggage, what a lovely soul, just what I needed. I keep forgetting that I’m not as fit and fast as I used to be and that I’m starting to slow down and get tired very easily and yet I still plan life around a 40 year old body at 63 years old. Efeso’s premature death is indeed a wake up call.
We are all set for Sunday’s service this third Sunday in Lent and it is also communion Sunday. The Gospel reading is about Jesus cleansing the Temple. The theme of my reflection is “Justified Anger”.
At what point do we get to a place where we turn tables over and throw people out? Is it the straw that breaks the camel’s back, an accumulation of things? Could it be what you might call “breaking point?” Let’s see where this takes us this Sunday.
Well, Adelina, Christine, Sue, Snoopy and I are going to for lunch for my birthday. Looking forward to it. Hope to see you all on Sunday. Have a great weekend. Fei
(I know what you’re all thinking, what loud colours!”)
You can read the full E-news here: https://mailchi.mp/fa53559fd4ec/this-weeks-newsletter-from-st-andrews-on-the-terrace-9440884
