Dear Parishioners,
On Monday 8th August 2016, I traveled with Martin our Rector, out to Ndwedwe to visit the school Musawenkosi. Owing to the dire situation with the toilets, this little school, which provides much needed care for the children, while their parents work, has been closed.

The classroom is one big room, with a door and three windows, which don't have any handles and are wired shut. There is a large steel cabinet, where the blankets are kept, and they have some foldout mattresses, for rest time. There are 2 small tables and 2 slightly larger ones and 25 chairs, a teacher's table and two chairs. Posters and some of the children’s art adorn the walls. There are less than 10 toys in the school! The kitchen is in an adjoining room, which is neat and tidy, with a fridge, a two plate hotplate and a sink, with a cupboard for the bowls and cups. This also has two windows and a door, and to protect the property, they are currently paying someone to sleep there.

The schoolroom has an alarm in it, but by the time the alarm company responds, the thieves will be long gone. The classroom desperately needs a carpet for when the children have rest time. I appeal to anyone who is revamping their home or replacing their carpet, to consider donating it to the school. Or even a portion of it. As the school has no running water, the small tank they have, is filled up once a week. The fencing is rather flimsy, and maybe some spiky plants could be planted on the outside. I appeal for some assistance from you to help get this school back on their feet, and by making small donations, we can make a difference to these children and their teachers. Many of the items I'm asking for will not come at a cost to you, except your time. 

Could you please help with the following: 
1. The blank page in the free newspaper. This can be used for scribbling etc. 
2. Empty ice cream containers, for storing crayons etc, or a First aid box. 
3. Empty clean 2 litre milk bottles, to tap the water from the tank for use for use in the kitchen. 
4. Any old towels you no longer require, to dry the little one's hands after a visit to the toilet. 
5. Any old toys ( in good condition) 

In addition I appeal to you to choose ONE item from the list below: This is a monthly donation for the school, and by adding your chosen item, to your shopping basket, each month, you will barely notice it, but the good it will do is immense.
Box of tissues, cake of soap, toilet roll, dishwashing liquid or refill, Handy Andy, a litre of long life milk or any other useful donation. 
Thank you for taking the time to hear about Musawenkosi and how together we can make a difference. 

Kind regards Mary Hardy

Our Intrusive God

Posted by Andy Otto in Reflections

During my summer off from teaching, one might think it would be easier for me to make time for God, yet I found myself either working on my writing or planning for the new school year. One afternoon I sat down with a cocktail and decided to devote some solid time to working on a project for my business. A few minutes in, the doorbell rang. I ignored it. It rang again.
Frustrated, I peeked downstairs and saw a homeless woman at the door who I knew had come by before. As I peered over the railing, she saw me. I reluctantly went down, opened the door, and greeted her kindly. For the next ten minutes she poured out her story and struggle to me. I asked her questions about what her immediate goal was, which was to get a bus ticket to a nearby city where she had some friends who could help her. During my time with her, I thought about my cocktail that was getting warm and my unfinished work. What did that all matter when this woman just wanted some water and someone to listen?

The next Sunday at Mass I heard the reading about Abraham encountering three strangers near his tent and quickly and joyously offering them food and hospitality. He even calls himself their “servant”—to strangers! Author Alice Camille reflects on this unexpected moment in Living with Christ:
He probably wasn’t praying or looking for divine direction or even thinking holy thoughts at all. …Yet in that very domestic, private, and unassuming hour, he had a celestial encounter with three persons described by most commentators as angels. Abraham wasn’t looking for God. But God was looking for him.
What felt like an intrusion in my planned afternoon was an encounter with God through the visit of a woman who just needed someone to listen to her. I had gotten caught up with my own agenda and had been ignoring God, yet God burst into my afternoon unannounced. This is so Ignatian.

Our encounters with God are not always in church or an intentional time of prayer. They can happen anywhere and at any time. God sometimes intrusively rings our doorbell, forcing us out of our own self-absorption and into a harsh reminder that God is not going anywhere. We need not be looking for the divine in order for it to show up. More often than not, it’s God who takes the initiative in the relationship. We’re simply called to answer the door and engage.

When Did You First Encounter the Risen Christ?

 Posted by Beckey Eldredge – In Reflections  

 I took a long sip of my hot coffee to give me a minute to process his question. Sitting across from me was a man in his late twenties who had just asked me, “When did you first encounter the Risen Christ?”                                                      

His question made me pause. Not only was I thrown off by the depth of his question within minutes of meeting each other, but I was not prepared to be the one asked this type of question. When he asked to meet, I assumed I would be in the role of director offering questions to let him reflect on his own faith journey.                                            

It was a challenging question, not because I had not reflected on it before, but because of how badly I needed to be reminded of the beginning of my journey:  The moments when I was drawn inexplicably to God by a restlessness and desire to learn more. The moments when I was almost giddy with joy as I became aware of God’s presence in my life.    

As the coffee warmed my throat, I realized I saw in the young man the same inquisitive nature that I possess—the part of me that loves to hear people’s faith stories and the part of me that loves to hear when God got people’s attention. I could feel his question hitting me deep in my core, a nudge from God to remember where it all began.                           

I did my best to share my beginnings of encountering Christ, and then I eagerly listened to his story. It invigorated me tremendously both to share my own story and hear his.   As I got in my car, I continued to reflect. What I realized on the way home was how the majority of my ministry work the last three years was walking with those more often in a season of deepening than beginning. How quickly I had forgotten the joy of the first encounter with Christ!                                                                                                     

The joy of the first encounter with Christ is unforgettable. It is the same joy that propelled the disciples forward to spread the Good News with fervor and urgency. It is the joy that propels me along my own faith journey. It is the same joy that draws people into a relationship with God every day.                                                                                   

It was in remembering my first encounters with the Risen Christ and in hearing the young man’s story that both my faith and my ministry work were invigorated.                

Reflect on when you first encountered the Risen Christ. Then pose this question to people in your life and listen to their stories.