Reflections on Grenada – December 2010

Hello and welcome to the December blog! The weather stays up there among our main concerns. The rain continues to fall in large quantities, the earth absorbs the water after a longer and longer period of time and everything that grows out of the earth is blooming gloriously. Mosquitoes are back in greater numbers than ever; thank God that the risk of malaria is now non-existent. The wind has also been blowing strongly from a low pressure weather system that has sat on top of us for what seems like forever. The sea has been heavy with white capped waves and surging tides. Bathway, our local beach, has been so rough we have not been able to swim there for most of the month. The spray on the rocky beaches between Marli and St. George's on the west coast of the Island has been spectacular. Anyway, the battle between the sea and the volcanic rock of the Island will continue for eons yet! Earthquakes, of a minor nature, are taking place on the Islands around us. Our Disaster Preparedness people have warmed us that a 'quake will hit the Island. They want us to remember as a cardinal rule when it happens and you are inside go under the strongest table you can find and stay there until things are quiet again. If, on the other hand, you are outside, stay outside in the middle of the clearest space you can find for the same length of time. We will not forget! What could we point to as the greatest obstacle or discomfort that all the past wet weather has presented us with? Our choice would be the road system. It has always been hazardous; we were well warned about it before we arrived. Now it is much worse as large pot holes and sundry things such as road surface upheavals are much too common. When I look at the tyres we bought for the car at the start of the year we are beginning to wonder if they will last through 2011. They were good for 50,000 kilometres the manufacturers claim. We have driven 20,000. We will see!

The Christmas/New Year's holiday season has come and gone. It was time to spend a while looking into the eyes of those around us, particularly the eyes of the children. One of the boys had four gifts to open, another a little more, another a little less. The sheer unadulterated happiness of having an unexpected present all to yourself, wrapped in fancy paper and string was cause for wonder. It could take a long, long time to unwrap it. You might even carry it off into a quiet place, stare at it and poke it with a finger now and again. If it was indeed real the eyes lifted the face beamed and much laughter accompanied the unwrapping when it finally occurred. The children around us, I'm happy to say, are normal in that they might snatch the gift for fear it disappear or clutch it gently to their chest. Our youth received clothing. Our adults? Mostly happiness from their children. The eyes, as a poet indicated, reflect the condition of the soul. If your child had a gift that was not appealing to them and you saw another child holding one that they would most definitely like, what would you do? The presents were given to Belair P.C. from gifts received at the Kirk in St. George's from their Christmas Gift Giving Service. Sometimes a simple thank you is not enough. How best to say thanks and to whom?

Our Christmas Pageant was a smash hit; worth every minute of the time that was spent in rehearsal. The Christmas Day Service was particularly well attended. I preached at Samaritan P.C. during their "Old Year's Night" Service. Thankfully not a single bagpipe disturbed the tropical night. For the first time since our arrival two years ago we went to bed after midnight! Wow!

On the 10^th of December the principal of MacDonald retired. A fitting farewell was given during a special School Assembly. Mr. Alexander had spent twenty-three years as principal of the College. Most of his memories he admitted were good but "tough" ones in the constant struggle for MacDonald to get its share of resources; the struggle for him being shown in the resources given to schools in St. George's but not those in "the country" particularly St. Patrick's Parish. So there may have been a little bitterness in his heart but overall he was very proud of what MacDonald had achieved over the years he spent here. And rightly so! We know there will be an Acting Principal until a new Principal is hired. The times ahead are bound to be interesting. My North American "stuff" craves the discipline of planning and fore thought!

And so as 2011 rapidly approaches with its own set of issues, rewards and moments to remember we both would wish you a healthy, prosperous and distinctive year of our Lord 2011. Will we be able to follow where God leads? Will we ever make snow angels in the Christmas snow again? Christmas and the season around us call's us all home. Not home in the sense of some street address but home to whom you really are. Christmas can ask us what happened to us, but Christmas also offers an answer. Please remember whatever happened in your life, whatever you've become, whatever your motive for being is; there is a God so madly in love with you that he could not tolerate the distance between him and you but came and dwelt among us, took on our human condition and not only taught us how to live by being compassionate, forgiving and self-sacrificing but showed us the way.

Be as human as you can be. God in the flesh, Jesus Christ, answers life's many questions. God's answers to us are what Christmas is all about.

Glory to God in the highest. And on earth? Peace to those on whom his favour rests. And that's us.

Reflections on Grenada –November 2010

Hello and welcome to the November blog! The hurricane season is now officially over though heavy rain and strong winds still persist. Last week, while we were in St. George’s, many of the roads flooded. The main street of Grenville was also blocked by quite a large mud slide. Even the rough road that leads to the manse from MacDonald turned, once more, into a wet muddy stream. Thank you, Lord, for four wheel drive and the lesson we have learned as well as we ever will: what needs to be done today can also be done tomorrow. I’d forgotten the Canadian snowstorms that kept me house bound for one or two days in a row. People do adapt to life as nature dictates! It seems, though, some have more difficulty doing this than others! Being without a clean source of water here is the biggest difficulty that faces us but we have learned too that this will “come back “as soon as possible!

Meanwhile, the local farmers are ecstatic over the way their crops are growing. Dannie remarked the other day that if people couldn’t grow things this year (the last two brought drought like conditions) it simply meant they had been too lazy to throw the seed onto the ground. Thanks to Dr. Ron Wallace of International Ministries we now have a weed eater which keeps the long grass and other vegetation under control around the manse. Weed eater you may well ask? The mass of volcanic rock around us surfaces in the most unlikely places and would quickly ruin a motorized lawn mower/cutter. However, grass when it becomes long and wet harbours the breeding grounds of our favourite beasty – the mosquito. Large lumps on the body show us where they have been. Even when we declare war on them in the morning and evening of each day both of us know who the final victors will be!

The first Sunday in Advent has come and gone and the ghost of Christmas to come has appeared to haunt us in all we do in Grenada.

MacDonald breaks for the holidays on the 10th of December. All of us will enjoy a three week holiday. MacDonald’s Principal Mr. Jim Alexander retires on the 10th after being principal here for the last twenty-three years. He leaves behind a school that can boast of its sporting prowess but struggles with academics. The “who will be in charge” issue is being addressed and we await the outcome with great interest.

Belair Presbyterian Church sails on. The Christmas play has been written by one of the congregation, Glenda Williams, and the rehearsals are under way. The plot of the play centres round a new widower and his two teenage daughters. The man is bitter, the girls full of hope because God is good. The man is played by one of the most natural “hams” we have ever met. He brings the sadness, love and humour to his part that only the local dialect and outlook on life can supply. The performance on Wednesday the 22nd of December will speak to God’s loving care of all of us. Samaritan P.C.’s Christmas Concert is on the 19th; our youth will supply an “item” for them of some Christmas Music. And so, the celebration of Jesus the Christ’s birth will come in these and other ways to Belair P.C. If you are able, join us on Bathway Beach on the 15th of December at 11:00 a.m. Our young people will be “Frolicin' in the Favour of Jesus” you would love our Jesus in much the same way we would love yours!

The Computer Assisted Literacy System (CALS) has resumed at Belair Government School. We are working with another eight children who will spend from the 2nd of November until sometime in June with us. They are from the Primary School’s third grade (around seven years old) and have been exhibiting learning difficulties for some time. (Children start pre-kindergarten in the year of their 3rd birthday). With our volunteers from Belair P.C. we have a God given opportunity to work one on one with them; not only to teach reading but also some mental discipline which can lead to a little fore thought and a realization of the need for perseverance. God willing, we will also bring some development to their imagination. None of the eight had used a computer before the 2nd of November. It took them all of a week to arrive at a level of skill necessary for the CALS. Wow! Ann suggested a different approach for this group to the Principal, Ms. Peters. We will try it this week. Belair School celebrates its 60th Anniversary in January. They have asked if they may join us in worship in January so that fitting thanks may be offered to God. Belair P.C. positively beamed. Heads are being held high and God is, even now, in possession of a myriad of thanks for his goodness.

So, as the Christmas Cards come and go, on a personal level the Young’s are preparing to spend the Christmas celebration apart from their family. Ann misses her children so much. Jim misses his children but also the familiar trappings of Christmases from across his many years! Why do we do work here? Please come and take my place behind the lectern as I lead worship of the Baby Jesus on Christmas day at 7:30 a.m. Join us later for Christmas dinner at a family home in Grenville. It’s a family we will always think of as family. All of this is part of the barrel of memories that Ann and I will have forever and ever. No small thing to us. God is to be thanked, now and always.

Romans gave us one of the lectionary readings for the Sunday of the first week of Advent. Paul was asking the Roman Christians to clothe themselves in God’s light. Even as we pick the deep red sorrel from our bushes to make sorrel juice, according to one or two of the local Christmas recipes, we see the wonder of God’s light. It illuminates the path he calls us to walk; the need for our hair to be cut short because of the humidity and heat we live in; the need for us to touch in a fresh, positive and continuing way the lives of those who live around us. There are very, very few people in Grenada or Canada that do not love children. At Christmas we all come together in the light of the Christ Child, Immanuel, God with us. In Grenada we continue with even more excitement and satisfaction than normal. We continue because God is coming and will soon be among us; the Holy Spirit leads us on with hope, peace, joy and love into 2011.

Deo Gratias

Reflections on Grenada October

Hello and welcome to the October blog! October is the last month, normally, when Tropical /depressions/storms or hurricanes threaten Grenada, even though the season does not officially finish until the end of November. Hurricane Tomas proceeded to finish off October with a fitting flourish. This year we have experienced our share of tropical depressions and storms and the resulting damage from wind and rain while not inconsequential was of no particular note. The greatest challenge we have encountered has been the lack of fresh or clean running water. It seems that the amounts of mud swept into the reservoir by the swollen rivers were such that the supply of clean water was restricted by the inability of the filtering plant to cope. The system simply had to be shut down for about two weeks. Ann and I were among the lucky ones in St. Patrick’s and St. Andrew’s. We have a 600 gallon water tank which with a little thought will supply the two of us for around two to three weeks. On the other hand, many of the families in the congregation were without water for two weeks. They were supplied once during that period by a water truck. They could also obtain water from the river or, now and again, from the community tap. Anyway, thanks be to God, we have all survived without any permanent damage! What a humbling experience. We are not used to feeling helpless. The Grenadian people at this end of the Island are long suffering. The question begs to be asked. What would the much wealthier people of St. George’s do if they were to receive such service from a Government Utility?

Tomas went by “the end of our driveway”. It brought us some flooding as it went by about 60 miles from us; it also brought some quite severe water damage to Tobago, a neighbouring Island. The damage done to St. Vincent, St. Lucia, Cuba and Haiti has been documented in the media. The people of Grenada were warned on national T.V. and Radio to stay home from Friday at supper time until 5:00 p.m. on Saturday at which time the storm should be past. The noisy, happy people around us disappeared. The bus and other traffic stopped . What an appalling silence which simply enhanced the sound of the wind and rain! We followed the directions given to the people on the Island. We filled water containers and turned the settings in the fridge and freezer to maximum so that the contents might last for a little longer if the power was cut. Power is systematically cut to prevent damaged power lines lying live on the ground and so we readied ourselves for Tomas. By daybreak (5:30 a.m.) on Saturday it was obvious that we had missed the worst of it. The birds were noticeably quiet until well after eight o’clock. On the other hand the happy sounds of chirping frogs continued much later into the day than normal. And the Young’s? A favourite quote of mine from Dr. Johnston is, “Depend upon it, Sir, when a man knows he is going to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.” Life is infinitely precious. Fear can be stimulating. Jesus walks with us where we live. We are glad that he does.

Amidst the water shortage, as well as the water overabundance, Belair P.C. continued to have much to thank and praise God for. Nobody was harmed physically or mentally by the events of the month. Spiritually? If I were to ask I would be told that the Master has been good to us. We are ready to go when and where he calls us to. And me, I get concerned when he asks that I sit in the dark with him for a while! On Saturday the 16th of October we celebrated our 45th Wedding Anniversary at the manse with about thirty of the folk from Belair. What a party, what memories, what loving care! And it did NOT rain!


The school year continues at MacDonald. The water problem there was minimal. I think we only lost two school days. We had a mid-term break of three days which coincided with the Tomas event. What timing!

So, you might well ask, how was your spiritual life last month? Or, where is the evidence of how you lived it? I think it was Henri Nouwen who said one day, during a lecture at the Toronto School of Theology, that the spiritual life is the active presence of God’s Spirit in the midst of a chaotic life. A Spiritual Life, he taught, was possible only when we introduced the disciplines of solitude and community to it. These disciplines can allow us to create an inner space where God’s Spirit can work. Since we returned to the island from Canada in September we have lived in a world filled with more worry than normal. We could be bored, depressed and lonely. However, it’s true that Jesus walks with us and will re-create us and the life we lead. It is no surprise, therefore, that we continue to find that all things around us are being made new. Us too

Reflections on Grenada – August/September 2010

Hello and welcome to the August/September blog! We left Grenada for our vacation/study leave on the second of August around ten in the morning, arriving in Toronto around seven in the evening. We drove from the manse to the airport at Point Salines through some of the deepest pockets of poverty in the Western hemisphere. We drove from Toronto Airport to the Muskoka's passing through some of the most prosperous small towns and cities in the world. We left behind the brokenness, harshness and terrible unemployment that represent life in a third world economy to arrive in the comparative opulence of a member of the G8. So swift, abrasive and abrupt was the change that neither place felt real. Some forty-eight hours later we collected ourselves together enough to contemplate leaving Gravenhurst for the day. We went to the place we will call home one of these days – Barrie. What did we see? It really wasn't enough just to see, we needed to feel and those feelings could easily overwhelm us.

There was an endless supply of milk. Apples were available by the barrel. Grapes, peppers, potatoes, cauliflower, mushrooms, asparagus, mountains of sweet corn, peaches, apricots, olives, fresh meat of all descriptions not to mention the shelving which held row after row of tinned and packaged products, the number of freezers full of food, the baked goods from apple pies to seven grained bread. And all of the things I have written down represent only the tip of the iceberg of the products that are available.

We reached out for our family and friends and gave thanks that the changes in us and them were such that our friendship continues to flourish and in so doing strengthens us all. What a joy it was to relax into familiar furniture and share the pieces of our lives that we had not shared since we last met. What a privilege it was to talk in a common language that was formed by similar socialization processes. What an effort it was to continue to look into the eyes of the Doctor that you had trusted with your cancer and hear him say that you were cured as far as he is concerned while saying also that he'll test it for the next few years anyway, just to make sure.

What an enormous thrill to find yourself in Robart's Library at the University of Toronto, all fourteen floors of it, and to find there more books on the social history of Grenada than I have access to on the Island. I can only write, somewhat longingly, what an enormous candy store!

I used the Greyhound Bus between Barrie and Toronto. I sat in its comparative safety wondering, once more, about the life-style that causes people to drive the 400 series highways each day of their lives. Anyway, one of these years, we are going to buy another car and use those highways. I wonder if the Canadian Army has some second hand heavy duty tracked vehicles for sale. I have also taken to praying for the generation aged between twenty and forty years in Barrie. Just – I'm equally sure - as people did for me when I was that age. I well remember the focus on me, my family and me!

Our son, Douglas, was married to Melody in early September, what a lovely celebration! Bruce, Melody's Dad, put together an amazing power point presentation consisting of photos dating, back to the happy couples earliest days to their present ones. What fun, what memories, what love! They went off to St. Lucia just a few hundred miles north of Grenada for their honeymoon.

And so the time went by. Soon enough it was time to come back to our work in Grenada. It felt that we had been gone too long to tell you the truth. Even now the rainy season is coming to an end. The hurricane season is almost over too. Thank God we have endured. Keep the Island in your prayers though as there is still a few weeks of active hurricane season to go through. We arrived home on the 20^th of September. We finally had regular water supply on the 6^th of October. Did we feel dirty and hot? Yes. Did we feel that our patience was being tested? No. I wonder how many over-paid North American plumbers would have worked to bury a water pipe for hours in temperatures over 30c with humidity around the 90 percent mark. How do you express gratitude to someone who will do that? You can start by sitting on the wall of the car-port and listening for a while. You could keep an eye on the two daughters who attend MacDonald. Life is about relationships.

The lectionary readings, since we have come back, have given Belair P.C. as well as the church around the world the story that Jesus told about the beggar Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16) together with the story about Jesus cleansing the ten lepers (Luke 17). I often worry about the reason Jesus named the beggar and not the rich man. On the other hand, of the ten lepers cured why was it only the Samaritan - the lowest of the great unwashed – that turned around to express his gratitude for his cure to God? Of which is God's Kingdom? Is the Kingdom easier to find on Grenada than in Ontario? And, is there any doubt in your mind that the Kingdom is right here, around you and me, each day? Take the freedom, love the peace it can bring and never, ever forget that it's not enough to simply search for the Kingdom, you need to search for it with pride.

Reflections on Grenada – July 2010

Hello and welcome to the July blog! The rain still cascades down. We recently went to our favourite lunch spot at Bathway – Aggies – where we found we had to finish our lunch crouched behind the only dry spot in the restaurant – the bar! The wet season continues to be alive and well in Grenada. We sit on our sheltered balcony in the early evening and wonder if the fate that will overtake the Young's is to be washed away. Yet, the miracle of recreation is apparent all around us. We never imagined there could be so many shades of green. The plant life is once more lush and plentiful, the turquoise waves with their white foaming tops caress the beaches and the sky, when not obscured by rain clouds, is an important blue. The impatience of our world surges around us as the children/youth in our lives prepare for their long summer break. We are tired, bordering on being exhausted. Our last break was October of last year. It is becoming more and more difficult to control our North American need for things around us to happen in a semblance of order – at least in a manner in which a focus is apparent – and yet, it's getting closer and closer to our vacation/study leave which starts early next month. Thanks be to God!

Belair P.C.'s harvest, our major fund raising event, happened on the 1^st of July. Financially it was a great success for us. Socially it brought us into direct contact with our community of Conference, which turned out en masse to support us. Heather Patton arrived from Toronto at the start of the month too. She has just finished her studies at Knox College and will work with the P.C.G. and with Belair P.C. in particular when we are away. She is settling in well considering the large adjustment necessary to differentiate Toronto from Grenada. At Belair she will work with our Youth and the Women's Circle. She will also work with the people of Samaritan P.C. Anyway, Heather has displayed a remarkable gift for youth ministry and models other things such as leadership very well. The Annual Youth Camp was again held at La Poterie from the 16^th of July until the 24^th. Unfortunately I had some rather severe rash on my torso caused, the Doctor thought, by small beasties chewing on it. She, therefore, ordered me not to sleep over at the camp, this, of course, broke up the harmony campers feel as they settle down for the night together. Nonetheless, I still managed to enjoy myself immensely. Ann taught, among other things, knitting. The kids learned quickly. Me? I still don't know how! At the Camp Banquet she was thanked for teaching them something they can use for the rest of their lives. Nice! Heather introduced many new songs, games and graces! All in all, the camp was a wet, noisy, happy place. Jesus' spirit was all around us. The Camp Banquet was held in St. George's this year. The repast was the work of the Kirk's Guild. We all thoroughly enjoyed the evening. The kids showed off their new dance skills taught by that super dancer, Frankie, camp councillor extraordinaire! How glad we older folk were to go home on Saturday and sleep for fourteen hours. Lastly, let me say, how good it was to meet the Youth from St. George's. They have different needs and attitudes from our "country" youth. They are just as lively as their "country cousins".

MacDonald College's Graduating Class of 2010 took their place in history on the 9^th of July; another lovely ceremony; another excellent job by the teachers, speakers and "notables" who attended. The Prime Minister was on hand to present the piece of paper the student s had worked so long and hard for. Now the old buildings that make up the school are quiet. I would like to think that some of the holes and graffiti in them would be gone by the time the new group of first year students arrive in September. I don`t think I have to write about the chances of that.

And so we arrive in early August and to the image of that small silver cylinder which waits to carry us to Toronto. It prepares us for the mental adjustment necessary for life at home in Ontario. There is a family wedding ahead. We have also to consider buying a place to live when our time here is finished. I also hope to spend time at Robart`s Library at the University of Toronto whose collection of books on Grenada is rather remarkable. Most of all the both of us need to find time for a time of renewal and rest among the family and friends we cherish so deeply. We also need time for quiet reflection on our ministry here. Life in Grenada can be difficult and therefore mentally and physically tiring. Thank you, Lord, for those undergirding arms that enable us to help others.

Henri Nouwen writing in Making All Things New says Jesus was ``all ears`` and that this ability is the centre of successful prayer life. The ability that is to listen while standing still in God`s presence. Sooner or later we all need to unplug ourselves from the world around us and find a quiet place to listen. This, Nouwen claims, allows the Spirit of God to pray in us. Pray, please, for our listening skills and the renewal they bring.

Reflections on Grenada – June 2010

Hello and welcome to the June blog! The Wet season is now in full swing and its wetness is all around! We have just encountered Rain Flies for the first time. They are so small they simply fly through our window screens and end up dead on the floor a short while later. Soon they are the size of coffee grinds and make a highly satisfying crunch when walked on. To balance the arrival of this new pest the mosquito population has shrunk. It's an ill wind that blows no good! After a long discussion over the largest mango tree in the backyard we finally decided to take the advice offered to us and chopped off a few of the lower branches. This opened up the view from the balcony all the way down Sauteurs beach. The tree continues to provide us with an amazing mango crop. Dannie the gardener, a man with superb instincts for choosing a good mango, is also well pleased with his efforts at both tree trimming and mango harvesting! Some families in Levera will be well supplied for some time!

The first test programme of the CALS at Belair Primary School has come to an end. As we are still in test mode some of the final conclusions about the programme have to be postponed for a while but the success of the CALS so far, as well as some of the issues raised, can be considered and measured to this point in time. We will continue the CALS programme with a younger group of children in October; we will also attempt to stream the children in a more deliberate manner. Perhaps the most exciting result from CALS was that seven of the eight boys passed into the Secondary School System in September. That alone was worth the time and effort involved. Two of the boys who started off reading at a grade three level (instead of grade six) finally struggled with their comprehension of paragraphs at a grade eight level. At that level the paragraphs which measured their comprehension required them to take the essence of the paragraph and answer the questions asked. In other words they had to form their own answers as they were not provided for them in black and white in the paragraph. The programme became boring for the laziest member of the class and this was the issue that started the process of us asking how we might stream the children into the programme in the future. The children were also affected by the repetitiousness of the programme. However, the very ability of the programme to concentrate the child's efforts on areas of minor or major concern in their learning process is one of the programme's strengths. The programme also helped build the child's self-confidence which, of course, led to a more positive sense of self-esteem. "Miss Young" as Ann was known was a firm favourite of the boys and exhibited unlimited patience, understanding and grace. The seven boys who passed the Common Entrance Exam are all off to the Secondary School in Pearls in September. I think the bonding they experienced during the CALS will last for some time to come and will help with their switch from being "top of the heap" at Primary School to "bottom of the heap" at Secondary School. The programme also increased the confidence of Belair P.C. in its efforts to become increasingly involved in our community. From our eldest Elder to our youngest pre-kindergarten student the people of Belair did their utmost to make CALS a success. Have you ever had to sit down, put all your hard work at arm's length, and consider how effective a programme was? I did a little of it while sitting with the church group in the tropical sunshine adrift in the roar of the surf. My return to reality and a sense of purpose was brought about by a tiny girl who said, "Hi Rev" snuggled onto my lap and followed this by saying, "It'll be O.K.". The older members of her family would have added "God willin'". So bring on the next part of the test. What of those whose job it was to encourage the boys? We relearned how important it was that the human race be able to read. We also remembered why the ability to read was such an important part of our everyday lives. Then there was the sheer joy of hearing Dinnie the Dragon yell, "You have mastered this exercise!!!" The combined joy of the boy and the encourager was overwhelming, almost beyond comprehension when Dinnie yelled those words. Thank you, Lord, for the experience.

MacDonald College was in exam mode for the month of June. This meant I had little contact with either the students or staff last month. The report cards will be picked up the first week in July. Graduation of the 5^th year class is on the 9^th of July. This will, of course, be an important event in the school's life. The Prime Minister will be there to hand out the certificates and offer his congratulations. The sound of the Graduation March has been heard in the manse each day for the last month as the class prepares for their procession down the auditorium's aisle. Songs have been practised, poems recited and tears wiped away as the big day draws nearer and nearer.

Belair P.C's major fund raising event of the year the "Harvest" went well. People came from the community for the tea and goodies that were served; chicken and fish were cooked and sold; ice cream was devoured and soft drinks much enjoyed. Heather Paton, a recent student at Knox College arrives next week. She will help with the Youth Camp at La Poterie from the 16^th to the 24^th of July and work with the Belair congregation for the month of August while we are in Ontario for what we know to be a much needed rest.

Life is coming back together again after the grief we initially experienced when my Dad died in the U.K. at the end of May. The journey to and from the U.K. was a classic series of circumstances which turned the journeys into nothing short of nightmares. We will never choose to use that airline again. Our family in the U.K. came together the day before Dad's funeral for dinner, the majority of them left the day after the funeral. What a relief it was to have them around us. Yet how much we missed our own family who were in Ontario and unable to make the trip across the Atlantic. However, we were supported by the congregation in what has become the family church in Seaford – they were kindness, consideration and compassion incarnate. We were also lifted, for instance, by the kind words, cards and letters received from friends in the U.K. and Canada; the way we were reached out to by the people of the P.C.G. and MacDonald College. To be alive and functioning well as a human being is to be aware of the network of people who surround you and we are deeply appreciative of all those who supported us through a difficult time. And all of this, all of this, was supported by the everlasting arms. A month later the grief continues to be worked through, the good clear memories of family relationships, holidays, birthdays and anniversaries opened up and new treasures found when they were looked at through the eyes of the family group. So it seems that Jesus' words are true again. In choosing to live for another day we receive re-creation and renewal. In our lives we all encounter death; in dying we will find eternal life. The tie that binds us all together is eternal love. Again, thank you to all of our friends and relatives near and far; our grief process seems to be healthy and our renewal process underway.

Deo Gratias!

Reflections on Grenada – May 2010

Hello and welcome to the May blog! Rain is back in our lives! It has not, however, come as yet for the longer periods of time associated with the Wet season. We are out of our drought though! Thank you, Lord. Most of the farmers at Belair P.C. are looking for much more rain, as soon as possible, so they may get on with the business of crop planting. Dannie's hedge, bushes and corn at the manse could also do with some good soakings! Needless to say, the heat and humidity are still very high and we would both give a good deal for some old fashioned grey Ontario spring skies with no sun and a cool wind! What else do we dream about? A BBQ with sizzling sirloin, mushrooms lightly poached in butter, new potatoes and fresh sweet corn?

The Prime Minister, the Hon. Tillman Thomas came to MacDonald on the 6^th of May to take part in an Assembly. He gave what might be considered an electioneering speech to the pupils and staff. He made the point that a great deal of Grenada's issues were due to the lack of good old fashioned family values and that his Government was going to introduce the teaching of the "virtues" to the school curriculum as soon as possible. (It was worth noting the Opposition Party has been out with loud speaker vans spreading their point of view too!). Would Canadian politicians have been able to communicate with the 11-16 year olds so successfully? He had no notes, no T.V. cameras, a few body guards and aids and was the recipient of respect and goodwill. He asked for questions from the students when he was finished speaking. He got them, and was able to answer them in what might be considered a "model" fashion. He gained more kudos from the school before he finally left for the next school on the list. What did he leave with me? Among other things he left me with an increased respect for the goodness of the man. He also left me with a feeling of some growing incredibility that the "virtues" might be given priority over reading and math on the teaching schedule. How should priorities be assigned?

The exams at MacDonald replaced most of my teaching schedule for May. It looks that this will continue until the end of June. The next Assembly I will take part in, for instance, is the Graduation of the Fifth Form on the 9^th of July. The school held a retreat on the weekend of the 21^st of May. Twenty-two boys from the Fourth Form attended. They were mostly MacDonald's star athletes from track and field, soccer and cricket teams. We spent the weekend looking at what they needed to do to make the rest of their lives a success. We worked from the foundation of Paul's writing to the Galatians about "self-control, kindness, goodness and the underlying issue of self-esteem. The Governor General Sir Caryle Glean, gave the talk at the formal wrap-up dinner. It was indeed an excellent talk from a good man.

Belair Primary School is in the process of wrapping up its school year too. They may not have as many exams as MacDonald but there is still a bit more tension then usual as report cards go home and the grade the pupil will work in next year is posted. Our eight boys continue to work at the CALS and as we have seen previously four are going to do well, two quite well and two quite poorly. We are looking forward to receiving the Principal's final input to the results and to thinking about what changes we might make prior to the next class in September.

Belair P.C. is preparing itself for its Harvest, our major fund raising event of the year. It will be held on Thursday the 1^st of July. Grenadian time is very much at work and thus every minute is important. The latest addition to Christ's family at Belair is Ms. Javida Williams whose baptism took place on the 11^th of May. What a joy it is to hold so many Sacraments of Baptism! The Sacrament is way up there as one of my favourite church celebrations and Belair beams and glows whenever we celebrate one.

And so the month of May passed. My Dad also passed away on the 26^th of May, peacefully, at home with my brother and sister-in-law in England, just as he had wished to. We are still working through our thoughts and feelings and it's a little soon to hold them out in our public life. Suffice to say in our private life, among many things, the difficulties we experienced in travel (British Airways were/are on strike); the stress of the funeral; Dad's death after a long struggle with cancer; the end of a loving relationship; all of these things and more were balanced by the loving care of our extended family in the U.K., our family in Canada, our friends in Alberta and Ontario and those we work with at International Ministries. No, I did not forget the good people of Belair PC and others of the PCG who have gone out of their way to make sure we know we are not alone. Thank you everyone. The fog is slowly lifting!

Reflections on Grenada – April 2010

Hello and welcome to the April blog! The drought drags on though June is fast approaching. June is the official start to the rainy season. June also "shows in" the hurricane season! Meanwhile we slowly drift into heavier, more prolific showers. Not lengthy, substantive ones though! We use the car air-conditioning very little except when we are driving around in the somewhat heavy odours of St. George's! Now we seem to use it every day in the early afternoon; we also give heartfelt thanks each time we manage to keep the inside to somewhere around 25c! To balance all of this I'd like to tell you about the farewell beach party that the good people of Belair P.C. threw for Sandra Smith prior to her return to Canada on the 3^rd of May. We had a lovely day, good food; good "bathing"; good stories; the clock raced from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Then several things happened together almost at once. The tide changed, rain fell, the wind increased in velocity and suddenly we were both cold! It was cold enough to get inside the car for shelter. Will it happen again soon? Not in the next few years most likely!

Our backyard at the manse continues to develop and grow. The showers have turned everything green. We are assured by Dannie who looks after our outside work that by the end of June the place will be ankle deep in grass and that the hedge cuttings and some other flowering bushes will be coming along very nicely. Meanwhile, mangoes and breadfruit fall around our ears. The local version of cherries, plums and sugar apples are plentiful while the "new" or "continuing" crop of bananas, lemons and limes hang on trees waiting for a juice blender to "come by". Personally I'm spoiled forever by the abundance of the fresh produce around us. What haven't we tried? Some vendors, particularly in schools, sell sugar-cane water; it comes in a small plastic bag that can be sucked on, it costs only a few pennies. It is flavoured with what looks like those flavoured drink crystals which are notorious for being very sweet in themselves! Anyway, the crystals change the sugar-cane water colour to orange, lime, raspberry and rainbow hues. Not only is it a "pick me up" it is also what a good percentage of the children use as a snack or a treat during school breaks. Enough said!

Finally let me try to tell you about a bird I saw the other day. It was dancing on a branch of our plum tree. It was moving in calypso rhythm from one foot to another, moving its head, breast and tail as it flipped rain all over itself. The bird was showering in the gently falling rain. Its wings opened and flapped occasionally sending water over it in different directions while it rearranged its feathers in their proper place. On top of all this it was singing its heart out for its Creator. Praise indeed, Lord, and thanks indeed!

I haven't written much on the history of MacDonald College. I borrowed a history of the formative years of MacDonald from the Principal, so I will keep this as factual as possible. The history I have was written by the first Principal Mr. W.R.L. Friday, B.A. Dp. Ed. He was principal of the college three times and writes of the years from 1963-1973. The history records the aims and objectives of the school, "It should be a school with a high moral tone, a religious atmosphere and good teaching." Marli was finally chosen for the site of the school and the land was purchased from the Ferguson family for a "special price". Friday notes that from the beginning, "vision, enthusiasm, hard work and an inspired and inspiring team guided by the Good Lord Himself all dedicated to satisfying a burning need and to providing a Secondary School on the hill at Marli." The writer also notes "what quiet pride must have gripped Dr. MacDonald as he saw wonder after wonder unfolding itself before his eyes as the school project moved on from fulfillment to further fulfillment".

Mr. Friday's history tells us that the Presbyterian Church in Grenada (PCG) appealed to the Church overseas to help with the start up and set up of the College. The appeals, however, "were only made after the local church had satisfied itself that it had made a start and had laid the foundations for the Project". The Presbyterian Church of Trinidad and Tobago of which the PCG was a part was approached for assistance as was the United Church of Canada.

Earlier yet, in 1959, the following prayer was adopted by the Prayer Circle dedicated to the founding of the College:

"O God, Creator, Redeemer, Preserver of our lives, the Font of every blessing, the source of all that is good, strong and enduring, we praise and thank thee for the power and privilege of prayer. We bring to thee the ordinary concerns and the special projects of our life, making mention of our plans to erect a school which will further the education of youths and maidens. As we consult on this matter, may we be guided by the good spirit, the spirit of Truth and Wisdom. Enable us to see such an Institution in the light of eternity, as well as in the light of time. By thy grace may we plan wisely and well, relying upon thy sufficiency for every need of ours."

The College was formally opened at 10:00 a.m. on Monday the 21^st of January, 1963. Twenty-seven pupils (fifteen girls and twelve boys) were admitted to the First Form from a total of over fifty that applied. The curriculum included, English, Latin, Geography, Current Affairs, General Science, Arithmetic, Geometry, Art, History and Scripture. There were three teachers, Mr. Friday, Ms. Najack and Rev. Sharma. School met from 8:15 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The afternoon session from 2:00 – 3:30 p.m. was devoted to games, home work preparation and other social activities.

From 1963 to 1966 the College grew steadily. There was also an increase in staff. That composition of the staff is interesting. Rev. and Mrs. Salthouse came in 1963, Mr. Donald Taylor also. 1964 brought David and Norma Wright from Canada under the auspices of CUSO (Canadian University Service Overseas) and George Boldeau transferred from Samaritan Primary School (another PCG school). 1965 saw the addition of Victor Nelson and Anselm Franas. 1966 brought Fedora Grant fresh from the University of the West Indies and Margot and Shane Curry from Canada also under the auspices of CUSO.

The years of 1967 – 1970 are termed the "Turbulent Years" by Mr. Friday. In August 1967 there was a change in Government. Mr. Friday became a Member of Parliament, but he sat on the opposition benches. A new Principal of the College was appointed in September 1969 and dismissed in March of 1970. Rev. Salthouse was placed in charge but there was "engineered" opposition to Salthouse and he was forced to resign from his responsibility and close the school. Mr. Friday was hastily recalled to the school as the Principal's Deputy in April of 1970.

The new Government took umbrage to Mr. Friday's recall and "acquired" the School "in reprisal". Mr. Friday became the central figure in the controversy. It was demanded that he either resign from the Government or from the School but the pupils and parents remained in strong support of him as did the Christian Council. There were protest demonstrations in which other Secondary School students took part. Soon student power became victorious and the College was returned to its "freedom fighters". In the words of Rosemarie Charles "The issue is not now whether or not MacDonald College remains Presbyterian or is acquired by Government but rather; what is the will of God for us all in this day and age?"

To round off the school year of 1970 the first "really big Graduation Ceremony" was staged on "June 30, 1970, ending that year on a note of high achievement." The School was also "poised to leap to greater heights in the new year, beginning September 1970."

It is also worth noting that girls represented sixty-three percent of the school role while boys accounted for thirty-seven percent at this time.

Mr. Friday's final paragraph in his history is worth quoting verbatim, it was written in January 1973:

"MacDonald College was the dream of the church and became the product of toil and sweat; today – ten short years later – it is the pride of the Administrative Committee, Principal and Staff, and all those who administer and teach; it is the alma mater of hundreds of young men and women who have been nurtured within it; it is the envy of many who would wish to see it destroyed, but, thank God it remains the hope of the future and a beacon to those who seek excellence in all things, and will live on, with its banner in maroon and grey fluttering above its ten acres of campus green reading boldly as it has ever read:

SALTANDA ALTA PETIMUS

My translation of the motto sounds like this. "We seek to leap great heights". The internet helped with my rusty Latin!

What about MacDonald in the year of our Lord 2010? The facilities are in need of repair, the student body has grown too well above the 500 mark. There is still political instability in Grenada though I do have an admiration for the present Government. The PCG like most other Presbyterian Churches worldwide is steadily shrinking in numbers and can do little to provide direction or financial assistance to the College. The Prime Minister came to talk to the students at the College just over a week ago. He talked about the need for the "Virtues" to be taught e.g. prudence, chastity, etc. I know around eighty percent of the students at the school struggle to read or do mathematics. Where should the teaching priority lie? The Council of Churches in Grenada is pushing the Government to include the Virtues in "Church" school`s curriculum. Will the next Government support the initiative? Is it better that a child read or be prudent? Perhaps if they read prudence might follow? Perhaps also reading leads to the development of imagination and that leads to thinking which leads to a broader and more prudent and resourceful life? If you disagree I am happy that you were able to read what I wrote! Thank God also for the freedom of thought that exposure to all levels of teaching brings to those of us who have been or will be exposed to it. It`s a rare privilege that is not a part of the life of those in the larger world!

Jesus compared the kingdom of God to a seed which grows. Growing and developing are sure signs of life; an absence of change surely points to an organisation being moribund. So if the church or society wants to stay the same it still must change. Faith grows yet in growing also changes. Even as I become more familiar with the youth of Grenada I know that the way I see them will determine the way I work with them. I am also very aware that when I deny my very own condition I, albeit harshly, resist anything in others that might remind me of who I really am. Jesus also said that I shouldn`t be afraid. He did not say I shouldn`t have fears! So can I speak and act instead from a place of honesty about being fearful rather than from the fear? Lord, I know it is what you taught. It's my old problem, can I follow?

Reflections on Grenada - March 2010

Hello and welcome to the March blog! Technically the drought continues as water is still being rationed on the Island but we had a little rain every day last week. The heat/humidity continues to be oppressive, even the locals find the days and nights hot and uncomfortable. On the other hand it has rained enough to turn grass from brown to green; to bring our wilted tomato and cucumber plants back to productive life; to allow the sheep and goats which are of a desert species to go and wallow in the muddy streams. How about us humans? We simply need relief but I, at least, am not sure how to picture that! I will know it when it arrives! One of the features of the back-yard is a bird of prey known as a Chicken Hawk to the folk who live here and that, to me, looks very much like a Kestrel. He rests on one of the trees that surround the yard. Life in the air and on the ground disappears when he's around! Yet he is simply magnificent as he uses the trade winds to hunt on. I didn't think a bird could dive or drop through the air so quickly. He certainly has not been as hungry as the sheep and goats in the drought.

We have just finished two weeks of Vacation Bible School at Belair PC. The first week we worked (and played) with 4-10 year old children. The second week we had 11-16 year olds. The younger group in particular coloured and painted endlessly. We have never encountered so many colouring fiends under one roof! We learned a new game, Duck, Duck, Goose; hung out at the beach; crafted with painstaking care; played rounders, soccer, cricket and dodge ball; fell in love with the stories of Robert Munsch, particularly as they were read by Sandra Smith. Was there a favourite? My vote was for More Pies though I wonder what the outcome would have been if we had a copy of Smelly Socks on hand. We also had Bible Stories, learned both how to pray and a new hymn or two. The older group did most of these things too. They also hiked up a mountain into the clouds; built kites that flew well above 500 feet and found that hormones flare up in the most unexpected places! The kids wanted more VBS. Us older people smiled and said "soon" before limping off to bed! In the middle of all this the Confirmation Class which we had been working with for the last couple of months took their vows and became part of the Communion Service on Easter Sunday. We also had a Baptismal Service for a babe named Sawyer from Huntsville, ON. What a lovely family and what a busy time! It was also an extremely happy one.

The CALS (see previous blogs) continues to surprise. All the children on the course now want to read. Belair Primary School has one of the better libraries on the Island and so they can. God is good! However, is there anyone out there with grade three to six readers? Please make sure they are not overwhelmingly North American or European in their content. Most of the reading texts on the Island have stories about pets that travel two thousand miles, cross mountain ranges with snow and ice, etc. to find their owners. Similarly they tell stories about children who do things that children here may never do nor will have much comprehension of because of the plot around the story. What we do have, however, is a love affair that is building beautifully between teachers and children. Thank you, Lord.

It was quiet at MacDonald College for a few days after the Inter-Collegiate Sports. We did not win the Cup this year; we did take third place in the competition. There were a few achievements of note though. One of the boys was awarded the Outstanding Athlete Award; another "jumped" off with the long jump trophy; the high jump was won after a jump of 1.98 meters. Great stuff! All in all, we were proud to sit there and shout encouragement. Our boys who took part in the Junior Events showed both courage and style. We will be back! Our girl's team have not done well for quite a few years; however, one of the juniors looked to have great potential! Now we are back to school after the Easter break and preparing for exams that will last for most of May and June. These are critical exams for those who are about to graduate and important exams for those moving up a form or grade. Remedial English lessons have jumped to the forefront for those in the first form; the challenge of the second year classes grows for me. What are those 12-16 year olds going to do without some solid reading and math skills in their lives? There are many repeals to the Education Act in progress. This will help as many of the repeals call for changes to teaching priorities in the classroom; all of this will take some time. The deadline for most of the changes is 2012, enough said! In Canada we take education as a matter of right. Good education within a system built around the brightest and the dullest pupil. One size does not fit all. Here it does. Canadians spend a lot of money on education. Here the Government looks to the World Bank for funding for it. I met a father of one of the girls I teach the other day. "Rev." He said "I hear you are teaching my daughter." "Which class is she in", I asked. He told me and I smiled remembering some of the girls in the class. "She tells me you are teaching her to think", I smiled some more. "I am going to hold you responsible" he said and he laughed with such force that he almost fell off the back of the small truck he was working on. Now he passes me and shakes his finger in solemn warning. His smile is as bright as his daughter's.

I used Romans 12 the other morning at the School Assembly to ask what God's will is for us. After all God can lead us all far beyond ourselves. What will you learn today? How will it help you, your family and your community to grow? Isn't each one of us responsible for the future? Doesn't God's world need all his children to live up to their potential? Why don't we pay more attention to life? Most importantly, please remember always that God can lead us, each one of us, way, way, way, beyond our capabilities. Trust him always.

Reflections on Grenada – February 2010

Hello and welcome to the February blog! The dry season continues to unfold bringing us our first experience of drought. Weather forecasters are afraid it could continue for the next few months, as the wet season does not arrive officially, until June. We are told that drought like conditions are not uncommon at this time of year in the Eastern Caribbean. The Grenadian Water Agency is rationing supplies on a daily basis and forbidding people to water lawns or wash vehicles. The watchword, for now, is conservation. For us drought is watching the adjoining hillside on fire with only a twelve foot road between us and it, anxiety is not far off! For others it is keeping your children's clothing clean, particularly the school uniforms everyone wears; for still others it's seeing your crops dying in the ground. Until this past weekend we were relatively unscathed as our water supply comes through the same holding tank as the school. However, that all changed on Friday as water disappeared abruptly from our lives. 30c of heat and humidity and no shower! We gave thanks for the builder of the manse who had installed a 600 gallon water tank for emergencies! Shower with a trickle of water? Thank you Lord, it felt so good! Meanwhile back in Levera the communal water tap is under enormous pressure (there is little water piped to houses there) from humans and their animals; cows, sheep, goats, chickens, dogs and cats in a steady procession for the liquid of life. What patience, what tolerance, what understanding; what an amazing set of priorities appear with enough wisdom attached to do things, seemingly, as second nature.

School work at MacDonald came to a standstill this last week as the annual Sports Day (an inter-house competition) was scheduled for Friday the 26^th at the local sports ground by Sauteurs. The "Chief" (the Principal that is!) was sick for the week before the big day and the last minute preparation fell on the shoulders of some of the senior male teachers. Afternoon classes were interrupted for the heats of, for instance, the long jump and the high jump. MacDonald has a long history of sports excellence and last Friday's competition was about the Inter-Collegiate Sports next month in St. George's. Simply put this is the showcase event for local athletes. Make it there, a scholarship to North America could follow, a future offered, a chance to excel given and grasped! And, to get to the Inter-Collegiate meet in MacDonald colours a big, perhaps even a huge, advantage. Let the games begin!

The literacy work at Belair Primary School continues. With Ann and me from the start has been three of our youth, Cartina, Rhonda and Theresa. What a job they have done! The three teachers from the school, Fraser, Mason and Sookram make up the eight adults who work with the eight eleven year old boys. The boys are naturally competitive and check their "Trophy Case" daily to see what cups they have been awarded as they complete another part of their journey to being able to read. How are things looking as we approach the half-way point in the programme? We pray a lot about two of the boys. Both boys are of good intelligence; one has a pattern of not attending school, the other needs a lot of encouragement, often some direct and pointed suggestions as how to move forward! The other six show every sign that their quest for literacy will be successful. Keep Tory, Akim, John, Nick, Phillip, Glennick, Alister and Shoneil in your prayers, please. Lifestyle itself is at stake here.

Belair Presbyterian Church sails on. We had our first Board of Managers meeting. It went so very well! We elected a new Board Chair and off we went prioritizing the work to be done, the funds to be raised for the work and how they were to be raised. There was lots of enthusiasm for the Congregation and their call to serve God in Conference. Yes! It felt good! And yes we are part of a happy, healthy worshipping community at Belair! God is good.

As things come together for our son's wedding in Ontario in early September we are feeling a growing excitement about it even if it is still six months away. Will my kilt fit? I've lost about 14 lbs in the last year and am feeling much the better for it! Will the sporran hang properly without the bulge that looks very much like a belly of the kind that arrives with age? Meanwhile some of the tensions that invariably circle around the planning of family events when the family is apart are being felt. So, even as we move through them and look forward with great joy to the occasion, we play the historic game of "what if?" God is good, he tends to make the answers obvious and the worry appear ridiculous as we learn once more that we have little or no control over life or life's Creator! We pray each morning over breakfast for patience and understanding around our daily work. Perhaps it's time to apply that patience and understanding to the rest of our lives!

After my remarks on John Knox last month I now need to say a little bit more about him – my personal point of view – of course! Knox was a teacher but in his time there was little difference between a teacher and a preacher. He was a curious and complex man. He was courageous, had a rock like belief in himself and reform. When the French invaded Scotland at St. Andrews in 1547 he was taken off to be a galley slave for two years. This could not change his opinion by as much as an inverted comma! He finally found a job in England as tutor to Edward the sixth but when that nemesis of his, Mary Tudor, succeeded Edward he left, post-haste, for Geneva and John Calvin's haven in Switzerland of learning, austerity and law and order. On his return from Switzerland to Scotland Knox replaced the then hierarchy of the bishops by organizing the Church into representative assemblies (the forerunner of Presbyteries) or more simply, power from the bottom up. What would Knox think of the Presbyterian Church today? He would be upset by the tolerance there. Congregations sing to music produced by organs or pianos or keyboards. In some churches nice ornamentation has appeared; stained glass windows even! BUT all this has been done with the consent and approval of the members of that church congregation. And that's the real point. Knox's church was founded on democracy and democratic pioneers can't complain if people want their own way! Here's one of my favourite stories about a member of my birth church which is the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. One of its members was marooned on a desert island for a number of years. He, naturally, had got everything done in decent order so he had built himself an austere but habitable bungalow and two very small churches. "Why the second church", he was asked. "Oh, that's the one I don't go to", he replied. Some of Knox's strength lives on!

Paul's church in Corinth, as he writes in his first letter to the Corinthians Chapter 2 is made aware of "the hidden wisdom of God which we teach in our mysteries as the wisdom that God predestined to be for our glory before the ages began ... we teach what scripture calls: the things that no eye has seen and no ear has heard, things beyond the human mind, all that God has prepared for those who love him". How do we share the wisdom of God that was predestined to be for our glory before the ages began? One answer came at an eight day silent retreat in Guelph the other year where I was guided (led) to the thought that there is no greater gift we can give to others than to open out to them the way by which they can know and experience, intimately and constantly, how much they are loved by God. What a gift to be able to share here and everywhere!

Reflections on Grenada – January 2010

Hello and welcome to the January blog! The cool, dry weather continues as we settle into the dry season in Grenada. Please remember cool is an interpretation of a norm and we are almost used to 30c with a great deal of humidity! Anyway, life at the manse is very pleasant as the sea's breezes flow around the balcony which overlooks Sauteurs beach and the reef that rings the beach quite extensively. Yet Dannie, who works in our yard, wears a woolen hat to keep him warm, though most of us Canadians would dehydrate very quickly if we were to work as physically hard as he does! Hopefully, the worst of the humidity, which arrives with the wet season, will not return until the month of June.

We promised a list of those who have won our White Glove Award for the year 2009 in last month's blog. First of all the list of nominees has the names of hundreds. White Glove Awards are symbolized for us by the white gloves the police force wear when they are directing traffic. Ever been winked at over the top of an immaculate white glove as you steer your car within a few feet of the officer wearing them? It's lovely! White Glove Awards are given to those who have been courteous, kind and downright caring to two Canadians as they go about their daily work. So, from our extensive list of those who have made our life here easier, allow me, please, to mention only a few and say a heartfelt thank you to them. To those drivers who stop their cars if we are stopped in our car somewhere and ask if we need directions to get where we're going; to the children and youth in our lives who fill them with so much joy; to the police force who still "pound" their beat in their big shiny black books, to the government officials who pause for a moment, smile and ask if they have made themselves clear; to the shop assistants at the store where we bought our furniture. They saved both us and the P.C.C. a lot of money by their continual search for "deals" for us; to those who adopted us and helped disperse the thought that we be seen as visitors to the Island, visitors who are both white and rich; to those who give loud shouts of joy around us as they recognize a friend; to those who trusted us with their faith in Jesus Christ; to those who say thanks to us in deep and personal ways when we do what we are here to do; to those who wave as we go by and yell, Hey Rev; to those whose smiles reflect the light and warmth of the tropical sun; to our Creator God whose flair for life is easily seen in the beauty around us, THANK YOU.

A teaching schedule has been finally set up and I am teaching, for the moment, six classes each week at MacDonald. They are four first form classes and two second form classes. The class rooms each have at least one other classroom attached. Dividing the two or three rooms is a white board and an inadequate wall. I have seen only one classroom so far that has an electrical outlet or light that is in working order. Graffiti is splashed across walls inside and outside the classrooms. Teachers who may be sick or are away from the school on business are not replaced and the class is left without any leadership or control. The behaviour of the first form classes, in particular, is atrocious. Where to start? The School Councillor who seems to be responsible for teaching such common place behavioural skills as acting responsibility, manners and how to simply be quiet has her work cut out. I should be clear that the teachers do their very best with the system that is in place. This system is the responsibility of the Ministry of Education. Among some discreet laughter the Minister of Education stood in the staffroom at the College the other day and said she was not aware that the College had any needs. Was this a convenient slip of her memory? Would she be more aware of the needs of Government Schools than Church Schools? She certainly was woman enough to go and look at the classroom of a teacher who expressed her disgust with it to her. There are many more questions that are begging to be asked. We have a retired teacher, Mrs. Sandra Smith from Port Alberni, B.C. with us. She is living at Dorothy's flat and has now taught at MacDonald for a month. She is here until the end of April. She is a skilled teacher of those who have poor reading skills. She works with many of the same classes that I do and her observations about the enormity of the literacy problem are both definitive and depressing. Her classes consist of children who are "slow" and "not quite so slow" readers, to use the local terms. She assists another teacher in the classes; this helps with class discipline as each group in the class take turns to disturb the other with inappropriate behaviour. At the last Presbytery meeting the hope was expressed that I would bring a "Presbyterian presence" to the school. It sounds more and more to me like something that needs to be defined more clearly in light of the situation in the school. Hopefully you will agree with me that there is much work to be done. I would also very much appreciate some prayer support. I wonder what John Knox might think of the Grenadian Educational System. He certainly thought poorly of the Scottish System in the sixteenth century. How can Grenada move from a "have not" Nation to one that "has" without a functioning educational system? Knox would argue that without education no country can be successful. More importantly, perhaps, no woman or man can function without having been taught the three "R's" and how to process thought. On one side of the debate I am having is Descartes, the French philosopher who thought that, "I think, therefore, I am." On the other is John Macmillan (a more recent Scottish philosopher) who taught that an individual was only able to define himself when there was some interaction with others. Grenadians are a warm, gregarious people. They "lime" or socialize together most evenings. Do they really need to be taught a formal thought process? The debate, for me, will continue over the next few years. What represents a formal thought structure? What would it look like? Firstly, however, the "need to read" must be addressed!

The Belair Church literacy programme at Belair Government School has just completed the second week in what promises to be a ten to eleven week programme. Is anything clear about the programme so far? The natural relationship between the eleven year old boys we are working with and their teachers is lovely. The absolute need of reading skills is apparent in the eight boys as they become more and more involved in the intricacies of phonics. The boys move onto Secondary School in September. Will we be able to teach them enough for them to become one of the "not quite so slow" students in their class? Four of the eight are struggling. One is doing very well, the other three are improving! God is good and infinitely patient with his children. Grant all of us "encouragers" a smidgen of that patience and with it grace.

Belair P.C. had its Annual Congregational Meeting two weeks ago. The Board of Managers were revitalized and given a gentle reminder as to who they serve. Some much needed repairs to the Church kitchen are underway as I write. We had a joint service on the 31^st of January at Belair. The congregations of Samaritan and St. George's were represented and, from all accounts, much impressed with the Belair Youth who conducted worship. Three of our youth preached; they were all terrific! Theresa, the closing speaker, preached on the lectionary reading from Luke. She got a Presbyterian ovation! Like – WOW! What a natural! What a joy they are to be with and to teach.

Let me be clear also that I have no questions about whether it is students who learn or teachers who teach that teaching is all about. Students who learn are the finest product of teachers who teach. I have also never doubted that students learn in diverse and absolutely unimaginable ways, including ways that drift right by the teacher and the classroom. Let me also be clear that it is only teachers who possess the ability to create conditions that can help students learn a lot – or keep them from learning at all. What part of you teaches? It certainly isn't the tongue as James 3: 1 points out. The tongue needs to be tamed. "Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly." Jesus said that if anyone loves him they would obey his teaching. (John 14). Jesus was judged harshly by a system that was both derelict and of the type that one size fitted all. The teachers of the law saw to that. So, what of the children of Grenada, the ones from the poorest parishes of St. Andrew's and St. Patrick's and the educational system they are tangled in. I never really grasped what Mary Jo Leddy was saying in her book Radical Gratitude when she talked about the poor and what it feels like to be dismissed as an acceptable loss in the great cultural scheme of things. She also insists that the poor know this ahead of time. She is right when she says where you live determines what you see. Now I see. Now a state of inertia could overtake me. But Jesus did say that if anyone loved him they would obey his teaching. So, in my frustration over the conditions that exist at a Church School in Grenada, I forgot that Jesus tied the act of forgiveness to the act of beginning again. Forgiveness is not a denial of the past but a way of making sure the past will not repeat itself over and over again. The circle can be broken. One way or another a circle can be broken. And James is right. Those who teach, particularly from a pulpit, will be judged more strictly. Would it not be nice to think that those who are church leaders are servants and not power brokers or politicians? Mary Jo Leddy wrote a poem I'd like to finish with. It's called Living with Purpose. It's from Radical Gratitude.

You are not

the recipe for living

The blueprint

for our future

the master plan

for the world.

You are

the Hope in spite

of ourselves.

The Love ever

unforeseen.

The well of Faith

in the center of the world

in the middle of the day.

You are the Way

the life-long lifeline,

long beyond life.

You are the Life

in our living,

pushing us, pulling us,

pointing us all

in Your direction.

For this we give You thanks.

Amen