Elders are in

Today we had a combined church service - i.e. all 3 congregations met together for church in the Jamestown chapel.  Afterwards we voted on a few minor changes and one big change to our constitution.  We are now free to elect an elder/s to support the pastor with the spiritual work of the church.  The deacons' function is an administrative one - attending to practical matters.

Supper with Bishop Richard and Jane

Bishop Richard is back on St Helena after spending a few months in the UK getting corrective surgery done on his ankle.  We were invited to have supper with him and his wife, Jane.  We watched 2 delightful DVD's about India, and Jane showed me some of the lovely scarves that she knits, as well as some of her cross stitch work and unusual knitting yarns.  I immediately bought 3 of her scarves - ostensibly for gifts - but all 3 have been worn already...
Danny borrowed the blue scarf one evening to brighten up her black outfit, and I have worn the the pink one with a white shirt, and the reddish orange one to brighten up a beige jacket, and to complement a rust coloured corduroy shirt.

Go Cart racing

Someone came up with the idea of having a go cart race down Jacobs ladder road...  This was tamed down to a safer race down Main street, Jamestown.  Various groups have been building their carts over the past month or so.  Certain requirements had to be met e.g. the brakes had to be in working order, and the drivers all had to wear crash helmets.
The event was welcomed with much enthusiasm.  Here are a few photos of the carts before and during the race.

Prince Andrew School entry

Kyle Yon

Cable & Wireless's entry

The winner

My favourite

Rounding the corner at the market

The Williamsons

The Williamson family, who were last on St Helena in 2008, and left on the day of the rock fall, have arrived back on St Helena to spend 2 and a bit months here.  Their main aim is to help SHAPE get their online shopping working properly, and to assist various people in the community.  SHAPE is an organisation that provides sheltered employment for the disabled on the island.  They produce some interesting things, like hand made recycled paper, items woven from flax and aloe fibres, candles and soaps, bead work, etc.  Kyle is an art teacher, Genevieve runs her own jewelry business from home, and home schools her children.  Ben is 15yrs old, and Samuel will be turning 12 before returning to the USA.
This family has stayed in touch with many different people on St Helena, and generously send items we cannot easily obtain.  Their church has donated several Bibles to our church over the past 3 years.
We look forward to spending time with them.

Sunday School

My Sunday School class has changed into one-on-one meetings with Tiffany Herne.  The animals love her, and usually join in the class.

Rain, glorious rain

We have had some lovely rain over the past 3 days i.e. "rain" St Helena style - which is something between a mist and soft drizzle.  Nevertheless, it was enough to make the ground damp in Jamestown, and the plants happy in the "country" areas where the rainfall is usually higher.  The water reservoirs are still below what we need, but we are encouraged.

Here is a photo taken of a spider in its web while it was raining, and again, after the rain

Africa Day

The number of Africans living on St Helena at the moment is growing.  So "Africa Day" was celebrated with gusto.  Graeme is not into this kind of thing, so he stayed at home and visited with his Scottish friend.  I, on the other hand - ex Zimbabwean, Zambian, South African - AM into things African.  So I dressed in my Botswanan caftan, tied my black doll onto my back, and went down to the Mule Yard to join in the fun.

The air was heavy with the beat of African music.  I love the way that Africans dance.  Totally uninhibited enjoyment of movement and rhythm.  The different tribes dressed in their traditional clothes.  Here are the 2 Shona ladies from Zimbabwe.

 A South African girl whose mother is Pedi, and father is Tswana - so she and her mother dressed in Xhosa garb.

I ate a lovely meal of "pap" and beef and cabbage and spinach. I ate my pap properly - with my fingers.
I came home feeling that I had gotten in touch with my roots.