Queenstown

I've just spent a week in Queenstown based in the mouth of a volcano! Well,it was a volcano many years ago+as a result is surrounded by mountains. The plan was to spend a week experiencing life of a Priest in S.A. This started well but after a few days Helen,Rev.Reg's wife,had to go to hospital some distance from Q'town+so Reg went with her. Consequently, Dom+I were left on our own+instead had a few dys relaxing -mainly sitting in the sun reading,swimming in their pool,+ watching TV. It was actually great to have our first bit of time since getting here completely to ourselves+I feel V. refreshed!

As Reg+Helen were away,they arranged for various people to bring round dinner each evening which was food we eat at home+so was heaven!We even had pudding too!!
Reg's assistant,Fr.Bebe+his wife took us out for dinner 1evening too...at a casino! This was rather eventful as Bebe feel to sleep during dinner+then took us to the children's section of the casino to play on the amusements..among other things!!
A couple of elderly ladies also took us 1dy to buy African material to make into various things when at home as a nice reminder of our time here+to Lawrence de Lango Nature Reserve where we saw more springbok,ostriches,zebras,+also buffalow+rhino's! They were V. close again which was great+we had to drive off as 1rhino was heading right for us!
We did do some productive things too though:
We visited Nkosi Matanzima,a man who's wife had died in a car accident. This was in a location in Nogate Township+in the building where the council of Traditional Leaders meet as Nkosi is the chairperson of the Eastern Cape House of Traditional Leaders. There's many 'Traditional Leaders' spread over a large geographical area including over 150 settlements+Nkosi is the chief of these. The round building had stone walls,a straw roof+ just 1 room.People wandered in to pay their condolences to Nkosi by sitting there a while+then standing up+giving a speech/sermon to the whole room.After this,Nkosi asked us to go to his house for refreshments.He+the others present stayed there while we went into his house+were given a cool drink+ cake. Moses (a Priest from a neighbouring parish to Reg) spoke to a gentleman in Xhosa+after a while we left.

We also went with Moses to a couple of home Communions+ anointings of the sick.Wonderfully,a group of about 10lay people also came to offer their support.

We observed a meeting with the Archdeacon(i.e.Reg)+his clergy. They discussed the installation of the 1st Bishop+the consecration of the Church into a Cathedral as the Q'town area was recently made into a new diocese. This means the Bishop of Grahamstown has a smaller area to work in (Q'town is a 3hour drive from G'town) but Q'town is a poor area+they will struggle financially as a diocese on their own to sustain themselves.

We also participated in the youth group who's session was based on eradicating poverty+hunger.There was small group discussions,activities in the larger group,+of course like any youth group there was food+drink! They were V. interested about us+asked lots of Qs,incld. what snow was like,if we had sheep in the UK,+if we'd met the Queen! At the end,several got out their phones+wanted photos of them with us. On Sunday we saw some of them again at the Eucharist service+they greeted us with great smiles+hugs which was V. sweet.

We also went to the Anglican Women's Fellowship meeting+are now experts in all things concerning the A.W.F. from why they started to when to wear their badges!