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NEWSLETTER NO. 104
Hello!
Hello! How are you? I hope you are all well. It was with sadness still that I start this Newsletter to say that we had the laying out ceremony and funeral service of our late Matron, Aunty Rose. The whole day was such an emotional one and I know we will feel the loss of such a lovely lady for a long time. She will not be forgotten and we pray she may rest in perfect peace. We still continued work and the pupils had their first term first tests. I would at this point like to say a huge thank you to all of you who sent e-mails and telephoned with messages of condolence; this was a huge morale boost for all of us. On a much happier note, I know you will join with me in wishing a very Happy Birthday to my wonderful Mum for her 89th! Birthday; my sister Lynne for her 61st and to my brother Phillip for his 51st, and pray for their continued good health and happiness. Well done and God bless you Mum (a great achievement!), Lynne and Phillip – I love you all! It was quite a busy month. We had a visit from Alison and the team from Mission Direct (UK). They divided into small groups so that a few of them went into each Class so they could interact with the pupils and teachers. They all exchanged questions and information about themselves which made for some lively debates. It was really interesting and great fun and we all enjoyed it very much. Our next two sets of visitors came on the same day. We welcomed the Puddicombe family and we welcomed the Cricket 4 Change team – both from the UK. The Puddicombes were visiting Sierra Leone to visit places they had known when their parents had been working here as volunteers in the 1960s. Hannah (one of the daughters) had been born whilst they were based here. So it was a nostalgic and interesting visit for them. Cricket 4 Change is a group of ladies and gentlemen who are introducing cricket to visually, hearing and physically impaired people in Africa. For the blind, they have hard plastic bats and the cricket balls are also hard plastic with “seeds” inside so the blind can hear them. We all had great fun, especially the kids who really liked the ‘new’ game. It was an exciting, enjoyable and memorable day with all our new Aunties and Uncles. Peter Penfold also came for a couple of weeks for his usual annual visit. Although he was busy as always with meetings and visiting people both in Freetown and in the Provinces, he was able to meet the Puddicombes and the Cricket 4 Change team. The children and staff are always happy to see Uncle Peter and we were able to have some useful meetings and discussions. We took the Choir to the Bamboo Hut restaurant as special guests of Sight Savers International, who were giving a retirement lunch for their Director, Dr Dennis Williams. He has been an inspirational and invaluable Director to his colleagues and all the blind people who have benefited from his work. He was quite overcome when we sang a special tribute song that we had compose for him. We wish him well in his retirement. I conducted a special service in the school on the 11th to commemorate Remembrance (Poppy) Day. I gave a short talk about the meaning of this day and its history. It was a moving service and the children were very attentive and thoughtful especially when I read the poem ‘In Flanders Field’. My own calendar included a trip, with my Australian friends, Kerry and Ali, and German friend Feri, in their boat, to Banana Island. We went all the way up the coast from Aberdeen to Kent and then across to the Island. It is some years since I had been there and it was interesting and pleasing to see that they had made a lot of improvements since the rebel incursion when a lot of destruction had taken place. There are little chalets that you can stay in and a nice restaurant with lovely food. The beach is beautiful and very peaceful and we had a wonderful day. I also went to the Thanksgiving Service at St. George’s Cathedral for the Dorcas Women’s Union. All the ladies of the congregation were given beautiful had fans and the men were given cup place mats. It was an inspiring service and the Cathedral was ‘full to the brim’. And so, on that inspirational note, it only remains for me to close now as always by sending best wishes to those celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, and any other happy event. I also send goodwill messages and solicitations/condolences to those who are not well or have a bereavement or have received any sad news.
From all the children
and staff here at the School and myself, I send all our love and prayers
to you and your families and friends. |
