Randomness and Waffle

From Fr Kenny:

I’m off to London this afternoon, the first step on my way to The Gambia on Tuesday. My case is full of clothes for the kids, as ever, and a few odds and ends for other folk.

My love affair with The Gambia began eight years ago, when, because it was the only sunny holiday available, I found myself in West Africa in November to “soak up some rays”. I had read of, and preached on, Third World poverty, but when it hits you on the face like a wet kipper, and you actually see and feel what it actually means, life can never quite be the same again.

One day I found myself outside a school in Serrekunda, the largest town in The Gambia, in a street which was constructed of hardwood, cardboard and corrugated iron, dust flying everywhere, with ten pupils and forty to fifty children trying to peer in to see what was being taught. London Corner, in Serrekunda, is the poorest area in one of the poorest towns in the world. The children outside couldn’t pay for their education, and were therefore excluded. I started by paying the fees of two or three of them to attend. The rest is history.

It was like Topsy, it growed and growed, and within a year I had a fairly large number of people who wanted to buy into the concept of free education and a feeding programme for London Corner.

Today we have a beautiful school, attended by 90 of the poorest children in London Corner, and we provide free education, a free feeding programme and free health care for our children when they are sick. We employ eight or nine people from teachers to cooks to watchmen, and feed eight extended families as a result. I’m proud of the way that the people of Dumbarton and beyond have responded and have made this happen. We send out close to £1,200 every month to continue this work and the cash is closely monitored.

However, we have a problem. The landlord wants his building back and our agreement with him is due to end in January. He seems intransigent and I need face to face meetings with him to see if there is any compromise. We have spent thousands of pounds on his property and can’t afford to begin again.

Is this the end of Dumbarton/London Corner Nursery School? Possibly. I need my blogging pals to pray hard that this week we can find a solution, and continue to provide free education to this area. I will do my best, but we don’t have a lot to bargain with.

Please pray for Kenny, for the school, and for the meetings this week.  and if you feel moved enough to make a donation to the School, email Kenny via the link on his blog

its been a bit of a mad-dash weekend.  Firstly to Lenzie for the preliminary meeting of the electoral synod in the hunt for a new bishop.

The Primus, +David, outlined the procedures, explaining how canon 4 works and the timescale for things happenining.

Nominations will be recieved up to 15 October – and must be submitted on the form available on the diocesan website, with signature of both proposer and nominee.  If all goes well in the whittling down and interviewing of nominees, candidates will present themselves before the electoral synod in early January, and Consecration sometime in April.

At one point, there was space to freely say what one hoped for in a new bishop,  my comment went something like this:

I want a bishop who will care about me and what is going on in my life and in my charges, and how this affects my ministry as a priest….  I want a bishop who will inspire me, and encourage me in mission and ministry, who will enable me to be a better priest to the people I serve and will help me to find the tools to encourage the congergations i serve to move forward in mission.

This was not the whole of it – i cant remember exactly, it was more a plea from the heart than a rehearsed script – I hadnt planned on commenting.

Other valuable comments came also – a Bishop who will work well with all groups/factions within the diocese: gay or straight, evangelical or high church, male or female.  Someone to challenge us, guided by the Spirit, encourage us, enable us to grow;  father in Christ.

A huge shopping list, from a few voices – but each of those voices was welcomed and respected by the Primus.  I doubt we will get all of what we hope for – we ask for superman (or superwoman) , but we will get a human, male or female, most suited to the job, discerned by a lengthy process.  Pray for the diocese, for those who feel called to the role, and for those whose job it is to elect a new Bish!

In the afternoon, a dash across the foot of the campsies to Bearsden for the institution of Revd Kirstin Freeman to the joint charges of All Saints, Bearsden and St Andrews Milngavie.  A brilliant sermon from Revd Ruth of the Purple Hair, a memorial afternoon (unfortunately no wine at the bash in the BB hall afterwards…), and a new neighbour in the region.  Welcome Kirsten   The Dean did a stand up job as celebrant in the absence of a Diocesan Bishop .

This morning – Back to Church Sunday in both congregations- plenty of food, good welcomes all round and an invitation to the harvest celebrations in 2 weeks (more free food).  Both congregations saw several new/returning faces, though how much of a return it will be I’m not sure – several complained that it was no longer a prayer book service (hasnt been for a LONG time), and that they found it difficult to follow, despite ditching the blue bookie in favour of full service booklets custom printed for the occasion.  Ho hum.  A couple of people said they would be back for harvest tho, and the occaisional prayerbook liturgy on a Wednesday morning in HC might bring a few along, for the coffee and catch-up post service if nothing else.  Both congregations worked hard to make the morning a success and to welcome back these friends of yore – and well done them for taking the time and the risk

See the full story here

too much seriousness of late, so this made one particular northern lass smile

Missed the Perseids tho!

I even play Star Wars Galaxies regularly with friends  – its good fun to play a sith lord.  however, even I dont go this far!

(Dunno how the bishop would react, especially considering the stories from the US of late…)

As an aside – back at work this week, still not feeling great but was going stir crazy!  Back at the GP on tuesday to assess how the tablets are helping (they’re not particularly).  The locum at my last visit may even get a mention – i’m still really cheesed at her!

yes – thats right – we have now been in Jordanhill and Knightswood for 5 years – so today we had the annual cholestoral-fest which is the rectory barbecue – in the church gardens, for fear of drowning in the rectory lawn (waterlogged is an understatement).

Whilst I was charcoaling meat of various kinds, our Lay Reader snuck a 5th Birthday card into the house – a sweet touch which brought a smile to my face.

The last 5 years have been challenging, at times heartbreaking: small struggling congregations with various age related problems and worries about the future – but on the whole it has been a delight and a blessing to be with these people, to jouney with them in their struggles and heartaches.

To top a busy day we had friends from the Cathedral choir moonlighting evensong today – once a year, during their summer break they come and join with us.  A poorly attended service (it often is) but one appreciated by those who come.  Fantastic stuff.

So thanks for the card, and thanks for the years so far!