175th175th AnniversaryAnniversary Volume 84 Number 1 Autumn 2017
The Magazine of Newtownbreda (St John’s) Presbyterian Church
FROM THE STUDY
I know my eyesight is getting bad but I may have some way still to go in comparison to one of my former parishioners.
Road works in Larne had resulted in a street being closed to traffic. To ensure that no vehicles would venture down this route, a huge sign was placed at the top, boldly stating ‘Pedestrians Only!’ An older gentleman was sedately making his way down the street. Suddenly a teenage boy flew past him on his bicycle. Outraged at such a blatant disregard for rules, the man pointed at the sign and shouted ‘Can’t you read? It’s Presbyterians Only!’
An easy mistake to make but as with most things, it could also contain a kernel of truth. We may not actually shout ‘Presbyterians Only!’ but sometimes our attitudes can give that very impression. We know that we have been called to serve our Heavenly Father, commanded to love God with all our heart and soul and mind and strength and to love our neighbour as well as we love ourselves. Yet sometimes we water this down to loving God when we have the time and energy and loving only our neighbours who talk they way we talk and act the way we act and believe what we believe.
People from different cultures, backgrounds, denominations and communities often challenge us to re-think some of the views and prejudices we have held our whole lives. In a society where racism and sectarianism is still rife, we need to be aware that God’s kingdom and his love and grace are not for ‘Presbyterians Only!’
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September is the start of the church year. Organisations begin again, the weekly calendar of events begins to fill up, preparations start for the high seasons of harvest and Christmas and very soon we will be in the midst of the usual busyness and routine of church. And in the busyness and routine it can be easy to get caught up in our own identity yet we are each called to be living stones showing grace and love to all we meet.
May we start this new church year celebrating all that has gone before but anticipating with excitement all that God has planned for all his people – not ‘Presbyterians Only’!
Rev Anne
Harvest - Sunday 8th October 2017 Decora ng the church will take place on Saturday 7th October from 10 to 12 am and from 2 to 5pm.
All contribu ons will be gratefully received of flowers, fruit and nned or dried produce. The la er for the Food Store. As usual each organisa on will decorate a window.
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Harvest Lunch
2017 has been a very special year for the congregation of Newtownbreda Presbyterian. Reaching the grand old age of 175 years and celebrating the 125th anniversary of the church building, has kept us busy with special events, services and concerts, each reminding us of God’s goodness and faithfulness to His people throughout the years and from generation to generation.
In keeping with that theme of celebration and praise, we are having a Harvest Lunch after the Harvest morning service on Sunday 8th October. Root Soup will be catering and this lunch is open to EVERYONE. It is a time to enjoy fellowship with one another as we remember God’s abundant provision and never ending kindness. The gifts of flowers, fruit, vegetable and food trolley groceries will have adorned our sanctuary that morning and after lunch there will be the usual opportunity to distribute these gifts around our congregation, remembering those who have been ill and bereaved and those who are no longer able to be with us in worship due to frailty and age.
As God’s people we have been blessed to serve in the Ballynafeigh area for 175 years – providing support and witness within our community. With our harvest offerings and gifts we will continue to do just that as we share what we have been given in abundance.
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Wintershall
In June, I attended the annual production of The Life of Christ at Wintershall Estate in Surrey. The play has only one professional actor playing Jesus. The rest (amateurs from babies to school children to Senior Citizens) numbered around 200, many playing several roles.
The stage is the landscape of the estate and the audience is required to move to various locations for different acts.
Act One features the Angel’s visit to Mary, the journey to Bethlehem, the Nativity story, the killing of the children and the flight to Egypt. It ends with Jesus lost in the Temple.
The audience moved to the second site beside a lake for Act Two. This begins with John the Baptist preaching and baptising the people and finally Jesus. It continues with the Temptation of Jesus, the calling of the disciples, the wedding in Cana and other well-known stories. It finishes with the feeding of the five thousand and there is audience participation.
After a short intermission for lunch we moved to another location for Act Three which starts with the raising of Lazarus from the tomb and continues with the entry into Jerusalem, the eviction of the money changers etc from the Temple, the Last Supper, Jesus’s arrest and trial, Peter’s denial, the Crucifixion and Resurrection.
The audience moved back to the Lake for the Ascension.
A marvellous depiction of the Gospel and enjoyed by the audience of over a thousand who were also blessed with good weather for the nearly five hours it lasted.
Ross Irvine
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Congratulations to Stanley Cairns on his 54 years ordained as an elder.
Congratulations to Victor Arnold on his 57 years ordained as an elder.
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L’ARCHE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION MEETING, JUNE 2017
Our summer was kicked off by a visit from 500 people from L’Arche communities all over the world to our wee city for the L’Arche International Federation Meeting which happens once every 5 years. I was proud to be on the logistics team and got an insight into what a huge operation the whole thing was.
Core-members, assistants, board members, directors and administrators from every L’Arche community in the world descended onto Queen’s University for one week in June. They all came together to attend various meetings, reports, group discussions and activities as well as closing ceremonies each day which were of an epic proportion, akin to the opening ceremony of the Olympics, with amazing dramatics by people from L’Arche Bethlehem and L’Arche Japan!. The representatives from our community were May and Naomi. We all had amazing conversations over breakfast, lunch and dinner and got insight into what life is like in all corners of the earth.
One of the days the whole group, plus 100 more people from L’Arche communities all over Ireland including Belfast, travelled to Downpatrick for a day to see the countryside. We visited historic sites such as Inch Abbey, Ballynoe Stone Circle, St Patrick’s grave and Struell Wells. The sun shone and showed off Northern Ireland at its best.
Root Soup was invited to cater breakfasts for those staying in Derryvolgie Halls so there was a whole team of people starting work at 5.30am each day! They also
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succeeded in making 660 packed lunches for the Downpatrick trip! Between Root Soup, Downpatrick and the arrivals of all the delegates we had up to 150 volunteers helping out, many of whom were local people from the area including St John’s congregation and our own L’Arche Belfast core-members.
All the delegates seemed to have a wonderful impression of Belfast and Northern Ireland. And now we have invitations to visit new friends in USA, Toronto, Croatia, Lithuania, New Zealand, Japan, France, Inverness, Liverpool, London, Mexico, Kenya, Cape Breton… the list goes on and on!!!
You can watch short montage films of the week if you search for ‘L’ARCHE FEDERATION 2017’ in YouTube. They are well worth a watch!
Susan Hughes
Koinonia programme 2017-18 It will soon be October and time for another Koinonia autumn/winter programme to begin. This year we will have speakers on a wide variety of subjects – from local history to international travel, from bee keeping to Botanic Gardens, and we will have a visit from Belfast’s very own Lord Lieutenant.
We meet on the first and third Thursday of each month at 10.30 for tea or coffee and a chat, before listening to our guest speaker at 11.00. We finish around 12.00 noon.
Although most of our members are retired, there is no minimum entry age and everyone will be made very welcome. This year’s programme has some really interesting speakers so why not join us on a Thursday morning? We look forward to greeting any new members. 8
Our oldest member Mrs Gladys Holmes, formerly of Lowry Court, celebraƟng her 102nd birthday in Annahilt Care Home on 30th August, with her daughter Mrs Anna Hannah , the Rev Bill and the Mayor of Lisburn and Castlereagh Councillor Tim Morrow
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FLAPJACKS Ingredients
125g Bu er 80g dark brown so sugar 4 tablespoons golden syrup 250g rolled oats 30g raisins 30g chopped apricots
Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Prepare the baking sheet with parchment.
3. Put into a saucepan the bu er, brown sugar, and golden syrup. Cook gently un l the bu er and sugar have melted.
4. S r in the oats, fruit and mix well. Pour into the baking sheet and press down.
5. Bake for 30 minutes in oven un l golden. Cut, leave to cool.
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Root Soup at L’Arche Belfast Kitchen Happenings!
Root Soup have grown from strength to strength and will be celebrating 7 years in October this year. We have had the busiest year by far which include 2 large functions at the Belfast City Hall, catering at 5 weddings and the L’Arche International Federation to name but a few.
Root Soup on the Road In April and May we delivered cookery workshops to the Special Olympics team in many different locations including Enniskillen, Omagh, Banbridge and Belfast.
In June we catered for the L’Arche International Federation: this included 12 days of breakfasts served at Derryvolgie Halls for 87 guests daily and a picnic for 670 guests and volunteers. Thank you also to the members of Newtownbreda who volunteered at the federation, I know L’Arche were thrilled to have you all onboard!
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‘Fun Food & Friends’ We are currently running year 6 of our successful cookery summer project ‘Fun Food and Friends’. We have 12 participants with learning difficulties supported by volunteers and staff. This is a very popular program for our volunteers and on the first day, we had 12 participants and 26 volunteers and staff!
The team have a fun packed program which includes: cookery workshops, arts and crafts, gardening, Circus School and foraging at Lagan Meadows.
Fingers Crossed! Our Monday cookery session partnered with the Belfast Trust has been shortlisted for the Chairman’s award. The Chairman of the Belfast Trust visited St John’s early August and was most impressed with the facilities and the community atmosphere at Newtownbreda. The winning project will be announced at a reception in the Belfast City Hall in November.
The team at Root Soup and L’Arche Belfast would like to take this opportunity once again to thank the members of Newtownbreda Church for their continued support and friendship.
Alison Pettigrew
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Extracts from the Uganda Fields of Life Team Journal
Sunday 2nd July No words could describe the welcome we received, no words could describe the emo on we all felt. It was the most joyous experience of our lives. We were greeted by the children, the teachers and the Village Community in a way that we will never forget. Their warmth and spirituality humbled us.
Monday 3rd July The holiday Bible group had a very busy but lively and fun day. The children adored colouring in their animal masks which they took great pride in and wore all a ernoon. It certainly helped having the teachers present to translate and assist.
The Energy and the Spirit in all the groups were magical and we came away from the day with a great sense of connectedness with the children, staff and team. It was nourishment for the soul in abundance.
Tuesday 4th July An important Governance Mee ng took place with Bruce, Michael, Keith and Pastor Joseph alongside 20 members of the PTA and the village. Bruce gave a thorough summary of the discussion which took place and everyone was very pleased at how posi ve and honest the mee ng was. Future priori es include school sustainability; village development and a new Nursery block.
Wednesday 5th July Just before lunch some of the group visited the dam where the school gets their water. Pastor Joseph and Keith were able to tell us
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that it is a manmade dam, which was filled with rain water. While we were there we saw a van belonging to a High School 10 miles away, they were filling barrels of water for the school. The water was far from clean and this definitely made us all realise how lucky we are to have clean drinking water provided for us.
Thursday 6th July We are star ng to get used to the early morning starts and we once again set off for the school at 7.30am. The school day has begun to take a pa ern, with Health & Hygiene sessions; Sports; prac cal work; Bible Club; music; I am Girl and work with the nursery becoming regular features. The teams are very excited about the Safari tomorrow but equally excited about the lie in!!
Friday 7th July Sadly we were wakened at 5.30am – whoops, forgot it was the Muslim Sabbath. Earplugs in and back to sleep for another couple of hours. A er breakfast more work to be done on the hygiene bags to finalise them before the weekend.
Se ng off at 2pm we passed many interes ng places and had the opportunity to get some beau ful photos and stretch our legs. The bus journey was very bumpy and with scary near misses of other traffic. Just when we thought it couldn’t get worse our bus broke down and we had to wait for 45 minutes to get the Brake Pads replaced. Unfortunately despite going as fast as possible we didn’t make it on me and the Gate to the Park was closed. A er a 30 minute discussion we were finally allowed to enter.
Saturday 8th July Safari Time: we all finally got going about 6.30am, a bumpy ride but Alex is a superb driver and drove as best as he could avoiding deep potholes in the sand. We were well rewarded with many wonderful animal sigh ngs including Ugandan Cobs, vervet monkeys, water
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buck, hippos and elephants. In the a ernoon a boat trip on the Kasinga Channel between Lake Edward and Lake George allowed us to spot many animals and birds; Water buffalo, crocodile, elephants, birds in many colours and sizes.
Sunday 9th July Some of the team got up early at 6am to go on a morning safari, a really good start as we were one of the first out on the road. We almost ran into a herd of 8 elephants, saw a hippo waddling up the middle of the road and our reward was when we came across a large number of Ugandan Cobs at the ma ng ground, many with young does. All of a sudden we saw some lionesses and 4 lion cubs. On our return to Mbarara our bus had more problems, too much dust in the petrol, so we limped back un l Alex saw a garage in a small village and got a mechanic to sort it out.
Monday 10th July On arrival at Bethel School the assembly was underway and we watched and listened as the children sang beau fully and marched to their classrooms singing “We are marching in the light of God”.
My first stop was the Sports! One class par cipated in relay races, while the other had great fun with the parachute ac vi es. (From a distance I could see the water tank being erected – a tough task but a successful one!)
I then visited the girls’ sewing group; they had just completed the sewing of their sanitary towels and were proudly showing off their work. Last Thursday I had spoken to one of the ladies who was learning to use the pedal sewing machine and prac sing on a scrap of material. Today she is making a handbag! I think this is a real success story – ladies learning to sew and passing on these skills to others and of course their children.
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A er lunch I joined the Music Group as the classes prepared their songs for tomorrow’s celebra on. It was great to hear the beau ful singing and see the enthusiasm of all the pupils. I guess the children will be singing the songs they have learnt in the months and even years to come.
Tuesday 11th July – CelebraƟon Day As we approached the school in the morning we found ourselves at the back of a long procession of school kids, parents, toddlers and an odd motorbike. The sound of a band could be heard in the distance.
When we all arrived at the school the kids gave us a display of all that they had learnt and made over the past week, in front of their apprecia ve parents. The final presenta on was music which took place in the church. We finished off with a rendi on of the beau ful Cel c Blessing which Ruth had taught us the previous evening. The verses were sung by Raymond, Barbara, Molly and Brenda; the rest of us joined in for the chorus.
Lunch was served with a selec on of matoke, rice, potatoes, goat, chicken and beef. Hand washing was available from one of the new water barrels. As forks were in short supply we followed the local style and used our fingers.
We then accompanied the teachers on a tour of the new accommoda on block, which is clean, bright and airy. They seemed to be genuinely delighted and no wonder. Some of them had been sleeping in very cramped condi ons alongside the children who board.
Then it was down to the school in order for us to give out our gi s of hygiene bags to the kids, which they loved. A erwards there was a short but deligh ul presenta on of individual gi s to the teachers, who were very touched. We also distributed a selec on of the sports equipment and other school gear, before leading the teachers into
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the ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ of our temporary ‘Staff room’ to show them all the rest of the stuff.
Leaving the school was slightly an -climac c. We were all so zonked out and the children had already gone home. One deligh ul episode was being greeted by a young boy running from his roadside home, wearing his brand new underpants and not much else – his eyes shining.
A er dinner that evening Keith thanked the team for everything they had done with great sensi vity to the local culture. He said they had made the teachers feel very much appreciated. - something that is rarely done in Uganda where teachers rank at the bo om of the public service in terms of pay and pres ge. The team had shown love to the children, whose parents love them but who could not always find the me to express this love during the daily struggles of life. In return the children had opened themselves up to our embrace.
Epilogue It will take a while for us to really process all that happened and the impact it has made on us – but an impact it surely has been. We will never forget the pure joy on all the smiling faces awai ng us each morning. Nor the look of gra tude as the teachers toured their new home in the staff accommoda on block. We will not forget Alex or Keith – two amazing men who ensured our safety and sanity.
Bethal ChrisƟan Primary School – you are part of our DNA and we hope to be back!
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Fancy a Stroll? Newtownbreda Strollers 2017
Rather than focus on the individual walks the Strollers undertook this year, I thought I’d tell you a bit about some of the Strollers themselves. We’re a motley bunch (with our leader probably the most motley of all), but united by a love of a reasonably gentle walk with good company. Our numbers vary quite a bit, from four stalwarts who braved a miserable evening for the very first walk at Lagan Meadows and Belvoir Forest, to around twenty who explored the paths from the new CS Lewis Square towards Victoria Park and towards the Hollow.
Pleasingly, the largest number of all came on the ‘4 Corners Walk’ when we were led by poets Jim Deeds and Glenn Bradley on a route straddling the Peace Line in West Belfast. Starting with a brief visit to Clonard Monastery, we walked the length of the Falls Road with a stop at the Convent of the Adoration Sisters, past the Divis Flats, and up the Shankill Road to the Shankill Graveyard and the Shankill Memorial Park. Our guides gave us personal insights to aspects of the Troubles, and read some of their own very moving poems. We look forward to a return to Clonard in the Autumn for a longer visit at the invitation of Father Ciaran.
Strollers vary in age too, from young bucks striding confidently out, to one or two in late middle age nursing arthritic joints, to our eldest who in her early nineties skipped around the Gobbins Cliff Path showing up everybody else.
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Yes the Gobbins was open this year! and well worth the wait of two or three years – it’s a spectacular sight as the track hugs the cliff face a few metres above the sea. We had an excellent guide with a great mix of facts and entertaining stories, and an obliging arm to help a Stroller up the very steep hill at the end.
Styles of dress show another variation between Strollers. Some take a minimal approach with tee shirts and shorts, while others cover up as much as possible with waterproofs and leggings. One or two sport trendy walking poles but in general we seem to lack much of a sense of fashion á la mode. Comfortable pullovers that have seen many seasons are matched with workaday trousers and a baseball cap. Next year we might aim for more elegance, but it least it shows that all are welcome!
Sometimes it’s a family affair, with up to three generations walking together, other times we have a husband seeking some peace and quiet out of the house. Unusually, there were only one or two dogs this year, greatly eclipsed by the number of visitors from other denominations who came to see what Presbyterians get up to when they aren’t eating tray bakes. We even have a hardened Glentoran supporter – they have to be hardened, don’t they - who actually sacrificed travelling to the match at Ballinamallard to come to the Gobbins instead, thus proving that he is not completely crazy, just mostly.
A brief mention of other venues: very gentle outings to Hazelbank and Connswater Greenway, tougher climbs at Carmoney Hill and Redburn Country Park, a trip to the seaside at Helen’s Bay, and further expeditions to Rea’s Wood at Antrim and Union Locks at Lisburn completed the calendar. Hopefully this has given the impression that there is something for everybody, and all shapes, sizes and conditions are welcome. Join us next June for Strollers 2018!
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Welcome to our Pastoral Assistant
Hi...I'm Karen Mbayo (pronounced em-by-o) for those of you not fluent in Kaunde...the tribal language of Solwezi in Zambia where my husband John is from! We have 2 adorable children...Joshua who's 8 and Abigail who's 5, both loving life in Knockbreda Primary.
John and I have been married for 11 years having met in Helen's Bay Presbyterian Church where we were both doing placements...his from Belfast Bible College, mine from Union Theological College...not the typical placement result but great nonetheless!!
John is now the minister in Glenburn Methodist Church and I have just finished 7 years as the Chaplain at QUB and am delighted to be doing some pastoral visiting amongst you until next Summer.
In what feels like a previous existence, I was an English teacher and am still a very keen reader and enjoy being part of a book club when I can make it! I also love the theatre and films though don't see as much as I'd like to...and 'Despicable Me 3' just doesn't quite cut it!!
I think it's probably the reader in me that means I love hearing people's stories and their journeys so far...so if I appear at your door, I hope you'll be up for a good old chat...from families to faith, gardening to God and all the ups and downs of life for which we really need each other to get through. I look forward to sharing in some small way the joys and difficulties of life with you, praying with you and taking courage and hope in an ever loving Saviour.
I've felt so very welcomed by so many of you already, at church last Sunday, and look forward to getting to know you better this year.
Every blessing Karen
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19th Belfast Guides and Senior Section
19th Belfast Guides had a great time at camp in June in Tollymore Forest Park. We had lovely sunny weather and enjoyed paddling in the river, exploring the forest, craft and games. Some of the senior girls built shelters for an overnight bivvi and everyone enjoyed the most important camp activities; cooking and eating. Well done to all the girls who gained badges at the camp.
At the end of June we had a Bar-B-Q and presentation night. Every member of Guides was presented with Annual Challenge Badges and every member of the Senior Section with Look Wider Certificates.
We look forward to another busy year starting on Wednesday 13th September, 7.30 to 9pm.
Any new members or adult volunteers, please come along to meet us at our weekly meetings.
Margaret Magee, Guide Leader
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Newtownbreda Pizza Nights – Great Community Building Opportunity! In April, as part of our Iona-Glasgow trip, twenty-five members of the congregation visited several Church of Scotland parishes in some of the poorest areas of Glasgow and came away excited by a variety of imaginative initiatives they are using to connect church and community. Anne was so excited by the outdoor pizza oven we saw at St Paul’s that upon returning home she took a leap of faith and ordered one for Newtownbreda! Her vision was for a series of “Make your own pizza evenings” over the summer open to the whole community. Members of the congregation, volunteers and residents from the L’Arche houses across the road, families linked through the Carers and Tots group, friends from Good Shepherd and anyone else from the wider community we could attract would be able to meet and build friendships over pizza.
A request went out to the rest of us who had seen the pizza oven in Glasgow to help launch the first night. Root Soup Coordinator Alison Pettigrew gave us some helpful instruction in making sauce and dough. Several of us took on shared responsibility for coordinating. A couple of members taught themselves how to operate the oven. We bought in supplies. And we set up a tentative system for people to make their own pizzas, with absolutely no idea who or how many would show up. The first night there were about forty, mostly from the congregation. The second night perhaps fifty, half from the congregation and half from the wider community. By the end of August we had over eighty - babes in arms, lots of pre-school and primary age children with their families, right up to those in their eighties – and a healthy mix of regulars and newcomers
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from various backgrounds.
Along the way we have learned a lot about what does and doesn’t work well. The original team of volunteers became more confident and quite a few additional members stepped forward to volunteer, some faithfully appearing to do the washing up week after week. Many friendships between those volunteering were either started or strengthened as a result of working together. As were relationships between members of the congregation and those from the wider community.
The final night we held a light-hearted “Great Pizza Bake-off” competition with twelve competitors ranging in age from perhaps six to – what age are you Marj?
Their creations were both varied and very good! Judges Anne and Alison sampled all (the perks of the job!) and, in a contest with many great entries, Lana (first on the right in the photograph) was awarded the Pizza Bake-off Champion 2017 trophy.
As a congregation we have a pizza oven, but it is not about pizza. The potential for these nights is fantastic and we have only just begun. Roll on Summer 2018!
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Nord 2017 – Explorer Expedition
For the Explorers and leaders that went and par cipated in the Jamboree, the me went too quickly. This was a trip which had different meanings; for some it was a trip of independence, for John it was an opportunity to show others the type of camp he experienced as a Scout back in 1955 and for others it was an adventure in scou ng.
Before the Jamboree The trip started early hours on Thursday morning, bright and early. We hired a bus to Dublin Airport, preparing for our flight to Oslo and the connec ng flight to Bodø. The trip really started when we arrived in Saltstaumen, at a fantas c Lake Cabin which had views to die for. Saltstaumen is known for its fishing but it is also well known for having the fastest current in the world when the de goes out. We looked out across the water to snow covered mountains with glaciers. The countryside was do ed with red and white wooden houses and cabins, many of which had grass growing on the roofs for insula on. John and Maurice commandeered the “luxury quiet bedroom” in the basement, whilst Jonny and Sco had the “luxury hear through walls” which was another interes ng experience.
During our stay at Saltstaumen we hiked along the edge of the Fjord to a massive modern bridge. The first night we stayed up to witness the Midnight Sun.
During Jamboree We arrived at the Jamboree, where we were paired
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with a Norwegian Scout Group. The Scouts and Guides in Norway joined together to form totally integrated groups and are known as SPEIDERS. Not creepy crawly things. So, there were girls in our group and the Lads immediately thought that they just had to learn how to play rugby. Even the boys wanted to learn but for some reason the Lads felt that Norway really needed a Girls team as a priority. We quickly learned that it is a custom at Jamborees to try and find a Camp Girlfriend. One poor soul, not from our group I am glad to say, had put on his best clothes, acquired a bunch of flowers actually Cow Parsley from the hedgerow and held up a no ce at the crossroads which said, “Single Scout requires girlfriend for the Jamboree.” For all we know he may s ll be there. It is also a custom at Norwegian Jamborees to wear a label around your neck offering “Free Hugs”. One Scout had gone a step further. His no ce read “Free Kisses (Girls only).”
Well you can’t go anywhere without mee ng people from home and out of 9000 Scouts we found a patrol of Northern Ireland Girl Guides. They were a great help in soothing the fevered brow of one of our number who shall remain nameless when he managed to almost take the top off his finger with his sheath knife! For those who are interested... He lived. But the girls did a wonderful job distrac ng him while he received First Aid. While we were at the camp, we joined with our host troop and cooked
26 meals together, I say cooked - we gave it a go! However, we were saved again, fortunately 3 of our Norwegian Host Leaders were in the food industry and a couple were actually chefs, so all ate well.
The Opening Ceremony was more like a Pop Fes val with the minimum amount of speeches. We even had a fly past from two jet fighters from the Royal Norwegian Airforce sta oned in Bodø. All the Speider groups had marvellous Hooded capes and as they walked up to the mee ng point we thought we had ended up in Hogwarts.
On one of our free days at Camp, we visited the avia on Museum. Civil and military aircra throughout history were on display and there was an excellent cafe with food paid for “out of the budget.” Norwegian Scouts programmes are much more outdoor based than ours and can involve skiing, camping in snow-holes and hiking across glaciers. Glad to say none of these were required at the Jamboree.
We can say while we were in Norway we had the chance to experience a range of food. On one of the nights we were given the chance to eat whale meat and fried grasshoppers. The word “starva on” definitely didn’t spring to mind throughout the camp as there were vast quan es of food. We also got the opportunity to sample the Norwegian custom of ea ng brown bread with a slice of special Norwegian Brown cheese with raspberry jam spread on the top for breakfast. Yummy!
The fact that the Sun did not set during our me at the Jamboree was very strange. Most people didn’t go to bed un l well a er midnight and some mes as late as 4 o’clock in the morning when it was as bright as it was in the a ernoon. It was easy to lose track of me. This did lead to difficul es ge ng up, but we got there in the end; nothing a bit of
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bargaining can’t fix!
The one shocking/amazing/ques onable thing was that almost every Speider from eight years old knew how to carefully use a sheath-knife, razor sharp axes and bow saws. Their outdoor skills were amazing. The Norwegian a tude towards Health and Safety is much more adventurous. They believe in le ng children learn correct methods but give them responsibility for their own safety and welfare from an early age. Our me at the Jamboree ended all too soon and we had to pack up ready to travel to the train sta on for the next stage in our journey. But not before another fes val type finish with lots more pop music, mad cheering and flag waving.
Post Jamboree The Jamboree was over! The organisers did us a massive favour in ferrying our luggage to the train sta on in Bodø as we made our way there on foot, with a few stopping for a Burger King.
Our train journey was going to be a long one but was in 2 parts. The first part involved an overnight journey to Trondheim. The Leaders pulled rank and had Sleepers. The explorers slept on seats or even on the floor because someone pinched their seats and they were either too well mannered to displace the person or his Norwegian wasn’t up to it. S ll all slept well. Poor Sco y managed to get imprisoned between carriages for an “Extended period” but s ll maintained a cheery demeanour. How do you do that, one asks???? The journey down to Oslo was brilliant and we got a real feel for the Norwegian countryside.
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While we were in Oslo we hiked to our Hotel. The hotel passed all expecta ons. Comfortable rooms with comfortable beds. The budget even stretched to a meal out in Central Oslo. However, the li in the hotel had a mind of its own and went up or down as it pleased. We never found out how to get it to do what we wanted. It was easy to get lost in such a big hotel. One person who shall remain nameless was found in the corridor trying to open the door to one of the Lad’s Rooms and quite frustrated when he couldn‘t gain entry. It was pointed out that he was trying to open a Store and the required room was slightly further down the corridor. I suppose all the doors did look the same but I think the numbers on the doors might have been a give away.
We had a challenging day in Oslo visi ng 4 Museums one a er the other. Not as difficult as it might at first seem. Bus to first Museum: Folk Museum, short walk to Viking Museum complete with Longboat which had been the last res ng place of a Viking woman of High Status. Another short walk to Kon Tiki Museum where we saw the balsa ra used by Thor Heyerdahl in his epic journey from South America to the South Sea Islands. We also saw his other ra Ra made from reeds. Finally, to the Fram Museum. This housed the Arc c explorer sailing boat used by Nansen and Amundsen. We were able to get on board and John had an “Amundsen Moment” and took the wheel.
We returned to Central Oslo by ferry. One of the explorers lost his Oslo Pass, something he discovered when we were half way across the bay. As you can imagine he received a lot of sympathy especially when we told him he would be put off and made to swim home. As Scouts who look out for
29 each other there were all sorts of plans made to help him bluff the conductress. In the end we owned up and I suppose one look at the poor unfortunate lad helped the conductress realise “This lad is an idiot,” and she let him off.
This expedi on was definitely an experience of a life me and our hear elt thanks from us all to John who sowed the seed and planned so much! We have to thank all the other leaders who helped bring the group together, the explorers for par cipa ng and to all who helped with sponsorship and prayers. (There were mes when we definitely needed them!)
All too soon we had to get to the plane to Dublin and then the bus back up North.
ScoƩ Robinson and Maurice Doherty
Are you going somewhere? Would you be able to take one of our Baby Jesus pebbles to leave at a place of your choice - be it on a train, plane, bus; be it on a walk; or visit to a place of interest. We would love you to take a photo of your pebble where it was leŌ.
Please send photos to the [email protected] by the 30th November
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GreeƟngs from Senegal
As many of you will know by now, I got engaged in June to Sébastien Diédhiou. I’ve known Séba since I first moved to Ziguinchor, as his cousin is part of my host family, so he often came round to visit.
Séba is from the Jola-Kaasa people group, who come from Oussouye, a village about 45mins from Ziguinchor. When I first moved to Ziguinchor, he was studying here and has since begun working as a primary school teacher in a Christian primary school in Ziguinchor.
In Senegal, relationships tend to be kept quiet until the engagement, which is then announced at church. Engagement rings aren’t a thing here, but a dowry is normally given. For the Jola-Kaasa, this would normally be a pig and some palm wine. However, my Dad didn’t fancy a live pig turning up on his door (and transporting it to the UK could have been difficult!), so in spite of my host mum’s best attempts to get Séba to give her a dowry instead, he went the European route of giving me a ring, on 4th June.
We had a meeting with the Pastor of our church in Ziguinchor, followed by another meeting with him and some of the elders and deacons, at which they all agreed to us announcing it in church on 11th June and getting married in Oussouye on 28th December. Séba’s uncle, whom he lived with during high school, is the leader of a church in Oussouye, so it was important to Séba that we got married there.
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Wedding planning is underway, although we’ve both been travelling a lot, which complicates things a bit! Planning is a good lesson in making cultural compromises, and getting the best of both worlds. For example, here, the bridesmaids are not necessarily close friends of the bride, but are 4 or 5 girls of the right age with a good walk and perhaps some dancing abilities if they want a choreographed entrance. Ditto for the groomsmen. I wanted my best friend from Northern Ireland to be part of the wedding, but wasn’t sure how she’d feel dancing up the aisle! So instead she will be my maid of honour, which we’ll do “British-style” and the bridesmaids, who will mostly be Séba’s cousins, can do things “Senegalese-style”.
I can’t wait to share photos with you of the day (and maybe videos too). After the wedding, we’ll continue to live and work in our respective jobs in Ziguinchor. We hope to come to the UK next summer and have a celebration in Belfast then. Clare Orr
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16 YEARS AGO
The 2001 Autumn edition of the Chronicle detailed that…. ♦ Under the ministry of Revs Orr and John Peacock 13 new elders had been ordained and Ronnie McCully had resigned as church organist. ♦ The Tuesday morning Prayer Group would resume led by Irene Younge. ♦ 24 church members had spent 10 days in Romania with the Forget Me Not Foundation, interacting with the children in their home, as well as painting radiators, helping to build a brick building to house the pump for the water from the well, and constructing a wire mesh and tarred board fence round a 600 yard field. ♦ Jacynth wanted to know where several microphone and music stands had disappeared to! ♦ The Autumn Fair and Flower Show had raised £1931 for the Building and Repair Fund, the cup winners being George Turkington and Stanley Cairns. ♦ 9-12 year olds were being invited to jf.com on Thursday nights where movies would be shown to discuss relationships with Jesus; over 13’s would meet on Sunday nights for Focus and over 18’s on Tuesday nights for Amiche. ♦ Chitra Bharucha sent greetings from Macquarie Presbyterian Church in Sydney Australia while visiting relatives there, recounting the story of her widowed grandmother’s “debt to God” box where each family member’s first duty on pay day was to put their tithe. ♦ Gavin Meek, Matthew Mateer, Matthew Wilson and Vincent McCaughan won their Chief Scout Award Badge after a strenuous 3 mile hike in the Mournes ♦ The Ladies’ Indoor Bowling Club was wound up due to the small number of playing members. ♦ The Presbyterian Women’s Association was resuming with the theme “Choice in a changing World”. ♦ The Youth Council outlined its plans for the youth organizations, including a newsletter, more outreach , a summer scheme and having the Youth worker Rick Scott stay on until the year s end. ♦ There had been 3 baptisms, 2 marriages, 12 deaths and 4 new families in the last quarter.
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Roll of Honour
Captain James Clawson Jamison was serving with 10th Ba alion, Royal Irish Rifles when he died on 22 November 1917. He has no known grave and is remembered on the Cambrai Memorial as well as on the family grave stone in Knockbreda cemetery.
According to 1911 Census he was a Clerk in the Electric Works.
Captain Jamison a ended Communion in this Church on 7th October 1917 and on 12th October 1917 he married, by Special Licence, Miss Edith M Perry at her home on the Lisburn Road.
His wife lived un l 1961 and is recorded on her death cer ficate as the widow of Captain J C Jamison.
He had two brothers one of whom was killed on 1st July 1916 at the Ba le of the Somme.
He was the last soldier with Newtownbreda connec on to die in 1917.
Ross Irvine
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Send a Cow: Focus on new projects in Kenya
The Challenge Send a Cow works in the remote, underdeveloped Western Province of the country – which is a world apart from its be er-known beaches and safari parks. Here, poverty and hunger are rife. People o en lack educa on, soils are poor, and communi es are isolated. One district where we work, Busia, is the poorest in the whole country. Because floods and droughts have hit Kenya in recent years and rainfall has become more erra c, there is an urgent need for farmers to protect their land.
The Approach Dairy farming is hugely important to the Kenyan economy – but smallholder farmers struggle to compete. To help, Send a Cow provides good quality dairy and crossbreed cows, capable of giving up to 20 litres of milk per day. We’re also providing lots of dairy goats in Kenya, par cularly for the many people we work with who are HIV+. Goats are easier to manage than cows, and their milk provides the nourishment needed by people taking an retroviral medica on. Although it’s one of Kenya’s smallest provinces, the Western Province is hugely varied in terrain. Send a Cow therefore trains farmers in environmental protec on methods to suit a diverse range of land types, including fuel-saving stoves – which spare the forests – and water conserva on techniques.
The Impact The groups we work with in Kenya are discovering that they can overcome the challenges of poor soils, isolated communi es and lack of educa on. Tradi onally, many men work away from home, either as fishermen, or trading with nearby Uganda. That has harmed community cohesion, and increased the HIV/AIDS rate. So many of those we work with are widows, or women who have taken in
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orphaned children. O en, group members will contribute surplus milk, vegetables and even money to those families who care for orphans – a real tribute to their community spirit. Some groups are also forming dairy coopera ves to boost their ability to market their produce and earn a sustainable living.
Starbucks We are delighted that Starbucks are dona ng £250,000 this year to help launch a brand new project in Rwanda with Send a Cow. Look out for the limited edi on African design and Send a Cow logo on the Starbucks chilled classics range - on sale in supermarkets across Europe now!
Autumn Fête Our Community Autumn Fête this year will be fundraising for Send a Cow – organisa ons can take part in our dress-and-name-the-cow compe on (prizes will be awarded for classiest haute-cowture. For inspira on, follow h p://bit.ly/2wOAfvp). Have a guess at how many cow-print balloons there are in the DeLorean. Come and have a chat with me about our work!
Simon D
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Beaver Scouts
Throughout last year we had 24 Beavers at our weekly meetings on Monday night. We had 3 adult leaders who were supported by young people completing their service for DoE. We continued to operate a waiting list due to demand for places and provided significant outreach as over 80% of the Beavers did not belong to our church.
At our weekly meetings we played games, did craftwork, tested our senses, tasted food from various countries and learnt about the Beaver animal. We awarded 12 Faith badges and 24 Health and Fitness badges.
We had a visit from Belfast City Council’s Anti-Litter Gang and the Co-Op Funeral Home when we learnt about road safety. One of the highlights of the year was a visit by Monkeynastix. We ended our summer term with a visit to We Are Vertigo where the Beavers completed the Ice Climb and the Sky Trail and went on the Go Karts before enjoying chicken nuggets, chips and ice cream.
We contributed food and flowers to the Harvest Service and were delighted to be able to send 3 Samaritan’s Shoeboxes to boys of Beaver Scout age. We also took part in the Annual Thinking Day Service in the church in February 2017.
We attended two South East Belfast District Events – the Ardnavally Walk in May and raised £313.00 (we get to keep half of the money with the other half going to Ardnavally) and a Christmas Craft morning at Ardnavally in December. We competed in the District Uni-Hoc Tournament in February and were thrilled to make it to the County Final.
We attended two Northern Ireland Beaver Scout events at Crawfordsburn – Christmas at Crawfordsburn and Rally Day in
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May where the theme was Superheroes.
Valerie Barrett and our young leader Luke McParland continued to provide dedicated service to the Colony on Monday nights.
Ahmeek (Helen Morrissey, Beaver Scout Leader)
90th Birthday CongratulaƟons To:
Miss Lily Spence 14/6/17
And
Mr Leslie Jennings 17/8/17
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Deaths Mr John McCullins, 15 Glencregagh Drive Died 17th July 2017 Mr James Morrow, Nazareth Care Village Died 18th July 2017 Mrs Olive Wylie , 131 Belfast Road Died 2nd August 2017 Rev Eric Borland, Towell House Died 19th August 2017 Mrs Irene Marks, 48 Hawthorn Manor Died 28th August 2017 Mrs Olive Cairns, Annadale Nursing Home Died 1st September 2017
Baptism Lucas Matthew Colin Weldon, 2 Lenaghan Court, Belfast Baptised 30th July 2017
Dates for the Diary September Sunday 3rd 10.30am Leaders Dedication Service
Saturday 9th 7.30pm Ceilidh and Pizza Evening St Johns’ Hall
Sunday 10th 10.30am Rev Anne
Sunday 17th 10.30am Baptism Jonah Finlay
Sunday 24th 10.30am Rev Michael Anderson 7.00pm Taize Service
Thursday 28th 10.30am Bible Study begins Church office
October Sunday 1st 9.45am Communion for Sunday School teachers and leaders 10.30am Communion
Tuesday 3rd 7.30pm Celtic Psalms concert
Sunday 8th 10.30am Harvest – Rev Derek Boden 12.00pm Harvest Lunch
Sunday 15th 10.30am Rev Anne
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Sunday 22nd 10.30am Morning Service
Sunday 29th 10.30am Morning Service
November Sunday 5th 10.30am Rev Anne 7.00pm Fields of Life – Conversation with Keith – Link Worker with Ugandan Team 2017
Sunday 12th 10.30am Remembrance Service 7.00pm Evening Service
Saturday 18th 7.30pm Ulster Youth Jazz Orchestra
Sunday 19th 10.30am Rev Anne
Sunday 24th 10.30am Rev Colin Anderson 7.00pm Taize Service
Flower List 1st Oct Mrs D Di y 8th Oct HARVEST 15th Oct Mrs P Ferguson 22nd Oct Mrs M Sloan 29th Oct Mrs M Guiler
5th Nov Mrs C Pollock 12th Nov Mrs L Gray 19th Nov Mrs M Hutchinson 26h Nov Mrs J Pa y
3rd Dec Mrs J Caskey 10th Dec Mrs M Elliio 17th Dec Mrs P Mills 24th Dec Mrs A McManus 31st Dec Mrs A McManus *if anyone wishes to contribute to this list please contact Clare Pollock
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This is a song I wrote about our me in Uganda! It is set to the tune of 'How deep the Father’s love for us.’ Raymond McNeill
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Happy 100th Birthday to the Rev Joe Mooney
On Friday 9th June many friends gathered at Coffee and Chat to celebrate Rev Joe Mooney’s 100th birthday. He arrived with his daughter and son-in-law, totally surprised by the number of people there.
Rev Wilfred Orr congratulated Joe on reaching such a milestone. He recalled many happy and amusing memories of mes together both as a colleague and a very good friend. A er cu ng his birthday cake, Joe thanked everyone and of course told some of his many jokes, much to the enjoyment and laughter of everyone.
It was a lovely morning. 42