My Last Post
As a child, I sang in the church & County Youth choir, loved Sunday & Saturday School, was kept busy as a Girl Guide, a dancer and an actor/ producer at our local theatre, and, later, on the school board as deputy Head Girl. I had a deep experience of God’s love and call at university in Durham, and at the church ‘in the Marketplace’ of George Carey (later, the Archbishop of Canterbury). I travelled extensively afterwards, and first went to southern Africa in 1985, later met and married Mark there, had our three children, and was involved in some life-changing war-time and post-war church development in Mozambique. We returned to England for seminary in 1997, were ordained in Wales by the Bishop Rowan Williams (later, the ABC as well), and returned to Mozambique in 2003 when Mark was elected Bishop of Niassa. After 13 years of ‘running after the Spirit’ in mission and ministry that fills two academic dissertations, one book, and several files of photos, we moved to the US, to WV and then to Lexington, KY. And during my 8 years as Rector of St Raphael’s, our now-married children have given us the joy of four grandchildren!
My life so far in a nutshell! And whilst I can sketch the chapters of my life, none of it mentions all the friends and friends-like-family that have been there on every page. In my High School leaving autograph book, there’s a quote attributed to Yeats, “there are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met”, a thread through all the chapters of my life, speaking to me about hope in human connection, and the spiritual grounding that is friendship.
For eight years, you all have been my people, my friends. I feel deeply privileged to have been your priest! Your friendship towards this ‘stranger in a strange land’ has taught me about hope, joy, peace and love. You have taught me about serving one another and faithfulness through all the cycles of life. We have shared hard times – those crazy years of mission and ministry in COVID isolation as well as the sad times of multiple losses and funerals of friends. We have shared many fun times too – celebrating special days and seasons of worship, involvement in the mission work of our neighbours, shared meals, many conversations, amazing music events, and opening our beautiful church and land to new opportunities in Tobit’s Trace and a daycare. I am grateful to you all for all of it, for having me, and for all I have learnt from and with you – thank you!
I pray for joy, peace and hope in all our new chapters and new friendships! May God’s grace hold us and God’s love surround us until we meet again! Até logo!
Your friend,
Rev Helen