Monday Update

Hello friends and family!

I enjoy my new tradition of a Monday morning update - hope you do too :)

We had a great weekend and just finished up this morning at the gym. For me, it was a girls weekend, as I hung out with some American missionary friends on Friday night, Saturday morning went to a workshop for Sisters For Sisters, then hosted a bridal shower for our friend Lauren Presence (her fiancee is Casey's friend Shagmie), and ended the day by taking Lauren and some friends out for a 'bachlorette party' on Saturday night. I learned so much at the bridal shower - it was totally different than a shower would be in the States, and 30 minutes into it I whispered to a women there, 'does it always happen like this??' She laughed at me and explained the me their traditions of bringing in the bride-to-be dressed funny and blindfolded, and then they would proceed to have her open each gift blindfolded, guess what it is, and guess the giver of the gift by touching their face and body. If they got anything wrong then they had to do 'dares' like spell their fiancee's name with their butt! It was so different and hilarious - learned a new side to the coloured community here!

We then had church Sunday morning in Ocean View for our 'covenant service' which is a yearly occurrence where the church comes together to covenant and vision for the year ahead. It was a packed morning and great time of tea and goodies afterwards. Great things ahead. Sunday afternoon Casey and I took Kieren to the beach, which was beautiful and crazy, as she decided to be a bit moody and have a tantrum over a fudgesicle. I mean, I like them too, but there is no reason for a full melt-down... Then we went to Hillsong Church Sunday night and dinner afterwards with Michael Jenkins and some of the Living Hope volunteers. Whew! It was a great weekend filled with many wonderful people and events.

We are both looking forward to a good week, many things to tackle ahead with Ubuntu and my various ministries and it all seems exciting to us. As life goes though, you never know what each day holds, and as I was working on finishing this blog post I learned that my friend and parishioner Lenny Levendall (who I previously called 'Mr. L in other blog posts) passed away peacefully this morning. He has been in and out of the hospital since I spoke of him before, and on his last visit they learned that cancer had spread throughout his body. He was at home and not in pain as he was on morphine and being watched by nurses. He said his goodbyes last night to family, was beginning to talk about Jesus and other people who had previously died, and then peacefully let out his last breath this morning while his wife Olga and family sat around him. It is a heartbreaking loss for this community that loved him so, but it was his time, and he was really at peace with it, which was such a gift. So please pray for his family, this community, and myself as we begin to move forward with a memorial service this week and then this new life without our friend, Lenny. Olga, his wife, is also at peace, just frail and tired, but knows her husband is now with the Lord.

Thanks for being a part of the journey once again everyone!
Lots of love,
Sarah