"Puh, puh, puh, please!!"

I received a phone call yesterday from one of the parishioners in Placencia asking me if I would be willing to make a trip to St. John's to lead a memorial service for a member of the community that died a year ago today. I said yes, and got to planning the service. Miss Lorna was gracious enough to sit down with me and lead me through what a memorial service looked like as she has led a number of them for people who have died in the community. God bless her!

I got to Placencia a bit late and found that the congregation was significantly larger than I was expecting. I figured that the memorial service idea was a last minute thing and that only 3 or 4 people were going to show. I found out just before starting the service that it had been advertised for weeks and so they were expecting a number of people......nerve wracking!! So to calm my nerves I said a quick prayer and began the service. Due to the short notice, I didn't have a whole lot of time to prepare a sermon for the occasion, but knew that I was going to be expected to say something. One of the parishioners got up and said something to the family and shared a couple of memories of the woman. I probably could have moved the service along from there, but something inside of me was pushing me to get up and preach the good news of the resurrection to the congregation and the gift of eternal life that the resurrection gives us. So I did. I've never just stood up and preached without notes before, and I wasn't nervous, I've never felt so calm when standing up in front of a congregation preaching, it was an amazing experience....I have no doubt the Holy Spirit was guiding me through the whole thing - it was apparent to me, I don't know if it was to the congregation, but it defintely was to me.

I returned to Mango Creek and headed to the rectory to pick up my laundry to take over to Miss Lorna's house to do this evening. I grabbed a quick bite to eat, packed up what I would need while waiting for my clothes to wash and dry and headed out the door. I hopped on my bike and just as I made my way to the road I saw 3 familiar little busy bodies running towards me yelling out, "Miss Chelsy, some cold waata (water in Creole)." I turned my bike around and went back to the rectory ran upstairs, grabbed my jug of cold waata, 3 orange glasses that I bought for the kids and met them at the gate. They each took a glass (they love them it makes their waata look orange) and held them out for me to top up. They drank it in about two gulps and then pushed the glasses back at me and said "More." Manners are a bit foreign to the kids down here, so I figured this would be a good time to teach them. I looked at the boys and said, "What do you say?" They looked at me like I three heads and said, "More waata!" "Say please." I said back with a smile. They smiled and said, "Please." And I topped em' up. They drank their glasses in two gulps and pushed the glasses back at me. I looked at them again, and refused to give them more until they said please. I figured I wouldn't have to remind them to say it, we just went through the teaching session...it's fresh in their brain right? WRONG!! They just stood there, with outstreched arm holding their water glasses.....so I decided I would give them a little hint as to what they needed to say in order to get more. I quickly made "p" sounds by saying, "puh, puh, puh?" Nothing..."puh, puh, puh, Please," I said again. They smiled, looked at each other, and said almost simultaneously "puh, puh, puh please more waata!!" I couldn't help but let out the biggest laugh ever as they tilted their heads and smiled at me. So they finished the jug of water off, and descended down the stairs, one of the little boys Ali turned around and said, "Miss Chelsy, some food." I told them I didn't have any food, I just ate the last of my chicken, and as they turned around to walk away they all said, "puh, puh, puh, please!" So my manner lesson turned into a new found game with the boys!! And as they hopped on their bikes I yelled out, "Bye boys!" They yelled back, "Bye girl!" And as they rode away they yelled at the top of their lungs over and over again, "puh, puh, puh, please!!!! It doesn't matter how gloomy a day I'm having, I could be in the worst mood ever because of homesickness or worry, or I could be in a wonderful mood and so thrilled to be having this experience. As soon as I hear those children calling out my name and running up the stairs of the rectory I can't help but be so thankful that they exist. And so thankful that God has given me the chance to see him at work in them. Wonderful blessings!!

Tomorrow will be another full day. I am meeting with a couple of the young children who come to St. Michael's regularly to teach them how to be acolytes. I'm really excited. One of the little boys, Cameron, never sits in the pew. He always comes up and sits on the steps beside where I stand in by the altar and repeats everything that I say.....can you say vocation?!?! And then I will make my way back to Placencia for St. John's Memorial Graduation ceremonies, where I have been invited to close the ceremonies with prayer. I'm pretty pumped!!

Hope all is well. Thank you so much for your thoughts, prayers and encouraging words.

Chelsy