Hellooooo from Hull, my siblings in Christ. I am looking at stormy waves on Nantasket beach, rather than - well, whatever I might have seen in Amsterdam. My passport and VISA are somewhere other than in my hand, which means I am grounded until they arrive. An unintended benefit of this delay is that I can remove some of the clothes that I packed which makes room for more blessed baby blankets!
Rather than bemoaning my forced change of plans, I wanted to say THANK YOU! Thank you for your prayers and commission to send me to Africa. Thank you for the beautiful music that echoed throughout our buildings yesterday. Thank you for the wonderfully joyful children's voices in the sanctuary and parish hall. Thank you for the new bellringers in the Narthex - well done! Yesterday's service was brilliant, joyful and the perfect antidote to the grey weather and the traveling unknowns.
We have Keith and Joan MacLoud's birthdays to celebrate as well as their SEVENTY-FIRST wedding anniversary this weekend. (Please correct me if I heard that wrong - I should have asked Keith whether he and Joan required their parent's permission to marry - they must have been children!). What an astonishing accomplishment, and how blessed we are to have them in our community. Thank you to the wonderful kitchen crew under Janet Keene's direction, and WOW and Thank you to the members of the Vestry for the surprise donation to my discretionary fund. I am full of gratitude, and awareness of the blessings we share.
I'll write again when I know I'm wheels up. Between now and then, I pray that you know that you are loved and that someone in your life is making kindness loud!
PS: Here is the e-mail to which I alluded in my sermon - from St. Andrew's Canton, North Carolina, Reverend Karen:
St Andrews Canton<st[email protected]>
To:
Amy Whitcomb Slemmer
Thu 10/10/2024 1:19 PM
Hi Amy,
Thank you so much for reaching out! We would be grateful for prayers for all in our area who have been affected and prayers for strength and renewal for all the first responders and work crews. ERD is a great place to send resources for help. I am overwhelmed at how many folks just jumped right in and started helping rebuild small bridges that were washed out, cleared roads of downed trees, delivered meals and oxygen tanks to folks stranded. It really is the community reaching out to each other as well as folks from government sources as well as individuals from all over the country coming in to help. Our church sustained minor water/wind damage, so we are grateful. Most of our folks have all or almost all utilities up and running. It is heart-warming to have a sister church reach out. Thank you. And keep praying...and for all the folks in Florida impacted by Milton. We are all one Body.
In Christ,
Karen+
Rather than bemoaning my forced change of plans, I wanted to say THANK YOU! Thank you for your prayers and commission to send me to Africa. Thank you for the beautiful music that echoed throughout our buildings yesterday. Thank you for the wonderfully joyful children's voices in the sanctuary and parish hall. Thank you for the new bellringers in the Narthex - well done! Yesterday's service was brilliant, joyful and the perfect antidote to the grey weather and the traveling unknowns.
We have Keith and Joan MacLoud's birthdays to celebrate as well as their SEVENTY-FIRST wedding anniversary this weekend. (Please correct me if I heard that wrong - I should have asked Keith whether he and Joan required their parent's permission to marry - they must have been children!). What an astonishing accomplishment, and how blessed we are to have them in our community. Thank you to the wonderful kitchen crew under Janet Keene's direction, and WOW and Thank you to the members of the Vestry for the surprise donation to my discretionary fund. I am full of gratitude, and awareness of the blessings we share.
I'll write again when I know I'm wheels up. Between now and then, I pray that you know that you are loved and that someone in your life is making kindness loud!
PS: Here is the e-mail to which I alluded in my sermon - from St. Andrew's Canton, North Carolina, Reverend Karen:
St Andrews Canton<st[email protected]>
To:
Amy Whitcomb Slemmer
Thu 10/10/2024 1:19 PM
Hi Amy,
Thank you so much for reaching out! We would be grateful for prayers for all in our area who have been affected and prayers for strength and renewal for all the first responders and work crews. ERD is a great place to send resources for help. I am overwhelmed at how many folks just jumped right in and started helping rebuild small bridges that were washed out, cleared roads of downed trees, delivered meals and oxygen tanks to folks stranded. It really is the community reaching out to each other as well as folks from government sources as well as individuals from all over the country coming in to help. Our church sustained minor water/wind damage, so we are grateful. Most of our folks have all or almost all utilities up and running. It is heart-warming to have a sister church reach out. Thank you. And keep praying...and for all the folks in Florida impacted by Milton. We are all one Body.
In Christ,
Karen+