I’ve been Priest-in-Charge, for a second year, at St Margaret’s Church here in Navalsig, a residential suburb of Bloemfontein not far from the city centre. It was only supposed to be for one year in the first place but has gone on for another year without a break. If the Bishop and our Church Council had their way, this situation would have continued for several more years.
However, I wanted to do more of my own thing and so precipitated a change by resigning as of the end of this year. Having now turned 71, I can no longer get travel insurance in SA, and some airlines won’t sell tickets to travellers without it. I understand that such insurance is available in the UK so all is not lost.
A new Priest was quickly found to take my place (St Margaret’s is a desirable parish for any Priest) so I’ll soon be retired again. I shall continue to be a member of St Margaret’s and to live in my little old flat, helping out whenever and wherever I may be asked if I am so inclined.
I have no definite plans for 2015 but hope to spend some time in Cape Town in January. And to get away from the Free State to somewhere warmer in the Winter (July/August). Overseas is a possibility while I’m still able to travel, though the prospect of interminable hours in planes and airport terminals is not attractive. The west coast of USA is an ambition yet to be fulfilled.
I’m still the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Society of the Precious Blood and we’re obliged to have an AGM in March, probably in Kimberley. In between AGMs, we manage to do all our work by e-mail & on the internet. Since the Sisters dispersed, I no longer go to Lesotho – which is a pity, I like that country and its people, even though it’s a basket-case economically and politically.
There was a hiccough earlier this year when my old computer died & I had to get a new one. Like everything else, computers don’t last for ever. The new one runs on Windows 8.1 which is awful – what was Bill Gates thinking of?! I’ve also got a new phone full of Androids. It’s called a “Smartphone”, which means that only children know how it works.
My diabetes and heart are still under control and give me no trouble at all. The tinnitus continues to be an extremely annoying noise in the head and medical science continues to be clueless about it. My doctor gave me a couple of inhalers for asthma, which I really don’t think I need.
We had a very long drought here and then prayed for rain. It hasn’t stopped raining since. Where is Noah when you need him? We could do with his ark.
If you’re one of the few getting this Christmass letter and card by snail mail instead of e-mail, I hope you get it before Easter - though, seeing that our post office is usually on strike, I seriously doubt it!
Go to my Facebook page for all regular news & pictures. (www.facebook.com and then Vic Spencer).
I wish you all a very blessed Christmass season and a peaceful new year in 2015.
Love &
