President’s Blog: 15th November
The last two weeks have been a mixture of calm and frustration! A week last Sunday I attended my home Chester and Stoke-on-Trent District Celebration Afternoon in Trinity Methodist Church, Congleton. It was the first they had held since Lockdown and a splendid afternoon it was too! We celebrated our coming together and our 10th MWiB Birthday with worship, cake and afternoon tea and I was able to speak about my AGLIT + (Adolescent Girls’ Literacy, in Malawi) and to catch up with old friends. One of my friends had done a wonderful, thoughtful flower arrangement and had included two cards – one with our logo and strap line: for women, for justice, for Christ, and one with the meaning of the flowers she had used:
For love – pink carnations, for courage – antirrhinums, for loyalty – veronica and ..for celebration – gerbera.
This last week we have observed the two minutes silence on Remembrance Day. In the calm and silence of that moment we remembered times of conflict, gave thanks for those who had given their lives and prayed for world peace – wearing red poppies for remembrance and white poppies for peace. Some may even have worn purple poppies to remember the animals that played such a part in in the two World Wars.
Last Monday some of the Exec Committee met in London for our Retreat at The Royal Foundation of St. Katharine – a valuable time to come together, to refresh our faith and to get to know one another. It was a time of fellowship and calm led by Ruth Hilton, Director of Englesea Chapel and Museum, when we centred our thoughts on ‘The woman caught in adultery’ and the stones which were meant to stone her. We were able to take our time and to be creative in both our thinking and craftwork painting stones with messages for women, glass painting to remember a significant women in our lives and writing messages for COP26 leaders on decorated fans.
The frustration for Ruth and I was in the travelling when our train was cancelled on the way down, and on the way back when there was a tree on the line and we had to get off at Rugby, then change in Birmingham! My frustrations have firstly been with the leaders of COP26, hoping that they would heed the messages of our young people and act to save our wonderful planet. The trouble is that I want them to act now before it is too late! However, it isn’t just up to our leaders, it is up to us and we must do our upmost in every way we can and to spread the message. Secondly, our email account was hacked, as many of you know, and we spent the whole of Saturday and Sunday answering the phone and Messenger, while people from far and wide notified us of the fact. It really brought home to us how many friends we have and we thank God for them and for their, and your, concern.
How did the frustrations resolve themselves? You might ask.
The train company has promised to compensate us. There have been agreements and a plan put forward at COP26, though not as much as is required but at least it is a start and the leaders are talking to one another.
The problem with our email account has been rectified. God is good! I am very thankful for that calm retreat at the beginning of the week.
Blessings
Ruth
