Things are beginning to wind up here at Talua. Last week students finished exams, all papers and assignments have been marked, most pastoral care groups have had their End of Year feasts. On Thursday 23rd we have the Talua Graduation and then on the 24th most students leave. The graduating Certificate of Theology students normally return to their home parishes to serve, whereas the Diploma of Theology and Mission students are told at graduation their placements for 2007. Many visitors come to Talua for the special day so the past week has been busy, making bush shelters, tidying up the campus, setting up decorations and preparing. The night before (tonight) the generator will go nearly all night as kaekae is prepared - heaps of it. The generator will stop at about midnight, and then restart around 3AM as students and staff prepare to bake food in earth ovens (bit like a Hangi). Even though its busy here there is also a relaxed feel to this winding up period - all exams and assignments are all finished, students have time to hangout. Last Monday night we set our data projector outside with a big screen - about 60 people enjoyed watching Shrek Two. What our family enjoyed was sitting outside under the stars, the cool temperature of the outdoors, and listening to people laugh to parts of the movie we wouldn’t normally laugh at. It was a good time had by all.
For our family, we are winding down as well, the kids are finding it hard to settle into school work as the day we leave Talua for the summer draws closer. We leave on Dec numba tu, spending a few days visiting students at their home villages on Efate. Then we fly to NZ on Dec numba 6. We come back to Talua at the end of January 07 - although Phillip will stay in NZ for 2007, attending Marlborough Boys’ College, living with family in Blenheim. Viv and I felt he needed more social interaction and to be in a college environment before year 10.
In 2007 I will be the English teacher again at Talua, but it sounds like I will also be a kind of bursar as the current one is finishing next month. It will be a challenge as Talua is always strapped for cash, and due to poor financial management in the past, things are in a mess with a lot of over due accounts and no real understanding of how much it really costs to run Talua. So prayers would be appreciated.
Last week Jeffery Vutilolo (Medical Lab Technician in charge of all of Santo’s blood testing) and I ran an HIV-AIDS seminar at Talua. In some ways I feel this was the most important thing I have done this year at Talua. HIV-AIDS is a ticking bomb in Vanuatu with the STI rate climbing at a scary rate. Added to that, Jeffery has found it frustrating that in the past the church has been reluctant to know about it. Well, the seminar was very successful. The introduction explained how big the pandemic is globally, also outlining what is happening in the South Pacific and Vanuatu. The next section was medical information about what it is, how it spreads, and prevention and protection. The conclusion was what the church should do about it. After the seminar the Talua principal asked if Jeffery and I could take the same seminar to the PCV General Assembly next year. So hopefully the rest of the Assembly Executive will agree because it is important the pastors in the PCV know how to help Vanuatu deal with (and perhaps prevent) a disaster waiting to happen. Again - your prayers on this matter would really help.
God Bless
Jon
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