Christmas letter 2014

Greetings to you from Peceli, Wendy, George, Bale, Epa, Jordan, Andrew, Big Andrew, and household.

We are reminded of Christ’s birth with the carols, messages, decorations and the huge conical tree in Geelong that lights up the sky in the night. Let us honour and pray for one another, for miracles in our world  today and may this message of good will give peace to you.  Our compound,  now called Vatuadova Kisi  often has a dozen or more people living here with visitors, the extended family, and friends of our teenagers and even  the touch rugby gang rock up.  There’s kava flowing several nights a week.  Relatives from Sydney have been staying in Andrew’s bungalow and Andrew’s new house went up early in the year. Next year Linlay will start school at Form 2 at Geelong High School. Jordan finished Year 12 and Andrew Year 10. Jordan recently had  surgery  to take out the plate and rod in his leg, and he is recovering well. Earlier in the year Peceli and the  two Andrews went to Fiji for the funeral of Peceli’s brother Dakai. Health continues to be an issue for us oldies with pills and checkups. The young ones in the family play tennis summer and winter for East Geelong Uniting – the club that lost their clubroom and courts with the Uniting Church kerfuffle, but have relocated to Breakwater.  Peceli and I often go for drives and simple picnics to enjoy the beauty of the Bellarine Peninsular.

Church news – Peceli continues his relationship with Altona Meadows/Laverton and I still play music at East Geelong and talk too much at council meetings. The members of South Geelong who lost their church  have joined out church at East which is doing well with community service – donating a vehicle to the Women’s Crisis Centre in Tonga and  setting up the teaching of stringed instruments at a local school.  We will have a second minister coming early next year which is a bonus. Rev Ikani continues to be an inspirational leader of our faith community.

Community news – Geelong has problems re unemployment with places like Alcoa, Ford and others sending staff off or even closing down.  Despite the enthusiasm of our new Mayor for tinsel and glitter, there’s a lot of pain out there.  However there is  much volunteer activity going on such as free meals at Christ Church, and care by Diversitat and others for the refugees coming into our community who are not allowed to work. We continue to help at Donation  in Kind  though  interest in Rotary is waning. Geelong continues however to be a place that we love to reside in.

Loloma and  best wishes for the Christmas and New Year season.

Wendy and  Peceli Ratawa.          December 10 2015