A Tongan feast

from w
Last Saturday night at the East Geelong Uniting Church we had a significant occasion, the Ordination and Induction of our new minister, the Rev Ikani Vaitohi. About three hundred and fifty guests were there on this occasion, including many Tongan people. It was a memorable night, and particularly sad as there had been a fatal accident during the afternoon. The elder sister of our minister had died in a road accident. We were shocked when we were told at the beginning of proceedings, but this strong man insisted that the worship service proceed and this was all done with dignity. I played some of the music and my tears meant it was difficult to read the music at first. Anyway two hours later we all enjoyed a huge Tongan feast in the halls, people sitting in passages, the narthex, the chapel, outside eating Island food, which included at least four large pigs. I took photos of the evening, but only one during the service at the end when gifts were given to the minister's family. The mourning and the work of supporting the bereaved family had to wait until midnight when the last guests left.

Computer Club at East Geelong

from w
Our church community has started up a computer club and our project last night was to learn about Powerpoint and start putting in the slides for tomorrow's church service. My six or so pictures included a couple of takes on a banner one of our women had made for the Uniting Church birthday each year, adding bits each year. This time she included the mobile phone tower which is a giant behind our building. Maybe the magnetism isn't healthy but the income is. Our Powerpoint slides weren't finished and I am sure I have shifted one long prayer around into five indecipherable bits, but it was a learning experience!

Farewell at a church

from w
Today we farewelled our minister, the Rev Richard Franklin who is moving to be a chaplain at The Scots School in Albury. There's a sadness about it as he is a very fine thinker who has excellent sermons and keeps up moving gently with the big questions of life. Today was also the birthday of the Uniting Church in Australia - which has been significant in the life of the Australian churches with the amalgamation of Presbyterian, Methodist and Congregational thirty-four years ago. We were in a country parish then, a small wheat-farming community of Hopetoun an our boys were young. A rich wonderful life there. Today we had a splendid lunch too and a cake. Our family were busy as one lad had to hurry away to play football with St Albans by 11.30 and Peceli was driving up to Melbourne to a Fijian church gathering and to meet up with some politically hot matters.

Car boot sales

from w
NOTE:  By the year 2016 the Car Boot Sales at the East Geelong Uniting church are no longer. They were discontinued due to the need to pay big insurance.  So please do not phone up and ask about them now.


(written six years ago)
On the first Saturday each month (apart from winter) our East Geelong church opens up the compound and car park for $5 lots for the community to off-load their excessive plants, clothes, books, and paraphernalia. It's a good fun morning for three hours. Our church ladies make coffee/tea and run a cake stall and the guys cook up a barbecue and in February each year there are Pancakes (even if a week or so before the official Pancake Day). There are pancakes for sale all over Victoria and we at East Geelong are doing this at different locations, the money going to Unitingcare projects. Here are a few photos I took on Saturday morning which include a grandad and grandchildren taking a rest, a lad and a toy dog bought for about 50 cents, a family who had a stall, the cake stall ladies, Rob and Janet who made pancakes..