Sports Day!

There’s not much to report this week other than sports day! Diocesan School for Girls (DSG), a local school which has basically adopted Holy Cross, hosted a day of relaying, egg-holding, sack-racing, sprinting, and tugs of war for the kiddos. I’ll let the pictures do the talking.

Have a great week!
-Cameron

The treasures we receive

3 months ago, I made the following announcement:

Principal/priest/monk Br. Rob (a man of many hats) has been named Director of Formation for the entire monastic order. This means he will be moving back to West Park, NY come May. Everyone is excited about this development, albeit with a degree of sadness about seeing him leave South Africa. Rob first stepped foot in Grahamstown in 2004 and has provided counseling, stability, and stress-relieving comedy ever since.

Did you notice the words “come May”?

In what seems like no time at all, Br. Rob has reached the end of his Grahamstown tenure. He left on Thursday, and is probably arriving in JFK airport as I type this (Friday AM, EST). Rob’s final three months were as inspiring and Christ-glorifying as always, and I look forward to seeing what comes of his journey back in the states.

Rob’s last school day was Wednesday. The school threw him a surprise party.

After 3 group performances, the children all sung a Xhosa hymn entitled “God be with you till we meet again”.

I agree with Br. Rob in that Holy Cross will only get better from here. Barring a huge setback, I wouldn’t be surprised if the school truly becomes an even brighter ‘beacon on a hill’; a well run, authentic, loving community where children truly cross the gap and exceed expectations -emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually. I’m already making guesses on which of our current students will be future stars (and to be clear, they already are), and I can hardly wait to see what happens long-term. It is a blessing to be a part of this organization.

Now, it’s about to sound like I’m completely changing the topic, but these are two sides of the coin that was this wonderful week.

I’d like to introduce you to a man I had met before, but got to know much better this past week.

Pictured in this 'Bishop and YASC sandwich' is Stacy Sauls, a man who is passionate about serving the poor and vitalizing the church. This Christ-instilled passion eventually led him to his current role as Chief Operating Officer of The Episcopal Church. I was touched that Stacy would take time to visit us at the end of his trip to South Africa, and that he would truly consider it a highlight of his journey. His insight on mission, serving the poor, finding your treasure (see next paragraph), and self-identity were all gems to receive…not to mention his ability to make people laugh.

Stacy defined the work of the Church as finding what your treasure is and giving it away. It occurs to me that this describes the overarching story of the Monastery and school, in addition to being a proverbial compass for future endeavours. 

Stacy also reemphasized something I’ve become quite aware of in recent years: The church should be mission-focused in all it does. A Christian, by definition, is a person on a mission. We should be far more passionate about living out our beliefs. I believe such dedicated, inspiring, and ruthless leadership would do a great deal in breathing life into the church. I encourage you to be more embracing of the terms “mission” and “missionary”, and for you to discern what your treasure might be. In the act of giving your treasure away (notice the word “act”?), I have faith you will further grow into the full stature of Christ.

Have a blessed day, everyone :)
-Your friendly neighborhood missionary

Hope in Africa: Inkululeko

Over the past 9 months, Stephen Smith and Matt Kellen (remember Matt?) have helped develop a non-profit organization catering to underprivileged youth in the Grahamstown townships. Last month, the organization officially welcomed its first cohort of students. 

I was fortunate to be able to attend their Friday program, and it became a highlight of the week. 

Say hello to the 501(c)(3) Inkululeko! (“in-ku-lew-lay-co”)

Quick description: 11-15 students (who applied months ago and demonstrated sincere potential and drive) meet 5 days/week from 3:15-5:00pm. Each day has an assigned topic. The program’s goal is to strengthen their academic skills.

It is still an emerging project, but if Friday was any indication, it is a worthwhile endeavor to be sure.

Friday’s topic was poetry writing. With Matt’s guidance, the group made an acrostic poem for “Inkululeko”. Students then wrote their own acrostic poem using whatever word they desired. Afterwards, students either worked on homework or read a newspaper/magazine.

Side note: In the above collage, one of the students is using Matt’s iPad to research information for homework. Many township families do not have internet access, making students at a loss when tasked with researching a topic. I suspect this simple gesture of letting her use the iPad for a few minutes was a big help. This is common at the Monastery’s after-school clinic; students might not need your instruction per se, they simply desire internet access.

The Friday afternoon ended with some good ‘ol fun and games. As anyone who remembers their childhood can attest, the value of play is instrumental to youth development; not to mention, it’s fun :)

I had a great time. I consider 8th grade a crucial time for personal development, and it was a deep treat to support this program for a day.

The hope is for Inkululeko to become further strengthened through public awareness and support, thus further investing in these students’ lives. Future plans include weekly community service projects and a possible science experiment or two.

Thank you for your wonderful support of me throughout this year -and for years before, too, to those of you whom it applies :) I wish you all a WONDERFUL day.

In Christ,
-Cameron

A Monk's Profession

Let’s say you were considering monastic life: After an inquiry visit, aspirancy visit, and 6-month tenure as a postulant, you could apply to be a novice if everyone considers it a good fit. This novitiate period entails living in the community while not holding any formal commitment; it is a time of further discernment and formation. Consider this the dating period of a relationship. 

After two years of being a novice -and if the community consents- you can make your first profession. This profession of vows binds you to the monastic order for 1 year. This would be the equivalent of getting engaged.

After the year, you renew for another year. You could repeat this for up to 5 years total, or you could make your life profession (the only ceremony more important than the initial profession). The life profession is the equivalent of marriage.

Saturday morning, after living as a novice for two years, Brother Roger made his first monastic profession.

Br. Daniel (the prior), Br. John (the novice master), and Br. Roger

The ceremony itself was a full-fledged Eucharist with the profession following the sermon (much like a baptism, confirmation, wedding, etc). Br. John presented Br. Roger, at which time Roger made his official profession and signed it on the altar. 

“In the Name of God, Amen. I, Roger Stewart, desiring to consecrate myself fully and entirely to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, make to Almighty God, before the whole company of heaven, and in the presence of you, my brothers, the threefold vow of Stability, Conversion of my ways to the monastic way of life, and Obedience in the Order of the Holy Cross, steadfastly intending to keep and observe the same for the period of one year, the Lord being my helper. And I pray for the grace and heavenly assistance of the Holy Spirit, for the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and of our holy Father Benedict, of James our Founder and of all the saints; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen”

It was a privilege to witness.
Unbeknownst to me, the congregation had a speaking role in the service: We were asked “Will all you who witness this vow, uphold and pray for this our brother Roger in the days to come?” It was the first profession I had been to, but my Episcopal reflexes kicked in: “We will, with God’s help!”

The peace, after the profession

A monastic commitment involves a threefold vow of obedience, stability, and conversion to the Monastic way of life.

Obedience: You will obey God, and respect the God-given authority of the Prior, the Superior, and the community.

Stability: You are committed to the community. No jumping ship.

Conversion to the monastic way of life (conversatio morum): You adopt the monastic lifestyle. Among other things, this includes celibacy and communal ownership.

The entire service had the feel of an engagement celebration.

Our post-ceremony reception included refreshments, conversations, and smiling children.

 

As mentioned above, the initial profession is the 2nd most important event in a monk’s public formation, surpassed only by a life profession (the 1-year renewals before life profession are done in private, and take only a few minutes; Br. Josias renewed his vows a few weeks ago and neither Stephen nor myself realized it until later). With no other novices currently at the monastery, this may be the last profession for a few years. Again, it was a privilege to witness :)

I hope you enjoyed this insight into monastic life, and that you have a wonderful week!!!

In Christ,
-Cameron S

The week

Dear friends,

A lot of my week was spent focusing on events outside South Africa -especially those making the headlines in US news. For those of you in the US of A: your South African expats are thinking of you, and we’re glad the tension of the week is dissolving.

Our school week was fairly uneventful, with the only real excitement being a trip to the local fire department. I’ll leave you with these pictures, and ask you remember those affected by the events of Boston, West, and those across the globe which are not making headlines.

Have a restful weekend. I look forward to continuing sharing this journey with you :)

Back to School -also, I'm spoiled

Greetings, everyone!

After a 2 week break, Holy Cross School has entered the 2nd term (aka 2nd quarter). I will most likely leave SA during the 3rd term, making this current stretch the last significant time with students; it is surreal to think about. Better make it worth it!

Here’s what’s happened this week:

Grade 1 focused heavily on addition, subtraction, and counting. By Friday morning, these students were all-stars.

side note: I’m experimenting with picture grids -feedback welcome!

In general, it takes more words to say something in xhosa than in English (common joke: “That’s why church takes so long!”). Counting is no exception; watch this video and see if you follow along.

ikhulu elinamashumi amabini ananye (121)

ikhulu elinamashumi amabini anesibini (122)

ikhulu elinamashumi amabini anesithathu (123)

ikhulu elinamashumi amabini anesine (124)

ikhulu elinamashumi amabini anesihlanu (125)

Believe it or not, these kids reached 300!

Friday’s laptop class involved a basic typing test; afterwards, each student got to play with the music-making program ‘tamtam minijam’.

 

Clicking each picture makes a sound. You can also play a continuous beat in the background. No videos this time, but I assure you there was dancing.

One week in, our 2nd term is going well. Students blew the roof off with their newly-learned math skills, and showed little-to-no rust on the computers. I have a suspicion plenty of success will occur in the future, and I look forward to sharing it with you :)

Two other updates on life in SA:
-Winter is coming. The weather is turning cold, and the days are getting shorter. In addition to calling forth long pants and long sleeves, the seasonal change also serves a reminder of my (eventual) departure; I arrived in the middle of winter last year, and it’s getting close to full circle!

-I’ve become a head teacher for Sr. High Sunday School. Every other week, I meet with 4-6 teenagers after the service to discuss the sermon and scripture readings. Several youth often stay behind to talk with me and the monks, where they present their own ‘God questions’ to discuss (ex: one time, a person was curious about speaking in tongues). This has been a great chance for sincere conversations, and to simply enjoy each other’s company.

Now for the “I’m spoiled” part of this post:
This morning, I received a package from my grandmother. I opened it up and saw a homemade quilt; already, I was touched. I then saw the finer details of the quilt -including, oh, the entire other side-, and just about became speechless.

To the wonderful grandmother: THANK YOU NANA!!!!!!

Also many thanks to my aunt/godmother Shannon for providing the African fabrics. In addition to being aunt/godmother extraordinaire, Shannon is also a gifted artist. Check out her website!

Lots of love to you both. I’m a pretty blessed kid :)

To everyone reading this: Thank you for following along, and I hope you enjoy your weekend!
In Christ,
-Cameron

Holy Week

Hello everyone!

During Holy Week last year, I distinctly remember fellow church-goer and past-YASCer Travis Shields telling me how amazing this experience is at the Monastery. It remained one of the weeks I was most looking forward to, and it did not disappoint. What follows is an overview of the 8-day spiritual marathon celebrating the resurrection of Christ.

Palm Sunday kicked off with a procession from our refectory (dining hall) patio into the chapel. Once in the chapel, we partook in the Passion Narrative.

Assigning parts before the service

Chapel, immediately after the service

After Sunday, we had the typical daily services right up to Thursday evening.

Triduum (Thursday-Saturday):

Water and basin, pre-service

Our Maundy Thursday service was marked by the lively bell ringing usually reserved for morning Eucharist. Perhaps I’ve been overly conditioned, but hearing the familiar medley at nighttime was slightly jarring for me. The somber mood further added to the contrast.
 
Once inside, the service began with foot washing by Br. Daniel. We progressed to the narrative of Jesus’ death, communion, and the stripping of the altar; a process which included clearing the altar itself, covering all pictures on the wall, covering the statue of Mary, removing the holy water at the chapel entrance, and removing all candles; all the while Br. Josias read Psalm 22 ("They divide my garments among them, and cast lots for my clothing...")

Thursday to Sunday entailed the following:

-An all-night vigil on Thursday night. I took the 11pm-1am shift. This silent vigil entailed ‘keeping watch’ in our bell tower, where you could pray, meditate, reflect, or however else the spirit moved you. A small altar was set up for the occasion.

-Instead of bell-ringing, a handheld woodblock was used to call the community to the prayer services.

-Good Friday was both a fast day and a day of silence. Traditional noonday prayer was replaced with spoken prayers, readings, and the veneration of the cross.

-It rained all weekend. While in the chapel, the normally-picturesque view outside was almost completely clouded by rain and fog. It added to the solemnity.

-Most services were shorter than usual. Many parts changed from singing to speaking, and there was no communion.

-Did I mention it was raining?

-Saturday’s lunch was followed by a rehearsal and preparation for the Easter day vigil; a vigil which would begin in the newly-rearranged refectory.

Ready for Easter

Sunday Morning:
Our 5am Vigil was right out of the 3rd century.

Marking the Paschal Candle

This service included a lighting of the fire, 8 readings of scripture, renewal of baptismal vows, liturgy of the saints, procession into the chapel, and a full-fledged Eucharist (where we heard the melodic church bells once again). The entire process lasted just over 2 hours. Coffee and refreshments followed, as did nap time. 

Later that day, the brothers and myself went back to the refectory to prepare for Easter lunch. The food and the camaraderie were heavenly.

Refectory, transformed yet again

Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The following Monday was a day of rest, complete with extra sleep and delicious leftovers :)

Lots to be thankful for this Eastertide.  

I hope you had a meaningful week as well, and you find lots of ways to celebrate the risen Lord. Until next time, uXolo Thixo (Peace of the Lord)!!!

Servant of Christ,
-Cameron

Half-day

It’s a half-day of school.
Brother Rob and Stephen Smith are out of town.
YOU have been tasked with opening and closing the school.

Let’s do this!

Arrive early, unlock the gates, deactivate the alarm. Bonus: Take a minute to soak in how quiet it is.

Greet the teachers as they arrive.
                                                     “Molweni!”                 
                                                                                             “Molo Bhuti!”
                                                     “Unjani?”        
                                                                                     “ndiphilile, unjani?”
                                         “ndiphilile nam, enkosi!”

Translation:
                                                     “Greetings!”                 
                                                                                             “Greetings, brother!”
                                                     “How are you?”        
                                                                                     “I am well, how are you?”
                                          “I am also well, thank you!”

Bonus: Have the water kettle boiling, ready for use. Tea and coffee are practically sacraments here.

Greet students as they arrive.

Students will arrive by various modes -bus, car, 2nd round of bus, walking, another car, etc; they will brush their teeth and then play until the bell rings.

While planning the day, be sure everyone knows when school is ending.

Pass the message onto students during morning line-up.

For grade 1, begin class with the typical morning routine then practice counting in multiples of 2 and 5. Once the head teacher takes over, monitor students as they tackle the math workbooks.

Help individual students as need be.

At playtime, enjoy the typical shenanigans.

“Bhuti, I’m making a cake for you!”

“Bhuti, can I please have a push?” “Yes you can! Small push or big?” “BIG PUSH!!!”

Afterwards, allow enough time for students to tidy up the playground (“Qokelelani, Qokelelani!”) and for everyone to gather belongings and line up outside. 

Lock-up the school, set the alarm, and walk to the car which is full of waiting kiddos. With Br. Rob gone, you are their afternoon driver.

No Mozart like last time, but we still made it safely.

 

Drive back, sit down, and ponder how fast time is going.

Congratulations! You made it through a half-day of school :) Enjoy your time off!