E-NEWS FRIDAY 30TH JANAURY 2026
Talofa lava, already this year is moving by very quickly. A new month on Sunday and so much has happened in the month of January alone, sadly much of it tragic.
I went to the premiere of “We are not your dusky maidens” at Te Papa on Wednesday night. It was a film interviewing 5 women on the significance of flora in their lives for instance the “sei” the flower worn behind the ear. It was interspersed with old photo’s taken in studios back in the islands at the turn of the century where some of the women were topless. In the Q & A afterwards I asked the question about whether the director had researched and knew whether these women were forced or volunteered to pose for these photos. The answer is a work in progress. Unless you can sit through monologue for an hour and its your cup of tea then by all means go and watch it but it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. Your Te Papa admission entry fee allows you to go and watch the film in the Soundings Theatre.
I attended the QMC staff barbecue last Friday which the Board of Governors put on for the staff and their families. It was a great event, great attendance and it was a beautiful day just a little wind.
I’m currently reading “Entitled, the rise and fall of the House of York” on the life and privileges of the former Prince and Princess of York Andrew Mountbatten Windsor and Sarah Ferguson. I’ll finish it next week when I’m in Auckland on annual leave. I’ll let you know the verdict later.
Flight Centre contacted me a few weeks ago to let me know I had $458 worth of credit from Covid days and that I needed to spend it by Saturday 31st January, tomorrow. I went in yesterday and booked my usual pre-Christmas family get-together in December among other trips. It’s now all spent, It would have been criminal to have lost it even though I didn’t know it was there in the first place.
Parish Council met for the first time this year, it was great to have Tania and Ata on board. They were a breath of fresh air. I certainly look forward to their leadership going forward. We now have formed a Communications Committee to deal with issues to do with livestream, website updates, issues to do with sound etc. Tania is heading up that committee. I went and purchased a tripod this morning to begin our livestream of the reflection time (my sermon) on Sunday. We will pilot this Sunday and then review. I’m away next Sunday and Jim Cunningham will be leading the service so we will wait until I return the following week to start again. It is a tripod that can take small phones and up to tablet size. We will be streaming via our Facebook page. So from around 11.25am we will go live. If there are any problems with our Facebook and you are a FB friend of mine we will use my FB livestream. Send me a FB invite to Fei Taulealeausumai if you would like to join my FB just in case.
Cuppa and Chat returns this Wednesday at 10.30am in the Rainbow Room. If you have never been and have a spare hour and a half to drink tea and coffee with friends and share a bit about yourself and listen to the stories of others, you are very welcome to join us. My apologies for this week as I will be away.
This Sunday is Communion Sunday; our theme is Micah 6:8 and the Sermon on the Mount. I will be preaching on “What does God require of us?” In these uncertain times both nationally and internationally that question asked by the prophet Micah is very pertinent. After church we will be having our shared lunch so please come and join us in koinonia and bring some food to share.
I’m now going to do something I’m not sure my aging body will handle. I’ve been invited to joint the JAB boxing class downstairs in the hall for 45 minutes of sparring? I used to do a lot with my brother and also my cousin who eventually became a professional boxer. But hey that was a very very long time ago. I’ll give it a go I might need to have my phone nearby just in case I need to ring 111.
Enjoy the beautiful sunny weather as I’m not sure how long it will last. Do take care. Arohanui, Fei
You can read the full E-news here: https://mailchi.mp/a1eaa739c1d5/this-weeks-newsletter-from-st-andrews-on-the-terrace-10138640
