E-NEWS FRIDAY 15TH MAY 2026
Talofa lava and Kia ora. Well, I have had perhaps the most uneventful week at home that I have had for a very long time, nursing my bruised coccyx among other health issues. Thank you to everyone who emailed with advice, remedies, and words of care. Your kindness has meant a great deal, and many of the suggestions have genuinely helped.
At the same time, there have been a few other health complications along the way. The antibiotics seem to have fixed one thing while throwing other things slightly out of kilter, so it has felt like one thing after another in terms of body and health this week. I suspect that woven through all of this is also the sadness and grief I spoke about on Sunday following the passing of my dear Aunt Tili. Grief has a way of settling into the body as much as the spirit.
There was something deeply comforting about being in Samoa surrounded by such a large and loving family network. Returning home to Wellington, to a much quieter house shared only with little Snoopy, has been quite a juxtaposition. It has also been one of those moments in life where one comes face to face again with the reality of living alone and not having a partner to share some of the more difficult seasons of life with. Many of you will know something of that feeling yourselves.
Despite all of that, life and ministry continue on. Next Saturday, 23rd May, I will be travelling to Auckland to lead the Presbyterian Women’s Retreat at St Francis in Hillsborough, something that has been in planning for almost a year now. It begins on Sunday morning with a mihi whakatau by Ngati Whatua from the 24th to the 26th, the Pacific Island ordained women will gather together before being joined from Tuesday through Thursday by Presbyterian ordained women and Te Aka Puahou colleagues from around the country. Our Pacific women are hosting this gathering, so there has been much preparation happening quietly behind the scenes with my small team.
A heartfelt thank you to Jim, who will be filling in next Sunday while I am away.
And after all of this travelling and busyness, I must admit, I do not really want to go anywhere for a while. I simply want to stay here in Wellington and continue doing what I love most being your minister at St Andrew’s on The Terrace.
I don’t know how many of you have noticed that the tapa cloth is no longer hanging in the gallery in the church, but has now been beautifully rehung above the servery in the church hall. Ben and Rob did a marvellous job installing it, and it looks magnificent. Thank you both for your wonderful work. It really brings a warm Pacific feel to the hall when you walk in and adds such richness and character to the space.
This Sunday is Ascension Sunday, when we reflect on the story of Jesus ascending into heaven. I must admit, it is one of those parts of our faith that I never find easy to speak about. Things like the Transfiguration and the Ascension sit within the realm of mystery and symbolism, and they are not always easy to explain in literal or rational ways.
And yet, perhaps part of faith is learning to sit gently with mystery rather than needing to have every answer. So I will do my best this Sunday to wrestle with these ancient stories and what they might still mean for us today.
I hope to see as many of you there as are able to come along.
And if you are unable to attend in person, please remember you can join us via the livestream through the St Andrew’s on The Terrace Facebook page from around 10:15am on Sunday morning. If you are tuning in online, do let us know you are there. It helps us get a sense of who we are reaching and reminds us that our community extends well beyond the walls of the church building.
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
Ka kite anō. Fei
You can read the full E-news here: https://mailchi.mp/4adde8c0e822/this-weeks-newsletter-from-st-andrews-on-the-terrace-10140641
