Thought for the week ...

Thought for the week ...

It's my last day for 2023

Today I've made the mistake of saying to several people that it is my last day, and they've taken me literally, thinking that I'm leaving the campus.  But no, not just yet; it's just my last day for 2023 as I go on annual leave tomorrow to visit my family.

So today's highlight was the FES faculty Christmas Lunch.  On entry to the dining area, we were beautifully serenaded by Andrew on the piano.

I do love a Christmas turkey dinner and the catering team all do such a cracking job. So, thank you Erkan, thank you chef and thank you to all my lovely cafe friends!!!

Truly scrumptious 😀

Nicola, Sharon, Nicola and I

Me, Aiste and Nerissa

TABLEtalk Christmas Celebration

Better late than never  ...  or so they say 😏😏  Seriously though, I don't know why it's taken me so long to get this post completed.  Maybe I've just been distracted by too many Christmas celebrations 😀😀

We had 17 students and 4 volunteers at our last TABLEtalk of this term, and this calendar year.  It was a fun Christmas celebration with food and games and a gift exchange.  

Hopefully others enjoyed it as much as I did.

The wearing of Christmas jumpers and Christmas hats was strongly encouraged!!

Our games included 'Cup Stack', not quite as easy as it sounds; plus 'It's a Wrap', 'Reindeer Race' and 'Hula Hoop Hurry Up'.

I'm really not sure about this
attempt at Reindeer antlers 😒😒

The winners of Hula Hoop
Hurray Up were all from the
same team 'The Sneaky Santas'

Our gift exchange was done the 'Legal Steal' way 😀  Please don't ask me to explain it here, it's a little complicated, but sooooooooo much fun 😀

A Christmas thought ...

On Christmas Day 1914 a spontaneous truce occurred along parts of the Western Front.  Allied and German troops met together in ‘no-man’s land’.  Enemies came together, exchanged small impromptu gifts, sang carols, and reportedly, played football.  Whilst this ceasefire was short lived it provides us a glimmer of hope for peace and reconciliation.

It's no news to anyone that we currently live in a confused and somewhat HOPE-less, war-torn world.  We continue to pray for meaningful and lasting PEACE between Russia & Ukraine, Israel & Palestine, and so many other areas of our world where there is war and injustice.

Yet, Christmas is all about HOPE and PEACE.  Jesus Christ came so that each one of us would be reconciled to Him and to each other.

Whatever your plans this Christmas, wherever in the world you and your families may be, I pray that the joy of the angels, the eagerness of the shepherds, the perseverance of the wise men, the obedience of Joseph and Mary, and the peace of the Christ child will be yours this Christmas season.

Lynne Martin, Medway Campus Chaplain

Thought for the week ...

Christmas at our World Cafe

Many thanks to Frank, Denise, Abi and Desh for their help at our Christmas World Cafe.  

We had 75 very happy students 😀

Bring out the Christmas jumpers!!!

Thought for the week ...

Dickens Christmas Festival

This is a great annual event, that I always invite students along to, even though this time of year many are busy, busy with assignments and presentations.

This year from Medway it was just Meera and I; but Kirsten, Ashish, Avery & Magda also joined us from the Greenwich campus.

We all got there in sufficient time to meet up and watch the parade together at noon. 

Coffee & Cake was most definitely the
next stop as we'd all got sooooooo cold
whilst standing for the parade.

Avery's face was one of pure delight when her fancy hot chocolate arrived 😀

Then we had some time squeezing our way around the Christmas market stalls in the castle grounds. Kirsten and I enjoyed a Polish bacon sausage, which was truly scrumptious.  Then we met back together for Carols in the Cathedral at 3pm.

"Look, we all bought new hats."

Meera giving a tech lesson to a lady at our table.

Thanks Meera for being such
great company for this day!!!

It's time for the Christmas tree!

A VERY BIG THANK YOU to Abi and Desh who came to put up the Chaplaincy Christmas tree on December 1st.  It was their first time doing this, so I gave a few 'guidelines' and then left them to it.

The first task was threading all the Christmas baubles ... had to shop for new ones as my others had gone walk-about 😕😕😕

Followed by the annual task of unraveling Christmas beads and lights.

First the lights, then the beads, finally the baubles.  Followed by a few wrapped boxes to add that extra festive touch 😀

THANKS Abi & Desh,

it looks great 👍

Thought for the week ...