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This is a text-only version of an article first published on Wednesday, 21 September 2016. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
by Catharine Morris I love unexpected opportunities - well, mostly - as long as they are good opportunities.
For me, one of these has been getting involved with the link between the Diocese of Oxford and the Diocese of Kimberley and Kuruman in South Africa. It was humbling to see some of the challenges they face: one of the moments I will never forget is the spontaneous singing that erupted in the church kitchen when it started to rain extremely heavily one afternoon.
One of the ladies said: "When I get home my house will have leaked, but I am so happy that we have had rain. "And yet I was worried about how wet we would get going back to the car.
It was delightful to see the joy of many children when I shared with them something as simple as a bottle of bubbles.
It was moving to sit by the bed of an elderly lady, severely crippled and in pain with arthritis, and to anoint her and pray with her. At the invitation of Bishop Ossie, I shall return in October to share some of my experience as a Parish Development Adviser.
I'll be working with parish representatives on Mission Action Planning, with clergy in times of transition, and helping the Diocese to think about how they might incorporate some of this kind of work going forward. I'm looking forward to seeing God at work in Kimberley and Kuruman, just as he is here, and to the learning and encouragement which I trust will come from this next visit, both for me and for those that I go to minister alongside. Catharine Morris is the PDA for Berkshire.