Adam Wade encourages us all to remember Mareva at this time -
'It is with deep sadness that we wish to inform you of Apostle Mareva’s dear mother's passing, Mrs. Christiane BENNETT widow TCHONG. She passed peacefully this past weekend after a serious health decline recently. Her family was able to be by her bedside.....

….Mareva shared the following words: “My family and I would like to express our sincere gratitude for the support others have shown us throughout this time. Your love surrounds us and will continue to support us in the times ahead. We maintain unwavering faith and trust in God, knowing that His plans bring serenity, happiness, and hope for both my mother and us. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.”

Adam Wade

Please uphold Mareva and all of her family as they reflect and celebrate the life of Christiane. You may also be aware of other members of our community that are in hospital or are experiencing serious health issues and I encourage you to reach out to them in prayer and in love….

….Yesterday the waves at Bar Beach were pumping, and the surfers were catching some perfect barrel waves. I sat at a cafe on the edge of the sand with a Japanese student watching the action. Does it give you delight as it does me to see the surfers out in the ocean skilfully catching a long ride? As I described to Rio the skill of the board riders, the shape and power of the waves, I noticed a woman close by was amused by my enthusiasm. “My husband was a surfer”… I said to her as I moved in her direction …. “he died six years ago now - he loved the ocean.” And then out of the blue (a place where tears of grief seem to come from) my tears started flowing.

It is six years ago today that Peter died and the grief is different these days… it’s sadness but somehow it is mixed with the pleasure of enjoying the world, fleetingly at times, through his eyes. My grief tumbles around these days, and mixes also with remembered care and love and prayers that were show to us by so many of you. That care, though often unspoken, was an incredibly tangible thing that I felt through the darkest days of Peter’s illness and death. It was as if your prayers were containers, carriers of God’s grace that held us.

I asked some questions last week about our faith tradition and what is most meaningful. Some people responded that they too are perplexed. Other people replied that they would like some more time to frame their responses. And others said that they wished we shared more about our experiences with God; what it feels like, what we see, hear or think. They miss times of being deeply moved by people who were brave enough to reveal depths of being and vulnerabilities. If you have had time to contemplate your response and would like to share, you can email me - abonnefin@cofchrist.com.au

I like to think it was no accident that the following poem appeared in my facebook feed today. I asked Chelan permission to share it with you. It certainly captures for me the experience of what it felt like to be cared for at a vulnerable time and what it means to have awareness of God’s love that flows in and through us.

May we realize
we are all each others protectors,
honored servants,
mothers, fathers,
sisters, brothers.
We are here to allow love
in ever purer and truer expressions
to flow through us
toward each other.
We are here
to bless each other
with every ordinary act
into unshakable remembrance
of our oneness.

Anne Bonnefin
Communication Co ordinator
Community of Christ Australia