A hazy hot day, though not too humid thankfully. I admit to feeling nervous about having to drive strait to Fuengirola after this morning's Eucharist and made sure I had a bottle of water a banana and some walnuts to sustain me, as I wouldn't have time to eat lunch before leaving. I arrived at San Miguel early and started to prepare things I needed to be sure of before others arrived. We were twenty three altogether.
Straight after greeting worshippers at the end of the service I went to the car. Someone parked so tightly in front of me that extricating the car without scraping the other was tricky needing careful manoeuvering to free myself. A nerve wracking start to the trip, but thereafter the journey was incident free. When I got to Los Boliches there was no free street parking within a short walk of St Andrew's, so I drove up the hill and parked in the street that leads to Casa de la Esperanza, the chaplaincy house and walked down to church and back up afterwards.
I reached the church twenty minutes early, when few people had arrived apart from Linda's husband Peter and group of church friends in charge of catering. This gave me leisure to greet to many people I recall well from last year's nine week locum stint here. I asked Carol le Page how her husband John was and learned that he died ten days after I arrived in Nerja. His memorial service was a fortnight ago. He was a life long Church Army Officer, a native of Guernsey. They lived many years here in retirement. Apart from being a worship leader and preacher, John dedicated himself to pastoral ministry with Fuengirola's homeless street people, only giving up when his legs failed him. Carol is talking of finding a way she can continue this ministry. He's missed by the dispossessed in the part of the Costa del Sol.
There were over forty of us, plus a few family members in the gathering. The service was relaxed and informal, the chapel set out with tables and chairs for groups of people to sit around. Wine and soft drinks were served and after Fr William the new chaplain welcomed us and said the opening prayer. I was asked to give the first tribute to Linda on behalf of other locums who have served at St Andrews, welcomed and supported by Linda.
Clare and I were here in Holy Week 2014 when Casa de la Esperanza was ready to serve as a chaplaincy residence, and we were its first occupants. Linda's younger sister spoke, and so did a newcomer to the church whom Linda befriended, then Peter, who spoke beautifully, followed by a couple of spontaneous contributions from others. Then the service itself thoughtfully put together by Fr William, with splendid refreshments to finish. I said my goodbyes and by si was on the seventy minute journey back to Torrox Costa and Church House.
I received a message from Helena about her father's funeral on Wednesday at the Velez Malaga crem. I'm meeting her and her sister on Tuesday morning to plan the service. Later that afternoon, I'll be doing a wedding blessing in San Salvador church. Busier in a few days than I've been in the seven weeks I've been here so far. That's typical of this kind of ministry. Always on standby like the fire service with random bursts of activity. Impossible to get used to. Glad to get to bed after a tiring day.
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