Sunday morning started with me joining Rachel and the translator guy for breakfast. He like many other people got the two of us confused, asking if she was the one who was the youth worker – as he had translated my story (now made famous in the Meth rec 15.9.11) during the song the night before. That morning we had breakfast in our favourite restaurant and like every morning after the first when i’d only eaten cereal I’d had scrambled eggs, and I think bacon, and pastries.
We then had the Sunday morning worship service. Dr Fulato Mayo spoke brilliantly about love, marriage, sex, discipleship and meaningful relationships. The whole talk can be found on the WFMUCW website.
Then as the main assembly had business where everyone decided on the aims and action plans that came out of the workshops of the past 2 days the HKMS went off to our room for one last time. We started with what felt like an exam, writing down our comments / evaluations about the week, then as a group we shared with each other what we had enjoyed, learnt. We had really bonded as a group and this was a lovely ending (well ish). And people shared gifts.
After lunch – which I must admit I have forgotten – most of the meals rolled into one really, I caught up with Kathleen and Alison. We chatted about the week, and the process to get there. I found out what Kathleen is up to next and we assured Alison she would be a fabulous Area President. I then went a little late into the Asia Areas presentations. Which were again something totally different, and Kennis, Mu Gay and Ryna did brilliantly.
Then we started the very long closing worship and installation of new world officers and area officers and communion. As always we started late, but there wasn’t quite enough time for Alison Adam to tell us how all the songs went – so some where a bit hairy. I’m very glad I have the whole service in the worship booklet as I don’t remember a lot, I know I was sitting next to Rachel and I think Niki was with us. I know I popped out to get headache tablets and I know there were presents given to all the speakers as I’d been roped in to help put them in order while talking to the new world presidents daughter who was a past HKMS. Lise did a great job representing us!
After that was tea time which I had with some of the other HKMS.
I then had to meet with Britain and some European ladies for a final catch up and talk about our time there. During this the World President came up to me and gave me an Australian ‘I wear black on Thursdays’ Tshirt, a couple of sizes to big but probably my favourite gift of the whole week!
After this I went back to the HKMS – see it wasn’t an ending earlier and after going to Rachel and Ryna’s room in normal clothes I got sent back to my room to put my PJs on. There was lots of food – most of which we had liberated from the restaurant. There are also many photos of this evening. And as women of our time we had 3 laptops out so that the ones who weren’t on facebook were brought into the world of photos groups and status’ To be fair one of the women didn’t have an email address at the start of the week.
As Kennis my roommate went to bed she told Rachel to tell me something... This transpired to be one of the nights earlier in the week I had scared her by rolling over to her side of the bed!
So finally we all left the party and went to bed, assuring each other we would see everyone at breakfast. However I overslept and missed the time we had all arranged to go to breakfast. It then transpired that some had sneaked into the other restaurant as well so it would never had worked! So the rest of the morning was spent running round trying to say goodbye one last time, being given gifts by strangers – including some lovely green earrings. Lise had issues trying to get to another hotel, and Rachel was moving rooms so I went to help her move her stuff and in doing so finally found the swimming pool which is the photo on the hotels website and has been the background to my laptop for the 10 months running up to the assembly. We logged onto the internet one last time – to tell people I was leaving for another 24 hour journey! Then it was finally time to say goodbye. I got my bag, got on the coach and went to the airport. There was hail on the journey and we were told that in Durban there was snow! Not what you expect in SA in August – but then they did!
We had arrived early at the airport – to save paying for a coach which meant we still had money for shopping and food. I had a burger after deciding against monkey juice on it! And had lovely chats with the Leeds Ladies, particularly the one who is also on the forum. Went shopping and got Dad a tie, and Matt salad thingys – it looked like a welsh love spoon but African. Then it was time to queue for the plane and I had a chat with a guy who had many flights to get back to uni in America, and had to use FF points to get the seat so was upgraded!
The flight back was fine, was a bit surreal at one point to look at the map and see that we were above the Sahara Desert. I watched The Way, which is an incredible film that I highly recommend and I’m thankful that Alison suggested it. I also watch west/east ridings – I forget now, but that was really good too. Breakfast on the plane was good, but very early!
I’d arranged to travel back with Chris from stoke. So we sat around at the airport and I drank juice before going forwards and backwards trying to sort a bus/train ticket to get me back to Mum and Dad’s house. Finally sorted it and we got on a bus to reading were we again sat for over an hour till Chris could travel (after 10) watching rush hour people come and do, drinking coffee and eating baguettes – it felt like lunch time! Then our train was slightly delayed but we eventually were back on our way, sitting with a lovely lady and her granddaughter. Chris left me at Stoke then I just had the final bit of the journey left, to get from Centre of Manchester to be picked up by mum and dad. A lovely guy helped me get my suitcase off the train but I stopped him before he went up the stairs as mum, dad and Duncan were all on the platform. And we then went home to holiday club land – were I even stayed longer than planned cos I love Holiday clubs so much. Then Sunday was a shock as I had to preach! But that was when Em came to hear me and we went to booths for breakfast and I met Alex and Patrick, but that’s another story for another day.
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