Greetings, friends. Last week we went to Marsabit, escorting Bishop Stephen and Joy Sykes to the Northern Frontier. It was an amazing experience for them. One of my personal goals while there was to write and reflect upon my ordination, held on September 3rd, 2006. Everyday at 4:07 p.m. Todd is reminded of the exact time the Bishop and Clergy laid hands on me as his watch went off in the middle of the prayer!

Friends have reminded me of the need to reflect upon my ordination. Various questions have come through the email. “Do you feel any different?” “Do you have any pictures you can send?” (Sorry, we are not able to do that from here!) “What was most impactful for you?” “Were your folks able to come?”

It is my hope to answer some of these questions – the facts, my feelings, my reflections. I praise god for the fist of spiritual friendship and direction which keeps me o the path of accountability. We can too easily slip away if we are left alone to this journey of transforming into the image of Christ all by ourselves. It is for all these “sacred companions” that I write this e-letter.

First of all, the facts. Certainly it was a blessing by God that my parents and sister, along with two others were able to fly over from the States to celebrate with me on this special day. There were six others ordained into the priesthood and three ordained into the deaconate – all Kenyans, on that Sunday afternoon at All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi. The processional began at 1:00 p.m., African time, and I think the long line of processionals (Mother’s Union, Cathedral choir, men’s group, priests, ordinates, Bishops, Archbishop) finally were all in the large stone church at 2:00 p.m. What a pleasure for me to walk down the aisle and see so many friends and supporters in the congregation!

Along with my family and friends from the USA were neighbors, congegrants from the local church, St. Julian’s Centre Management Committee Members, Heads of Staff and co-workers from the Anglican Church of Kenya, friends from RVA and my women’s Bible study, and even friends from Madagascar! Mom said my face just glowed, seeing all those friends made me happy!

I think those that sat through the 3 ˝ hour service deserve a prize. The chai and snack served at the reception only helped to ward off the brief hunger pangs.

Throughout the entire service I sensed the peace of God. Even though I have been ordained into the priesthood, I am not a “churchy” person. I prefer to find God in a garden or on a golf course rather than with a lot of pomp and circumstance. But that day was something special. In a way, it was like getting married to the Lord – stating one’s commitment to stay with Him for “better or for worse”, “for rich or poor”, “till death due us part” and for which neither height or width or depth or death will be able to separate us from the love of God! In Him, there is no “death due us part!”

I have been meditating on a verse from Mal. 2:2,6,7 “Set your heart to honor me. True instruction was in her mouth and nothing false was found on her lips. She walked with me in peace and uprightness and turned many from sin. For the lips of a priest ought to preserve knowledge and from their mouth people should seek instruction because she is the messenger of the Lord Almighty.”

Love Todd and Patsy