Tuesday was a day off from the WRWC for me, though not a day off from ministry. As I'm due to move house soon, I had a meeting fixed that day to induct a new team of chaplains at my local ASDA store where I''ve been Chaplaincy Team Leader for just over a year, and a chaplain for a year before that. As well as finding a new team leader, I'd managed to find two more new chaplains in addition, so hopefully a strengthened team will allow this ministry to grow and flourish into the future.
Returning to Guildford on Wednesday for semi-finals day, I was sad to see that some of the infrastructure around the match pitches had disappeared. I'd seen the beginnings of this before I left, but was sad to see how much had gone. This is because some of the focus now moves to The Stoop in Twickenham, as that is where the top 4 teams now play their games, whilst only the remaining 8 teams play in Guildford. Whilst this is great for those in the top 4, I can't help feeling that this is not good for those who remain here, and it seems partly to undo the positive emphasis at the beginning of the tournament that in this world cup everyone has things to play for right up until the last day, unlike those perhaps more usual tournaments when a team or player goes home as soon as they've been knocked out.
At 1pm a number of people from local churches arrived to take part in a Community Tag Rugby session. This was something that Dave and I had been involved in planning with the RFU alongside the chaplaincy. Originally a wider community day, it had turned into a Faith Communities session somewhere along the way. This proved to be good fun, and was for all ages and genders; and all who attended where able to stay and watch today's 4 matches in Guildford for free.
Most of the afternoon was spent around the match pitches, talking with volunteers, staff and spectators, as well as watching some of the rugby - this was particularly important for me as I'd promised one of my pool teams that I'd do so, as I've got to know a number of their players (this was the team who invited me to their team meeting in week 1 to introduce the idea of chaplaincy). Part of the evening was spent manning the Oasis and part in the bar watching the England match on TV with a number of the squads and volunteers.
Saturday 4 September 2010
Bank Holiday Monday
Another morning shift today, and it was interesting to contrast the unusual quietness of a Bank Holiday Monday as I drove in from the village where I'm staying with the atmosphere at the venue where everything was happening much as it has for the last 2 weeks. Later on, explaining to a couple of players who were waiting for a bus to go into Guildford, that they might be less frequent than usual as it was a holiday weekend, I was asked what event or whatever we were marking with this holiday! This made me realise that I didn't really know - I don't think it commemorates anything in particular (does it?) but it made me realise afresh just how much we take things that happen our own country for granted on occasions.
After the morning stint in the Oasis of Silence, I manged to book the same room that we had last night, for tonight's Games Night which was brilliant. I also arranged a buggy to transport things there from the Oasis - a local church youth organisation has very kindly and generously lent us games such as giant Jenga and giant Connect 4, as well as loads of board games plus both a Wii and PS4, so it would have taken many many trips for the 3 of us on duty during the afternoon and evening if we'd had to carry them by hand.
The rest of the day was spent visiting, and spending time at, the various training pitches, as well as the hotel where match officials are based. It was good at one of the training pitches to meet a number of family members, and chat to them for a while - chaplaincy is for them too. Later in the afternoon, I spent quite a long time with a volunteer who needed to talk about a difficult pastoral situation she finds herself in.
Having checked that everything was okay for the Games Night, I then headed home - and immediately became conscious of another aspect of Bank Holiday Mondays - lots of traffic heading home after days or weekends away!
After the morning stint in the Oasis of Silence, I manged to book the same room that we had last night, for tonight's Games Night which was brilliant. I also arranged a buggy to transport things there from the Oasis - a local church youth organisation has very kindly and generously lent us games such as giant Jenga and giant Connect 4, as well as loads of board games plus both a Wii and PS4, so it would have taken many many trips for the 3 of us on duty during the afternoon and evening if we'd had to carry them by hand.
The rest of the day was spent visiting, and spending time at, the various training pitches, as well as the hotel where match officials are based. It was good at one of the training pitches to meet a number of family members, and chat to them for a while - chaplaincy is for them too. Later in the afternoon, I spent quite a long time with a volunteer who needed to talk about a difficult pastoral situation she finds herself in.
Having checked that everything was okay for the Games Night, I then headed home - and immediately became conscious of another aspect of Bank Holiday Mondays - lots of traffic heading home after days or weekends away!
Sunday's 60 second sermon
Sunday saw my earliest start so far, as I was at Surrey Sports Park before 7:30am in order to find a quiet spot with good mobile phone reception so that BBC Radio Surrey could ring me. Having been into their studio on Tuesday to record a "60 second sermon", the plan was for them to ring to chat live on air shortly before they broadcast the sermon so that it can be put into context. We had a good conversation, not just about sports chaplaincy but about chaplaincy in general. This added background, not just to the "60 second sermon" but to the interview I'd done in week 1 for their breakfast programme. Must admit though, that I don't often get asked to discuss existentialism before 8am on a Sunday morning!! (For the inquisitive, this came about because in talking about some of the things sports chaplains get involved in, I made the comment that we're not just here for the bad things of life like injury or coping with lack of success but also for things like the big questions of life such as "who am I when I'm no longer a famous athlete?" which was a question I'd spent some time discussing with an athlete at one of the previous major sports events I've ministered at.)
Being at the venue that bit earlier meant that I saw lots of players as they were on their way to breakfast and/or their morning sessions in the swimming pool, which was good. I then opened up the Oasis of Silence at 8am, but as no-one came to the 8:30am devotional I didn't get to 'preach' the aforementioned 'sermon'.
The rest of the morning was divided between the usual 'wandering around' the venue and various practical matters related to tonight's movie night - firstly being given a much more central room than the one we had last night, which was a matter for thanksgiving; then altering all the publicity we'd produced yesterday; before spending time learning how to connect everything up to, and then operate, the rather splendid audio-visual system they have installed (much more complicated - and impressive - than anything I've personally used before).
I managed to take a couple of hours off in the afternoon, and returned to find that it was very very quiet - even quieter than previous post-match days. A number of squads had gone out for all or part of the day, and I think others must have been sheltering from the torrential rain that descended mid-afternoon.
Some more visiting and admin was undertaken before setting up for the movie night. It was good that a good group of players came, from 3 different squads, all of whom thanked us for putting this on even before they'd seen the movie. It was a very good humoured and relaxed evening, with the added bonus for me that I really enjoyed the movie too, which made a day with my earliest start and latest finish not seem as long as it actually was.
Being at the venue that bit earlier meant that I saw lots of players as they were on their way to breakfast and/or their morning sessions in the swimming pool, which was good. I then opened up the Oasis of Silence at 8am, but as no-one came to the 8:30am devotional I didn't get to 'preach' the aforementioned 'sermon'.
The rest of the morning was divided between the usual 'wandering around' the venue and various practical matters related to tonight's movie night - firstly being given a much more central room than the one we had last night, which was a matter for thanksgiving; then altering all the publicity we'd produced yesterday; before spending time learning how to connect everything up to, and then operate, the rather splendid audio-visual system they have installed (much more complicated - and impressive - than anything I've personally used before).
I managed to take a couple of hours off in the afternoon, and returned to find that it was very very quiet - even quieter than previous post-match days. A number of squads had gone out for all or part of the day, and I think others must have been sheltering from the torrential rain that descended mid-afternoon.
Some more visiting and admin was undertaken before setting up for the movie night. It was good that a good group of players came, from 3 different squads, all of whom thanked us for putting this on even before they'd seen the movie. It was a very good humoured and relaxed evening, with the added bonus for me that I really enjoyed the movie too, which made a day with my earliest start and latest finish not seem as long as it actually was.
Sunday 29 August 2010
Third match day
Saturday dawned much sunnier, drier and less breezy than the past few days, and it was easy to see the effects of this as people were hanging around outside much more, and it was easier to meet people in a relaxed way. I had a slightly later start today, and so arrived after the morning duty in the Oasis of Silence, but it was good to learn that 2 players had again come to the devotional time. After some practical tasks, we were all into match day routine - dividing our time between the match pitches and other parts of the venue. It was nice to be greeted in a friendly manner by some of the volunteers who're only here for match days - we get to know some of them quite well as they're largely stationed in the same places doing the same task each match day. Although there was again a wonderful family-type atmosphere, with spectators of all ages and also of many nationalities, there also seemed to be more tension in the air - there were not so many squad members around spectating, and many of the spectators seemed more focused - perhaps because by the end of today's 6 matches, everyone would know which 4 teams would have gained places in the semi-final play offs and so play future matches at The Stoop in Twickenham, and which 8 teams would be playing both their remaining matches here in Guildford.
In the end, it was England, New Zealand, France and Australia that gained the top 4 places. For chaplains, who're supposed in many senses to be impartial, and it was a case of "rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep".
Despite wanting to for a number of reasons, mostly to do with people I've got to know in the last two weeks, I didn't see much of the match between England and USA. This was firstly, because I was trying to make sure that an injured player who'd gone to hospital having been injured in an earlier match got chaplaincy support if she wanted it, and also through setting things up for our first movie night. In the end, no-one came, which was slightly disappointing, but at the same time we were only responding to an identified need and offering a resource or opportunity, so if no-one felt they needed or wanted it when it came to it, that's fine by us - it is responding and serving that's important.
In the end, it was England, New Zealand, France and Australia that gained the top 4 places. For chaplains, who're supposed in many senses to be impartial, and it was a case of "rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep".
Despite wanting to for a number of reasons, mostly to do with people I've got to know in the last two weeks, I didn't see much of the match between England and USA. This was firstly, because I was trying to make sure that an injured player who'd gone to hospital having been injured in an earlier match got chaplaincy support if she wanted it, and also through setting things up for our first movie night. In the end, no-one came, which was slightly disappointing, but at the same time we were only responding to an identified need and offering a resource or opportunity, so if no-one felt they needed or wanted it when it came to it, that's fine by us - it is responding and serving that's important.
The weekend (and final pool matches) approach fast
I wasn't in Guildford on Thursday, but apparently it was still quite quiet. Training had resumed in earnest, following the brief pause the day before, but apart from going to training and meals etc, people didn't venture out much as it as wet and windy again. Apparently, one chaplain even rashly promised the Aussies better weather by the weekend, but she had read the weather forecast first! One player did come to the morning devotional though, which was good, and those chaplains on duty still managed to 'loiter with intent' and meet and chat with people, both players/squad members but also staff and other volunteers - a reminder that chaplaincy at an event like this is for everyone, not just the elite sportspeople.
After a very early start at home on Friday, I was back in Guildford ready to open up the Oasis of Silence at 8am. A player from one of my pool teams again came for the morning devotional time, which was good. After that and a time of sharing with the other chaplain on duty this morning, we set about some practical tasks: One of the things that has become apparent through various conversations that the chaplaincy team have had over the last few days is that people in a number of squads have begun to suffer from something akin to 'Cabin Fever' (meaning the reactions that happen when a person or group has to live in a relatively small/enclosed space for an extended period with nothing much to do). Whilst many of the squads are impressed with all being based together in an Olympic-style athletes village, and enjoying the plus points of that - no travel, single rooms, good sports facilities, and the ability to walk from sleeping quarters to meals and to training facilities - a number of people are finding it quite claustrophobic, especially as, apart from their dining room, there's no shared communal space where they can relax and enjoy people's company outside their own squads - apart from the Bar and a branch of Starbucks in the sports centre that is! The seeds of the idea having been sown by various chaplains earlier in the week, 3 of us spent various bits of today checking out the practicalities: could we book/hire a room to show a DVD? what about projection facilities? publicity? did the organisers mind the chaplaincy doing this? etc, etc. By the end of the day, plans were almost fixed to have 2 movie nights, one games night, and a quiz night within the next week.
In between this, various visits were made and conversations had, including some time spent in the nearby hotel where the referees and other match officials are staying and based. We had originally planned to have an Oasis of Silence there too, but in the end no rooms were available, so we try and make sure that at least one chaplain visits once per day. So, it was good today that there were a numebr of officials around and we were able to have conversations with them.
After a very early start at home on Friday, I was back in Guildford ready to open up the Oasis of Silence at 8am. A player from one of my pool teams again came for the morning devotional time, which was good. After that and a time of sharing with the other chaplain on duty this morning, we set about some practical tasks: One of the things that has become apparent through various conversations that the chaplaincy team have had over the last few days is that people in a number of squads have begun to suffer from something akin to 'Cabin Fever' (meaning the reactions that happen when a person or group has to live in a relatively small/enclosed space for an extended period with nothing much to do). Whilst many of the squads are impressed with all being based together in an Olympic-style athletes village, and enjoying the plus points of that - no travel, single rooms, good sports facilities, and the ability to walk from sleeping quarters to meals and to training facilities - a number of people are finding it quite claustrophobic, especially as, apart from their dining room, there's no shared communal space where they can relax and enjoy people's company outside their own squads - apart from the Bar and a branch of Starbucks in the sports centre that is! The seeds of the idea having been sown by various chaplains earlier in the week, 3 of us spent various bits of today checking out the practicalities: could we book/hire a room to show a DVD? what about projection facilities? publicity? did the organisers mind the chaplaincy doing this? etc, etc. By the end of the day, plans were almost fixed to have 2 movie nights, one games night, and a quiz night within the next week.
In between this, various visits were made and conversations had, including some time spent in the nearby hotel where the referees and other match officials are staying and based. We had originally planned to have an Oasis of Silence there too, but in the end no rooms were available, so we try and make sure that at least one chaplain visits once per day. So, it was good today that there were a numebr of officials around and we were able to have conversations with them.
Wet Wednesday
Wednesday was very quiet with little movement around the campus. This was to be expected as squads often take the chance to take things slightly easier the day after a match, doing lightish training only in an attempt to give tired and possibly bruised bodies time to repair themselves. During the day, the chaplaincy team became aware of at least 5 players across the tournament who were having scans on one bit of their body or another, a reminder of how physical a game rugby is.
Taking post-match day quietly also gives people time to go off an explore - it seems a shame for those who've travelled huge distances to get here, not to have opportunity to see something of the country they're visiting - mind you, as businessmen have often told me, they do that all the time - those of us who live relatively static lives need to remember that jobs or professions that involve lots of travel certainly can't be compared to a holiday (even though people joke about that aspect). Today, whether squads stayed around Guildford or ventured further afield, they will have got very wet as it rained on and off, and was torrential at times.
Taking post-match day quietly also gives people time to go off an explore - it seems a shame for those who've travelled huge distances to get here, not to have opportunity to see something of the country they're visiting - mind you, as businessmen have often told me, they do that all the time - those of us who live relatively static lives need to remember that jobs or professions that involve lots of travel certainly can't be compared to a holiday (even though people joke about that aspect). Today, whether squads stayed around Guildford or ventured further afield, they will have got very wet as it rained on and off, and was torrential at times.
Thursday 26 August 2010
Second Match Day
Tuesday dawned bright but cool - good weather for this second pool match day, although sadly (especially for spectators) there was some rain later during some of the matches. It also got windier as the day went on, which made life difficult for both spectators and players. Today was another early start for me, and so I went straight to the Oasis of Silence at 8am. No players turned up for the devotional time but three of us spent some time sharing and praying, and later a few people called by.
After that Dave C and I met to discuss progress so far, and planned the rota for the final week. Now that we know how things are working out in practice we were able to tailor-make this much more than we'd been able to do with the initial rota - it's amazing how things differ between planning and practice, especially when practical experience is added.
My next task was to make my second trip of the tournament to the BBC Radio Surrey studios. This time it was to record a "60 second sermon" to go out on next Sunday morning's religious programme. The idea behind this is that local ministers distill their Sunday sermon for that day into 60 seconds - I remember doing one of these when I last lived in this area and found it a challenge (! - those that know me will understand the explanation mark!) - but, as I won't actually be preaching anywhere this coming Sunday, I wrote a 'thought for the day' type of talk, linking illustrations from sport with one aspect of our practical faith, using the parable of the sheep and the goats as my text.
Another brisk walk followed, in order to get back to Surrey Sports Park in time to do some wandering around before the matches started. As last Friday, there were 6 pool games in all today, with the first match kicked off at 12noon, with the 6th one doing the same at 6:30pm. They were again good matches - for those who know rugby, apparently women's rugby has a lot less kicking and a lot more running when compared to the men's game. It is still a very fast and physical game, though, requiring a mixture of strength, speed and agility on top of all the technical skills.
I wasn't able to stay for the last matches though, as I had a speaking engagement at Andover Rotary Club this evening. They'd invited me to speak about my work as a sports chaplain from Athens 2004 right through to today, so it seemed appropriate to attend in my Women's Rugby World Club uniform rather than dressed more smartly with my clerical collar. As I'd missed the matches involving my pool teams, I kept my mobile phone on silent and, after texts from WRWC chaplaincy colleagues, was able both to keep in touch with what was going on in Guildford and also begin my talk with the latest results!
After that Dave C and I met to discuss progress so far, and planned the rota for the final week. Now that we know how things are working out in practice we were able to tailor-make this much more than we'd been able to do with the initial rota - it's amazing how things differ between planning and practice, especially when practical experience is added.
My next task was to make my second trip of the tournament to the BBC Radio Surrey studios. This time it was to record a "60 second sermon" to go out on next Sunday morning's religious programme. The idea behind this is that local ministers distill their Sunday sermon for that day into 60 seconds - I remember doing one of these when I last lived in this area and found it a challenge (! - those that know me will understand the explanation mark!) - but, as I won't actually be preaching anywhere this coming Sunday, I wrote a 'thought for the day' type of talk, linking illustrations from sport with one aspect of our practical faith, using the parable of the sheep and the goats as my text.
Another brisk walk followed, in order to get back to Surrey Sports Park in time to do some wandering around before the matches started. As last Friday, there were 6 pool games in all today, with the first match kicked off at 12noon, with the 6th one doing the same at 6:30pm. They were again good matches - for those who know rugby, apparently women's rugby has a lot less kicking and a lot more running when compared to the men's game. It is still a very fast and physical game, though, requiring a mixture of strength, speed and agility on top of all the technical skills.
I wasn't able to stay for the last matches though, as I had a speaking engagement at Andover Rotary Club this evening. They'd invited me to speak about my work as a sports chaplain from Athens 2004 right through to today, so it seemed appropriate to attend in my Women's Rugby World Club uniform rather than dressed more smartly with my clerical collar. As I'd missed the matches involving my pool teams, I kept my mobile phone on silent and, after texts from WRWC chaplaincy colleagues, was able both to keep in touch with what was going on in Guildford and also begin my talk with the latest results!
Monday 23 August 2010
Week 2 begins
Saturday was a day off for me and I'd returned home for that - one of the advantages of an international sporting event being hosted in our own country is that we all live relatively close. However, that said, as I live in Wiltshire I'm the chaplain with the longest journey. This is partly because our chaplaincy team comprises a number of local ministers in addition to a few specialist sports chaplains. I was also absent from Guildford on Sunday, as I was taking part in services at St Michael's Church, West Andover, the parish where I'm an assistant priest.
On Monday, I returned to Guildford, and to chaplaincy duties in and around the Women's Rugby World Cup. This was the 'usual' mixture of spending time in & around the Oasis of Silence and out & about around the whole venue, plus some admin and preparation tasks that needed to be done. Having been away over the weekend, there was also some catching up to do.
Sadly, one aspect of that was learning that a player from one of my pool teams had sustained a more serious injury than was at first thought - a broken bone means that she won't be able to play again in this tournament and so will be heading home sometime soon. Although the bone concerned means that this isn't actually a major injury as such, it is obviously major for her and also for her team mates with whom she's trained intensively for the last few months. So, it was good to be able to offer support to members of that team and their TLO, both explicitly and implicitly. As a chaplaincy team, we're also able to pray for her, and for others with needs, as well as for the whole event. Even if no-one comes for the 8:30am and 8:30pm devotional times, the chaplains on duty still meet to pray at those times each day.
On Monday, I returned to Guildford, and to chaplaincy duties in and around the Women's Rugby World Cup. This was the 'usual' mixture of spending time in & around the Oasis of Silence and out & about around the whole venue, plus some admin and preparation tasks that needed to be done. Having been away over the weekend, there was also some catching up to do.
Sadly, one aspect of that was learning that a player from one of my pool teams had sustained a more serious injury than was at first thought - a broken bone means that she won't be able to play again in this tournament and so will be heading home sometime soon. Although the bone concerned means that this isn't actually a major injury as such, it is obviously major for her and also for her team mates with whom she's trained intensively for the last few months. So, it was good to be able to offer support to members of that team and their TLO, both explicitly and implicitly. As a chaplaincy team, we're also able to pray for her, and for others with needs, as well as for the whole event. Even if no-one comes for the 8:30am and 8:30pm devotional times, the chaplains on duty still meet to pray at those times each day.
First match day
Friday was yet another early start, the fourth in a row. However, although I went to the Oasis of Silence at 8am I didn't stay there for long, as I'd been invited by BBC Radio Surrey to be interviewed on their breakfast programme so that their listeners could hear all about the chaplaincy presence. Their studios are located on the main University campus and it was a nice walk across in the sunshine - thankfully the first match day had dawned much brighter than had been forecast by the weather people. The interview seemed to go well - perhaps too well in that it created further work as afterwards I was invited back to do something else for them next week!
The walk back to Surrey Sports Park, and on to the Oasis of Silence, gave me the opportunity to chat to various people along the way - Surrey Sports Park staff, match day security staff, members of the event organising team, new volunteers, and a few players. Later, once the gates had opened to the public, the chaplains already onsite walked the area around the 2 competition pitches, sometimes meeting and chatting with people we met, and in quiet moments praying for all involved in this tournament in so many different ways.
There were 6 games in all today. The first match kicked off at 12noon, with the 6th one doing the same at 6:30pm. These were all games between 2 teams in the same pool - meaning that it was perhaps even more important than usual for chaplains to be impartial as we each had an interest in both teams playing a game. I watched most of both games involving the four teams in my pool, although I also spent time talking to spectators and event staff, as well as to players spectating later games. I also spent some time on the phone and chasing & talking to contacts in person to offer support, both practical and pastoral, where injuries occurred. Thankfully none seemed as serious as they might have looked at first.
The walk back to Surrey Sports Park, and on to the Oasis of Silence, gave me the opportunity to chat to various people along the way - Surrey Sports Park staff, match day security staff, members of the event organising team, new volunteers, and a few players. Later, once the gates had opened to the public, the chaplains already onsite walked the area around the 2 competition pitches, sometimes meeting and chatting with people we met, and in quiet moments praying for all involved in this tournament in so many different ways.
There were 6 games in all today. The first match kicked off at 12noon, with the 6th one doing the same at 6:30pm. These were all games between 2 teams in the same pool - meaning that it was perhaps even more important than usual for chaplains to be impartial as we each had an interest in both teams playing a game. I watched most of both games involving the four teams in my pool, although I also spent time talking to spectators and event staff, as well as to players spectating later games. I also spent some time on the phone and chasing & talking to contacts in person to offer support, both practical and pastoral, where injuries occurred. Thankfully none seemed as serious as they might have looked at first.
Thursday 19 August 2010
Building both relationships and bunting
Thursday brought another early start, and it was great this morning that 2 players came to the Oasis for our morning devotional time - and especially that they were from the pool team that I'd met with yesterday. As well as sharing in the devotional, they added topics to our prayer board and stayed for a coffee and a chat.
Contact with another team and their coach came when they used the metal staircase outside the Oasis for one of their fitness tests (it involved a piece of equipment that attaches with a magnet hence the need for something metal). This provided an opportunity for the players waiting in the queue for their turn to see into the Oasis, and for me to ask questions of the coach about what they were doing whilst he was packing things up.
Other activities today included further casual conversations with several other players from the pool team I spent time with yesterday; a telephone conversation with another of the TLOs I'd rung yesterday; a visit to the area surrounding the 2 match pitches, which included conversations with several people setting things up and getting the ground ready for the first match day tomorrow; and trying to 'design' various attractive but weatherproof ways of decorating the outside of our building - several of the 12 squads have started to decorate their buildings and so why should we miss out, especially as it also draws attention to our new location.
Contact with another team and their coach came when they used the metal staircase outside the Oasis for one of their fitness tests (it involved a piece of equipment that attaches with a magnet hence the need for something metal). This provided an opportunity for the players waiting in the queue for their turn to see into the Oasis, and for me to ask questions of the coach about what they were doing whilst he was packing things up.
Other activities today included further casual conversations with several other players from the pool team I spent time with yesterday; a telephone conversation with another of the TLOs I'd rung yesterday; a visit to the area surrounding the 2 match pitches, which included conversations with several people setting things up and getting the ground ready for the first match day tomorrow; and trying to 'design' various attractive but weatherproof ways of decorating the outside of our building - several of the 12 squads have started to decorate their buildings and so why should we miss out, especially as it also draws attention to our new location.
Beginning to build relationships
Wednesday dawned bright and clear and, after the shenanigans of yesterday, this felt like a sign of a proper new start to our chaplaincy presence - and it turned out to be so.
Our daily pattern in the Oasis of Silence is that it is open from 8am to 10pm, with a short devotional period scheduled at both 8:30am and 8:30pm - although this can be altered timewise and/or repeated if people drop in at other times. Linked to this, we have advertised that at least one chaplain will be present from 8-10am and 8-10pm each day. Inbetweentimes, there will be someone present as often as possible, either our admin assistant or one of the chaplains, although we need to be out and about as much as possible too.
After our presence in the Oasis first thing this morning, we headed off to a meeting of officials (referees, touch judges, etc) to introduce the tournament chaplaincy. They're based in a nearby hotel, as it's not wise for them to be in the same accommodation as players. We had hoped to have an Oasis of Silence there too, but this hasn't proved possible as no 'extra' room was able to be made available. They were pleased to hear about our role though, and that we're here for them as well as everyone else.
Another task for today was to make contact with each squad's 'Team Liaison Officer' (TLO). These are volunteers (like us!) who are the main link between their respective squad and the organisers and structure of the tournament. I'll talk more about their role in a later post, but the main reason for contacting them today was to ask for a short meeting with the Team Manager to explain the chaplaincy and offer any specific support, facilities or resources that they may want. We also wanted to tell them about our change of venue! Although all chaplains are there for everyone, we've aimed to provide a more personal service by linking chaplains specifically with each of the 3 tournament pools (each containing 4 of the 12 competing teams). As lead chaplain for one of the pools, I telephoned each TLO and was pleased when a meeting with one Team Manager was quickly arranged for early afternoon - she even came to the Oasis for the meeting rather than me going to her as I'd expected to. Further positive contact was affirmed when she invited me to meet with the squad, and introduce myself just before their team meeting later this afternoon.
Having done this, it was great this evening when a number of the girls shouted "Hi Mary" as they passed me on their way back from their meal - relationships starting to be formed which hopefully can be built upon as the tournament goes on.
Our daily pattern in the Oasis of Silence is that it is open from 8am to 10pm, with a short devotional period scheduled at both 8:30am and 8:30pm - although this can be altered timewise and/or repeated if people drop in at other times. Linked to this, we have advertised that at least one chaplain will be present from 8-10am and 8-10pm each day. Inbetweentimes, there will be someone present as often as possible, either our admin assistant or one of the chaplains, although we need to be out and about as much as possible too.
After our presence in the Oasis first thing this morning, we headed off to a meeting of officials (referees, touch judges, etc) to introduce the tournament chaplaincy. They're based in a nearby hotel, as it's not wise for them to be in the same accommodation as players. We had hoped to have an Oasis of Silence there too, but this hasn't proved possible as no 'extra' room was able to be made available. They were pleased to hear about our role though, and that we're here for them as well as everyone else.
Another task for today was to make contact with each squad's 'Team Liaison Officer' (TLO). These are volunteers (like us!) who are the main link between their respective squad and the organisers and structure of the tournament. I'll talk more about their role in a later post, but the main reason for contacting them today was to ask for a short meeting with the Team Manager to explain the chaplaincy and offer any specific support, facilities or resources that they may want. We also wanted to tell them about our change of venue! Although all chaplains are there for everyone, we've aimed to provide a more personal service by linking chaplains specifically with each of the 3 tournament pools (each containing 4 of the 12 competing teams). As lead chaplain for one of the pools, I telephoned each TLO and was pleased when a meeting with one Team Manager was quickly arranged for early afternoon - she even came to the Oasis for the meeting rather than me going to her as I'd expected to. Further positive contact was affirmed when she invited me to meet with the squad, and introduce myself just before their team meeting later this afternoon.
Having done this, it was great this evening when a number of the girls shouted "Hi Mary" as they passed me on their way back from their meal - relationships starting to be formed which hopefully can be built upon as the tournament goes on.
Tuesday 17 August 2010
Frustration and fulfilment
Two more chaplains arrived today, and whilst they were collecting their kit and being inducted into the venue (etc), Sophie and I went into town to buy various things to make the room more homely and welcoming - candles, flowers, tea & coffee making facilities, sweets & biscuits, and a prayer board, to name but a few. We also procured practical things such as local bus timetables and a map of Guildford, so that if anyone wishes to visit a local church or place of worship we'll be able to help them find their way there. These resources were all added to our 'Oasis of Silence' whilst I and 2 other chaplains attended the first of the daily Team Liaison Officers' meetings. As well as meeting these vital people for a second time - Dave and I had been with them and introduced the idea of chaplaincy to them at their training day a few months ago - and reminding them that we're here for them too, we also gave each of them a bundle of letters to pass on to their teams, one for each squad member. These were our attempt to make sure that each squad member has a 'personal' introduction to the idea of chaplaincy, the Oasis of Silence, and the availability of our facilities and services. For 3 of the squads, where English isn't a primary language, we'd had these translated into an appropriate language for them.
After lunch, I went off to visit the nearby Guildford Cathedral to re-establish a practical link between them and the chaplaincy team. Sadly, I came back to find the Oasis of Silence in total disarray - a lot of our stuff was being hastily packed into boxes and carrier bags and one of our sofas was being carried away down the street!! To cut a long (and not very pretty) story short, whilst I was away someone had decided to install 2 rather large vending machines in the room we were using. This meant that the remaining space was both too small and too noisy not just for the Oasis of Silence alone, but also for the 'resident' Muslims to pray in. What was worse was that this had happened whilst the Muslims were actually having a time of prayer. Several animated telephone and face-to-face conversations ensued, and we were given another room a few blocks away. It was exceptionally frustrating not just to carry everything from A to B, but also to have to spend a couple of hours remaking, redecorating, and re-resourcing a second Oasis of Silence within 24 hours. It also meant that we didn't get out and about to make contact with squads as we'd planned. However, we are now in a larger room, which has more potential and greater flexibility of use. We also have use of a smaller room on the same corridor, normally a student bedroom, for a Chaplaincy Office; so the outcome at 6:30pm, when I left to head off to the family home where I'm currently staying (another long story, possibly to be told in a later post), was not so bleak as it had appeared at 1:45pm. We were also pleased to learn that, despite being disturbed earlier on, the Muslims did still hold their late afternoon prayers in the former room - I guess though that sadly it will be very crowded for them on Friday when larger numbers may well attend.
After lunch, I went off to visit the nearby Guildford Cathedral to re-establish a practical link between them and the chaplaincy team. Sadly, I came back to find the Oasis of Silence in total disarray - a lot of our stuff was being hastily packed into boxes and carrier bags and one of our sofas was being carried away down the street!! To cut a long (and not very pretty) story short, whilst I was away someone had decided to install 2 rather large vending machines in the room we were using. This meant that the remaining space was both too small and too noisy not just for the Oasis of Silence alone, but also for the 'resident' Muslims to pray in. What was worse was that this had happened whilst the Muslims were actually having a time of prayer. Several animated telephone and face-to-face conversations ensued, and we were given another room a few blocks away. It was exceptionally frustrating not just to carry everything from A to B, but also to have to spend a couple of hours remaking, redecorating, and re-resourcing a second Oasis of Silence within 24 hours. It also meant that we didn't get out and about to make contact with squads as we'd planned. However, we are now in a larger room, which has more potential and greater flexibility of use. We also have use of a smaller room on the same corridor, normally a student bedroom, for a Chaplaincy Office; so the outcome at 6:30pm, when I left to head off to the family home where I'm currently staying (another long story, possibly to be told in a later post), was not so bleak as it had appeared at 1:45pm. We were also pleased to learn that, despite being disturbed earlier on, the Muslims did still hold their late afternoon prayers in the former room - I guess though that sadly it will be very crowded for them on Friday when larger numbers may well attend.
Monday 16 August - destination Guildford
Surrey Sports Park in Guildford is the venue for the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup, and the destination today for 12 of the most highly ranked female rugby union teams in the world, as well as members of the different aspects of the organising team, the officials and support staff, and, of course, the chaplaincy team. It was good to finally arrive onsite, and to see the infrastructure coming together, after a couple of visits in recent months and almost 2 years of planning the chaplaincy input along with SCORE's Chaplaincy Coordinator for Rugby Union - our joint planning had started before I knew that lack of funding meant I'd have to leave SCORE, but I'd promised to continue to work on this as I wanted to see the project through to the end.
Around 2pm Dave and I collected our kit (white polo shirts, Tshirts, and baseball caps, along with navy rain jacket and shorts - yes shorts!) and together with Sophie, our young admin assistant, began to work on the smallish student common room we'd been allocated, in an attempt to turn it into a combined 'Oasis of Silence' and Chaplaincy Office. But first we had some negotiation to do, as it soon became evident that the room was also being used by some Muslims amongst the University's staff and students as their prayer room during the season of Ramadan. The spirit of cooperation was strong on both sides and with judicious and sensitive placing of resources such as posters, coloured table coverings, and various symbols an appropriate 'reflective space' was created which we hope will be both useful and well-used.
During the afternoon and early evening, it was good to see the 12 squads gradually arriving, and beginning to settle into the venue and its facilities. Some teams had their first session on the training pitches, whilst others used the gym or swimming pool, whilst yet others relaxed after long journeys. We were able to make contacts and begin to chat with people and so let them know of the chaplaincy presence - although we'd written something about this in the official handbook that all squads receive, nothing beats personal contact for spreading the word.
Around 2pm Dave and I collected our kit (white polo shirts, Tshirts, and baseball caps, along with navy rain jacket and shorts - yes shorts!) and together with Sophie, our young admin assistant, began to work on the smallish student common room we'd been allocated, in an attempt to turn it into a combined 'Oasis of Silence' and Chaplaincy Office. But first we had some negotiation to do, as it soon became evident that the room was also being used by some Muslims amongst the University's staff and students as their prayer room during the season of Ramadan. The spirit of cooperation was strong on both sides and with judicious and sensitive placing of resources such as posters, coloured table coverings, and various symbols an appropriate 'reflective space' was created which we hope will be both useful and well-used.
During the afternoon and early evening, it was good to see the 12 squads gradually arriving, and beginning to settle into the venue and its facilities. Some teams had their first session on the training pitches, whilst others used the gym or swimming pool, whilst yet others relaxed after long journeys. We were able to make contacts and begin to chat with people and so let them know of the chaplaincy presence - although we'd written something about this in the official handbook that all squads receive, nothing beats personal contact for spreading the word.
2010 Women's Rugby World Cup beckons.....
Almost 5 months after sitting in Vancouver airport reflecting on my Winter Paralympic experiences, Sunday 15th August found me packing my bags again ready to leave the next day to serve as chaplain at another international sporting event. This time, there wouldn't be so far to travel, and when many of my friends learned where the 2010 Women's Rugby World Cup is being held they said "oh, that's nowhere near as glamorous as Vancouver or Berlin!" (Sorry, Guildford, don't blame me!) Although my sports chaplaincy role at Loughborough University has continued throughout that time, a lot has happened in the last 5 months (some of which explains my 'silence' since the end of March) and there are more changes afoot in the next month......but more of that in a future post.....
Wednesday 24 March 2010
And so to the airport.....
Monday morning, my final day in Vancouver, saw me heading off with my host to the Vanoc 'Sale of Assets' from both the Olympics and the Paralympics. I was going more out of a sense of curiosity than anything else, although I might have bought a volunteer's uniform if they'd had one, as it would be useful for when I give talks about my experiences. The queue had begun in the early hours of the morning apparently and the day's supply of laptops and TVs were sold out just after we arrived at 9am, which was the official opening time. Apart from these items, it was mainly furniture, tools and small 'household articles' such as toasters, etc. More supplies are added each day which is good, and I guess the variety will increase as more venues are decommissioned and closed down. This is certainly a good way of both recycling goods, thus avoiding waste, and also a good way for the organisers to recoup some of their costs.
Not all items are sold though. A few days after my arrival in Vancouver I read a newspaper article which said that a lot of the items that Team GB bought to equip their offices in Vancouver and Whistler for the Olympics were given to a charity that uses sport to help disadvantaged children. This is a good news story that probably deserves wider publicity - not only were the shipping costs saved but people were helped by this action.
After the sale, we went for coffee and a walk in the sunshine at Steveston, a local fishing town, before returning to do my packing. A nice lunch with some distant relatives of my mother who'd been out of town until a few days ago followed, before I was taken to the airport. The time between check-in and departure provided opportunity for reflection on the whole experience.....
Not all items are sold though. A few days after my arrival in Vancouver I read a newspaper article which said that a lot of the items that Team GB bought to equip their offices in Vancouver and Whistler for the Olympics were given to a charity that uses sport to help disadvantaged children. This is a good news story that probably deserves wider publicity - not only were the shipping costs saved but people were helped by this action.
After the sale, we went for coffee and a walk in the sunshine at Steveston, a local fishing town, before returning to do my packing. A nice lunch with some distant relatives of my mother who'd been out of town until a few days ago followed, before I was taken to the airport. The time between check-in and departure provided opportunity for reflection on the whole experience.....
Tuesday 23 March 2010
My last shift
Sunday was my last shift in the Village, and also the last day that the Multi-Faith Centre will be fully staffed. That seemed quite strange as I walked in early this morning. I quickly got on with the first task though, which was to finalise preparation for the advertised 9am morning service, even though both myself and the other chaplain on duty thought it unlikely that anyone would come. This is partly because we knew that at least 3 teams were heading up to Whistler this morning to settle into the Athletes' Village there prior to the Closing Ceremony this evening; and we also knew that a significant number of athletes had gathered in the athletes' lounge until quite late last night to relax and celebrate the fact that competition was over for those involved in Vancouver-based sports. (Alpine events in Whistler also finished yesterday but Nordic skiing events continue until mid-afternoon today.) It turned out that we were right - no-one came in at 9am. However, we did have quite a few people who called into the centre to visit, chat or ask questions, and we gave away quite a few leaflets, books and Bibles to those who asked for them.
The Village gradually got quieter as the morning and early afternoon wore on, and as more athletes caught buses to Whistler for the evening. During this time, I made final visits to the Polyclinic and a couple of other places to say farewells. Several of the medical staff were also on their last shift, but a significant number weren't as the Polyclinic will remain open until the last athletes leave on/by Wednesday. It will also serve those who're beginning to decommission the Village between now and then.
Towards the end of the shift, we began our own closing down process by taking down all the pictures we'd been lent to brighten the bare walls, as well as beginning to sort out which furniture belongs to the organisers and which to the various religious groups and families who'd lent things to the Multi-Faith Centre.
Just after my shift ended, we had the heaviest rainfall in my whole time here, and so I was glad that my host family had called to pick me up on their way home from something. In the evening it was good to relax with them and to watch the Closing Ceremony live on TV together.
The Village gradually got quieter as the morning and early afternoon wore on, and as more athletes caught buses to Whistler for the evening. During this time, I made final visits to the Polyclinic and a couple of other places to say farewells. Several of the medical staff were also on their last shift, but a significant number weren't as the Polyclinic will remain open until the last athletes leave on/by Wednesday. It will also serve those who're beginning to decommission the Village between now and then.
Towards the end of the shift, we began our own closing down process by taking down all the pictures we'd been lent to brighten the bare walls, as well as beginning to sort out which furniture belongs to the organisers and which to the various religious groups and families who'd lent things to the Multi-Faith Centre.
Just after my shift ended, we had the heaviest rainfall in my whole time here, and so I was glad that my host family had called to pick me up on their way home from something. In the evening it was good to relax with them and to watch the Closing Ceremony live on TV together.
That 'end of term' feeling
Saturday was the first day of spring according to the local free newspaper I picked up outside the station, and the weather was certainly spring-like as I journeyed to the Athletes' Village.
Today's was s slightly longer shift than usual due to a couple of chaplains being unavailable, and it was also a slightly strange one. Although the closing ceremony isn't until tomorrow, and there are still events taking place in both Vancouver and Whistler, there was a bit of an 'end of term' feeling around the village. At one national team office that I visited, I was greeted with piles of boxes as I emerged from the lift. Some of the national flags were also disappearing from the balconies where they've been fluttering in the breeze for the last couple of weeks. Although the organisers have stated that we mustn't pack anything up which might make it seem like we're keen for athletes to leave, it doesn't, of course, stop the teams themselves packing up their offices, especially as many of them bring a whole infrastructure as well as bringing and/or hiring a lot of equipment etc. For those involved in their team's administration, this is a lot of work which makes for a busy and stressful few days, when they also have to confirm flight arrangements etc. We chaplains need to be aware of this as we continue to be available to and for athletes and their support staff as they begin to pack up, as well as being available to and for those volunteers and staff who're keen to begin the 'decommissioning' of the Village but can't start doing so yet.
Another thing that was quite strange about today was the number of times I was asked whether I'd seen/met HRH Prince Edward when he visited the Village yesterday; and then being teased about being probably the only British person in the Village who didn't even catch a glimpse of him!
After my shift I went into downtown Vancouver to see the Paralympic flame burning in the Olympic cauldron on the waterfront before it is extinguished tomorrow evening.
Today's was s slightly longer shift than usual due to a couple of chaplains being unavailable, and it was also a slightly strange one. Although the closing ceremony isn't until tomorrow, and there are still events taking place in both Vancouver and Whistler, there was a bit of an 'end of term' feeling around the village. At one national team office that I visited, I was greeted with piles of boxes as I emerged from the lift. Some of the national flags were also disappearing from the balconies where they've been fluttering in the breeze for the last couple of weeks. Although the organisers have stated that we mustn't pack anything up which might make it seem like we're keen for athletes to leave, it doesn't, of course, stop the teams themselves packing up their offices, especially as many of them bring a whole infrastructure as well as bringing and/or hiring a lot of equipment etc. For those involved in their team's administration, this is a lot of work which makes for a busy and stressful few days, when they also have to confirm flight arrangements etc. We chaplains need to be aware of this as we continue to be available to and for athletes and their support staff as they begin to pack up, as well as being available to and for those volunteers and staff who're keen to begin the 'decommissioning' of the Village but can't start doing so yet.
Another thing that was quite strange about today was the number of times I was asked whether I'd seen/met HRH Prince Edward when he visited the Village yesterday; and then being teased about being probably the only British person in the Village who didn't even catch a glimpse of him!
After my shift I went into downtown Vancouver to see the Paralympic flame burning in the Olympic cauldron on the waterfront before it is extinguished tomorrow evening.
Sunday 21 March 2010
Final Friday
Friday saw the continuation of yesterday's wonderful weather. Just like on day one, a few people could be seen out enjoying the warm weather wearing shorts. From the Athletes' Village, though, snow can still be seen on the mountains north of Vancouver - and there is, of course, plenty of snow where it's needed in Whistler where the Alpine and Nordic skiing events are still continuing.
My shift started earlier than scheduled as I wanted to finish a bit earlier this evening. There seemed to be a few more people around on the streets of the Village today, possibly because competition has ended for quite a few people now, as the round robin phase of the Wheelchair curling is over, and today was a rest day apart from one tie-breaker game. Various conversations and visits filled the day, plus spending some time in the Multi-Faith Centre. One thing that's important at this stage in an event is still to keep focused, even though many people's eyes have begin to turn to packing up, if not actually to returning home. This is just as true for athletes as it is for chaplains and other volunteers and staff. We chaplains need to remember two things at this stage. Firstly, that there may well still be new people to meet and talk to, especially perhaps as athletes begin to reflect on what they have or have not achieved, and whether their aims and expectations have been fulfilled. Secondly we need to make sure that any loose ends are tied, either by us making sure we say proper farewells and finish conversations and contacts appropriately or by us making sure that anyone who wants or needs it can be fixed up with continuing pastoral care, either through continued contact with us or by them being referred to someone nearer their home.
After my shift, I headed off to the Thunderbird Arena to see my first ever ice sledge hockey match. This came about as my hosts had a spare ticket and very generously invited me to join them. It was the bronze medal match, and as tickets for medal matches had sold out a while ago it was a real privilege to be able to go - and I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure I understood the finer points of the rules, but it certainly is a very fast, exciting and physical game and I had a great evening. Ice sledge hockey follows the same rules as Ice Hockey with a few small modifications. Instead of standing on skates, players sit on aluminium or steel sledges fitted with two blades. They grip double-ended sicks, one in each hand. At one end is a sharp pick that the players use to propel the sledge, whilst the other has a curved blade to pass and shoot the puck. One can only admire the strength that the players must have to propel themselves across the ice using only their arms and their upper bodies, whilst also needing to be able to pass the relatively small puck around with accuracy. The match was between Canada and Norway, with Norway winning the match and hence the bronze medal. I think it was hard for the Canadian players losing in front of their home crowd after so much expectation had been heaped upon them, but I was impressed with the behaviour of both players and spectators after the event.
My shift started earlier than scheduled as I wanted to finish a bit earlier this evening. There seemed to be a few more people around on the streets of the Village today, possibly because competition has ended for quite a few people now, as the round robin phase of the Wheelchair curling is over, and today was a rest day apart from one tie-breaker game. Various conversations and visits filled the day, plus spending some time in the Multi-Faith Centre. One thing that's important at this stage in an event is still to keep focused, even though many people's eyes have begin to turn to packing up, if not actually to returning home. This is just as true for athletes as it is for chaplains and other volunteers and staff. We chaplains need to remember two things at this stage. Firstly, that there may well still be new people to meet and talk to, especially perhaps as athletes begin to reflect on what they have or have not achieved, and whether their aims and expectations have been fulfilled. Secondly we need to make sure that any loose ends are tied, either by us making sure we say proper farewells and finish conversations and contacts appropriately or by us making sure that anyone who wants or needs it can be fixed up with continuing pastoral care, either through continued contact with us or by them being referred to someone nearer their home.
After my shift, I headed off to the Thunderbird Arena to see my first ever ice sledge hockey match. This came about as my hosts had a spare ticket and very generously invited me to join them. It was the bronze medal match, and as tickets for medal matches had sold out a while ago it was a real privilege to be able to go - and I really enjoyed it. I'm not sure I understood the finer points of the rules, but it certainly is a very fast, exciting and physical game and I had a great evening. Ice sledge hockey follows the same rules as Ice Hockey with a few small modifications. Instead of standing on skates, players sit on aluminium or steel sledges fitted with two blades. They grip double-ended sicks, one in each hand. At one end is a sharp pick that the players use to propel the sledge, whilst the other has a curved blade to pass and shoot the puck. One can only admire the strength that the players must have to propel themselves across the ice using only their arms and their upper bodies, whilst also needing to be able to pass the relatively small puck around with accuracy. The match was between Canada and Norway, with Norway winning the match and hence the bronze medal. I think it was hard for the Canadian players losing in front of their home crowd after so much expectation had been heaped upon them, but I was impressed with the behaviour of both players and spectators after the event.
Saturday 20 March 2010
Whistler revisited
Thursday dawned dry, bright and clear, which was great as another chaplain and I were due to head up to Whistler for the day. This would be my second visit but this one was a mixture of work and play - although it was a day off for both of us, part of the reason for going up was to visit the Whistler Athletes' village so that we could compare and contrast it to the Vancouver one, as well as meet with the chaplaincy team up there.
Despite an early start, the glorious weather meant that the journey along the coastal 'sea to sky' route was wonderful - the very brief glimpses of splendour and beauty that I'd seen through the rain and low cloud last Saturday were but a foretaste of the glorious scenery I saw on the same route today - a mix of sea, greenery, mountains, snow, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls. What a wonderful start to a day!
The Whistler Paralympic Athletes' Village is larger than Vancouver's, and nestles in the shadow of tree-lined and snow-topped mountains. The residential buildings are built in a traditional local style, but apart from them and a couple of other buildings, everything else is housed in temporary tented structures. Not that you'd know they were tents when inside them, as they are large and very strong. Someone said that the one housing the polyclinic designed and built along the same lines as those which house large medical facilities used by the armed forces in places such as Afghanistan etc. The Multi-Faith Centre is smaller and more compact than the Vancouver one, but is housed within a 'Residents' Centre' which means that it is in a building naturally visited by athletes, unlike the Vancouver one; so both pluses and minuses there. In addition to catching up with Carolyn, it was good to meet most members of the chaplaincy team there, including a chaplain whom I first met and worked with in Berlin last year. I felt like I already knew them as we've seen each other's names on the rota and have been praying for each other, but it was good to meet in the flesh.
After this visit, we headed into Whistler itself, and took the opportunity to go up Whistler Mountain in a gondola - the scale of the mountains can be envisaged by the fact that this journey was a full 15 minutes long. We then took a trip across the valley to the top of Blackcomb Mountain on the Peak2Peak gondola. This is a 2.75mile journey which includes the world's longest unsupported span of 1.88miles! It is also the highest lift of its kind in the world at 436 metres above the valley floor. A third world record is claimed by it being the longest continuous lift system on the globe. These facts, plus the grandeur of the mountains and spectacular surrounding scenery and the glorious weather mean that superlatives abound - reinforced by the fact that we made the return journey in a glass-bottomed gondola! Awesome is one word used to describe it all - it certainly very loudly speaks of a wonderful Creator God.
One 'side effect' of the fact that those of us connected with the Paralympics tend to spend the whole time with our accreditation pass hanging around our necks, was that in the queue for and on the Peak2Peak we were able to speak at some length about the work of the Multi-Faith Centre with the 'Chef de Mission' [leader of the delegation] and members of one of the national ski teams competing here, as well as a few other people we encountered. Sadly, I wasn't so bold when I later saw Lord Sebastian Coe standing in the centre of Whistler.....
Despite an early start, the glorious weather meant that the journey along the coastal 'sea to sky' route was wonderful - the very brief glimpses of splendour and beauty that I'd seen through the rain and low cloud last Saturday were but a foretaste of the glorious scenery I saw on the same route today - a mix of sea, greenery, mountains, snow, glaciers, lakes and waterfalls. What a wonderful start to a day!
The Whistler Paralympic Athletes' Village is larger than Vancouver's, and nestles in the shadow of tree-lined and snow-topped mountains. The residential buildings are built in a traditional local style, but apart from them and a couple of other buildings, everything else is housed in temporary tented structures. Not that you'd know they were tents when inside them, as they are large and very strong. Someone said that the one housing the polyclinic designed and built along the same lines as those which house large medical facilities used by the armed forces in places such as Afghanistan etc. The Multi-Faith Centre is smaller and more compact than the Vancouver one, but is housed within a 'Residents' Centre' which means that it is in a building naturally visited by athletes, unlike the Vancouver one; so both pluses and minuses there. In addition to catching up with Carolyn, it was good to meet most members of the chaplaincy team there, including a chaplain whom I first met and worked with in Berlin last year. I felt like I already knew them as we've seen each other's names on the rota and have been praying for each other, but it was good to meet in the flesh.
After this visit, we headed into Whistler itself, and took the opportunity to go up Whistler Mountain in a gondola - the scale of the mountains can be envisaged by the fact that this journey was a full 15 minutes long. We then took a trip across the valley to the top of Blackcomb Mountain on the Peak2Peak gondola. This is a 2.75mile journey which includes the world's longest unsupported span of 1.88miles! It is also the highest lift of its kind in the world at 436 metres above the valley floor. A third world record is claimed by it being the longest continuous lift system on the globe. These facts, plus the grandeur of the mountains and spectacular surrounding scenery and the glorious weather mean that superlatives abound - reinforced by the fact that we made the return journey in a glass-bottomed gondola! Awesome is one word used to describe it all - it certainly very loudly speaks of a wonderful Creator God.
One 'side effect' of the fact that those of us connected with the Paralympics tend to spend the whole time with our accreditation pass hanging around our necks, was that in the queue for and on the Peak2Peak we were able to speak at some length about the work of the Multi-Faith Centre with the 'Chef de Mission' [leader of the delegation] and members of one of the national ski teams competing here, as well as a few other people we encountered. Sadly, I wasn't so bold when I later saw Lord Sebastian Coe standing in the centre of Whistler.....
Friday 19 March 2010
First Nations
Wednesday was a long day for me in the Athletes' Village due to various shift swaps amongst the chaplaincy team. I remained in the centre for 2 chunks of the day to be a presence and to greet anyone who called by, but I also got out and about visiting around the Village. This took me to the Polyclinic as usual, to the Paralympic GB base, and to a couple of other places I've been visiting where people hang out. The Multi-Faith Centre was visited by various people today, mostly individuals but also a group of Buddhists including 2 monks in their saffron robes who came to hold a ceremony.
Another feature of today for me was notification of the publication of two web-based articles about my role within the work of the chaplaincy. One arose from my interview a few days ago with BBC Radio Solent's Sunday programme, and the other arose from a 'chance' meeting at last week's Torch Relay with a lady who blogs for the Daily Telegraph under the name of 'Ice Maiden'. Both provide a different dimension to the work I've been doing here so, if you'd like to read them, here's both links:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/hampshire/hi/people_and_places/religion_and_ethics/newsid_8569000/8569685.stm
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/expat/lucyhyslop/10138112/forget-physical-lets-get-spiritual/
One of the visits I did today was to the small exhibition in the Athletes' Village by the 'Four Host First Nations' so that I could learn more about them. Mention has been made of these peoples early on in my time here, on the days of the Village Inauguration and the Torch Relay. First Nations are one of the 3 distinct group of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The others are the Inuit and the Metis. The Olympic and Paralympic organisers have been keen to involve 4 of the First Nations as partners, because the Games are being held on their traditional and shared traditional territories - those of the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Taleil-Waututh nations. These nations have co-existed as neighbours for centuries, and have used and occupied the lands and waters of their traditional territories for as long as they can remember. Across Canada, there are around 756,700 First Nations people living in more than 630 communities, as well as in rural and urban areas. They are incredibly diverse with more than 50 nations and languages. Many are young, and the Games organisers have been keen to honour the role of the Four Host First Nations, as well as to make sure that they share in the legacy of the Games.
Another feature of today for me was notification of the publication of two web-based articles about my role within the work of the chaplaincy. One arose from my interview a few days ago with BBC Radio Solent's Sunday programme, and the other arose from a 'chance' meeting at last week's Torch Relay with a lady who blogs for the Daily Telegraph under the name of 'Ice Maiden'. Both provide a different dimension to the work I've been doing here so, if you'd like to read them, here's both links:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/hampshire/hi/people_and_places/religion_and_ethics/newsid_8569000/8569685.stm
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/expat/lucyhyslop/10138112/forget-physical-lets-get-spiritual/
One of the visits I did today was to the small exhibition in the Athletes' Village by the 'Four Host First Nations' so that I could learn more about them. Mention has been made of these peoples early on in my time here, on the days of the Village Inauguration and the Torch Relay. First Nations are one of the 3 distinct group of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. The others are the Inuit and the Metis. The Olympic and Paralympic organisers have been keen to involve 4 of the First Nations as partners, because the Games are being held on their traditional and shared traditional territories - those of the Lil'wat, Musqueam, Squamish and Taleil-Waututh nations. These nations have co-existed as neighbours for centuries, and have used and occupied the lands and waters of their traditional territories for as long as they can remember. Across Canada, there are around 756,700 First Nations people living in more than 630 communities, as well as in rural and urban areas. They are incredibly diverse with more than 50 nations and languages. Many are young, and the Games organisers have been keen to honour the role of the Four Host First Nations, as well as to make sure that they share in the legacy of the Games.
Thursday 18 March 2010
Unbeaten
Tuesday began much more slowly than most days as I wasn't due into the Village for a full shift. So after my slow start, I set off for a long walk in Pacific Spirit Regional Park, which is near where I'm staying, and then out onto the coast road. I took in a nature trail and a brief visit to the Botanical Gardens on the way, before dropping down onto a beach. My plan to continue my walk around the headland on the beach was thwarted by large rocks and some uncertainty about tides, and so I had to climb back up the same 488 steps to the coast road (yes, I did count them!). I was later told that I could have got round the headland without fear of tides even though it can be a bit of a scramble in places - oh well..... It was good to spend time amongst the greenery of the forest listening to birds, frogs and all sorts of other noises, and also to sit on a bench on the beach simply staring out at the ocean, before heading back on the bus into the bustle of the city part of Vancouver.
I arrived at the Athletes' Village mid-afternoon, in time for a Bible study, prayer, and reflection time with the coordinator of the Multi-Faith Centres and other chaplains, followed later by some visiting around village and some admin.
In the evening there was a movie premier in 'The Living Room' as the athletes lounge here is called. This is a central venue where drinks are available (non-alcoholic as in all Olympic and Paralympic villages), plus all sorts of computer games, more active games like pool etc, and loads of spaces to chill out, play games, watch TV, listen to music, and just relax. Some of the chaplains spend time in here during the evenings when it is most used just hanging around, building relationships and talking with athletes. As I've done so many early shifts, I haven't been doing this, and so tonight was a chance to do just that as well as watch the movie.
The movie in question was "Unbeaten". This is a documentary film which follows a group of 31 athletes as they compete in what is said to be the world's longest and toughest wheelchair race - a gruelling 430 kilometres (268 miles) from Fairbanks to Anchorage in Alaska. They compete in either wheelchairs or arm-cycles, and are all people (male and female) who've been injured in shootings, falls and vehicle accidents. It is an amazing movie and very eye-opening. Watch it if you can, especially if you want to get a powerful insight into a world that many of us don't have direct personal experience of.
I arrived at the Athletes' Village mid-afternoon, in time for a Bible study, prayer, and reflection time with the coordinator of the Multi-Faith Centres and other chaplains, followed later by some visiting around village and some admin.
In the evening there was a movie premier in 'The Living Room' as the athletes lounge here is called. This is a central venue where drinks are available (non-alcoholic as in all Olympic and Paralympic villages), plus all sorts of computer games, more active games like pool etc, and loads of spaces to chill out, play games, watch TV, listen to music, and just relax. Some of the chaplains spend time in here during the evenings when it is most used just hanging around, building relationships and talking with athletes. As I've done so many early shifts, I haven't been doing this, and so tonight was a chance to do just that as well as watch the movie.
The movie in question was "Unbeaten". This is a documentary film which follows a group of 31 athletes as they compete in what is said to be the world's longest and toughest wheelchair race - a gruelling 430 kilometres (268 miles) from Fairbanks to Anchorage in Alaska. They compete in either wheelchairs or arm-cycles, and are all people (male and female) who've been injured in shootings, falls and vehicle accidents. It is an amazing movie and very eye-opening. Watch it if you can, especially if you want to get a powerful insight into a world that many of us don't have direct personal experience of.
Wednesday 17 March 2010
The Multi-Faith Centre
Monday morning saw me back on duty, and back at the bus stop in the pouring rain as I headed into the Athletes' Village for another early shift. The routine once there was much the same as usual, a combination of being in the Multi-Faith Centre in case anyone called by, and of being out and about visiting around the Village, and talking to people wherever they might be. Today was actually a busy day in the Multi-Faith Centre and I think we had the most visitors we've had in one day. These included
Sadly, we're at the end of a very long corridor which might put some people off, but it has been decorated with pictures and hangings to make it less stark. At the end of the corridor, we have a comfortable foyer with easy chairs, a television, tea & coffee making facilities, and a table with computer etc for our administrator - he shares with the chaplains the role of greeting visitors. Chaplains often sit here when they're in the Centre, and if anyone just wants a chat rather than a confidential conversation this is a nice place for it to happen. Leading off the foyer we have several other rooms. There is a small prayer room, often used by the Hindus and Buddhists but available for other faiths too; a larger prayer room, mostly used by the Christians for larger gatherings and for Roman Catholic Mass, but also available to other faiths if they need a large room (eg for Muslim Friday prayers); a Muslim Prayer Room for men; a smaller prayer room which was used as the Muslim Prayer Room for women during the Olympics, but is now also used as a smaller prayer room for whichever faith wants to use it; a nicely furnished room to be used as a counselling room or for any confidential conversations; and an office-type room, which can also be used for private conversations with people who call in; a storeroom; and two toilets. The design of the Centre provides both challenge and opportunity - a challenge to have such multi-use rooms and provide spaces for all major faiths whilst still enabling each to keep their own integrity, and an opportunity to demonstrate practical interfaith cooperation. Several people have commented that it'd be good if more of the world could cooperate as we do here.....
- a person who'd been to a Prayer and Bible Study session earlier on in the Paralympics who wanted to talk again (she later came back again to attend the evening Bible Study and Prayer session led by one of the other chaplains);
- people involved in another future major event who wanted to familiarise themselves with they might do about 'Religious Services Provision' when planning their event (people from London 2012 and Sochi 2014 have already been round);
- someone who is a lay pastor of his church alongside his Monday to Friday job who wanted to make contact;
- someone who wanted us to pray for his work colleague;
- an athlete who wanted to share something and ask for prayer;
- people we'd visited in various places who came to see what our place was like
Sadly, we're at the end of a very long corridor which might put some people off, but it has been decorated with pictures and hangings to make it less stark. At the end of the corridor, we have a comfortable foyer with easy chairs, a television, tea & coffee making facilities, and a table with computer etc for our administrator - he shares with the chaplains the role of greeting visitors. Chaplains often sit here when they're in the Centre, and if anyone just wants a chat rather than a confidential conversation this is a nice place for it to happen. Leading off the foyer we have several other rooms. There is a small prayer room, often used by the Hindus and Buddhists but available for other faiths too; a larger prayer room, mostly used by the Christians for larger gatherings and for Roman Catholic Mass, but also available to other faiths if they need a large room (eg for Muslim Friday prayers); a Muslim Prayer Room for men; a smaller prayer room which was used as the Muslim Prayer Room for women during the Olympics, but is now also used as a smaller prayer room for whichever faith wants to use it; a nicely furnished room to be used as a counselling room or for any confidential conversations; and an office-type room, which can also be used for private conversations with people who call in; a storeroom; and two toilets. The design of the Centre provides both challenge and opportunity - a challenge to have such multi-use rooms and provide spaces for all major faiths whilst still enabling each to keep their own integrity, and an opportunity to demonstrate practical interfaith cooperation. Several people have commented that it'd be good if more of the world could cooperate as we do here.....
Tuesday 16 March 2010
Learning from each other
In the early hours of Sunday morning, Canada changed its clocks to daylight saving time, so we all lost an hour's sleep. However, as I'd swapped shifts to help another chaplain who wanted to work today rather than next weekend, Sunday became another day off for me, and so I didn't have such an early start as I might have done. This meant I could attend church in the morning with my host family. They go to a Community Church in the Pentecostal tradition, and so the service was quite different both to my church at home and to the one I attended last Sunday. I enjoyed it though and, amongst other things, was especially impressed by the ministry of welcome. My hosts had gone on ahead as they had responsibilities in church, and so I walked to church and arrived alone. I was greeted very warmly and sensitively, and then invited to share in tea or coffee plus cake before the service began. Although I slightly missed the pattern of a set liturgy, it was good to sing some of the same worship songs as we do at St Michael's, West Andover. Besides some fresh aspects to the ministry of welcome, there were also several other ideas that I wish to take back to the UK with me; as there are from last week's service at a very different church; as there are from some of the conversations I've had with other chaplains. This is part of the joy of belonging to a worldwide church: there are things that we can learn from each other and apply and adapt to our own context.
In the afternoon, we went into the centre of Vancouver and visited a couple of the exhibition pavilions set up for the Paralympics. The queues for a couple of others were much too long to join - the wait in the queue for one attraction was said to be 4 hours but this was short compared to the 8 hours that I was told was the case sometimes during the Olympics!! One sadness connected to these exhibitions is that there are far fewer of them for the Paralympics than for the Olympics. Whilst I realise that there is a smaller number of both athletes and spectators, plus acknowledge the financial implications of them all staying open for both events, I do wonder what some of the Paralympians thought when they arrived to find so many things already being dismantled. With this and other factors in mind, it was interesting to hear the debate in the Vancouver media last week as to whether the Paralympics should perhaps precede the Olympics or even run concurrently..... The numbers of athletes would almost certainly be too big for a Summer Olympics and Paralympics to run concurrently, but this is certainly an interesting issue to ponder - balancing the positives that each event could give to the other with the loss of more narrowly defined and specific focus for each event.
In the afternoon, we went into the centre of Vancouver and visited a couple of the exhibition pavilions set up for the Paralympics. The queues for a couple of others were much too long to join - the wait in the queue for one attraction was said to be 4 hours but this was short compared to the 8 hours that I was told was the case sometimes during the Olympics!! One sadness connected to these exhibitions is that there are far fewer of them for the Paralympics than for the Olympics. Whilst I realise that there is a smaller number of both athletes and spectators, plus acknowledge the financial implications of them all staying open for both events, I do wonder what some of the Paralympians thought when they arrived to find so many things already being dismantled. With this and other factors in mind, it was interesting to hear the debate in the Vancouver media last week as to whether the Paralympics should perhaps precede the Olympics or even run concurrently..... The numbers of athletes would almost certainly be too big for a Summer Olympics and Paralympics to run concurrently, but this is certainly an interesting issue to ponder - balancing the positives that each event could give to the other with the loss of more narrowly defined and specific focus for each event.
Monday 15 March 2010
Whistler
After a long and tiring Friday, it was good that Saturday was my next day off. My host family were going skiing in Whistler, and had invited me to go with them, and I was pleased to be able to accept. The journey up the coast wasn't as picturesque as it could have been due to rain and low cloud, but I did get glimpses of the beauty and splendour of the 'sea to sky' route as it's known.
On arrival in Whistler, my host family went off skiing whilst I headed into the village to meet Carolyn. It was good to catch up with her after a week, and to hear how the chaplaincy is going in the Athletes' Village in Whistler. This is where all the snow-based Paralympians and their support staff are located. As there are more teams and athletes here, it is busier than the Vancouver Village, and a good number of athletes have dropped into the Whistler Multi-Faith Centre, even though attendances at Prayer and Bible Study sessions haven't yet been that great. It was also interesting to note that some things which seem to work well in Vancouver don't work so well in Whistler - which just goes to show that chaplaincy, and indeed all Christian ministry, needs to take account of its context in order best to fulfil its aim.
After Carolyn left to begin her shift at 2pm, I explored Whistler itself, including the Aboriginal (First Nations) Centre and the Austria House. The latter was built on sustainable and energy efficient principles and after the Paralympics will become part of the legacy to the Whistler community. During the Games, it is home to the Austrian Paralympic Committee, and as part of that it offers tasters of Austrian food and hospitality. To do this it is staffed by a lecturer and group of tourism students from Austria and, as such, is an example of how the Games can also provide all sorts of opportunities outside of sport. I also enjoyed a longish walk around one of the cross-country ski trails. Although there is a lot of good snow in and around Whistler, especially at higher altitudes, the cross-country ski trails have closed a few weeks early due to the warm weather last month.
After my host family returned from their skiing, we ate together before going to the medal ceremonies for the day's snow events. At these Paralympics, as with the preceding Olympics, these ceremonies are conducted in the evening to enable more people to attend them. We also visited an exhibition highlighting some of the developments and innovations that have taken place in Paralympic sport over the years, before returning to Vancouver in time for me to conduct a live telephone interview with BBC Radio Solent's Sunday morning programme - it was really strange speaking on a Sunday morning programme whilst it was still Saturday here.....
On arrival in Whistler, my host family went off skiing whilst I headed into the village to meet Carolyn. It was good to catch up with her after a week, and to hear how the chaplaincy is going in the Athletes' Village in Whistler. This is where all the snow-based Paralympians and their support staff are located. As there are more teams and athletes here, it is busier than the Vancouver Village, and a good number of athletes have dropped into the Whistler Multi-Faith Centre, even though attendances at Prayer and Bible Study sessions haven't yet been that great. It was also interesting to note that some things which seem to work well in Vancouver don't work so well in Whistler - which just goes to show that chaplaincy, and indeed all Christian ministry, needs to take account of its context in order best to fulfil its aim.
After Carolyn left to begin her shift at 2pm, I explored Whistler itself, including the Aboriginal (First Nations) Centre and the Austria House. The latter was built on sustainable and energy efficient principles and after the Paralympics will become part of the legacy to the Whistler community. During the Games, it is home to the Austrian Paralympic Committee, and as part of that it offers tasters of Austrian food and hospitality. To do this it is staffed by a lecturer and group of tourism students from Austria and, as such, is an example of how the Games can also provide all sorts of opportunities outside of sport. I also enjoyed a longish walk around one of the cross-country ski trails. Although there is a lot of good snow in and around Whistler, especially at higher altitudes, the cross-country ski trails have closed a few weeks early due to the warm weather last month.
After my host family returned from their skiing, we ate together before going to the medal ceremonies for the day's snow events. At these Paralympics, as with the preceding Olympics, these ceremonies are conducted in the evening to enable more people to attend them. We also visited an exhibition highlighting some of the developments and innovations that have taken place in Paralympic sport over the years, before returning to Vancouver in time for me to conduct a live telephone interview with BBC Radio Solent's Sunday morning programme - it was really strange speaking on a Sunday morning programme whilst it was still Saturday here.....
Sunday 14 March 2010
Opening Ceremony Day
Instead of snow, it was rain that greeted me on Friday as I walked to catch the bus into the Village for another early shift. Despite the weather, there did seem to be more people around in the Village, though, perhaps because Opening Ceremony Day has finally arrived, and so the Tenth Paralympic Winter Games are about to begin.
The shift started as usual with some admin and preparation, followed by an expectant wait to see if anyone would come for the 9am Bible Study, but they didn't. A visit to the Polyclinic followed. However, before that visit there was a telephone called which drastically changed the shape of the day.
Earlier on in the week, one of the other chaplains has heard that there was a shortage of volunteers for the Opening Ceremony, so he, myself and a third chaplain said we'd be willing to help. But we heard nothing. Not long after the beginning of my shift a few phone calls were made and received, ending with a request that the 3 volunteer chaplains be at the stadium for a briefing by 1130am. Apparently, we were to be 'people managers' as "presumably that's what chaplains do a lot of the time".
The short notice was fine for me as it's only a 20minute walk from the Village to the Stadium, and one of the other chaplains wasn't too far away; but the third chaplain was still at home on the edge of Vancouver, so she had quite a dash. Our administrator ably held the fort in the Multi-Faith Centre to ensure cover there. At the briefing, we learned that we would each lead a team of at least 10 other volunteers undertaking various roles in connection with getting spectators into and out of the stadium. However, that plan was shelved when it was realised that we don't wear volunteer uniforms [See: 8th March - Accreditation and all that]; and instead we were assigned to the 'Fast Response Team'. After a familiarisation tour of the stadium, we were given a radio and stationed at the Information Booth to help them with whatever they needed whilst listening out for calls for help and action that might be needed elsewhere. Then the challenges followed......
I got our first call which was "We need you and your team to block off a gents washroom so that the public can't use it. It needs doing but we don't have the resources to do it, make it happen"!! Apart from the incongruity of asking a woman to work in/around a gents' toilet, this was an interesting task, to say the least. It felt a bit like one of those TV programmes where contestants are given apparently impossible tasks. But within 15 minutes myself and one of the other chaplains had sourced barrier posts, tape with 'Danger' written on it, sticky tape, marker pens, paper, and enough French vocabulary to be able to write a sign in both English and French, and the gents toilets were effectively sealed off!! Don't ask exactly how we acquired everything, but it was pleasing to see that our self-made barricade was still in place when we walked past at the end of the evening some 6 hours later.
After this, our tasks were mainly answering people's questions, directing them to places, and taking wheelchairs to collect members of the public from their arrival point and take them to their seats, and vice verse after the ceremony. We were also privileged to be told to take time off and watch the Opening Ceremony. Our duties meant that we missed the first and last 15 minutes, and we watched from some of the few vacant seats very high up in the stadium, but it was a fantastic experience.
Our role in the stadium made for a long day (I'd left my hosts at 7am and didn't get back until 11:45pm) but it was a good one. As well as the privilege of being present at the Opening Ceremony, I felt humbled by some of those I pushed in wheelchairs, was irritated by some of the public who made unjust demands on volunteers, and had a whole lot of new experiences doing something so different from my usual role. Some may question what this had to do with sports chaplaincy, but it was very practical Christian service, not just to the general public, but also to those volunteers we worked alongside. Our hope is that this spoke as much of God as what we normally try and do.
The shift started as usual with some admin and preparation, followed by an expectant wait to see if anyone would come for the 9am Bible Study, but they didn't. A visit to the Polyclinic followed. However, before that visit there was a telephone called which drastically changed the shape of the day.
Earlier on in the week, one of the other chaplains has heard that there was a shortage of volunteers for the Opening Ceremony, so he, myself and a third chaplain said we'd be willing to help. But we heard nothing. Not long after the beginning of my shift a few phone calls were made and received, ending with a request that the 3 volunteer chaplains be at the stadium for a briefing by 1130am. Apparently, we were to be 'people managers' as "presumably that's what chaplains do a lot of the time".
The short notice was fine for me as it's only a 20minute walk from the Village to the Stadium, and one of the other chaplains wasn't too far away; but the third chaplain was still at home on the edge of Vancouver, so she had quite a dash. Our administrator ably held the fort in the Multi-Faith Centre to ensure cover there. At the briefing, we learned that we would each lead a team of at least 10 other volunteers undertaking various roles in connection with getting spectators into and out of the stadium. However, that plan was shelved when it was realised that we don't wear volunteer uniforms [See: 8th March - Accreditation and all that]; and instead we were assigned to the 'Fast Response Team'. After a familiarisation tour of the stadium, we were given a radio and stationed at the Information Booth to help them with whatever they needed whilst listening out for calls for help and action that might be needed elsewhere. Then the challenges followed......
I got our first call which was "We need you and your team to block off a gents washroom so that the public can't use it. It needs doing but we don't have the resources to do it, make it happen"!! Apart from the incongruity of asking a woman to work in/around a gents' toilet, this was an interesting task, to say the least. It felt a bit like one of those TV programmes where contestants are given apparently impossible tasks. But within 15 minutes myself and one of the other chaplains had sourced barrier posts, tape with 'Danger' written on it, sticky tape, marker pens, paper, and enough French vocabulary to be able to write a sign in both English and French, and the gents toilets were effectively sealed off!! Don't ask exactly how we acquired everything, but it was pleasing to see that our self-made barricade was still in place when we walked past at the end of the evening some 6 hours later.
After this, our tasks were mainly answering people's questions, directing them to places, and taking wheelchairs to collect members of the public from their arrival point and take them to their seats, and vice verse after the ceremony. We were also privileged to be told to take time off and watch the Opening Ceremony. Our duties meant that we missed the first and last 15 minutes, and we watched from some of the few vacant seats very high up in the stadium, but it was a fantastic experience.
Our role in the stadium made for a long day (I'd left my hosts at 7am and didn't get back until 11:45pm) but it was a good one. As well as the privilege of being present at the Opening Ceremony, I felt humbled by some of those I pushed in wheelchairs, was irritated by some of the public who made unjust demands on volunteers, and had a whole lot of new experiences doing something so different from my usual role. Some may question what this had to do with sports chaplaincy, but it was very practical Christian service, not just to the general public, but also to those volunteers we worked alongside. Our hope is that this spoke as much of God as what we normally try and do.
Saturday 13 March 2010
Let it snow.....
I awoke on Thursday to a fairly thick carpet of snow that had fallen during the night. Although forecasted by some, it was a surprise to many. However, it didn't last long thanks to the freezing rain that was falling by the time I arrived at the Village. By mid-morning, the snow had gone and the sun was trying to break through the thick clouds that shrouded the mountains to the north of Vancouver.
What has become my daily routine in the Village wasn't disrupted by the weather, although there did seem to be far fewer people out and about. This might have been due to the weather but also might have been down to it being the last full day of pre-competition training for most athletes in the Vancouver Village. I know that some (if not all) of the curling teams were due to train on the ice at the competition venue today rather than the other rinks they've been using until now.
As usual my day included the 9am Bible Study and Prayer session (although once again no-one came); some time manning the Multi-Faith Centre; some general visiting around the Village; some admin; a visit to the Polyclinic; and a time or prayer and sharing with the other chaplains and our administrator. Having been invited to do so, I also paid another visit to Paralympic GB, taking with me a birthday card signed by all of us in the Multi-Faith Centre today for someone whose birthday it was. When far away from home, things such as birthdays can feel quite strange, so it was good to help this person mark a special day.
Just as I as about to leave, two team assistants from another team called into the Multi-Faith Centre to see what facilities and services we had to offer. It was good to be able to show them around, and then share in discussion with them and the other chaplains as to how best we could serve their team.
What has become my daily routine in the Village wasn't disrupted by the weather, although there did seem to be far fewer people out and about. This might have been due to the weather but also might have been down to it being the last full day of pre-competition training for most athletes in the Vancouver Village. I know that some (if not all) of the curling teams were due to train on the ice at the competition venue today rather than the other rinks they've been using until now.
As usual my day included the 9am Bible Study and Prayer session (although once again no-one came); some time manning the Multi-Faith Centre; some general visiting around the Village; some admin; a visit to the Polyclinic; and a time or prayer and sharing with the other chaplains and our administrator. Having been invited to do so, I also paid another visit to Paralympic GB, taking with me a birthday card signed by all of us in the Multi-Faith Centre today for someone whose birthday it was. When far away from home, things such as birthdays can feel quite strange, so it was good to help this person mark a special day.
Just as I as about to leave, two team assistants from another team called into the Multi-Faith Centre to see what facilities and services we had to offer. It was good to be able to show them around, and then share in discussion with them and the other chaplains as to how best we could serve their team.
Friday 12 March 2010
Paralympic Torch Relay reaches Vancouver
Wednesday was officially a day off for me, and I was pleased that it coincided with the Paralympic Torch Relay's arrival in Vancouver. This torch relay is different from the Olympic one in that it is not a continuous relay but is more community based. It started in Ottawa on 3rd March with a ceremony that involved torchbearers representing each of Canada's provinces and territories. Unlike the Olympic flame, the Paralympic flame has no 'ancestral home'. On each day of the 2010 relay, the flame is lit by representatives of the First Nation on whose territory the celebration is taking place. Today the flame was lit by elders of the Tsleil-Waututh Nation, and its first stop in Vancouver was a local community park.
Although the Paralympic Torch Relay lacks the history and continuity of the Olympic version, it felt like a great celebration of triumph over adversity and the role that sport can play in this. There were 22 torchbearers who took it in turns to run, walk or be pushed around a 400m circuit of the park. People with a wide variety of disabilities were included, and each had a different story to tell. It was also a community celebration, where disabled and able-bodied people, young and old, mingled together in a relaxed and happy way that I have rarely experienced before. I ended up talking with several people during the event, both local people from the community and also disabled athletes who'd come to join in the celebration from slightly further afield, including a Paralympic Gold medallist from Atlanta in 1996 who was so pleased that the Paralympics had come to her city.
After this uplifting celebration of the human spirit, I headed into the centre of Vancouver. Here, among other things, I visited the Olympic and Paralympic countdown clocks (the former having already counted down to zero), and the Olympic Cauldron on the waterfront near Canada Place. This, of course, is currently unlit but a burning flame will soon be shining out from it again, once the Opening Ceremony for this Paralympic Games has taken place.
Although the Paralympic Torch Relay lacks the history and continuity of the Olympic version, it felt like a great celebration of triumph over adversity and the role that sport can play in this. There were 22 torchbearers who took it in turns to run, walk or be pushed around a 400m circuit of the park. People with a wide variety of disabilities were included, and each had a different story to tell. It was also a community celebration, where disabled and able-bodied people, young and old, mingled together in a relaxed and happy way that I have rarely experienced before. I ended up talking with several people during the event, both local people from the community and also disabled athletes who'd come to join in the celebration from slightly further afield, including a Paralympic Gold medallist from Atlanta in 1996 who was so pleased that the Paralympics had come to her city.
After this uplifting celebration of the human spirit, I headed into the centre of Vancouver. Here, among other things, I visited the Olympic and Paralympic countdown clocks (the former having already counted down to zero), and the Olympic Cauldron on the waterfront near Canada Place. This, of course, is currently unlit but a burning flame will soon be shining out from it again, once the Opening Ceremony for this Paralympic Games has taken place.
Thursday 11 March 2010
Settling into a daily routine
Another early start on Tuesday, as I was on the early shift once more. (It seems that I've mostly been allocated this 8am-3pm one.) Once again, I got a lift and so was at the Multi-Faith Centre before 7:30am. My first task was to prepare my Bible Study notes for the 9am prayer and Bible study session. I opted for Psalm 23, and worked on comparisons between the roles of shepherds and coaches/mentors. But the study remains unused for now as no-one came at 9am, so I enjoyed a 'quiet time' on my own with some Christian music playing in the background.
Later in the morning, I visited around the Village. Having introduced myself and the Multi-Faith Centre to the GB team office yesterday, I did the same at the Japanese team office today. Loughborough University, where I'm Visiting Sports Chaplain, has a special relationship with the Japanese Olympic Committee, meaning that during the run-up to 2012 Japanese athletes use the sports facilities on campus when training or competing in Europe. As a result of this, I've been familiarising myself with Japanese culture, especially their religious culture, and so it seemed natural for me to make contact with them here.
This was followed by my daily visit to the Polyclinic; lunch; the chaplains' prayer and sharing session; and some admin - the beginnings of a daily routine being set.
Soon after 3pm, I headed back to my hosts, walking more of the journey than 'usual' as it was a nice day, albeit colder than it has been. It was also earlier than I've been so far, and it was good that I was back in time today to be able to share an evening meal with the family for the first time.
Later in the morning, I visited around the Village. Having introduced myself and the Multi-Faith Centre to the GB team office yesterday, I did the same at the Japanese team office today. Loughborough University, where I'm Visiting Sports Chaplain, has a special relationship with the Japanese Olympic Committee, meaning that during the run-up to 2012 Japanese athletes use the sports facilities on campus when training or competing in Europe. As a result of this, I've been familiarising myself with Japanese culture, especially their religious culture, and so it seemed natural for me to make contact with them here.
This was followed by my daily visit to the Polyclinic; lunch; the chaplains' prayer and sharing session; and some admin - the beginnings of a daily routine being set.
Soon after 3pm, I headed back to my hosts, walking more of the journey than 'usual' as it was a nice day, albeit colder than it has been. It was also earlier than I've been so far, and it was good that I was back in time today to be able to share an evening meal with the family for the first time.
Tuesday 9 March 2010
The Village is Inaugurated
An early start was needed on Monday as I was on the shift that starts at 8am. I was about to leave the house to catch the 7am bus when my host, who was also just leaving the house, said he'd give me a lift as the Village is on his journey to work. This was really kind and meant that I got to the Village much earlier and with a smoother, quicker journey.
The first hour or so was spent manning the Multi-Faith Centre, and doing some final preparations for the morning Bible-study and prayer time. This takes place at 9am each day and is the responsibility of the chaplain on the first shift. It was great when someone turned up, and I enjoyed sharing this time with her - although the way our discussion went meant that I used hardly any of what I'd prepared!
Then I manned the Centre until the second chaplain came in at 11am. Soon afterwards, I went visiting in the Village, during which I called in at the office of Paralympic GB to introduce both myself and the Multi-Faith Centre and what it offers. It was good to meet some of the people there, not just team members but also the team assistants. Each team has one or more team assistants allocated to it to be their first point of contact for questions etc. This is just one of the many jobs done by volunteers. After lunch, and the chaplains' prayer and sharing session, I made my daily visit to the Polyclinic. I also visited the adjacent fitness centre and mobility aid repair centre.
Due to conversations I had, I didn't manage to finish my shift until 4pm; but then walked into downtown Vancouver for a few hours off before returning to the Village around 6:30pm ready for the Village Inauguration Ceremony. Usually each team is welcomed into both an Olympic and a Paralympic Village with a short ceremony ending with their National Anthem being played. In this dual site Paralympics, these ceremonies are happening at Whistler, so the Inauguration Ceremony was designed to take the place of these by welcoming all the athletes together. There were speeches, the introduction of the 2 honorary co-mayors of the Village, and some music from representatives of the Four Host First Nations. (There will be more about these peoples in another day's entry). Another chaplain and I went on to the athletes' lounge for the post inauguration 'party' for a short while, before heading home at the end of a long but worthwhile day.
The first hour or so was spent manning the Multi-Faith Centre, and doing some final preparations for the morning Bible-study and prayer time. This takes place at 9am each day and is the responsibility of the chaplain on the first shift. It was great when someone turned up, and I enjoyed sharing this time with her - although the way our discussion went meant that I used hardly any of what I'd prepared!
Then I manned the Centre until the second chaplain came in at 11am. Soon afterwards, I went visiting in the Village, during which I called in at the office of Paralympic GB to introduce both myself and the Multi-Faith Centre and what it offers. It was good to meet some of the people there, not just team members but also the team assistants. Each team has one or more team assistants allocated to it to be their first point of contact for questions etc. This is just one of the many jobs done by volunteers. After lunch, and the chaplains' prayer and sharing session, I made my daily visit to the Polyclinic. I also visited the adjacent fitness centre and mobility aid repair centre.
Due to conversations I had, I didn't manage to finish my shift until 4pm; but then walked into downtown Vancouver for a few hours off before returning to the Village around 6:30pm ready for the Village Inauguration Ceremony. Usually each team is welcomed into both an Olympic and a Paralympic Village with a short ceremony ending with their National Anthem being played. In this dual site Paralympics, these ceremonies are happening at Whistler, so the Inauguration Ceremony was designed to take the place of these by welcoming all the athletes together. There were speeches, the introduction of the 2 honorary co-mayors of the Village, and some music from representatives of the Four Host First Nations. (There will be more about these peoples in another day's entry). Another chaplain and I went on to the athletes' lounge for the post inauguration 'party' for a short while, before heading home at the end of a long but worthwhile day.
First full shift
Sunday saw another bright day dawn but the weather was much cooler - and later on in the day there was a lot of rain. Locals said this would probably fall as snow in the mountains, which would no doubt be appreciated by local skiers and snow-boarders alike. Thinking of the Paralympics, there are no snow-boarding events in the programme (as yet), but there are a variety of alpine and nordic skiing events.
Although my shift wasn't due to start until 11am, I left my hosts relatively early so that I could be sure of the transport getting me there on time. I have to get a bus, then the subway (underground train), followed by a 10-15 minute walk in order to get to the Village. It was about an hour's journey altogether, as the public transport worked well together.
This shift began with me spending some time chatting and getting to know the American chaplain who'd been on duty since 8am. I then manned the Multi-Faith Centre whilst he went out visiting in the Village and had lunch - we had no administrator on duty until early afternoon and it's important that there's someone in the Centre at all times it's open, so that they're there to respond if anyone calls in or telephones. The third chaplain came on duty at 2pm, and the 3 of us spent time sharing updates about the concerns and happenings of the day so far, and praying together.
Afterwards, I visited the Polyclinic within the Village. This is a small and compact 'hospital' but one with full facilities including emergency room, MRI and CAT scanner, X-ray and ultrasound imaging, pharmacy, physical therapy department, and various specialities including ENT, dentistry, ophthalmology and orthopaedics to name but a few. The Polyclinic is also host to the anti-doping facilities. One thing it doesn't have is beds - if athletes need overnight care they are transferred to a local hospital. I was told that the Polyclinic in Whistler also has a fully-equipped operating theatre as local hospitals are further away from there. (Apparently this is in a tent-like building similar to those used by the military in places such as Afghanistan.) I was given a guided tour of the Polyclinic, and will visit it once a day whilst on shift, and have a similar role there to a hospital chaplain at home.
Towards the end of my shift, it began to feel strange to have had a Sunday without either going to church, or leading/attending a service in the Village. An internet search revealed one Anglican church with an evening service at 6:30. So, at the end of my shift at 6pm, the Roman Catholic priest who'd come into the Village to lead Mass was kind enough to give me a lift to the church, which thankfully wasn't too far from a bus route to get me back to my hosts afterwards.
Although my shift wasn't due to start until 11am, I left my hosts relatively early so that I could be sure of the transport getting me there on time. I have to get a bus, then the subway (underground train), followed by a 10-15 minute walk in order to get to the Village. It was about an hour's journey altogether, as the public transport worked well together.
This shift began with me spending some time chatting and getting to know the American chaplain who'd been on duty since 8am. I then manned the Multi-Faith Centre whilst he went out visiting in the Village and had lunch - we had no administrator on duty until early afternoon and it's important that there's someone in the Centre at all times it's open, so that they're there to respond if anyone calls in or telephones. The third chaplain came on duty at 2pm, and the 3 of us spent time sharing updates about the concerns and happenings of the day so far, and praying together.
Afterwards, I visited the Polyclinic within the Village. This is a small and compact 'hospital' but one with full facilities including emergency room, MRI and CAT scanner, X-ray and ultrasound imaging, pharmacy, physical therapy department, and various specialities including ENT, dentistry, ophthalmology and orthopaedics to name but a few. The Polyclinic is also host to the anti-doping facilities. One thing it doesn't have is beds - if athletes need overnight care they are transferred to a local hospital. I was told that the Polyclinic in Whistler also has a fully-equipped operating theatre as local hospitals are further away from there. (Apparently this is in a tent-like building similar to those used by the military in places such as Afghanistan.) I was given a guided tour of the Polyclinic, and will visit it once a day whilst on shift, and have a similar role there to a hospital chaplain at home.
Towards the end of my shift, it began to feel strange to have had a Sunday without either going to church, or leading/attending a service in the Village. An internet search revealed one Anglican church with an evening service at 6:30. So, at the end of my shift at 6pm, the Roman Catholic priest who'd come into the Village to lead Mass was kind enough to give me a lift to the church, which thankfully wasn't too far from a bus route to get me back to my hosts afterwards.
Monday 8 March 2010
Accreditation and all that
Saturday dawned, another bright, warm and sunny day. After packing our suitcases again, mid-morning saw us being driven into Vancouver to the Accreditation Centre. Very small queues meant the process was quick and we emerged fairly speedily with our accreditations hung around our necks - but without uniforms. In these Games, although technically all chaplains are volunteers in that we're both unpaid and self-funded, we've been classed by the organisers as 'specialists' and therefore volunteer uniforms aren't deemed appropriate. This provokes an interesting debate between those chaplains who want to look like they belong by wearing the same uniform as everyone else, and those chaplains who feel our dress needs to be distinctive so that people know we're different and have a very different role to everyone else. Clergy have faced this debate in various ways over the years, with different denominations and ministers taking different approaches......
After accreditation, we were taken into the Vancouver Athletes' Village for the first time. It is certainly very different from the one in Athens in 2004, my only other experience so far. Whereas that was almost an 'out-of-town' venue, this one is very much in the centre of it all. Situated on the edge of False Creek, downtown Vancouver can be seen all around, with the mountains visible beyond to the north. The athletes are staying in what will become desirable (and no doubt expensive!) condominiums, whilst some other buildings will become community centres, restaurants or offices. The Village is much smaller now than it was a week ago - as there are fewer athletes in the Paralympics than the Olympics some of the residential blocks are now 'hidden' behind a fence. The Multi-Faith Centre, where chaplains are based, had a central location during the Olympics but because of the division of the Village now finds itself almost on the edge.
Mid-afternoon we had our orientation. As well as a walk around the Village, this included a meeting with the other Vancouver-based chaplains to begin to get to know each other and also discuss how we would work, as well as a time of prayer. Early evening saw me being taken to my second and 'permanent' hosts to settle in there prior to doing my first shift in the Village the next day; whilst Carolyn was driven to Whistler as she will be based in the Village there.
After accreditation, we were taken into the Vancouver Athletes' Village for the first time. It is certainly very different from the one in Athens in 2004, my only other experience so far. Whereas that was almost an 'out-of-town' venue, this one is very much in the centre of it all. Situated on the edge of False Creek, downtown Vancouver can be seen all around, with the mountains visible beyond to the north. The athletes are staying in what will become desirable (and no doubt expensive!) condominiums, whilst some other buildings will become community centres, restaurants or offices. The Village is much smaller now than it was a week ago - as there are fewer athletes in the Paralympics than the Olympics some of the residential blocks are now 'hidden' behind a fence. The Multi-Faith Centre, where chaplains are based, had a central location during the Olympics but because of the division of the Village now finds itself almost on the edge.
Mid-afternoon we had our orientation. As well as a walk around the Village, this included a meeting with the other Vancouver-based chaplains to begin to get to know each other and also discuss how we would work, as well as a time of prayer. Early evening saw me being taken to my second and 'permanent' hosts to settle in there prior to doing my first shift in the Village the next day; whilst Carolyn was driven to Whistler as she will be based in the Village there.
Sunday 7 March 2010
Smooth travel & safe arrival
Well, all the transport connections worked - the first Wilts & Dorset bus of the day passed our house according to schedule, and got me in good time to the bus-stop for the National Express coach, which in turn got me to Heathrow early for check-in and to meet Carolyn, a friend and colleague from London who is the only other UK chaplain at the Paralympics. The flight was smooth and the 10 hours passed amazingly quickly, partly because I slept for quite a bit of it. Although sad not to read a word of the book especially bought for the flight, I'm thankful for the sleep as I guess that's partly what has helped me avoid jet-lag almost entirely.
On arrival, our first host was there to meet us. Instead of taking us directly to her home, she drove us to White Rock, a lovely seaside town, where we enjoyed ice-cream and a walk along the prom and the pier in glorious albeit unseasonal sunshine. It certainly helped our bodies not to realise that according to them it was past 1am in the morning! After some grocery shopping, we arrived at her home in Surrey - a part of Greater Vancouver. I think if we had gone straight there, it would have been a struggle to stay awake, so it was a brilliant idea on her part.
Friday had been built in as a day to combat jet-lag before beginning work, and Carolyn and I were able to enjoy an almost 3 hour walk in a local nature reserve, again in glorious sunshine. It seemed strange to be here for the Winter Paralympics but to see several people strolling around in shorts! Apparently this is Vancouver's warmest winter since records began..... Accompanying our host on another brief shopping trip, plus watching a DVD in the evening, completed a relaxing day, which ended with Carolyn and I both feeling keen to begin the work which we have travelled here to do.
On arrival, our first host was there to meet us. Instead of taking us directly to her home, she drove us to White Rock, a lovely seaside town, where we enjoyed ice-cream and a walk along the prom and the pier in glorious albeit unseasonal sunshine. It certainly helped our bodies not to realise that according to them it was past 1am in the morning! After some grocery shopping, we arrived at her home in Surrey - a part of Greater Vancouver. I think if we had gone straight there, it would have been a struggle to stay awake, so it was a brilliant idea on her part.
Friday had been built in as a day to combat jet-lag before beginning work, and Carolyn and I were able to enjoy an almost 3 hour walk in a local nature reserve, again in glorious sunshine. It seemed strange to be here for the Winter Paralympics but to see several people strolling around in shorts! Apparently this is Vancouver's warmest winter since records began..... Accompanying our host on another brief shopping trip, plus watching a DVD in the evening, completed a relaxing day, which ended with Carolyn and I both feeling keen to begin the work which we have travelled here to do.
Wednesday 3 March 2010
Ready to Journey?
Well, that's it, the packing's done and the travelling is about to begin. It was quite hard to know what to take - so tempting to take lots of heavy winter clothes, but having seen from the coverage of the Olympics that both Vancouver and Whistler are experiencing milder conditions than usual that may not be the most helpful approach. Not knowing the set-up that we'll be working in also adds to the uncertainty - how much will chaplains be outside? how much at indoor venues? how much in the faith centres? - although having been told that I'll be based in Vancouver rather than Whistler did help a bit with some of the decisions about what to take and what to leave behind.
It was great this morning, at our Ministry Team Cell Group, to be prayed for and commissioned by my parish and team colleagues for the work I'm going to do at the Paralympics, and to be sent out with their, as well as God's, blessing. There was also another glimpse of the worldwide nature of the church, as we also prayed for someone else soon to fly to India to do some Christian work there.
Later in the morning, I did a radio interview at Andover Sound, our local radio station, for broadcasting tomorrow as I begin my travels. Strange to think that almost as soon as I return from Canada, I have to go back there to record the 'Sunday Thought' for Easter Day as my turn on the rota will have come round again. The Christian story carries us with it throughout the year, and invites us to journey in a different kind of way.....
It was great this morning, at our Ministry Team Cell Group, to be prayed for and commissioned by my parish and team colleagues for the work I'm going to do at the Paralympics, and to be sent out with their, as well as God's, blessing. There was also another glimpse of the worldwide nature of the church, as we also prayed for someone else soon to fly to India to do some Christian work there.
Later in the morning, I did a radio interview at Andover Sound, our local radio station, for broadcasting tomorrow as I begin my travels. Strange to think that almost as soon as I return from Canada, I have to go back there to record the 'Sunday Thought' for Easter Day as my turn on the rota will have come round again. The Christian story carries us with it throughout the year, and invites us to journey in a different kind of way.....
Monday 1 March 2010
The Countdown Begins.....
The Closing Ceremony of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games has now taken place in Vancouver - but as one set of athletes and support staff begin their journey home, another set will be preparing to arrive for the Paralympics which begin on 12 March. Although many people's eyes will now turn away from Vancouver, it is important to remember this fresh body of athletes and their final preparations. People in and around Vancouver will also be experiencing changes as Olympic 'decorations' come down to be replaced by Paralympic ones.
My final preparations are also under way, although there seems to be a lot of work to do here still before I leave, in connection both with my work in the parish and at Loughborough University. I must admit to it feeling slightly strange at St Michael's West Andover yesterday when I was finishing leading the service, to think that the next time I do something similar will be in a very different context and with an international group of people - a glimpse perhaps of the reality of belonging to a worldwide church.....
As part of my preparations, it's been good to watch some of the TV coverage of the Olympics to begin to familiarise myself with locations and venues, as well as to become more acquainted with various winter sports disciplines - although, of course, Paralympians do not participate in all the Olympic disciplines. It was also good to spend a week's holiday in February cross-country skiing in Finland - where it was colder and we had more snow than there was at the Olympic venues.
My final preparations are also under way, although there seems to be a lot of work to do here still before I leave, in connection both with my work in the parish and at Loughborough University. I must admit to it feeling slightly strange at St Michael's West Andover yesterday when I was finishing leading the service, to think that the next time I do something similar will be in a very different context and with an international group of people - a glimpse perhaps of the reality of belonging to a worldwide church.....
As part of my preparations, it's been good to watch some of the TV coverage of the Olympics to begin to familiarise myself with locations and venues, as well as to become more acquainted with various winter sports disciplines - although, of course, Paralympians do not participate in all the Olympic disciplines. It was also good to spend a week's holiday in February cross-country skiing in Finland - where it was colder and we had more snow than there was at the Olympic venues.
Saturday 6 February 2010
Loughborough Lines...
It was good to get up to Loughborough last week - the first time in 2010. I'd missed my contacts and work there, especially as my previous planned visit 2 weeks beforehand was cancelled at the last minute due to the heavy snow between both here and there as well as 'en route'. I had a busy, enjoyable and varied 3 days, only some of which I mention here.
One major part of my work there was spending time with the university's cricket centre of excellence squad during their main Wednesday training session. This is almost a chaplaincy within a chaplaincy in that I've been invited to be chaplain specifically to this squad as part of my overall work at the University. As well as meeting various players and getting to know the coaches better, and so help relationships to develops, I found it a fascinating afternoon seeing how specific drills and activities help develop certain cricket skills.
On Thursday I had an introductory visit to the new SportPark. Part of the the University, over the next few months this will become home to a number of national and regional sports governing bodies. As my role is not just to offer sports specific chaplaincy for University staff and students, but to do so for all on campus connected with sport, this new facility will be somewhere to add to my visits in future.
Thursday also saw me spend time in the University library researching resources for a discussion evening I'm due to lead in April for the chaplaincy under the heading "Winning at all costs....?"
A fourth major aspect of my visit to Loughborough this time was to join in with Wednesday's Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations. A group from the University, and also from Loughborough College, walked in procession to a park in the centre of town where we joined in a act of commemoration. This was very moving. One of the main speakers was a Jewish lady many of whose family perished in the Warsaw ghetto, and in an amazing turn of fate she is now married to the son of a former SS officer. What a powerful story she has to tell........ As well as taking part in this for its own sake, it was also good whilst walking to see several sports-connected staff and students, and for them to realise that although sports chaplaincy is important to me it is not the only thing I am concerned about.
The work of a sports chaplain is certainly a mixture of the specific and the more general, wider picture, just as life is for all of us.
One major part of my work there was spending time with the university's cricket centre of excellence squad during their main Wednesday training session. This is almost a chaplaincy within a chaplaincy in that I've been invited to be chaplain specifically to this squad as part of my overall work at the University. As well as meeting various players and getting to know the coaches better, and so help relationships to develops, I found it a fascinating afternoon seeing how specific drills and activities help develop certain cricket skills.
On Thursday I had an introductory visit to the new SportPark. Part of the the University, over the next few months this will become home to a number of national and regional sports governing bodies. As my role is not just to offer sports specific chaplaincy for University staff and students, but to do so for all on campus connected with sport, this new facility will be somewhere to add to my visits in future.
Thursday also saw me spend time in the University library researching resources for a discussion evening I'm due to lead in April for the chaplaincy under the heading "Winning at all costs....?"
A fourth major aspect of my visit to Loughborough this time was to join in with Wednesday's Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations. A group from the University, and also from Loughborough College, walked in procession to a park in the centre of town where we joined in a act of commemoration. This was very moving. One of the main speakers was a Jewish lady many of whose family perished in the Warsaw ghetto, and in an amazing turn of fate she is now married to the son of a former SS officer. What a powerful story she has to tell........ As well as taking part in this for its own sake, it was also good whilst walking to see several sports-connected staff and students, and for them to realise that although sports chaplaincy is important to me it is not the only thing I am concerned about.
The work of a sports chaplain is certainly a mixture of the specific and the more general, wider picture, just as life is for all of us.
Wednesday 27 January 2010
Stunned by fundraising
My fundraising has been going brilliantly, something for which I am very grateful and also give thanks to God for. Mind you, very little of this success is actually my doing. I seem to have done relatively little, except perhaps "light the blue touch paper" as the saying goes! St Michael's Church West Andover (www.smwa.co.uk), where I am an Assistant Priest have been brilliant in this respect. I had an idea to do 'odd jobs' in return for a donation but this was scuppered by various regulations (inland revenue, insurance, health & safety, etc). However, a number of people in the congregation have given generous donations. In addition, two ladies fixed, organised and hosted a Coffee Morning on my behalf last Saturday. I attended, answered questions, and mounted a display about chaplaincy in Athens, Berlin and Vancouver. At least 30 people attended throughout the morning and through people's generosity more money was raised. I also discovered recently that, unknown to me, one or more people (I know not who or how many) have been doing some of the 'odd jobs' that I'm not 'allowed' to do to make sure the donations still came in. That type of action almost stuns me into silence - but a very grateful silence. It really feels now that I shall be going to Vancouver not just to serve as a chaplain but to represent the people of St Michael's as I do it. It is a good Christian principle when someone is sent out from a local Christian community with their support to fulfil a specific role, and I really feel that this is now what is happening.
On top of this, I heard officially at the beginning of this term that two departments at Loughborough University have also expressed their willingness to give some money towards the expenses of my trip. When I learned this, it was another moment when I felt stunned, albeit very pleasantly so. Both sources of money, Loughborough and church, feel like a great affirmation of my ministry among them. God is so good!
On top of this, I heard officially at the beginning of this term that two departments at Loughborough University have also expressed their willingness to give some money towards the expenses of my trip. When I learned this, it was another moment when I felt stunned, albeit very pleasantly so. Both sources of money, Loughborough and church, feel like a great affirmation of my ministry among them. God is so good!
Friday 15 January 2010
New Year, New Challenges
Happy New Year to you!
As one year finishes and another starts, many people are filled with optimism as they look forward to what lies ahead. New Year resolutions abound. New challenges are identified. New aims in life targeted. And athletes are no different - indeed, many of them will be even further ahead of the rest of us in their looking forward. Many won't have had the Christmas break that some of us have had, as routines will have continued throughout and alongside the festive season. Training for this new year will be planned. Competitions will have been identified as targets. Aims and goals for performance will have been set. And dreams will have been dreamed. 2010 is a big year for competition. In addition to all the annual competitions for each sport, there are a number of others this year: Vancouver and Whistler in Canada host the Winter Olympics in February and the Winter Paralympics in March; Doha, in Qatar, hosts the World Indoor Athletics Championships in March; South Africa hosts the FIFA World Cup in June and July; Guildford, in the south of England, hosts the Women's Rugby World Cup in August and September; and Delhi in India hosts the Commonwealth Games in October - to name but a few!
Last weekend, a number of track athletes laid some foundations for this year by competing in the Great Edinburgh International Cross Country; and it was good for me as Visiting Sports Chaplain at Loughborough University to watch several Loughbrough based athletes in action. I perhaps ought to add that I was in the warmth watching on TV whilst they were competing in a very cold and snowy Edinburgh!
I'm also beginning to make my own preparations for this new sporting year. Towards the end of last year I learned that I'd been selected as a chaplain for the Winter Paralympics. This was quite a surprise as numbers of accredited chaplains are small and I wasn't expecting to be selected at all. So fund-raising started in November, because virtually all such chaplaincy appointments are self-funding (as was Berlin last year), as did the search of accommodation, etc, etc. I'm also playing a major part in planning and providing the chaplaincy provision at the Women's Rugby World Cup, which thankfully is happening much closer to home.
So the blog has been redesigned and relaunched, and I'll be adding more news and updates on a regular basis from now on, including daily bulletins from the Paralympics in March (hopefully, technology resources permitting).
As one year finishes and another starts, many people are filled with optimism as they look forward to what lies ahead. New Year resolutions abound. New challenges are identified. New aims in life targeted. And athletes are no different - indeed, many of them will be even further ahead of the rest of us in their looking forward. Many won't have had the Christmas break that some of us have had, as routines will have continued throughout and alongside the festive season. Training for this new year will be planned. Competitions will have been identified as targets. Aims and goals for performance will have been set. And dreams will have been dreamed. 2010 is a big year for competition. In addition to all the annual competitions for each sport, there are a number of others this year: Vancouver and Whistler in Canada host the Winter Olympics in February and the Winter Paralympics in March; Doha, in Qatar, hosts the World Indoor Athletics Championships in March; South Africa hosts the FIFA World Cup in June and July; Guildford, in the south of England, hosts the Women's Rugby World Cup in August and September; and Delhi in India hosts the Commonwealth Games in October - to name but a few!
Last weekend, a number of track athletes laid some foundations for this year by competing in the Great Edinburgh International Cross Country; and it was good for me as Visiting Sports Chaplain at Loughborough University to watch several Loughbrough based athletes in action. I perhaps ought to add that I was in the warmth watching on TV whilst they were competing in a very cold and snowy Edinburgh!
I'm also beginning to make my own preparations for this new sporting year. Towards the end of last year I learned that I'd been selected as a chaplain for the Winter Paralympics. This was quite a surprise as numbers of accredited chaplains are small and I wasn't expecting to be selected at all. So fund-raising started in November, because virtually all such chaplaincy appointments are self-funding (as was Berlin last year), as did the search of accommodation, etc, etc. I'm also playing a major part in planning and providing the chaplaincy provision at the Women's Rugby World Cup, which thankfully is happening much closer to home.
So the blog has been redesigned and relaunched, and I'll be adding more news and updates on a regular basis from now on, including daily bulletins from the Paralympics in March (hopefully, technology resources permitting).
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