What I Have Learned

"The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.
Even youth grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; "But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint."
Isaiah 40:31)

I've learned.... That the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.
I've learned.... That when you're in love, it shows.
I've learned.... That just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day.
I've learned.... That having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world.
I've learned.... That being kind is more important than being right.
I've learned.... That you should never say no to a gift from a child.
I've learned.... That I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way.
I've learned.... That no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with.
I've learned.... That sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand.
I've learned.... That I am what I am, because of other people!
I've learned.... That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.I've learned.... That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.
I've learned.... That money doesn't buy class.
I've learned.... That it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.
I've learned.... That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved.
I've learned.... That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?
I've learned.... That to ignore the facts does not change the facts.
I've learned.... That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.
I've learned.... That love, not time, heals all wounds.
I've learned.... That the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am.
I've learned.... That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.
I've learned.... That no one is perfect until you fall in love with them.
I've learned.... That when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere.
I've learned.... That I wish I could have told my Dad that I love him one more time before he passed away.
I've learned.... That one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them (What goes around, comes around).
I've learned.... That how we die is not as important as how we have lived.
I've learned.... That life is short and that when we die, we are dead for a long time, therefore take the time and enjoy God's purpose in your life, and be kind to one another.
I've learned.... That a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks, believe it does!
I've learned.... That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.
I've learned.... That it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is requested and when it is a life-threatening situation.
I've learned.... That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

To every member and friend of this congregation, thank you for your commitment and support that you have demonstrated in our ministry here at St. Ansgar's. I am honoured to serve you

Peace and Love to all of you!

Your friend and pastor,
Pastor Samuel K King-Kabu.
Pastor@st-ansgars-montreal.ca

A Visit to Bornholm

Bornholm is a part of Denmark that has always intrigued me. It is situated South of Sweden and appears on maps of Denmark in a separate little box, because it is so far from the rest of the country. We travelled by bus in fog and light rain from Copenhagen across the bridge to Sweden and south to Ystad, where we boarded the high-speed ferry to Rønne, the capital of Bornholm.

Bornholm is known as a sunny vacation island. Indeed, on our way across the waters, the sun broke through. We arrived in Allinge, the scenic little village, where we would be staying at "Klostergården", the oldest inn on the island. It has been housing visitors since 1901, but of course the building is much older than that, with half-timbered construction, yellow lime-washing on the brickwork and red tiled roof.

We spent the first couple of days orienting ourselves in Allinge, walking in the village and hiking along the rocky shores. A rocky outcropping provided us with a splendid view of the sunset over the village, while we watched some local fishermen trying to catch dinner. We were also fascinated by the unusual sight of a pair of swans swimming in the shallow brackish waters close to shore. We had a great view of the smokehouses in the area, where heering and other fish caught in the Baltic are smoked.

On our third day, the weather was prom-ising to be good, so we took a boat to Ertholmene, a group of small islands East of Bornholm. The boat ride lasted 75 minutes on the calm waters. We visited the two inhabited islands, Christian and Frederik islands. (The other islands are bird sanctuaries.) A natural harbour is formed between the two islands, with a suspension bridge for pedestrian traffic only, connecting them. In the 1500's through the 1700's the islands were an important naval base, dubbed the Danish Malta. The fortress and naval base were created to keep the Swedes under control (as well as pirates and others in the Baltic). In those days it was important to keep the Swedes from trying to take Bornholm again, and it was equally important to keep open the shipping and fishing waters of the Baltic for the Danish vessels.

The Swedes had taken the southern part of Sweden from Denmark years earlier, as well as Bornholm. But the inhabitants of Bornholm rebelled and routed the Swedes. Now, the Christian and Frederik islands are preserved as an historic site, where tourists can get a feel for their history. Former navy personnel were allowed to stay on the islands and made a living from fishing. It is now an important tourist destination.

At the time we were there, the Eider ducks were nesting. We had been warned not to disturb the nesting birds. Indeed, there were thousands of them. They nested everywhere, even beside the footpaths where all the tourists walk by.

They never budged from the nests, they just watched us as we walked by, just inches away, in some cases. The mother Eider duck sits on the nest for 28 days, without ever leaving it. By the time the ducklings are hatched, the mother duck has lost half its body weight. The males were mostly swimming in the waters below. A few of the ducklings had already hatched, and soon after, the mother leads them to the water, and within days, groups of them, sometimes several mothers and their ducklings and the fathers as well set off to Bornholm where food is easier to find.

The tiny ducklings have to be protected from the Seagulls, who relish the thought of a tasty little duckling. On Bornholm we saw a few Eider duck families, that had already made the crossing with their broods. We watched as a mother duck chased off a Seagull who went after the food in the water, which someone had thrown in for the ducklings. Later, a bus driver told us that he had witnessed an Eider duck mother grabbing a Seagull and dragging it to the bottom of the water and holding it there, evidently trying to drown it for approaching her ducklings. Unfortunately, he said, the Seagull survived the punishment.

Bornholm and the Ertholm islands are part of an underseas mountain range, which explains why they are granite, rather than the limestone found in the rest of Denmark.

We spent the rest of our stay exploring Bornholm and visited Gudhjem, a village built on a steep hill and visited the glass studio of Pernille Bülow. We visited one of the famous round churches, Østerlars, and the ruins of an old castle and fortress, Hammershus, built on the high cliffs overlooking the Baltic Sea at the Northern point of Bornholm. There is so much more to explore on that lovely island. Hopefully we'll get back there some day.

Jette

Web Page prepared by:
Roger Kenner & Jette Blair.
Content-New Topics Last Updated: 2005/11/09
St. Ansgar's Lutheran Church - Montreal