Say it again and again.

It’s Pride, the annual celebration of what it means to be queer, of the joy we embrace as God’s queer people. But it is a lot more than that, of course.

Pride is our celebration of God’s creation of each one of us as God’s own in God’s own queer image.

Pride is the international celebration of God’s creation of each one of us as God’s own in God’s queer image.

Pride is our celebration of culture, but much more it is our celebration of liberation from the closets of the world.

I used to have friends, lesbians, who lived in a world capital and were the least likely ever to appear at anything in public, but every year they would send me a picture of them smiling at their citiy’s pride parade, They were proud, proud of themselves, proud of their love, proud of our mutual love, and proud of their liberty to love. They were proud to be part of a community of love.

This time it is fierce Pride, I suppose. We usually like to embrace joyous Pride, and as always we celebrate with joy in our hearts, but also this year we celebrate cautiously as we increasingly are becoming, yet again, subject to oppression.

Which is even more reason for Pride. Fierce Pride, fueled by fierce love.

God wants unity in community, all of us joined in love. God tests our faith by testing our love [Genesis 22:1-14]. God speaks directly to us and asks us to respond. God’s angels keep watch. Our love ensures our faith which unites us with God and with each other, which unity in community is the source of all good things. When we fail, forget, to love, we can feel abandoned, but when we remember joy is our reward. Pride is our expression of this joy. We sing praises and songs of thanksgiving [Psalm 13]. We are to give thanks always for newness of life in Christ which is our gift from God in response to our love. “Obedient from the heart” “freed from sin, “sanctified,” “eternal life”  [Romans 6:12-23]. Jesus calls us to lives of hospitality, welcome, love, reward, salvation. Pride [Matthew 10:40-42].

So once again God is testing us. God is calling us. Are we answering “Here I am”?  God is sending angels always, to testify to our love. Will God’s angel see that our love is pure and secure? Of course, because to love is what God has created us for and called us to, And God’s angels watch over us to ensure that our love not only is secure but that it prevails.

So Happy Pride. Go out and celebrate if you can. Watch the parade, the joy, the difference. Watch the audience too for hugs and hands held and tears of joy and see the beauty of God’s love spread out before you. This is the heaven that has been guaranteed to us,

But then, when God calls, answer, and respond by walking always fiercely in love.

Proper 8 Year A 2026 RCL (Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13 Usquequo, Domine?; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10: 40-42)

©2026 The Rev. Dr. Richard P. Smiraglia. All rights reserved.

That’s how long I’ve been non-weightbearing this time around.

I’m tired—like, really tired—but the break is finally healing, so hopefully I’ll be back on my feet soon.

Here are just a few things I’ve learned—and honestly, relearned—during this season.

Healing takes time, and it isn’t always linear.

I don’t know about you, but I want healing to happen instantaneously. That’s not how life works. Healing is a process. It ebbs and flows over time. Whether it’s physical healing or emotional healing, it takes time and patience.

The funny thing about patience is that when you ask God for it, He doesn’t simply hand it to you. He allows you to walk through situations that grow it.

It’s good—necessary, even—to let people help you.

This is a hard lesson for me to learn… and relearn.

I like to be in control, which usually means I like to do everything myself. It drives my loving husband crazy because I’ll ask him to do something and then go ahead and do it myself.

I’m learning that asking for help also means allowing people to actually help.

It’s important to have people in your corner.

I am incredibly blessed to have people who love me enough to drive me places, bring meals, check in, and encourage me.

The only problem? I have to get over myself and actually ask.

Sometimes they love me through something as simple as a handwritten card. Somehow, God always seems to deliver those cards on the days when chaos feels the loudest.

Atlas will only be little once.

This is Atlas’ childhood.

This is my motherhood.

I want to enjoy the time I get to spend with him instead of constantly rushing from one thing to the next. In a strange way, this season has been a gift because we’ve had so much uninterrupted time together simply because I can’t rush around.

There is beauty in living a slower life.

I’m not saying I’m going to quit my job or leave school. But I can’t sustain constantly running from one thing to another.

There has to be balance.

The month before I broke my foot again, I was trying to do everything. I loved everything I was doing, but I was exhausted, and if I’m honest, everyone around me felt it too.

I physically can’t live that way anymore.

Maybe that’s the lesson.

Not to stop doing the things I love, but to learn how to pace myself so I can actually enjoy them.

These are just a few of the things God has been teaching me in this season—the hard and the holy.

Hopefully, this chapter is coming to a close, and a new one—maybe a little less adventurous—is about to begin.

But if this season has taught me anything, it’s that sometimes the slowest seasons produce the deepest growth.

I love hearing about the little details that make your days brighter.

So, I want to ask you: What is one simple pleasure—no matter how small—that helped you find peace this past week?

Let’s share some joy in the comments below!

Photo: Westhills Subdivision, in Langford, British Columbia.

By Dean Unger
June 28, 2026

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The following is a bit of info for Vancouver Island residents experiencing frustration by new housing developments in local communities without adequate water infrastructure.

Research shows that one of the key problems are provincial B.C. provincial housing mandates that force rapid density increases without proportional upgrades to local water, sewage, and stormwater infrastructure. This presents a disconnect with the reality on the ground across various municipalities. One of the additional key challenges is that municipalities allegedly rely upon DCCs = development costs and licensing for new projects to pay for new infrastructure and upgrades, with little coming from the Province to aid in the efforts. Existing tax dollars collected are used to support and maintain existing infrastructure but often meets a shortfall due to rising costs and inflation (inflation itself seems to be an unmanageable challenge of late).

Numerous communities are expressing serious concerns that watersheds, aquifers, and treatment facilities lack the capacity to sustain this growth. Specific areas of concern & community pushback include Cowichan, Nanaimo, Parksville, Shawnigan Lake and others.

In Parksville Residents and the Vancouver Island Water Watch Coalition have raised objections to massive developments near the Englishman River.

Communities argue that adding large-scale housing during worsening drought conditions risks permanently straining existing groundwater and river supplies before new collection strategies are built.:

In North Cowichan the municipality formally contacted the B.C. government to outline concerns regarding provincially set housing targets. With regional watersheds like Shawnigan Lake deemed “fully allocated” and the closure of the Domtar pulp mill altering the Crofton townsite’s water servicing, capacity for new connections has shrunk from five years to just one.

Mill Bay & Gabriola Island = Rural residents in the Cowichan Valley Regional District (CVRD) and the Islands Trust area are pushing back against proposed density increases. Concerns are mounting that current well water and septic capabilities cannot handle new complex mandates without running dry or causing contamination.

Victoria Region – Critics of the Capital Regional District’s (CRD) Water Supply Master Plan are calling for a pause on infrastructure spending and housing delivery. The argument centers on the fact that expansion projects risk dramatically driving up water bills for everyday taxpayers while population projections lag behind development pushes.

Why the Disconnect? The primary driver of this conflict could be the collision between provincial upzoning legislation (such as Bill 25 mandating multiplexes) and long-standing municipal service limitations.

Many municipalities simply lack the multi-million-dollar funding required to upgrade water treatment, expand aquifer storage, and replace aging pipes quickly enough to match housing targets.

What can be done? Engage in proactive, constructive communication with provincial and municipal gov’t representatives to voice concerns over what may be unsustainable development.

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Resource:

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See also:

Index of CRD Watch articles concerning the environment/ecology. – CRD Watch Homepage

The above picture is what I want from people in the church. I want someone to pray for me at the church, Bible Study, in small groups or just to call wondering how I am doing during the week. I am not sure I am able to do that for others as it’s hard to know what to say or do for someone else other than family. I know what to say to family. Then there’s the rather uncomfortable truth that is church and daily life.

My family is who I do fellowship with during the everyday during life’s mundane moments. Church friends are just that church friends. We care for each other but it’s our family that we will go to when things get tough or when we need to share our joys. If there’s a good news that I’m excited for then I’m calling the parents or my husband or children. If I so happen to be txting a friend then I will share but even then that’s an after thought. My family is who I socialize and fellowship with to go through the day to day of this world. Why do I care if I know this about myself?

This morning at church we knew that there was a church picnic after service and it was going to put me and my husband in an uncomfortable social situation. Yes there would be food and probably it was going to be good food. The lingering question, Do we go? Well the quick answer was, “Yes” we should go and get to know something about the people we attend church with on a weekly basis. The decision was, “No”. Why? We knew that it would be us just in our chairs just awkwardly sitting there eating and finding a quick and appropriate time to go home. We left.

We have had a lot going on within the family. It’s been a rough couple of weeks. In fact since Christmas it’s just been rough. We have watched family struggle stressing on how to help them and making sure we are still healthy as husband and wife so we can help others within our family circle. We have been looking for community. We have that community. We have our tribe. We are showing them the loving Grace of our Heavenly Father which is where Fellowship Starts. It starts at Home.

Amen

Trafford is a small area of largely lowland landscape south-east of Manchester city centre, defined by several rivers running eats to west, including the Irwell, Mersey, and Bollin, and former mosslands in the north and west at Carrington Moss, Hale Moss, Sale Moor, Stretford Moss, and Warburton Moss. In the south, the Bowdon ridge rises to a peak at its western end around the medieval Bowdon church, at a height of 63m above sea level. Although over 60% of the borough is built over, there are significant areas of rural and semi-open landscape (such as Longford Park and The Devisdale), including the Timperley, Mersey, and Bollin river valleys. Away from the river valleys, in Carrington, Dunham, Warburton, and Hale Barns, this agricultural landscape is a mixture of pasture and arable fields, providing opportunity for archaeological field research. What follows is a brief review of some of the most significant finds discoveries from both excavation and the Portable Antiquities Scheme made during the years 1997 to 2025.

Perhaps the most mysterious of the objects discovered since 1997 is the cup mark stone found in a garden off Westmorland Road in Urmston in the spring of 2018. Weighing 4.643Kg, and roughly 230mm long, 165mm wide and 80mm high, this broadly rectangular piece of rock has a worn, shiny lower surface and a rough upper face suggesting a use as the upper grain rubber for a saddle quern. This was exciting in itself for late prehistoric activity and settlement in the immediate area remains scarce. However, in the rough upper face are two circular indentations, one c. 35mm deep and 60mm wide at the top and one 15mm deep and 25mm wide at the top. Manchester Museum confirmed that the stone was of Shap granite and examination of the two indentations shows that they were pecked and identical to examples of late Neolithic and early Bronze Age cupmarks.

Community excavations at Timperley Old Hall moated site between 2009 and 2011 by the South Trafford Archaeological Group revealed a collection of late prehistoric artefacts. Old Hall moated site lies 0.7km to the east of Altrincham on a clay ridge, aligned west to east, rising to 30m above sea level. The former Hale mossland lies against this ridge to the south, along with Timperley Brook, which also marks the western end of the ridge. The eastern end is defined by a small chine making access from the east difficult until recent times. The Timperley Old Hall area was thus a landscape defined by wetlands and streams. The earliest activity on the site goes back to the Neolithic and Early Bronze Ages (roughly 3500 to 1500 years BC), when the site of the later moat was a shallow, south-facing, clay slope overlooking a small tributary of Timperley Brook. The evidence for this activity is in the form of flint tools, and the debris from their manufacture. The presence of different types of tools from two periods suggests re-use of the site, and not just a single day’s activity. This may represent summer hunting along the ridge to the north of Hale Moss and Timperley Brook. The flints included fine examples of projectile points in addition to knives, scrapers, and boring points, many showing signs of wear and re-tooling. Three pot boilers, stones that had been heated and then dropped into water-filled pits or containers to boil the liquid, were also recovered from the site and probably belong to the late prehistoric era.

Developer-funded excavations as part of a water-pipe line project revealed further late prehistoric flints at Whitecarr Lane, on the Hale Barns/Wythenshawe border. Beneath a late medieval iron bloomery site, itself an unexpected discovery courtesy of an archaeological watching brief, were a series of late prehistoric features. This prehistoric activity included straight ditch, running north to south for at least 5m, with a terminus at its southern end. It contained two Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age lithic scrapers. This suggests some form of land division in this area during the late third or early second millennium BC, echoing the prehistoric finds at Oversley Farm, 5km to the south near Manchester Airport.

On the western side of Altrincham lies one od the best-preserved late medieval landscapes in Greater Manchester: Warburton. Several decades of fieldwalking undertaken around Warburton village have revealed a scatter of several dozens flints, and much more flint waste. The earliest evidence for human activity within the township is a scatter of more than 50 stone tools and manufacturing waste between Warburton village and the hamlet at Moss Brow. This part of the parish is dominated by a west-to-east sand-and-gravel ridge. This ridge is bordered to the north-east by the site of Warburton Moss, and to the west and south by the rivers Mersey and Bollin.

This scatter is in two areas, although this might be biased by the fields available for fieldwalking. Firstly there is a smaller grouping of eight flints, including three retouched flakes a broken blade, and a barbed and tanged arrowhead, and three debitage pieces. The date of this material appears to be late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age. The second group of flints is much larger. At least 81 worked flints dating from the late Neolithic and early Bronze Ages have come from the fields to the south of Moss Brow Farm. These items include a barbed and tanged arrowhead, a leaf-shaped arrow head, and blades and waste flakes in chert and flint, mainly found in the area between The Bent and Moss Brow. A few flints though have come from the fields south of the village.

The Portable Antiquities Scheme was launched in 1997 as a result of the passing of The Treasure Act in 1996. This is a voluntary scheme set up to record archaeological objects found by members of the public in England and Wales. Funded through the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS), it is administered by the British Museum and has a network of Finds Liaison Officers. Metal detecting and field walking across the southern part of Trafford has revealed a hotspot of finds in Warburton and in the fields around Hale Barns.

In Warburton, a late Iron Age gold-plated stater, a copy of coin types minted by the Midlands tribe the Corieltavi, is the only known example for the Trafford area. Roman activity in the township is known from a scatter of metalwork of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd centuries AD from the ridge between The Bent and Moss Brow. This material includes several pieces of bronze horse gear, five brooches, a small coin hoard (including a sestertius and three denarii, now held by Manchester Museum), and a silver bracelet with a serpent’s head at one end. There was also an ovoid lead weight from a field to the north-east of Paddock Lane Farm. In style this latter object appears to be a plumb-bob from a Roman groma or surveyor’s cross-staff. There is also an Early Medieval bronze strap mount, which would have had inlaid decoration, found to the south of Moss Brow Farm and a silver coin. The late medieval finds from this area includes several copper alloy harness pendants and a lead alloy pilgrim’s badge with the inscription ‘IHS’. In the fields around Hale Barns late prehistoric or early Roman period copper-alloy finds include several pieces of horse harness fragments.

These objects and the research surrounding them, highlights several areas of significant late prehistoric and Roman activity, hinted at in the research for the Archaeology of Trafford book. The context for the late prehistoric flints appears to be the many mosslands by the Trafford river valleys, a feature seen across the lowland area of the southern part of North West England. The Roman finds indicate settlement activity along the Bollin Valley, although we have yet to locate any of the farmsteads that produced this material.

Further information about the Portable Antiquities Database can be found here: http://www.finds.org.uk/dtabase

For details about Trafford’s geology, geography and history see: Don Bayliss, 1996, Historical Atlas of Trafford, Northern Writers Advisory Service.

Fue una tarde muy bonita, especial y llena de empatía, compasión, amor, autenticidad y deseos genuinos de servir; de dar lo mejor de nosotros a cada persona con la que nos relacionamos.

Gracias a cada sponsor que nos apoyó y creyó en esta visión. 🙏 Gracias a cada persona de la comunidad que llegó, compartió, sonrió, abrazó y disfrutó con nosotros. 🥰 Gracias a Lehigh Acres por abrirnos las puertas a la felicidad, la unión y la prosperidad. 🌲🏡

Gracias a The Trueness Project por inspirarnos con la Marcha de las Mariposas y llevar este mensaje de transformación a más de 100 países. 🦋🙏🦋

Y gracias, Vianca Pino, por tus palabras tan lindas y por recordarnos que el propósito también se construye con amor, valentía y servicio. Muchas felicidades por el exitoso lanzamiento del libro Wings of Purpose, con más de 35,000 copias vendidas en más de 7 países. 🦋📚🦋

Ayer vivimos momentos hermosos… y esto es solo el comienzo.

Pronto estaremos compartiendo más fotos y recuerdos de esta tarde tan especial.

Gracias, gracias, gracias. ❤️

Have you ever heard of Etsy’s Uplift Fund? This is a part of Etsy’s Advocacy Fund. In a world where individual artisans are continually at risk of being run over by the big dogs, Etsy offers them a helping hand to grow their business. The Uplift Fund supports nonprofits working to make entrepreneurial efforts a reality.

Entrepreneurship offers independent-thinking artisans and business people a chance to blaze their own trails and spread their wings to realize their unique vision. 

But many communities face significant barriers to entrepreneurship, including:

• lack of digital education and training
• access to capital
• insufficient access to benefits like health insurance and paid leave

That’s why Etsy launched the Uplift Fund at Brooklyn Org* (https://brooklyn.org/ef/) to support nonprofits that work to dismantle these barriers and foster equal opportunities to creative entrepreneurship.  An Etsy Uplift charge refers to an optional charity donation made by buyers at checkout. If you see this on your bank statement, it is a separate transaction resulting from the “Round Up” feature, which gives buyers the choice to donate their spare change to the Etsy Uplift Fund.  You may have also seen this “Round Up” at your local grocery store, drug stores and fast-food chains. You simply have the option to round up your purchase price to the next dollar.

Program beneficiaries need not sell goods on Etsy today, though it is hoped that over time they will choose to build their businesses online and on Etsy.

Another way to offer someone a hand up.

Cindy

Dear Friends,

A warm, gentle breeze brushes past me as I stare in the distance. The tall
bamboo on our property dances. I envy the birds at this moment. Their
view of the canopy must be a spectacular sight.

My connection to Nature is always strong in this spot. It is hard to believe
that city life is just a short distance away. I breathe in gratitude as I take in
all the blessings in my life. Getting out early allows me to take full advantage
of another day to share with loved ones.

Last weekend brought a rare alignment of celebrations that felt uniquely
magical. Between the peak summer energy of the Summer Solstice, the family
warmth of Father’s Day, and the thrilling energy of the FIFA World Cup, our
neighborhoods came alive.

The beauty of the weekend wasn’t just in the individual events, but in how
they naturally pulled us together. Whether you were raising a glass to Dad,
cheering for a goal, or simply soaking in the year’s longest day of sunlight,
the collective joy fostered a beautiful reminder to stay present and celebrate
life together.

The end of June always brings a natural pause for reflection. It is the exact
midpoint of the year—a time to review what we have accomplished and adjust
our plans for the months ahead. If there is one thing “real” life teaches us, it is
that circumstances have a way of shifting even our best-laid goals.

This June holds a deeply personal significance for me. It marks the 27th anniversary
of my return to Costa Rica, following years of simply dreaming about it.

Looking back over nearly three decades, I have spent this month taking stock of the
many tangible and intangible personal accomplishments along the way. While the
journey hasn’t always followed a straight line, evaluating the choices I made brings a
rewarding certainty: returning to Costa Rica was absolutely the right decision for me.

As we head into the second half of the year, take a moment for your own mid-year
review. Look back at your goals and celebrate your quiet wins. You deserve to.

Have a wonderful day and a terrific week, Marietta

It’s 67 degrees inside and everywhere is quiet. I saw Bonnie Rose’s car in the driveway across the street. Of her whole family, she’s the nicest, and so was Archie, Diana’s dad. The rest tend toward isolation and exclusivity. 

8am. 

It’s also cloudy. Aesop’s misery distracts me. What explains why some people have a huge heart and others hide away? 

I’m reminded of Dr Duvall, the veterinarian who cared as much about owners as the pets. She told me about struggling to walk out of Walmart carrying a huge kayak, and nobody offered to help her. It was an observation of human coldness and apathy. She wasn’t a very large person physically… She and Dr Gray came and went from TVH, and seemed hard to keep on staff for very long. Their values were independent and more progressive than some of the others. 

I don’t believe I mentioned that Dr Siy left Oregon to practice family medicine in Bellevue. I don’t know if his nurse, Lexi, stayed in Eugene: Should it be so hard to get everyone together? 

Tomorrow we remember Saints Peter and Paul, apostles. Peter famously tried to persuade Jesus not to go to Jerusalem and his cruel death; he eventually followed Jesus to his own violent death in Rome. Here Emily Dickinson remembers a natural death which yet ‘made nature different.’

The world is changed for the sisters of Minster Abbey with the death of Sister Aelred, changed too, for her many friends. Please pray for her community and for all her friends.

May the Lord grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. Amen.

The last night that she lived,
It was a common night,
Except the dying; this to us
Made nature different.

We noticed smallest things, —
Things overlooked before,
By this great light upon our minds
Italicized, as 't were.

That others could exist
While she must finish quite,
A jealousy for her arose
So nearly infinite.

We waited while she passed;
It was a narrow time,
Too jostled were our souls to speak,
At length the notice came.

She mentioned, and forgot;
Then lightly as a reed
Bent to the water, shivered scarce,
Consented, and was dead.

And we, we placed the hair,
And drew the head erect;
And then an awful leisure was,
Our faith to regulate.

from Poems by Emily Dickinson, Three Series, Complete.

The world of work is changing fast. New modes of engagement, even new philosophies, will need to find expressions. HireAPro is buildibg new expressions. Are you a thoroughbred pro, able to hit the ground running and get the job done? Get involved already. Send your CV and photos to hireapro@gmail.com

This led me to a helpful online resource, Prayer and Politics, which contained an article by Nancy Hastings Sehested, “Prayers of Martin Luther King, Jr.” Sehested assembled and adapted King’s prayers. Today, I’m adapting her adaptation. Here’s a flavor:

May we wage the struggle with dignity and discipline. Remove all bitterness from our hearts and give us strength to face any disaster that comes our way. In the moment of difficult decision, renew our vigor for a warless and more equitable world that transcends barriers we have created.

Put within us faith that the redemption of people, relationships, communities and whole nations is possible! Give us faith to renounce the lies and with our hands and feet, our voices and our votes, empower us peacefully tear down the walls that separate us from one another.

Put within us power to love you with all our hearts, souls, and minds, and love our neighbors as we love ourselves, even our enemy neighbors. And we ask you, God, in these days of emotional tension, when the problems of the world are gigantic in extent and chaotic in detail, to be with us in our going out and our coming in, in our rising up and in our lying down, in our moments of joy and in our moments of sorrow, until the day when there shall be no sunset and no dawn. 

From prayerandpolitiks.org (cited above)

People say there is no climate change. I don’t remember ever having so many weeks of extreme heat before and I am 85 tomorrow. We had hot summers but nothing like the last week and this is the second time this year. We are warned that we may get another heatwave in July and another one in August. Oh well, the air cooler is doing a good job!

The garden here is doing well and the yucca plant has flowered again. This is the second time I have seen in flower in 5 years. The bees are busy and hover flies abound; the butterflies are doing well as are the moths. Nature is doing what it can and finding places to be cool during the hot parts of the day. My son and I planted a wild flower patch here a few years ago. Generally the wind and heavy rain flattens everything but the flowers keep coming and I am now finding them growing in other parts of the garden. They love to spread themselves around.

Here is a photo of the yucca flower, it is about 6 feet high and spreads into the tree above it.

I am afraid of losing my voice because I lost fb. What if it was holding me back from truly experiencing and expressing myself. I can still express myself with tic tok and other things. I can share with my high self. I will use time to recharge and reconnect myself with divine healing images a community where I am not attached to anything and what I post is truly from the heart. Baby steps take baby steps

IKORODU, LAGOS – June 27, 2026 –

CareBridge Home for the Elderly has reaffirmed its commitment to improving the quality of life of senior citizens with the successful hosting of its Adults Day Out Programme, an initiative designed to promote recreation, wellness, social interaction, and emotional enrichment among older adults.

The event, held at the CareBridge facility in Ebute, Ikorodu, brought together elderly participants, caregivers, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and other distinguished guests for a day filled with engaging recreational activities, wellness sessions, companionship, and meaningful interactions.

Dignitaries in attendance included Mrs. Abiodun Falade, Mr. Ajayi Ayoade Julius, Mrs. Mary Adekoya, Mrs. Yunis Akanke, Dr. Victor Bamidele, Mrs. Oropo Modinat, Mrs. Comfort Olatunji, Chairman of the Occasion Alhaji Shuaib, Mr. Victor B. Dada, Mrs. Medinat Kasali, and Mrs. Rotinwa, among other invited guests.

In her welcome address, the Founder of CareBridge Home for the Elderly, Mrs. Jumoke Mustafa, described the organisation’s mission as providing compassionate, dignified, and professional care that enhances the quality of life of older adults while giving their families peace of mind.

She challenged the common misconception that placing an elderly loved one in a care home signifies neglect or abandonment, stressing that seeking professional care is often one of the greatest expressions of love and responsibility.

According to her, CareBridge was established to ensure that senior citizens receive the attention, companionship, healthcare, and support they deserve while maintaining the highest possible quality of life.

Mrs. Mustafa explained that the organisation offers a comprehensive range of services tailored to meet the diverse needs of older adults.

These include long- and short-term residential care for independent, semi-dependent, and completely dependent elderly persons, with services such as comfortable accommodation, nutritious meals, assistance with daily living, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, medication supervision, nursing care, and escort services for medical appointments.

She added that CareBridge also provides Home Care Services, where trained caregivers and nurses attend to elderly persons in the comfort of their homes, as well as an Adult Day Care Programme, which offers recreational activities, companionship, wellness support, meals, and transportation for seniors who do not require full-time residential care.

Mrs. Mustafa further disclosed that the organisation operates a Care Assistant Training Programme, equipping aspiring caregivers with both local and internationally recognised certifications to strengthen the quality of elderly care services.

Delivering a goodwill address, Mr. Victor B. Dada commended the founders of CareBridge for investing in the welfare and dignity of older adults, describing the initiative as a remarkable contribution to society.

He noted that ageing should be celebrated as a stage of wisdom, experience, and purpose rather than viewed as a burden. Quoting the Yoruba proverb, “Agbà sòrò dà,” he explained that reaching old age is a testament to resilience, endurance, and a lifetime of valuable experiences.

Mr. Dada encouraged CareBridge to expand its impact by creating regular social engagement programmes that would bring together residents and non-resident senior citizens for cultural, intellectual, and recreational activities.

He said such initiatives would help combat loneliness and social isolation while preserving the wealth of knowledge and experience possessed by the elderly.

The Adults Day Out Programme featured recreational exercises, wellness activities, and interactive sessions that fostered friendship, laughter, and emotional well-being among participants.

Many of the elderly attendees expressed appreciation to the CareBridge team for creating a warm, safe, and caring environment where they felt valued, respected, and connected.

The event reinforced CareBridge Home for the Elderly’s vision of promoting healthy ageing through compassionate care, social inclusion, and professional support, while encouraging families and communities to embrace the importance of quality elderly care.

“How much does research actually cost in Vanuatu?”

On the surface, it sounds like a budgeting exercise. Open a spreadsheet, estimate a few flights, accommodation, laboratory supplies and you are done.

The reality is quite different.

Since arriving in Vanuatu in late February 2026 to undertake my PhD on scrub typhus, I have learned that research budgets are not simply lists of expenses. They are roadmaps of everything required to successfully deliver a project in a remote island setting.

Over the past few months, while waiting for laboratory equipment to arrive from New Zealand, I found myself doing much more than preparing for fieldwork. Together with my family and colleagues at Northern Provincial Hospital, we renovated research rooms, built storage shelving, re-organised laboratory spaces, trained field research officers, contributed to continuing medical education, and quietly established pieces of infrastructure that I hope future researchers will also benefit from.

None of those activities appeared in my original proposal.

Yet they became essential.

When people think about research costs, they often think about laboratory reagents, flights or accommodation. Those are certainly important, but infectious disease research in remote Oceania requires thinking much more broadly.

You need people.

A local Field Research Officer quickly becomes far more than an assistant. They arrange village visits, translate between English, Bislama, French and local languages, assist with informed consent, navigate unfamiliar roads, record data, coordinate logistics and, perhaps most importantly, help build trust within communities. They are often the bridge between a research protocol and its successful implementation.

You need relationships.

Good research begins long before the first sample is collected. Meetings with provincial authorities, hospital management, village chiefs and community leaders all require time, planning and respect. Community engagement is not an optional extra; it is part of conducting ethical and culturally appropriate research.

You need resilience.

Cold-chain systems require backup power. Vehicles break down. Boats are delayed by weather. Mobile phone coverage disappears. Biological samples require customs clearance, permits and careful transport across international borders. Contingency funding is not a luxury; it is recognition that fieldwork rarely follows the timetable written in a proposal.

You need infrastructure.

Cryovials, pipette tips, freezers, batteries, solar panels, GPS units, internet connectivity, stationery and shipping materials rarely attract much attention in grant applications. Yet together they form the backbone of a successful project. When one piece is missing, everything else slows down.

Perhaps the greatest lesson I have learned is that research budgets are really budgets for relationships, logistics and adaptability. The science is only one part of the equation. The rest is built through preparation, partnerships and a willingness to solve problems as they arise.

When I recently shared some estimated costs with my colleague, I realised I was not simply helping prepare a funding application. I was passing on lessons that had taken months to learn through experience.

If those lessons help another researcher avoid unexpected obstacles or encourage someone to budget realistically for work in Vanuatu; then they are worth sharing.

Research in remote Oceania asks a great deal of those who undertake it. It demands patience, flexibility and an appreciation that every island, every community and every journey teaches something new. Perhaps that is the most valuable item in any research budget.

Not the contingency fund. Not the laboratory equipment. But the recognition that good research is built as much on people and partnerships as it is on science.

If this post helps one future researcher arrive better prepared, then it has already served its purpose.

Take care where ever you are in the world. Leina xxx