The Sand Hill community. Last week Miriam and I had the pleasure of joining a Lutheran Church work group from Oklahoma as they traveled up river and assisted on the reconstruction of a church. For the whole week we were sleeping outside, fed wonderful food, talked and sang the days away. We worked too, I still have paint on me to prove it. One day a man named Paul and I sang hymns while we balanced on the thin planks and painted the high spots.

Miriam and I slept in the open air shelter under the rainbow. The primary school is the other building in the picture. Sand Hill on the Demera River is a dock and a big sand hill upon which there is a church, a school, and a few other structures. The sand is white and goes on forever all around. It feels like you are near the ocean but instead you are surrounded by bush. Little foot paths crisscross everywhere from house to hut, to the river, down a sand road, and into a little black water stream where the locals get their water and bath. The bathing glade is serene and everyday a dip in its waters was renewing.

roof work and painting the cross.

I got to paint the high parts of the church because i was willig to balance on the planks that the community members strapped up for scaffolding. climbing comes in handy again.

Big hats and sunscreen, plus a little bit of paint, covers the skin from the sun.

We all loaded onto the boat to leave and while we were waiting the school children sang us a song or two. It was a good moment; the men from Oklahoma listening to the children.

Sand hills church pre-restoration. While the church was without a pastor for around twenty years the building fell into disrepair. The congregation kept meeting in the school house and thought that the church would eventually fall over. Last year they got a pastor again and work started on the restoration. These are new roofs already put on by the community. The oklahoma group gutted the floors and relaid them as well as the siding on the front, and remade the windows. We got one coat of paint on the whole thing an then our time was up. We held a service in the church as the sun was going down on the last night we spent in sand hills. The community came out in high fashion. It was great and then we left. Now they have to finish the job they started and continue to use the church and the school to provide support for the entire river community.

Last week Transfiguration Church in Betsy Ground, Canje opened to the public a play park. It was made by the Men's Group of Transfiguration Parish with funds raised by the church and a local donor. There are very few playgrounds for children in New Amsterdam. Betsy Ground in particular presents very few safe environments for children to play in. It is a stark contrast to the many, many jungle gyms and public playgrounds that I had so much fun on as a youth. I particularly liked the monkey bars. Miriam holds a reading group for the children of Betsy Ground twice a week which is open to the public and reads non-religious texts( this is important as the area is majority Hindu). After they have read for awhile the children get to go outside and play on the park. It is a fabulous project for the church to have spent energy and money on. It really makes the whole neighborhood much more of a place for children. Miriam is in the background of this picture helping serve the celebration meal.

Transfiguration Church and it's brand new play park in Betsy Ground, Canje.

Miriam at the opening celebration for the Play Park at Tranfiguration Church Betsy Ground.

First session of the Drama and Shortstory Workshop at the University of Guyana - Berbice campus. Actually have the use of the Auditorium, which has a small stage. Yes this is the Auditorium, and yes that is the stage.

Notice
Voluntary Activities on the University of Guyana Berbice Campus.

THE CHESS CLUB
3-6 on Thursdays in the Cafeteria.

DRAMA AND SHORTSTORY WRITING WORKSHOP
2-6 on Saturdays. Check with security for the classroom location.

These activities will be coordinated by Mr. J. Arthur Blyth.

J. Arthur Blyth is the author of six plays for the stage, two film scripts, a novel and numerous short stories. His plays have been produced in Philadelphia, Washington, and New Mexico in the United States. He also directs for the theater and is the director of Blythlyway Productions. Blythlyway Productions Company is comprised of international actors and has staged four World Premier full lenght plays including: DIRT ON A SIMPLE WHITE DRESS and DAILY WE COMMUTE OUR SENTENCE.

What's going on?

The intention is to gather a group of students and community members together who are interested in developing new Drama. Writers, Actors, and anyone interested in the stage is invited to start attending weekly seesions. Those interested in short story writing are also encouraged to attend as one of the primary focuses will be the use of dialogue in the written form.

ALL ARE WELCOME TO THESE FREE ACTIVITIES.

Congo-Nya on stage.

This is the photo I would use for an album cover. Emblazen Conga-Nya across the top.

Two singers join the group half way through the show. They sing songs with lyrics which include the following:
Can we do it, Yes We Can.
Can we do it, You know we can.
Can we do it, Yes we can.
We all are one.

and

Do you give to the poor?
When ever I can afford.
Do you carry you brother's burdens?
When it is overload.
Do you take your neighbor's own?
I never did so.
Alright you qualify, So GO.
Which is I think a fairly good invitation to humanity.

St. Theresa Primary school. The children are impressed.

I spent the last week visiting primary and secondary schools with the Congo-Nya Cultural Foundation. They perform shows using the hand made drums seen here. Braks is the leader of the group and his son is the leader of the band (he is the second from the left). It was an impressive week of teaching children and quite a lot of fun.

The old New Amsterdam Hospital.

Four horses.

The football field behind the Prison Officers club and near Scott's School ground. I started playing with the New Amsterdam Veterans Squad last week. I just make the grade as I turned 35 in the last year. They play tournaments and practise twice a week on a full field with goals. Once I started running and shooting at full goals again it is hard to want to play on the small field. I am trying to figure out how to both play in the Standpipe pick up games and with the veterans team.

Brak's Kitchen. One of the best times to talk to Brak is in his kitchen in the afternoon. The house usually is less crowded and the kitchen is off the flow of foot traffic. It is all open to the air. In the dry seasons he cooks outside around the corner. Two propane burners, a blender, and a cooler. There is no running water in the house and the electric current is spliced off of the nearest (and last) pole on the grid. Sometimes there is no water outside at the stand pipe for a few days. Occasionally the power company sends workers out to cut the spliced lines. It is a really welcoming place, full of grace and surrounded by growing vegetables.

Joe's Bar. You can see the whole place in this picture. Except the window sills through which people lean in from the outside and become inside. Joe was a detective in the police force for 15 years. Game of dominos anyone?