We all know the expression – “chill out” – which means to simply relax and do nothing. Since I am on home-leave (from Papua New Guinea) – what better place to go and chill out than Antarctica!

For many years there has been a succession of priests from New Zealand taking turns to serve a month as Catholic chaplain in Antarctica. I am fortunate to be one of them – in January 2010.

Antarctica is the windiest, highest, driest, coldest place on earth. Everything seems large here. In all the Antarctica covers 14 million square kilometres. Making it the world’s fifth largest continent – about the size of Australia and Indonesia combined.

The sun disappears altogether for four months of the winter and never sets during the four months of austral summer. During my time the sun has been seen for 24 hours a day. Though it is “summer” the temperature ranges from freezing to -30C.

I have served as chaplain with Mass, bible studies, group discussion and generally being available pastorally to the one thousand people at McMurdo Base and the two hundred and fifty workers. Others are pilots or flight crew. Many are scientists. Some consider themselves religious – others not.

Probably I am the first SVD to serve on this continent. I guess that means that now the SVD work on all seven continents of God’s creation.

In Goroka in the Eastern Highlands Province, PNG, World AIDS Day was a special day to remember those who are the victims of HIV & AIDS. Some people who are HIV positive or have HIV positive family members have become members of a support group organized by the Mercy Works Organization. The group is known as The Minivava, meaning “stay a long time” in the local language. At present there are 43 members, including the young and the children. Br Aloysius Aisi, SVD, works closely with Minivava On the evening 30th November a Candlelight Gathering was held in the local Youth Centre Hall to remember friends, husbands, wives, children or parents who had already gone from their side. Many people were in tears because it was a touching moment. The parish priest, Fr John Ryan,SVD, is very involved in this group. He lit the first candle and the light was passed on to all with candles. Many people including religious, health providers, non-government organizations and other supportive groups joined them.  The strength of the supportive net-work the Minivava has developed was evident.

The following day was a day of public celebrations and speeches. Many speakers praised the MINIVAVA group by saying: “Yu kamap profet tude” (You are truly prophets for today).The gathering or celebration ended up with lunch together provided by the Mercy Works.

In PNG a word of thank you is not enough. Therefore the organisers took the opportunity not only say thank you, but also do thank you to show their appreciation. Bilums (traditional string bags woven by the women) were presented to some persons and organization who support the project.

I hail from the Upper West Region of Ghana; one of the Southern Sahara countries in the Western part of Africa. I’m the first of four children of my parents. My mother is still alive but my father passed away a couple of years ago. I was born on the 1st December 1974, a few days before the feast of St Nicolas. The name Aazine literally means “who will stay”.

I join the SVD in 1997. I did philosophy in Tamale, Ghana and my Novitiate in Ghana. I took my first vows in 2000. One year of pastoral work in Ghana was a rich experience for me. I took my final vows and deaconate in 2005 at Nairobi, Kenya and was ordained a priest in 2006.

Fr Bill Burt visited Kenya and I overheard him talking about the Australia province to other confreres so I decided to eavesdrop a bit. Following the formal steps I was applied to work in Australia.  I was very excited when I received my letter of appointment but it took a frustrating year to get a visa.

Fr. Tim, the provincial, wanted me to familiarize myself with province while the decision about my ministry was made.  I remember going off to the chapel to pray that God might give me a beautiful place to work in.  The beautiful place I got was Alice Springs. I asked God “Is this your notion of beauty?” I remember one day saying to myself, I will never ask God to choose anything for me again. I will choose and ask him to grant it.

Before I left for Alice Springs, I met a few Ghanaians in Sydney who said they were Catholics but do not go to mass because it is ‘a little boring’ because it lacked the singing and dancing of Ghana. I suggested to them that the many missionaries who came to Ghana may have found our vigorous liturgy difficult to appreciate. My work with the Ghana Community is a source of strength for me and I get to speak my language and eat familiar food.

 After spending nearly two and half years in Alice Springs and I know it is indeed beautiful.