Pilgrimage of Trust in Nairobi

Mazzoldi House is "home" for the Apostles of Jesus, the religious order that hosted my stay in Nairobi. It is the order that has provided priests to Bomu since 1996, including Fr. Okech and Frs. Mutiso and Wanjala.

The brothers collecting for prayer.

The youth from Bomu at Taize. From left to right across the top they are: Crispinus, Baraza, Doreen, Thomas, Dan, Felilcia A, Steve (now chairman), Anne, host person, Edwin, Thomas (former chhairman), and Collins (starting the Dominican Seminary in the fall 2009). Seated are Caroline and two host persons.

My host family in Banana, in the Karuri district: Georgina being held by her Mom, Trizza, Antony holding a neighbor child, Mama Margaret, Rose, and Risper, being held by me.

The Icon on the right is a symbol of friendship. A copy of the Icon was distributed by the brothers to each of the nations of Africa represented at the Pilgrimmage.

Frank's Journal 12/6/08

Duffy's birthday! I called and sang happy birthday to my beloved. For the next two months she is only one year younger than me, which means she is catching up to me, right?

This afternoon we met with the "bore hole" driller, the individual who has given us the quote for the well. I now have an understanding of what he can do, what he recommends, and what he will charge. Essentially, he can provide a tower to provide water to the community, which has a lot of challenges in a place where people buy their water in 5 gallon containers, for the pice

Frank's Journal 12/7/08

Sunday. I attended the 8:30 morning mass, which is run by the youth group. They are the ushers, the readers, they bring up the gifts, etc. Fr. Mutiso was afraid that Fr. Wanjala would run into the next mass, since he likes to give longer homilies, but he finished by shortly after 10.

That was followed by the 10:30 mass, which they call high mass. You have to see the pictures of this! At the gospel, the woman who processed in with the gospel carried it in a plastic tub with her infant daughter sitting in the tub with it. There was, of course, lots of singing and dancing. These folks absolutley enjoy their liturgies. Maybe there's a lesson in there for us somewhere.

At 2:30pm, Consolata stopped by to take me to her small church community meeting. She was early, to allow us time to stop at her house, meet her three daughters, and spend a few minutes talking. She served me a Coke, which I have learned is viewed by your host as a blessing on her and her family. The jumalya (sp?) was a lot of fun. They begin with a rosary, then do the coming Sunday's readings, then whoever wants gets up and relates what that reading says to them. Even though they were talking in Swahili, you could get a sense of what they were saying and their conviction was very evident. They asked me to say something about the reading and I told them the story of Athanasius, the "black dwarf" who was so influential in the early church's Christology, and how he said you know that Christ is God because the people, who know there is only one God, pray to him. I told them they are the discerners of truth about God so I wanted to listen to them. At the end of the meeting they take roll. If you are absent, they try to find out why. They told me that Duffy and I were enrolled as members the last time we were here and that we have been absent with apologies since. They then collected dues, 100KSh per person per month. I paid up my share for 2008, but told them they would have to collect from Duffy themselves, since I am in Group A and she is in Group B. (The group has about 56 members divided into 2 groups).

Frank's Journal 12/8/08

Today I laughed, cried, was inspired, and was outraged, in the first 4 hours of the day.

After breakfast, Sylvester, the youth group chairman when we came to Mombassa in 2005, met me at the rectory and took me to the CRS nurse, Scolastica. We also met one of the Health Care Workers, the volunteers who assist Scolastica. We visited around 20 patients in their homes. We would visit 4 or so with one HCW, visiting the patients she saw regularly (usually several times a wseek and sometimes they visit the HCW at her home since they all live in the same neighborhood), then she would drop off and in 3 minutes or less another HCW was with us. We walked throughout most of the neighborhood that comprises Bomu parish.

The first person we saw was lying on her couch, unable to get up to greet us. She was extremely thin, literally just skin and bones. She was in fairly advanced stages of HIV when she first came to Scolastica, which limits how much can be done to help her. She had no food in the apartment, and she had not eaten at all today, and perhaps for an indeterminate time before that.

Scolastica explained that she needs to take food with the meds prescribed for HIV. Therefore, she had not been taking the meds. We did not have anything to give her to eat. Scolastica often has something at the parish, millet or maize flour or beans, etc., but she ran out last week. We decided to come back later in the day after getting something for her.

I guess the blog isn't big enough to allow me to describe each person we visited. Most of the patients are HIV suffers, although not all. Scolastica checks their meds to see if they are running low and to determine if they are being faithful to the prescription regimen, checks their general physical and mental health, and prescribes meds if they need them.

One woman we visited had had a "C" section in 2004. It looked like the doctors had not closed up the muscles and viscera when they did the operation. She was wearing an elastic girdle to support her abdomen. When she pulled it down, her stomach protruded as if she swallowed a soccer ball. The hospital told her it would take about 30,000 KSh to fix the problem (about $400). Listening to her describe how they kept putting her off when the problem first manifested, right after the surgery, you have to wonder if they could or would fix the problem if she had the operation. I certainly have no medical training but it looked to me that, after 4 years, they would need some fairly sophisticated surgery to correct the problem and taking her back to the same place that caused the problem would more likely cure the problem by killing the patient. That was my moment of outrage, a medical system that turns its back on its own mistakes.

We also talked to a young lady (late teens) who had an ulcerous infection on her leg. Her leg was pretty swollen and if she did not have blood poisoning, it sure appeared that it was going to happen in the near future. She told Scolastica that she had not gone to the hospital because she was afraid that when they tested her and found out that she had HIV, they would tell her parents. If her parents found out, she believed they would expel her from the family. Scolastica told her how to get the treatment she needed without that disclosure to her parents, and prescribed some antibiotics for her to take until she got herself to the hospital.

The saddest moment of several throughout the morning was a young man who appeared to have something like Parkinson's Disease. His head, hands, arms, legs and feet shook constantly, and he could barely walk. When we walked into his complex, he was sitting on a pile of rubble with his head on his hand and he would not look up at us. We went into his apartment and his cousin told us that he got malaria earlier in the year, and had been like this since. He had been to the hospital, and they could not find what was wrong with him. He could not answer our questions, though he tried and clearly understood, because he was shaking so badly. He sat in a chair facing me and after a few minutes of unsuccessfully trying to communicate, he looked up to me with eyes filled with hope, pleading, and despair, all at once. I held my head down and fought the tears. Scolastica said there is nothing we can do and asked if I would pray for him. So we all stood around him and begged God to help him.

Our last patient was like the first, an HIV sufferer who had no food and could barely sit up. The apartment was the worst I have seen. There were holes in the roof, an iron table with a large hole rusted through the middle, squalid living conditions and only one piece of furniture in the room, the couch/bed on which she was lying. She clearly had had nothing to eat. As we left I gave the HCW money (none of them carry money on their rounds) and she bought food for this patient and the first one we visited.

I have never been closer to a Mother Teresa. This nurse is firm with patients that are not following her advice, but she left almost every person we visited smiling when we left. She combined humor with a practical optimism that brightened their day, even in the suffering. Her faith is a taken for granted aspect of her work with the patients, as is their faith (Christians and Muslims). To everyone she introduced me as "brother deacon Frank."

I told Scolastica that I would ask our committee to come up with a system of sending her money through the committee to buy her own supply of food. That way, when she makes her rounds, which she does twice a week, she can have food on hand to feed the starving. A small amount of money can do a great deal of good in her hands.

At 4:00pm, Jack Odhiambo picked me up to go to his jumulya (sp?). We followed the same format that we did the evening prior, except that it was pretty short. One of their members was getting married this weekend, so they wanted to spend their time together planning for the wedding.

After evening mass, the youth group stopped by to say good-bye, followed by Consolata, Mary, and Elizabeth (the Mt. Philomena small church community, followed by Peter, Sebastian, and Jack. It's hard saying farewell to such good people with whom I have become so close.

Frank's Journal 12/9/08

This morning, after the mass concluded, I told the people, "Kwaheri, dada zangu na ndugu zangu," good-bye my sisters and brothers. After mass, Consolata came up to me and told me she had something to say but that she couldn't because she was going to start crying. I felt the same way.

Fr. Mutiso and I caught the bus to Nairobi at 9:30am. It was longer going back than coming to Mombassa. On the way there was the expectation of things to come, reunions with old freinds to make, and the excitement of the unknown. None of that was there for the return voyage. Mombassa temperatures are low 90's each day, so the trip was a bit hot, but not bad. We arrived in Nairobi at 6:00pm, the last 90 minutes of which were spent either stopped or crawling in Nairobi's rush hour gridlock.

Fr. Okech picked us up. After dropping our things in our rooms, we went out to eat. Fr. Dennis, head of the Apostles of Jesus seminary, accompanied us. It was the first restaurant prepared meal since coming to Kenya.

I must confess that it was real nice sleeping in the cooler evening temperatures of Nairobi. I perspired all night every night in Mombassa. Temperatures in the evenings are in the 60's, real pleasant.

Frank's Journal 12/5/08

Reviewing these posts, I apologize for the number of typos but these keys stick from use and the humid climate.

Night before last, I was talking with Collins and other young men. They were trying to brainstorm ideas on how to get into business for themselves. Jobs are impossible unless your family is connected somehow. Collins has been accepted into the Dominican seminary; he's not a dull light. In any event, a couple of ideas they had was an internet cafe, which have been busy every time I go, or a copycenter. They pointed out that the nearest place to xerox something was miles away and the nearby schools would be immediate customers. The problem, of course, is start up capital, for training (especially for a copycenter), for machinery, and for rent. Next to HIV, I think unemployment is Kenya's biggest problem.

This morning I met first with the HCWs (Health Care Workers) volunteers who minister to the sick, primarily HIV sufferers. There were about 30 of them at the meeting. The HCWs are trained, primarily by Elizabeth, parish chairperson (and a lady with her fingers in lots of pies), to provide medicines and other support to their patients. They explained to me that HIV carries a huge stigma. Apparently, the government initially denied disease, buried the dead in paper coffins away from the others, and otherwise ostracized the sufferers. There is also a vestigal culture of superstition and belief in evil spirits and minor deities that fuels the stigma. Those with HIV are reluctant to come into the clinics and the parish clinic because they fear people will know why they are there, so the HCWs go to them.

The HCWs shared the challenges they encounter in their ministry: people blaming them for not being able to do more, people who refused to take the drugs or who stop taking the drugs when they start feeling better, people so stigmaticized by the disease that they are rejected by their community and families (you can't understand the devastation of this until you experience the pervasiveness of family and community in all aspects of this culture), finding people dead on their visits (often from starvation). They also talked about the blessings: feeling that they are doing God's will, the training allows to better medically assist their own families, the children (particularly the orphans) run out to greet them as they come into the neighborhoods.

One of the biggest needs is food. As people get progressively sicker, they are unable to get money for food, they are abandoned by family and community, and they starve to death. If St. Stephen's wanted to do something to help in this area, I asked for the best procedure. They said to go through the parish priest. Two kilos (about 4.5 lbs.) of unga, the flour from which they make ugali, costs about 100 KSh (about 75 KSh equals $1). Something for the committee to consider.

They also wanted us to consider something to recognize the HCWs. They have a mostly thankless job, they are poor themselves, and they really don't get much recognition from the parish. I asked Scolastica to get me their names to bring back with me and told them I would present the idea to our committee for consideration.

The next meeting tore my heart out. I met with the Tekelezo Support Group, HIV sufferers who meet weekly to try to find ways to assist themselves. Most HIV sufferers do not belong to the group because of the stigma. The are led by a pretty, rail thin, young woman who matter-of-factly told me that their biggest challenge is getting food when they are down with opportunistic infections. She told me that mostly they die in their homes; as they are sick they are unable to get money or food and they die. She is the only person in the group who talked. The others mostly just averted their eyes.

One way they try to survive is by making soap. They make the soap then sell to any member who wants it at cost. They buy 3 or 4 bars and resell them at 10 or 15 KSh per bar profit. Try living on that. Forgive me for doing this without consulting the committee but I gave them enough money to make 2 boxes of soap, about 200 bars, and told them to insert them into the next shipment of carvings. I told them we would sell the soap here, then send to Sammy Opatta, their treasurer, the proceeds. They will use the money to loan to members to get them started in their own small businesses, to support themselves.

On a much more upbeat note, we met at the parish hall at night for a feast. Most of the parish committess and groups were present, including the partnership committee. It was, like last time, awesome. We (Thomas) took lots of pictures which Duffy will (I hope) be able to post when I return. If you are reading this and haven't been here, you really need to consider it. It is an absolutely awesome experience. I keep telling them that white men can't dance but they won't believe me and invite me into their celebrating. For our Kenya Day celebration at St. Stephen's I collected the names of all of the dishes they served - a lot of variety and all of it good.

Saturday I meet with the committee to discuss the well and other issues. I have no idea how long the meeting will last but I suspect it will be into the evening.

Frank's Journal 12/4/08

After returning to the parish, and after lunch, I told Fr. Mutiso that I was going to go to the Cyber Cafe that is about 8 blocks from the parish. He called Thomas, and Thomas and Charles went with me. Thomas is about 6 feet, and Charles is another 3 inches taller. I asked Charles what would happen if I were taking this walk alone and someone jumped out to mug me, would people stand by and watch. He laughed and assured me that the mugger would quickly get "roughed up" by the people in the neighborhood. I am safer here than I am dirving 95 to work each day.

Just before the eveneing mass, Consolata came up to me and I quickly called Duffy. The intense joy in her facial expression was amazing. Even over upteen thousand miles and an ocean, the love being shared as they talked was tangible.

At dinner night before last, we ate during a black out. They occur frequently, and this one affected the entire country for 7 hours. Fr. James talked about trying to deliver 3 homilies during a black out and spending the next couple of days voiceless as a result. It also means no light in the church in the evenings, and when the well is installed it will mena no water. We have had 4 blackouts since I have been here.

Today, Fr. Mutiso, Joseph, and I went shopping for a generator. We related our requirements to the staff at the place selling the generators. After they figured out what the parish needed, he gave us the price. Just by "coincidence," the price he quoted us is almost exactly the contribution I intended to give to the church, seeking and praying for guidance as to what to do with it. (When I preside at marriages and sometimes at baptisms, people give me monetary gifts, which I have been saving for this purpose. I brought it with me in cash, dollars, to use when I figured out what to do with it, which I have been praying about since I got here.) We had some difficulty in getting the bank to convert that much cash in dollars to Kenya Schillings, particularly since I left my passport at the parish, so we decided that we would wire the money to the parish upon my return. (Maybe it's the St. Stephen's Father's Club shirt I am wearing that makes them think I might be a drug dealer!)

This afternoon, Charles and I took a mutatoo (minibus/taxi) into Mombassa to get prints of the Taize and other pictures. That gave me the opportunity to make this entry as we wait for the pictures to be printed. The mutatoos are fun to watch. One person drives while another hangs out the side door looking for prospects. They are real hustlers as they weave in and out of traffic, picking up, discharging, and hawking for passengers.

Got to go for now. In case anyone is wondering, yes, I am homesick, but I am surrounded by lots of people who consider me to be part of their family too. And I have to say that I really do feel God with me as well.

Frank's journal 11/30/08

Today the significance and scope of what the Taize community did in Nairobi struck me, to use a cliché, like a bolt of lightning.
This morning, we gathered in our host parishes to celebrate mass with them, to thank them for their hospitality, and to praise the God that brought them together. There were representatives of Uganda and Tanzania there, but the vast majority of them were Kenyan. Most significantly, many of the youth from Kenya were Luo, one of the tribes most involved in the post-election violence of a year ago. The area where we were staying was almost exclusively Kikuyu, the tribe that was fighting with the Luu. Just 12 months ago, our youth from Bomu (as well as many of us at St. Stephen’s) were praying for God’s protection for their church and its members – the priests and many of the parishioners at Bomu were Luu and the Kikuyu in Mombassa were threatening to burn down the church and attack its members. The feelings of animosity, distrust, and fear are still just below the surface. There were atrocities on both sides.
After mass, we said good-bye to our host families. There was a lot of hugging, some tears, and lots of exchanges of “contact” information. The affection developed between the host families and their guests was tangible. Nobody wanted to actually go, so they started moving into small groups, discussing and processing the experience. The small group I gathered with, half participants and half hosts (all of whom were also participants), sat together in the shade and asked each other two questions: what did I get from Taize and what did I get from the experience of living with another family. When they talked about Taize, they were fuzzy. Everyone was positive, and all took something from praying with the brothers, but it was difficult for them to articulate just what it was about Taize that was edifying to them. But what dominated the conversation was the effect of living with a family from another part of the state, and another tribe.
I wish I had the talent to be able to convey the love that these young people were sharing with each other. Luu were living with Kikuyu. Kikuyu were treating Luu as privileged members of their own families. These are very small houses, and everything one does or says is known by everyone else in the house. Thomas, the chairman of the Bomu youth group, said it best. He said he came here with a great deal of fear. These Kikuyu people were violent people, and he was afraid to trust them. Today he had a very emotional separation from his Kikuyu family, who told him expressly that they wanted him to return and to live with them when he does. He offered the same hospitality to them, asking them to come visit Mombassa, to stay with him and his family. Two families had become joined, with strong and deeply felt bonds of love.
This weekend a flower of hope blossomed in Kenya. I don’t know if the Taize brothers planned this, or if this was an intended result. Maybe they just did as they were led by the Holy Spirit and trusted to God for the results. Whichever, the result was a beautiful flower that is one step in the process of healing a nation.
I suspect that once I get back home I am going to open my email to a blizzard of new emails. I have given my email address to about a hundred Kenyans, Ugandans, Tanzanians, Sudanese, and others.

Frank's Journal 11/29/08

Frank’s Journal 11/29/08


Crispinus led the morning prayer service. I wish I could bring back some of the musical talent in this group. At least a dozen of them are good soloists, and almost all of them sing well enough to form a pretty good choir. The format is to pray together with song, prayer, and scripture. Once again, there was no need to try to find someone to lead either prayer or song. One of them just did it.
Following the program, a workshop and small group discussion is supposed to follow the prayer service. Instead, Crispinus invited each parish to take time to plan their participation in tomorrow’s liturgy. They broke into their respective groups and choreographed the dances they would do tomorrow. It really is unbelievable to watch. They worked on a few moves, having a tremendous amount of fun in the process (what a joy it is just to watch), then put together two dances to do, one for the entrance and one for the presentation of the gospel. It really got interesting when they decided that Grandpa would do the dance with them. (American bishops pay attention; Americans, even white ones, can dance in liturgically appropriate forms. We need to loosen up!)
We arrived at Taize pretty close to being on schedule to have lunch. We ate pilau (sp?), a Kenyan dish that is primarily rice, but has meat and vegetables in it. Again, Taize stayed true to its tradition of simplicity in the meals. The afternoon prayer service was called to order with songs led by the Kenyan choir they developed on the first day of the pilgrimage. When the tent was half or two thirds full, the brothers came out to take up their positions in the center, and to bring the tone of the service to the quiet, meditative prayer of Taize. The Kenyans, however, can sing and dance, with vigor and enthusiasm, for hours, and they were just getting started. (TIA, after all.) I don’t know if the brothers were experiencing a few moments of stress, but it was obvious in the staff members from the expressions on their faces and their body language. It didn’t take long, however, and we were having a typical Taize prayer service, with prayer around the cross.
The afternoon workshop repeated the program from the previous day and as with yesterday, the most popular “workshop” was really entertainment as the groups from different parts of Kenya and other countries from Africa did dances and songs from their communities. Although the “workshop” was supposed to end at 3:30, at 4:30 they had to wrap it up so they could get dinner started. Crispinus did his usual entertaining by bringing members from various communities and countries to the group to introduce them. It dawned on me that he was not only fulfilling one of the goals of the pilgrimage, introducing people from different cultures, but he was filling a book of “contact” information from some very attractive African women.
We went back to our parishes without difficulty, and Mama Margaret regaled us yet again with a feast. Today, however, I was a little smarter and ate sparingly for lunch and supper, so I didn’t go to bed completely stuffed. You really have to experience this to appreciate what an African woman can do without a stove or a microwave. Georgina was there, although Trizza had to work a night shift, and I had fun trying to get her to say Grandpa, instead of Baba. She kept us all cracked up.
Everyone was tired and went to bed early. Tomorrow we will have to get up a little early, we have to be at the church at 9, so getting to bed early was wise.

Frank's Journal 11/27/08

Arrived in Nairobi yesterday night, late. Fr. Mutiso, Fr. Joseph, and Jack Ouda (Fr. Joseph Okech’s cousin) greeted me at the airport. They took me to Mazzoldi House, the HQ for the Apostles of Jesus, the order to which Fr. Okech and Fr. Mutiso belong. I spent a very pleasant evening. Temps were just right for comfortable sleeping.
After breakfast, Fr. Joseph took me to Mary, Queen of the Apostles, where the Taize Pilgrimage of Trust was being held. I was met there by Thomas Odhiambo, the chairperson of the youth group from Bomu. There were several thousand (5,000?) young people there, from 15 different African nations, as well as a sprinkling of white folks from Europe and North America. The Taize brothers had erected three large tents that were not large enough to hold the throng. I got there just as the prayer service was starting and Thomas and I sat just outside the tent to pray in Taize’s unique meditative fashion. From there we went to a workshop on “Discovering God’s call.” There had to be a good 1,000 young people at this workshop.
Bomu has 15 members of the youth group there: Thomas Odhiambo, Crispinus Ingesi, Baraza Frederick, Edwin Owino, Doreen Kilui, Felicia Anna, Eunice Awimo, Caroline Oluoch, Anne Agatha, Dan Mwaro, Charles Agoro, Regina Mwamdoe, Colliins Randiki, Steve Akanga, Thomas Owino.
You cannot be unimpressed with the open faith of these young people. They are mostly twenty-somethings, although there are a fair number of those in their late teens. Dinner was Taize simple, a rice and stew mix that tasted fine. There were no complainers in the group. That was followed by evening prayer and transportation to our host parishes.
Taize set it up so that each of the participants stayed in the home of a host family for the evening, being transported to and from the host parish by bus. The Bomu youth were split between two parishes, one close to the event and one in Kiruri, which was about 20 kilometers from Nairobi. The bus reide was pretty close to an hour.
Crispinus and I stayed at the home of Mama Margaret Njeri. She has four children, Trizza Wanyika (24) and her daughter Georgina (3), Antony Kinungi (18), Rose Wanjiro (13), and Risper Wambui (8). Trizza and Georgina were not with us the first night, as they live closer to town. The walk to Mama Margaret’s is about a mile, all hills. Antony had mercy on me, though, and we took a cab, which cost Sh150. Antony would not allow me to pay, and I know that if zi tried to press the point I would be insulting him. The culture of hospitality here is very strong.
The house is a solid cement structure that is two stories high but the top story is not used because the cement used is too porous to keep out the water, so they use just the first story. It is a townhouse, one of four. The compound has another similar structure facing our house. Inside, it has a living room, 3 bedrooms (tiny), a loo (a porcelain hole in the floor), and a bath. We ate ugali, watched the news and sports, then I took a shower – a small tub a third filled with water you splash on yourself.
When Mama Margaret served the food, she made sure that Crispinus and I were served first and most. The just plain goodness of these people is striking; it fills you up in a warm and very welcoming way. They treat you immediately as a member of their family.

Frank's Journal 12/3/08

After breakfast, Fr. Mutiso and I went to meet with Br. Frank, a meeting we set up yesterday when we met him. He told me the history of Aids relief in Kenya. Some years ago, a Maryknoll brother, Brother John, was asigned to St. Steven's to assist the pastor, Joseph Okech. Brother John started a program through CRS, providing medicines to HIV sufferers through the parish. To overcome the problem of patients who stopped the course of medications when they started feeling better, instead of completing it as prescribed, he put together a group of volunteers to go to the patients' homes to check on them, and to see if any other needs were there. That is now the program followed throughout Africa by hundreds of volunteers - and it started at St. Steven's Bomu. And I came here thinking I would try to put together a program for them! Another unknown fact about Fr. Okech, a pretty amazing guy.

Br. Frank also told me that the problem with shipping items to Kenya, whether clothing, bicycles, or whatever, is that when it arrives, in order to pick it up they have to pay a tax that is essentially equal to the value of the goods. The last two containers that came in were just left on the docks because they could not afford to pick them up. He said the better course is simply to send money and let the people here buy whatever is needed. One exception to this is computers, which come in duty free.

I'll finish this later but while I was here I thought I would send this in.

Frank's Journal 12/2/08

Fr. Mutiso and I met with Archbishop Lele at 9. We then went with the Archbishop, who is a genuine people person, to a meeting where I met the Director of CRS and a Brother Frank, who is the Archdiocesan Chief of Finance and the guy who oversees the CRS programs. We set up a meeting with Br. Frank for tomorrow.

BAck at the parish I met Scolastica and Alice, nurses who oversee the CRS HIV assistance program at St. Steven's. Alice told me that anyone who suffers from HIV can present themself and get medicines for the opportunistic infections and the ARVs necessary to combat the effects of HIV. Scolastica oversees a group of 40 St. Steven's volunteers who provide follow up to treatments to ensure that the patients complete the drug regimens. Scolastica also has a small amount of food and clothing she gives out to those in dire straits.

I met Mama Consalata and Mary Adhiambo at the evening mass. They both told me to tell Duffy that they miss her. It was really good to see and pray with them again. At supper Fr. James, in paying me a compliment, really complimented the people of his parish. He told me it was apparent that I had a lot of friends here. In reality, it is the people of St. Stevens. They made us adopted family members the last time we were there and the experience now is like being a family member who has been away for three years. You just can't overstate the joy the people of Bomu share with you when you are with them.

December 1, 2008

Frank arrived in Bomu Monday evening after an 8 hours bus ride from Nairobi. He and Thomas enjoyed the hours sharing their experiences and stories. Frank says that the road has been greatly improved and his back held up quite well. They were greeted by Fr. Mwenga the associate pastor of St. Steven Bomu and shortly after arriving at the parish rectory the partnership committee chairmen greeted him. Frank will be staying in the rectory with Fr. Mutiso and Fr. Mwenga. Tuesday Frank has a meeting with Bishop Lele. He plans to visit the many parishioners of St. Steven as well as with the various CRS programs in motion in the area. He also plans to speak with the geological company who will be doing the drilling for the well.

News from the weary pilgrim

A very tired deacon called me this afternoon (9 pm his time). The pilgrimage concluded with hopeful visions of carrying the experience of being bonded to the family of Christ from other tribes, from varying denominational faiths, and from distance lands back to each person's respective home. Pilgrims traveled from all over Kenya and neighboring African countries representing the tribal communities that make up this vast continent. Those who less than a year ago rioted against one another shared meals, homes, and prayers together during the time of this pilgrimage. The deep affection for their new family was profoundly and openly expressed as the 7,000 young people began their journeys back to their homes. Through the great strength of hospitality which the Kenyans are known for, barriers have been broken and a new understanding of and appreciation for one another begins to bear fruit... the same hospitality that has welcomed and cared for Frank.



Never for a minute did Frank ever encounter anything other than welcome, peace, and assistance. The people of Bomu never left his side being sure that he was always finding his way. Tonight Frank will sleep at the Apostles of Jesus house (Fr. Joseph will be arriving at this same house next week!) with Thomas, the leader of the young adults of St. Steven Bomu, who will travel back to Mombasa with him. Tomorrow they will journey to Mombasa by bus, escaping the bumpy all-night journey by matatu that the young people of Bomu are traveling by tonight.

Frank hopes to access the internet once he arrives in Mombasa and will begin entering his own journal entries and hopefully share some of his photos with us. Thank you for journeying with him through your prayers and interest!

News from Taize: "Sharing Hope"

In Nairobi: "Sharing hope"--------------------------------------------"Sharing hope" is the theme of the stage of the Pilgrimage of Trust that is taking place at this very moment in Nairobi, Kenya. Lasting till Sunday 30 November, the meeting has brought together 7000 young adults between 18 and 30 years of age from the different provinces of Kenya and from other African countries. (Plus Frank!!) The meeting has been prepared over the past year by brothers of the Taizé Community with a team of volunteers from different continents, in collaboration with youth chaplains from the Nairobi Churches. Over 120 young people have come from Europe, Asia and North America. The first arrivals began on 15 November, to take part in immersion programs in different towns and villages in the Nairobi Region.The program of this international meeting consists mainly of times of celebration, prayer and sharing. The main venue is in the grounds of Queen of Apostles Minor Seminary (Thika Road, Ruaraka). The morning program takes place in the 80 parishes and church congregations and religious institutions where the participants are receiving hospitality. Young people from the host parishes enable their guests to discover "places of suffering and hope" as well as the commitment and the initiatives of the "people of hope" in their neighbourhood.Brother Alois along with several Taizé brothers is taking part in the Nairobi event. The Archbishop of Nairobi, Cardinal John Njue, was present during the evening prayer on 28 November. Other church leaders from various denominations were also expected to take part in some of the prayers. http://www.taize.fr/en_article7659.html



Catherine is part of the welcome team: "Wednesday 26: This has been a day of welcome, which continues after the sun has set. Tomorrow, in the light of day, we will discover how many have joined us. For now, we know that we have been blessed with visitors from Uganda and Rwanda, from Mozambique and Sudan, and from many other countries in Africa and beyond. Of course, many groups are also travelling from provinces across Kenya - Kisii and Nyahururu, Machakos and Mombasa - and from the suburbs of Nairobi itself.The Kenyan tradition of offering hot sweet chai (tea) to visitors seemed unaltered by the sheer quantities involved. And it was gratefully received by many weary travellers - one young man I spoke to had been on the road from Burundi since Monday. Others were returning from fruitful times with families in rural parishes during their 'pre-meeting' stay.In one of our prayers this week, we heard the story of the widow who gave two copper coins - "She, out of her poverty, gave everything". In many ways the welcome that the young people receive here, in parishes and in families, echoes this gospel. In fact, it goes further – Catholic parishes welcoming members of the Pentecostal Church; Anglicans welcoming those from the Presbyterian Church of East Africa. Once again the barriers that exist are called into question..." http://www.taize.fr/en_article7677.htmlPhotos of the Nairobi meeting: http://www.taize.fr/en_article6975.html

Frank arrives in Nairobi

We received a call from Frank this morning. He has arrived in Nairobi and was standing in line for dinner with about 5,000 others. I wonder if they were serving turkey??!! He is 9 hours ahead of our time. Keep the prayers coming!!!

Check out the Taize website for lots of cool pictures and articles about the pilgrimage!

http://www.taize.fr/en_article6975.html

Got some bad news this morning. Leanne, after consulting with family and friends, and a discernment process that St. Francis or St. Ignatius would be proud of, decided she would defer her trip to Bomu to another time. Duffy picked up my visa this afternoon at the Kenyan Embassy (sacrificing her day to accommodate my last minuteness) so I am ready to make the trip. Now I just need to pack!

Frank's Journal 11/23/08

Leanne and I met this evening, with Duffy as our guide, to get last minute details ironed out. Our friends in Bomu are emailing us to assure us that we will be met at the airport. I hope to be able to communicate regularly while there, which is going to depend on our internet access.

God is great and I can't wait until Tuesday!!

preparation for the Pilgrimage of Trust at the Queen of Apostles Seminary in Nairobi

http://www.falsebaydiocese.org.za/news/article_67.shtml

Frank's Itinerary:

• November 25 - 26 Departs BWI 1:40 p.m. EST Arrives Nairobi 9:35 p.m. EAT
• November 26 - 30 attends the Pligrimage of Trust in Nairobi with 45 young adults from St. Steven Bomu.
• December 1 - 10 In Mombasa
• December 11- 12 Flies out of Mombasa Departs Nairobi 11:30 p.m. EAT Arrives Baltimore 4:40 EST.

Pilgrimage of Trust in Nairobi

Pilgrimage of Trust in Nairobi
26 to 30 November 2008

The announcement of the meeting came at dramatic time for Kenya. Each day the media brought news of the violence that followed the elections. Kenya and the victims of the troubles were very present in the prayer of the Geneva meeting.
Rev. Simon Githiora and Father Peter Muigai, responsible for youth ministry with the Presbyterians and Catholics of Kenya, had come to Geneva specially for the announcement of the Nairobi meeting. Two young people from Kenya, who had also come specially for the meeting, Japhet and Peter, followed on after Brother Alois: Japhet: We are happy to welcome an African stage in the “pilgrimage of trust on earth”. We will show you how young people support a hope in our country. You will see how important hospitality in families and communities is for us. Peter: We want to say to you all in Swahili: “Karibu Kenya, welcome to Kenya!”

For complete news regarding the pilgrimage:

http://http//www.taize.fr/en_article5793.html

Bomu 2008