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.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
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.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
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!
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
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
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