Guests at Our Table

July 20, 2008

It seems that much time has passed since our last writing, but it may only have been a short time…. We’ll let you be the judges of that!

Let’s begin with the visitors we’ve had. It seems that all the religious women in this area are interested in visiting us… with an invitation to come HERE to dinner. Sister Rose Alba was our first formal visitor. She has been so helpful to us in many ways, so we asked if she would be able to come to our cottage for dinner at 6:00 PM. Her response was so typical of her candor. “At six o’clock? By bedtime my stomach (as she rubbed her tummy area) will be so empty!” Jo Ann immediately responded: “If we wait till 8:00 (THEIR regular time), our stomachs will be…” (at which time Jo mimed acid- reflux) at bedtime.” We all had a good laugh! She arrived for 6:00 dinner the following evening and we all had a very enjoyable meal….left-overs of spaghetti and meat sauce made by Pat H and Monica. We all enjoyed ourselves immensely.

Near the end of the meal Sister felt very hot (possibly a hot-flash) so Jo found her fan advertising the play “Menopause.” We all laughed, but then someone asked if she had herd of that word. She immediately replied “Yes,” then added that it meant “expired” or “off layers.” We tried to correct her, only to discover that she had the correct idea all along…. At menopause, the ovaries are expired, and are no longer laying eggs! Now how is that for a wonderful expression?

Another evening we were expecting Sister Mary, a sister who resides in Amuru where we are slated to go in September. We were very clear about the time…. “six of us at six PM.” Well, six o’clock came, then six fifteen, then… We decided she had forgotten. Just as we finished preparing a plate to save for her in case she showed up later, in walks Sister Mary… But she brought a companion. You should have seen us scramble to hide the prepared plate, to find another place setting and chair, and to make room at our already crowded table! You would have been proud of us!

Those who have ever visited Uganda (and maybe other parts of Africa), you will be happy to know that we purchased our first “Guest Book” to be signed by visitors. For those of you who do not know the custom…. Every place we have visited we have been invited to sign their guest book. In fact, if we visit one office and sign their book, you can be sure that we will be asked to sign again in every other office we went to! It becomes funny after a while, but is a custom. For the sake of archives, it might also be meaningful!

Lest you think we are suffering too much, you should know that Pat Haire has found a way to make wonderful fudge. Pat M has become the official spoon-licker, while Monica and Jo share the pot. We are a sight to behold…

Jo, Marion and Pat M are taking language lessons in Acholi. We have been very studious, but have had many a laugh at our attempts to pronounce a few new sounds… Our facial expressions, which are not necessary to correct pronunciation, when we are trying our hardest, often set off the giggles.

Our attempts to use the internet are still frustrating at every turn. Most of the time we cannot get on-line. When we ARE on-line, the power is likely to go off. Please understand if you have not heard from us personally. There are five of us sharing the computer (the only one that can get on-line in this house), so no one really has much of a chance to write much.

Pat H is still visiting two schools to work with some of the traumatized students. Monica spends time at St. Jude Orphanage with the youngest set of children, a couple of which were newborns, and also at the nursery area at Barogal. This latter place is near one of the camps, and holds tailoring classes for some of the young women (some child-mothers); the nursery cares for their children and other young ones in the camp. Pat M has begun teaching “business skills” to the tailoring class. Jo Ann has been working to try to get the Kairos Clinic completed on that campus so that it can be opened. This is the clinic that the St. Louis Province funded for construction a few years ago. In the meantime, Marion meets with teams of parish leaders who will be making the presentations to their parishioners and helps to structure and present material that is meant to focus on Eucharist and Family.

A week from today the five of us will be in Kampala for our “final fling” with Pat H and Monica before we take them to the airport in the evening. It doesn’t seem possible that two months will have passed by then! These two Sisters will be greatly missed both in our local community and in the places they have been serving.

We continue to encourage your prayer and concern for us and the people we serve. What these people have suffered is unimaginable. Yet, their faith is a constant inspiration to us. Till next time….

Jo Ann, Pat H, Monica, Pat M, and Marion