Christmas Visitors

Wulegi gum MABER pi mwaka manyen!

That is “We wish you many blessings in the New Year” in Acoli! Maybe we can be more faithful in updating this blog in 2009???
Here we are again… After Mass and breakfast on December 16, Marion, Pat, and Olanya George (our driver) headed down to Kampala. After doing some of our big shopping for items we can’t get in Gulu, we went to A.R.U. again for overnight accommodations. They weren’t quite ready for us, and it was about dark by the time we managed to get into our rooms. This time we were in the new building where we had self-contained rooms. Wouldn’t you know!!! The power went out shortly after that. It wasn’t so bad, though, since power had returned by the time we finished supper.

We had to rise at 5:00 am in order to get breakfast before we headed off to the airport. We were quite early in our arrival since there was very little traffic at that hour. We tried to get into the general parking lot, but they waved us away. Olanya George then stopped at the VIP lot for directions. They looked at us, and waved us into their lot!!! Was it our white faces that made us important? This was the first time we had been in the “arrival” part of the airport, so we enjoyed ourselves. Anyway, Sister Amy and Father Tom, her brother, arrived safely, and got through passport control and customs. After further shopping and eating, we all arrived back here in Gulu by 7:00 pm on December 17. It didn’t take Amy and Tom very long to collapse into bed, exhausted.

The next few days were a blur of activities and relaxation. Since both of our guests are “into” electronics and the internet, some of the time was spent up at the Catechists Training Center (CTC) where we can usually get connected. There was one day when we had to go into town to an internet café, though. We visited various places where the three of us residents have worked, and some video and oral interviews were taken… Marion was at the Office of the Pastoral Coordinator with Richard who assists the coordinator; Pat was at St. Joseph’s Primary School with Michael, the headmaster. We also visited with Dr. Alice with whom Jo Ann had been working. Some of that information will appear in one of the issues of Connections in 2009.

On Sunday, December 21, we hosted one of the local communities of Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate for Vespers and “tea.” Only two Sisters came (one was away and the other had other plans), but it was a good effort on our part, and was greatly appreciated. Marion planned the prayer to be similar to the formal vespers they are used to, but added in some sharing of the heart. We used “Holy Darkness” for a sung psalm refrain, and one of the Acoli Advent songs called “Bin Jesu, oyot,” Jesus come quickly. We hope to do more of these Vespers and tea affairs with the other communities around us. They have all been so good and welcoming to us.

Around 7:00 am the following morning Amy, Tom, Marion and Pat, Olanya George and his wife, Alice, started off to Paraa Safari Park via a town called Anaka where we were to meet up with Bishop Sabino as our park guide. Sister Jennifer, a Little Sister of Mary Immaculate (and the Bishop’s secretary) came along. Well, at Anaka we were invited to breakfast since the Bishop had just finished Mass. Picture this: fried chicken, French fries, porridge, bananas, eggs, bread, … We really didn’t need lunch after that! But when we had crossed the Nile on the ferry, and were waiting for the ferry to go to the other side, Bishop whipped out his camping cook stove and espresso pot. Jennifer cooked up some instant onion soup (over bread) and Bishop prepared his espresso! No one refused to eat soup! Most of the espresso was left behind as we hurried to catch the boat.

One of the interesting scenes on the trip was a group of elephants near the bank. One had a very young one with her and attempted to shield it from our sight. The group moved away from the river, but one of them turned around, trumpeted and “charged” at us, before backing away slowly! The entire trip was delightful. This was the first time on the Nile for Pat, Jennifer, and Alice.

While the view of the falls from the river Nile was beautiful, the next part of the trip was spectacular. Once we had disembarked from the river boat, we drove a distance to the TOP of the falls. It was too late in the day to see any rainbows, but the power and dynamic of the water was awesome!

Our evening was nearly gone by the time we arrived at our overnight accommodations… We only had time for a quick wash-up before a delicious dinner at 8:30 pm. By the time we took care of the finances there (a story in itself*), it was quite late considering we had to rise again at 5:00 am. After breakfast our real safari began under the leadership of our Bishop-guide.
Bishop Sabino knows the park inside and out because his father had worked there for many years. We were led to many areas that most people would never see, and heard stories that others would never hear. We ate lunch at the place where some of the park rangers live, very near the river in a secluded area. It was quite beautiful in spite of the presence of those dangerous tsetse flies. (None of us seems to have gotten sick from them.) On the way home we did what every Acoli person does… We stopped and visited several places to say hello!
The highlight of the day for Pat came near the end of the ride home… She is so sorry that she didn’t get a photo of it! Keeping in mind that the people of Northern Uganda celebrate Christmas by having meat (and this was the 23rd), the scene was priceless. There was a young man on a bicycle with a load of firewood strapped crosswise on the back. Sitting on top of that was a goose, tied and facing forward, turning its head left and right as if it were a sight-seer! Innocent, beware!

Christmas Eve passed in a blur… None of us can recall what happened that day, except that Marion found a fine piece of meat at the market! Christmas Day was a “lay low” day for all of us. There had been no Midnight Mass here at the Cathedral because most of the people walk great distances. Marion and Pat went to Mass at 7:30 am, where their regular church community would be. Archbishop Odama was the main celebrant, and the place was filled. With standing room only, many of the children were sitting in the sanctuary; at the end of Mass they then followed the Archbishop out in procession. They feel very close to him, and he to them! Tom was the main celebrant at the 10:00; Amy participated at that celebration.

At some point of that afternoon we all found our way to the CTC to connect to the internet. Usually, we have breakfast and lunch with the Bishops, but today we ate at home. Everyone pitched in for the main meal. Marion cooked the meat for about three hours on the “cigirit” (brazier). It was delicious and tender. The roast, mashed potatoes, gravy, cauliflower, and cold “disked” carrots were followed by a fresh fruit medley coated in vanilla yogurt! Truly a wonderful feast!

Before we had all separated (Tom was staying at the next door compound), we had two phone calls. One was Susan (in Minnesota) wishing us a happy Christmas, and the next was from Jo! We are certainly looking forward to her return! The day couldn’t have been nicer!
While the day after Christmas in the U.S. may be the day to return gifts and look for bargains, that isn’t so, here. Rather, it is the traditional day for all the sisters, brothers, and priests to gather at the major seminary for an all-day picnic. Each community is invited to bring some food. Marion fixed a large pot of spaghetti and meat sauce (fortunately, we had found the makings in Kampala). There was more food than you can imagine. It was a great way to meet more and more of the religious members who serve in this Archdiocese. Folks even came from some of the outlying regions. The music ranged from Handel’s Messiah to Country Western, with some traditional African pieces included! Most of us tried our feet at dancing!

Tired and happy, the four of us were sitting around the kitchen table around 8:00 pm, when we heard a voice outside calling “Sister.” Due to a miscommunication, we did not realize that the Archbishop and Bishop along with three of the priests were waiting for us to join them for supper – another one! We had understood that this particular dinner was to be the following Monday night! Needless to say, we weren’t very hungry, but we did our best. After dessert Amy, Marion and Pat did their best rendition of “Lo, How a Rose” for entertainment. (We had practiced it several times, but that was before eating … two dinners!) While it wasn’t the best we had ever done, they were all duly impressed. Then Marion brought out the bag of gift books she had prepared from her collection. One book had been specially selected for each of the men, with a short explanation as to why that book was chosen for them. That, too, was a big hit. They were all touched!

The full day was not quite over… As we left the dining area in the dark, Pat went first, then Marion, and then … Well, almost Amy. At that point Amy missed the drainage ditch and fell, twisting her foot in some way. We managed to get her home, elevated and iced the foot, and got her to bed. By morning she was convinced that there were no broken bones but there was pain (no swelling or bruising), but what it was, remained a mystery.

At breakfast on Saturday, Marion realized she had broken off part of a tooth, but she had a meeting to attend. Pat did the grocery shopping and then tried to find a pair of “walking sticks” (crutches) for Amy. It took about two hours to find a place that both had them and was open on Saturday. The physical therapy personnel even offered to come home and measure Amy here, but Pat declined. So Pat had to lie down and get measured! Then they subtracted the three inches we had determined was the necessary difference for Amy. When they brought a few example pieces out, Pat knew that they were still too tall, but without the patient they wouldn’t cut any more off. That would have taken at least another hour or two. Then came the bill…. Would you believe that for a pair of heavy, sturdy, hard-wood, hand-made crutches they charged 6,000 shillings? That amounts to about $3.84 in U.S. currency! That says a lot about the economy here! Pat had tried in vain to contact Dr. Alice that morning. She wanted to get some help in locating crutches. Well, later that afternoon, about 4:00 pm, Dr. Alice stopped by the house. She had seen the phone messages and offered to check on Amy. She stayed about a half-hour, filling us in on many aspects of Acoli history and politics. She felt that Amy would be alright within two days. She also gave Marion the name and location of a trustworthy dentist who works both here and in Kampala. How’s that for a friend!

On the 28th, we all headed to Amuru for Mass and a children’s party after Mass. We were again welcomed very warmly, with lots of “Apwoyo’s” and “Apwoyo matek!” That means they thanked us profusely for being willing to come and share with them… And that was before they knew about the party! The youth group had been prepared to organize the crowd of children. At an early count, there were nearly 500 children present under the age of eight, all standing in about nine lines, very orderly! It didn’t take long for many of the neighborhood children who were NOT at church to hear about the cookies and drinks being passed out! The numbers swelled. Marion’s friend had donated funds for this party; jump ropes and soccer balls were available (and supervised so they wouldn’t walk away!) so the children continued to have a good time for a while. We were then hosted by Father Santo for a delicious dinner at the rectory.
Monday, the 29th was the last day that Amy and Tom were with us in Gulu. After Mass, we were invited to the CTC for breakfast with Father Joseph, Ron, and Denise. Mmmmm… Pancakes, French toast, honey, butter (the real stuff), ….. But the conversation was even better. Ron and Denise have been doing research about the history and conditions of the people in this area independently of each other. Father Joseph is steeped in such history from his childhood. We all became much more aware of the complexity of the current situation involving several nations, politics and economy. What a richness we were given!

Marion talked to the dentist and made an arrangement with him for Tuesday in Kampala; Tom did some more interviews; Pat and Amy managed to get Amy’s crutches adjusted to make her travel a bit simpler. St. Joseph really provided for that! You see, St. Joseph’s Workshop was actually closed, but the worker, Michael, just happened to come in for something and took care of our project.

Lunch that day was the last meal that Amy would have over at the Archbishop’s table so we brought vanilla pudding for dessert. What a hit that was! It is one the Archbishop’s favorites, and the other members of this community also enjoy it. Just about everyone has a sweet tooth!
We again traveled to Kampala early on December 30. We had two additional travelers with us this time, so the car was really full. One of those travelers was Consolate, the lady who has been designated by the Archbishop to help us get our work permits for Uganda. So after lunch Marion, Pat and Consolate went to the immigration office, while Olanya George took Amy and Tom to see the Shrine of the Martyrs at Namugongo. We were NOT successful in getting the permits, although this was Consolate’s fifth trip to complete the process. So when the others returned for us, we just had time to get Marion to the dentist’s office where her tooth was repaired. After that we were all happy to get to A.R.U. where we would eat and stay for the night.

Very early on the last day of 2008 we headed for the Entebbe airport to wave off Amy and Tom. From there we returned to the Immigration Office where we were again given the run-a-round. However, because of the connections made through Consolate, a gentleman was identified who had all the information needed, and made a special trip to the center to give the permits to us. What a relief that was for all of us!!! After lunch at a place similar to a McDonald’s, we arrived home here in Gulu around 6:45 pm, only to be called over to the Archbishop’s for his annual New Year’s Eve party for all the priests and religious in the nearby area!

We can’t imagine that there was no revelry at midnight, but neither of us heard any of it! We were exhausted!

It is now New Year’s Day and the two of us are taking advantage of the internet connection. May each of you be greatly blessed in the year 2009. Please pray for peace for the people of this area as well as for the world.