CSJs in Gulu

Murangi Harvest Time

2009-11-16T15:47:00.002-06:00

 It's murangi harvest time. [Beans] Whole porches and verandas here and there have been stocked high with bean vines drying. One day last week Marion watched several women at Lok Otyeno (the area where she works) clear out a huge pile of the vines - carrying heaps in a tub on their heads to the place where they were shelling them. They made 4-5 trips each, until the whole porch was cleared. All work here seems to be physically labor intensive, from farming to building!

Pat has finished her P7 math classes. Students took their Primary Leaving Exams (PLE) November 2 and 3. Many attended the 7:00 AM Mass every day recently, and three of the boys waited for her after Mass the morning of the math section of the exams! Apparently, they just needed a little encouragement. She's hopeful they will do well. She has her teacher's class through November, but students (and teachers) get a break in December and January. Pat is looking forward to three instructional books being sent via Rita Marie Schmitz from Fontbonne University to help design a better curriculum for the teachers’ college. That should keep her busy during the “holiday.”

Jo has started working at the health clinic at St. Mauritz, less than a mile outside of Gulu. It’s a large compound with a nursery with over 200 little ones, a primary school with 1200 students, offices, and the priest house is now under construction with hopes that it will be ready by Christmas. There are four Sisters of Mary Immaculate in the convent there and Jo has lunch with them. They have been very welcoming and thrilled that she is there. She is there and very busy every day except Wednesday when she goes to Gulu Hospital where she sees her diabetic patients under the mango tree. There are many, many children that come to the clinic mostly with malaria and typhoid. They get their water from the bore holes but Jo suspects that they haven’t been drilled deep enough. She is going to do some investigating. She was also able to purchase some much needed mosquito nets at a very good price in Lira. This is certainly an important way to combat some of the malaria. The days are long and full but Jo is really loving the clinic, the folks, and the employees.

Next Friday at the Pastoral Office the Catechist Desk Executive Committee-8 people from all over the diocese- will meet to finalize the draft Constitution which is basic to the structure of catechists in deaneries, etc. The Arua office is e-mailing their Constitution for comparison. For some weeks now Marion has gone with Okot William, the lapwony dini [catechist] at Cathedral [who leads the daily morning prayers] to take Communion to the homebound one afternoon a week. She enjoys it a lot. The little old people are so dear, some with a twinkle in their eyes, others struggling. Little old ladies crawl out to sit on their mats. Another man showed us pictures of himself greeting the pope. Birds and chickens move in and out of the huts although most people prefer to meet outside under a tree. These people are too lame or old to walk to church. One man is younger, at home in between surgeries. People have so little and yet make do incredibly well.

Archbishop Odama gave a presentation Saturday on the African Synod. He shared the booklet, "The Church in Africa in Service to Reconciliation, Justice and Peace.” He said the real work and recommendations are still to come. This Synod was of the universal church but with the focus on Africa. The presentation was held at the motherhouse of the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu. They had lunch and a party afterwards to honor their major superior who was celebrating her feastday. Marion enjoyed the various skits and dances the women in formation put on.

Sunday at the 7:30 Mass about 100 or so secondary school leaders [8-10 from 11-12 different schools] were commissioned as "missionaries." For weeks prior to this, a couple of the Comboni Sisters had gone to their schools to work with the youths in a variety of religious groups allowed to form on the campuses (like YCS and Youth Alive). They then spent the weekend with the Comboni sisters at the Animation Center. This was pretty impressive and will go a long way in motivating teens to help each other live the Gospel. We've gotten to know two of the Camboni’s really well - Agnes [Italian] who was tutoring us for awhile, and Cypriana [Sudanese] who comes to us to polish her English.

On November 2 there were multiple All-Soul's Day masses. Late in the afternoon there was a Mass in the cemetery behind our compound. It’s a beautiful tradition which honors Medical and nursing staff from Lacor (St. Mary’s) Hospital who died in the ebola crisis who are buried there.
We wish all of you a very happy Thanksgiving! We have not yet planned how we will celebrate this year, but it can’t be as wonderful as it was last year when we were surprised (in Kampala) with an old-fashioned turkey and dressing meal!

MADDO Cow Project

2009-10-15T15:40:00.002-05:00

We just returned from our trip to Masaka to see the “Cow Project” first hand. Many of you have probably heard about the “cow project” from S. Liz Peplow and/or Toni Temporitti. Their organization - Microfinancing Partners in Africa - now has an African Partner in Uganda - Caritas MADDO, which stands for Masaka Diocese Development Organization. This cow project began in 1993 with Bishop John Baptist Kaggawa. We had the opportunity to meet and spend time with the very busy but very welcoming Bishop. He is convinced that this is a very sound step forward in reducing the poverty of his people. All people really – the program is opened to all religions and tribes. And it involves much more than the cow project. There is vegetable gardening, health and sanitation, banana management, and then the training and preparation for the cow before a family receives a cow. As you can imagine this all takes quite a commitment of time and labor for the entire family. Not just the husband or wife – but both working together with the children.

Father Peter, the Assistant Director at Caritas MADDO, and two of his co-workers Charles and John took us out into the field to meet some of the participants and see firsthand what was happening. We went to several villages to see the folks. We started by visiting those that were just beginning with their vegetable gardening. This is where they develop several beds for all kinds of veggies. They border them with brick or sticks and then use a process that they call double digging where you dig the earth out and then mix with organic fertilizer as you replace it. It was so interesting to see the creativity that was used in developing the beds using various designs. And they always develop them in such a way that you had easy access for weeding and harvesting. Some of the gardens or designs are called Mandella Gardens and they are simply beautiful.

Of course they have prepared their fertilizer over a 21 day period in a “jerrie can” that is a mixture of dung( be it cow, goat, or chicken)and water. The dung is placed in a sack – probably burlap – and the sack is placed in the can of water and everyday they give it some twists. The way this is done is that the sack is tied closed and the rope is placed around a good sized stick which is picked up and twisted. This solution is placed under a tree away from the sun and covered. It’s amazing – there were no bugs flying around like we imagined there would be and not much odor before it was uncovered and then really very little. Then they use 1cup fertilizer and 5cups water to mix with the newly turned earth. In addition they have what they call the kitchen garden – where scraps from the kitchen are put – nothing goes to waste. It seems like everything is used for something. Oh what a lesson we in the western world can/could learn.
All the folks we met – those just starting, those that have been at it for awhile, those preparing for a cow, right up to those who have their cow – all were so proud of how far they had come. And each so eager to show us what they had done and how. There were single parents, married couples, and those with families – they were young and not so young – and one with more grey hair than ours. Actually she was not an official member of the program. But her neighbor was and she watched very closely and learned how to improve things and she did. All had at least one thing in common - they all wanted to be self sufficient and improve their lives. And it was quite obvious that they were willing to work hard to accomplish this.

As we traveled around, it looked like Masaka would be the “Banana Capital of the World” and it sure could be. It certainly is the crop in the area. However the project has found an improved way of planting them that promotes their growth and health. We could sure see the difference in those that had been planted with this new knowledge and those that had not. They have found that if you dig a hole that is 2ft by 2ft square as well as deep and then plant the tree – the rain water will not run off but slowly seep into the ground and nourish the roots. You get taller, greener, healthier trees and bananas. They also dig what they call “contours” which are like troughs to catch and hold the rain water for slower seepage and also catch any soil erosion. We also saw plastic bottles being used (especially in the dry season) .They fill them with water, put a hole in the top, and place it in the earth again for slower and controlled watering.

Gosh we haven’t even gotten to the cows yet – but first there is extensive preparation. Education is the first order of business. They learn the proper way to care for the cow, how to prepare their feed with special attention given to preparations for feed during the dry season , proper sanitation, and general health practices. This of course not only involves the commitment of time but also money. Money primarily to build and prepare the cows' dwelling. There is need for wood, cement, sand, and stones. The floor of the dwelling is cement except the small area for sleeping. But there is no time limit. And hopefully they are increasing their income from the additional vegetables they grow and sell. It generally takes about a year and a half from beginning the program until they receive the cow.

Our last stop of the day was to meet Esther. A delightful woman who spoke very good English so we didn’t need our interpreter. Esther had two pregnant cows – one due in five days and the other due in October. Because of the animals, she is able to use their waste products (both dung and urine)to provide electricity to her home by means of bio-fuel. Again this costs money for cement, piping, wiring, and fixtures. But with the sale of vegetables and milk she was able to do it. Each cow can produce at least 18-20 liters of milk per day. Esther has enough for her family and much more to sell to the Dairy.

After showing off her animals and gardens, we were invited into her home. She turned the light on and showed us her cooking stove. She was so proud of her accomplishments. Because of her successful involvement in the project she was also able to send all of her children to university. She had pictures and shared what each one was doing. What a success story!

Although our tour was about the process and procedures used to develop the gardens and how to prepare fertilizer and feed, and preparing for the cow – it was so much more. These are not individuals working for themselves but they are a part of a group. And the groups work together. It’s not just about improving their lives but improving and preserving the environment. It’s not just about self-reliance but it’s about helping your neighbor and passing on the gift. It’s not just about generating income but it’s about what this can provide for the family, - it’s about improving nutrition, improving health, sending children to school, improving living conditions. One of the cornerstones of the program is “caring, sharing, and love”. Father Peter talked about how evident that becomes as people work together and want so much for everyone to succeed. All of this fosters a spirituality of community among the members.

The Bishop spoke to us about the goal of developing a’ culture of saving’. The participants are encouraged to open up a banking account. For people living in poverty this concept has never been a part of their frame of reference. But if sustainability is to become their reality, this is the next step. And people are taking that step! Also when they do open the account both the wife and the husband have to sign for each transaction. This not only instills the value of accountability but focuses on building the family unit.

We also were able to tour the Dairy and sample the yogurt. Yumm Yumm!! The Dairy was developed with generous grants so that the members would have a market for all the milk produced. They can bring it to the dairy every morning and evening. They have regular and chocolate milk and vanilla and strawberry yogurt. Their hope for the future is to also offer butter and ice cream. If all goes well they will move into cheese as well.

We certainly were impressed with the people we met, the cleanliness of their surroundings, and the creativity in developing their gardens. What a successful program. We were warmly welcomed by everyone. And are especially grateful to Father Peter and his colleagues for the time they gave to us. We learned much and will see how some of this can be used locally. We are aware of some of this taking place right here on a very small scale. In fact some have gone to Masaka for training.

Late Summer News

2009-09-16T11:29:00.004-05:00

Catechist Workshop in late June
Marion coordinated Denver’s “Team Africa” with Gulu’s catechist leaders who offered a week-long workshop on Human Recovery And Rebuilding Right Relationships. Information and skills were provided on
trauma healing, negotiation, counseling, and mediation. There were presentations on relationships in the family, reconciliation and the difficulties of forgiveness. A brief drama on the Scriptural call from vengeance to love of enemies was presented. Besides enjoying one another and gaining critical insights on how to deal with the many social problems; the highlight of the week was the visit by Archbishop John Baptist Odama to thank the catechists for their critical role especially during the war. Pictures show the catechists at break-tea, listening to the Archbishop, and the youngest and oldest sitting side by side.

Then, Jo Ann, Pat, and Marion invited the Denver Team for home-cooked spaghetti dinner in a very relaxed setting – our home. Another time we went with them to Churchhill’s Court to enjoy some famous tilapia. Picture shows Chia Dell’Olio [a nurse who also had observed Jo Ann at the clinic] and Jo at dinner.

In August, Marion traveled with a Pastoral Office leadership team of Lumko-trained persons who assisted Amuru’s two newly-trained members to put on an awareness day there.

Basketball Camp in late August
Jo Ann, Pat, and Marion went to Kaunda Ground in Gulu Town to encourage Atim Otii, Marcellina’s daughter, who came with friends from the U.S. They sponsored the second annual basketball camp in Gulu. Basketball is a sport that’s little known here, not like the “football” [soccer] that every schoolchild plays.

Fun in Kampala

2009-08-30T14:10:00.001-05:00

Our guide at the tombs, George, was one of a group of marvelous artists. Here he is standing with some of his work, and also with his grandmother, (who was married to the last-buried king) in her home at the site.

The museum had a wonderful section on climate change, including many ideas on renewable energy as well as traditional and cultural displays.

Retreat in Kampala

2009-08-28T15:00:00.002-05:00

On July 22 we arrived in Kampala for private retreats at St. Augustine's in Nsambia and the Foyer de Charite in Namugongo.

Note the window in the chapel.

The storks at St. Augustine's were an amazing presence, consuming all types of waste and debris.

After the retreats we were joined by Toni Temporitti, CPPS, and Mary Lou Bennet, one of her staffers at Micro-Financing Partners. The group had a marvelous time just enjoying one another and viewing the Tombs of the Kings and the Ugandan Museum.

Women's Day

2009-04-23T15:46:00.002-05:00

Every year in March there is a National Celebration of Women’s Day in Uganda. The celebration of the Cathedral women was postponed a week.
The heart of this Women’s Day was the sharing of stories, proverbs, and wisdom. Their stories and insights were shared with great style, humor, and gesture. Women spontaneously came forward as they felt moved to do so. One topic summed it up, “What can we do to empower women instead of crying in the home?” They told success stories and lamented the current condition of children growing up without proper guidance. Education for girls was a big issue. With the schools now being controlled by government-placed teachers, sometimes Catholics are ridiculed as being too concerned with the spiritual; eg, “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven!”

Wisdom was also shared in the form of old proverbs. There was a discussion about who trains the dogs—the men usually, but while some roles may be limited, women can still think and improve things.

The atmosphere was wonderful. Women dressed very smartly and were very happy with having a chance to speak out on anything they wished. They organized a march through the grounds of Sacred Heart School to the Juba Road and on to the “For God” junction. Along the way, students, women, and others cheered. During the march they spontaneously pick branches to wave. At one point, a scene from a traditional dance took place when a man came alongside and did a mock attack—and everybody laughed and kept marching. The mock attack or challenge is also a form of greeting. One woman came up to Marion when she arrived. Marion stood up and danced a bit with her!

An older Sister arrived and used her cane in the same fashion to greet the women. All laughed.

Many uulations filled the air: affirmations, greetings, and general enthusiasm for Women’s Day. Of course, sharing food was another highlight.

An Easier Road

2009-03-10T13:47:00.004-05:00

Feb. 2, 2009
Sister Marion wrote about the events of Peace Week, so we won’t re-visit that, but other items in our lives may be of interest to all of you, our faithful readers.

First of all, we had our second in a series of Vespers and Tea for small groups of the religious who reside in this neighborhood. This time we had the four Comboni Sisters who live and work at the Animation Center, a place for various types of group gatherings. The sisters expressed their appreciation for the experience of prayer “our way.” We felt that their desire to keep the prayer copies was a very positive sign!

Of course our BIG news is that we now have Sister Jo Ann back with us. Although we don’t really enjoy these long trips, this one was joyful! We agree that the trip seems to get shorter each trip because so much progress has been made on the road. Jo noticed right away that there weren’t so many places where the road was absolutely horrible. Maybe the road will be finished before our next trip, ...which isn’t even in the planning stages as yet.

Although we are still in the “dry season” until some time in March, God has provided us with much-needed moisture ever since Jo got back. This means that the roads aren’t so dusty; it also means that our electricity is a bit more temperamental with the thunder and lightning. Marion and Jo like to take a walk after our evening meal before it gets dark (a little after 7:00 these days), but the rain has curtailed that activity several times lately.

Sister Jo Ann is back at the clinic, trying to make order out of chaos, and seeing patients again. They are very happy to have her back to help them with their health issues. At prayer, Jo expressed that how she looks at a patient makes all the difference in how that patient gets treated.... For example, a gentleman who hasn’t had medicine for over a month, who drinks “on occasion,” and didn’t see the Doctor while Jo was gone, could have been seen as a hopeless case. But by noting that at least he came “today,” it makes a difference that at least he is trying to do something. Therefore, she wanted to help him.

Sister Marion is again processing the “Team Africa” funds for scholarships to children of some of the Catechists. She has a good system that takes a student from each area of the Archdiocese. The Catechists and Parish Priest are expected to get together to decide which of the children in that area will receive financial assistance. Previously, some areas had more than their share of scholarships, while other areas had none. Marion met with weak students and families to see how there could be improvements. She has heard stories that make her wish she could serve so many more individuals than the funds can cover.

Sister Pat M. has been attempting to process the scholarships set in motion by Sister Pat Haire after she returned to California. Pat H. had chosen ten girls from Mary Immaculate Primary School who wanted to go to Sacred Heart Secondary School, a boarding school for girls. Neither of us knew about the lengthy decision-making process for choosing which students a school will accept! Testing (called the PLE, or Primary Leaving Exam) is done across the entire country on the same dates (December 5 and 6 in 2008). The tests are sent to Kampala for grading by various teachers, so no school checks their own students. Those results are then sent back to at least two places: the school from which the students came, and the schools they chose as first and second choices to attend secondary. Now all the heads of those secondary schools gather in Kampala to decide which students they will accept, and which students they will “sell” to another school. (The various secondary schools set their own standards regarding who to accept. We still do not know exactly what “sell” means in this context, but the student can then be accepted by a different school). When the heads return to their various districts, they again meet as a group and do final determinations and post the names and “grades” of the students they have accepted.

Without knowing the process, Pat M. had set up dates for the girls to bring their completed applications to her. After sitting for two mornings, not seeing a single one of the girls, she discovered that the girls still did not have their letters of acceptance from Sacred Heart. In the end, none of the original ten girls were accepted by Sacred Heart!!! Now we wait to see where the girls will end up, before we can begin to decide who will receive the financial assistance since each school has their own fee-schedule. We will do our best to honor the needs of those ten girls.

In the meantime, the word got out that we had “scholarships,” so there have been numerous additional people seeking help! The need here is so very great. Students, who are actually “orphans” in the strict sense of the word, will usually receive no further education after 7th grade (called P7). Primary tuition is so little that more parents can afford to pay the fees, although there are still hundreds of young ones not in school. Secondary tuition is much higher, a too-big burden for most families. For those of us in the United States, used to paying a great deal for a good high-school education, the fees seem to be small, but to these people in poverty, even a small amount is impossible to come up with.

One boy is now 21 years of age, lost his parents and siblings during the war, and himself spent time in the bush with the rebels, is trying to find funds to continue his education in S3, sort of the equivalent of sophomore year in high-school. He did poorly in S2 because he was sent home so often for lack of payment. He would then work to earn money and return for the next term. Can you imagine the “holes” in his learning? Can you also imagine the courage and determination that it takes to continue on? Students like him have more resilience faith, and hope than most that you would know in our country.

Students prefer to “board” in secondary schools. Teenage girls, in particular, are often harassed when traveling to and from school which is often a great distance from their village or camp. Conditions at home are not conducive to study, since their responsibilities to care for siblings, to find firewood, to help with the cooking, etc., take them away from studies. Also, most homes do not have a lantern by which to see after dark.

Several students who were in Sister Pat’s math class last term have stopped her on the road, looking for a way to get to secondary school. It is hard to realize that these children will never realize their potential and will be relegated to menial tasks for the rest of their lives.

We encourage you to read “Child, Victim, Soldier” by ........ Dunson (...........Press) to understand the situation through which these families have suffered. I don’t believe there is a single person who has not been directly affected by the recent evils inflicting the region. We seem to be in a peaceful era at present, in spite of the fact that the peace agreement has not been signed. We pray daily for all of our people here in northern Uganda.

Pray for Peace Here This Week

2009-01-12T14:04:00.003-06:00

What to make of the current military/political situation? A very thoughtful person shared the following about how villagers are viewing this current disruption of the peace process. He said that people who can are making two huts—one in the village where they hope to plant and, if possible, one in the camps. However, the government has been tearing down huts in the camps that are vacated in an effort to get people to go back home and to make the remaining huts a bit more spaced out. He also said that many believe the rumors—such as LRA even now are returning to the West Nile area of Uganda—but that for traumatized people, believing rumors is like seeing someone running. So you too start running and later ask, “Why? Where are we running? He said that in four or five months if the LRA have not reached Gulu, then people will believe the peace is holding and get on with their lives.

The newspapers give us strange articles—mass graves of rebels found in Congo and LRA split up into small groups running to Central African Republic with some skirmishes and loss of life. Also, details from the first days of battle such as a convoy being bombed.

Here, life appears very normal. People are traveling—two of the priests at the table just went to Moyo, near the Sudan; and the Secretariat of the Peace Week plans to go to Congo after the event.4th Provincial Prayer-Peace Week is fast approaching. On Tuesday about 1500 people from the dioceses of Nebbe and Arua [West Nile] and Lira along with assorted people from Tororo and Kampala will join several thousand here for three days of prayer and talks on the theme, “Combating Poverty and Building Peace.” Marion has the “Programme” broadstrokes because she typed it up as a member of the Central Organizing Committee. Wednesday will be “Political Activism Day;” Thursday, “Cultural Day and Extravaganza;” and Friday, “Spiritual Day.” Because of Archbishop Jean Baptiste Odama’s work with other religious leaders, this year’s event will have a multi-faith approach. Each morning, each denomination [Anglican, Muslim, and Catholic] will begin at their own prayer sites. By Friday, the prayer will be a shared prayer event.

Marion has been reading William Johnston’s “Arise My Love,” on Mysticism for a New Era. He refers to the Oct. 27, 1986, event when world religious leaders came together with JPII at Assisi to pray for peace. They prayed according to their own traditions in twelve separate places. Johnston noted that prayer “rose from the silent and spiritual core where human beings find the deepest union.” He quoted JPII as promoting this event as another way to promote peace. So, we are witnessing here a step toward peace that continues when dialogue is thwarted! No doubt more powerful than dialogue!

We invite everyone to pray in whatever way you wish, this coming Wed., Thurs, and Friday. Pray that lasting peace may come to our planet, and in a special way to long-suffering Northern Uganda and surrounding nations. Pray also that pilgrims travel here in safety and that all goes smoothly.

Sunday prayer and tea. Jan. 11th we had the second in what we plan to be a monthly series of inviting the small religious communities nearby to afternoon prayer and refreshments. Both have turned out great. Three Camboni Sisters from the Animation Center came. One [younger] is from Sudan and the other two are seasoned missioners from Italy. Our entree was deviled eggs and cheese/crackers. Thanks to many of you we had all sorts of special sweet goodies to share! Pat planned this one with vesper elements and sharing of the heart around an excerpt from Ed Hayes’ Gospel of Gabriel on the Baptism of Jesus. reading. The sisters had beautiful, deep sharings. We really enjoyed getting to know them more.

Pat is gathering applications for the Los Angeles Scholarships that Sr. Patricia Haire put in motion for the Immaculate Heart girls going to Sacred Heart Secondary. Marion is gathering Team Africa renewals and applications for scholarships for the children of catechists. School starts Feb. 2nd.Pat is also doing some tutoring in math and computer on a sporadic basis, depending on the availability of the persons interested. She is also attempting some research on diabetes and hypertension for Dr. Alice, but is finding difficulty in accessing the Internet. Once the schools resume in February, she will be more regularly occupied.

Christmas Visitors

2009-01-08T11:19:00.003-06:00

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.

Heaven's Answer Hidden

2008-12-08T14:53:00.005-06:00

Let's see…. Where did we leave off on our last blog writing? Marion already mentioned the 275 Confirmations at Christ the King. But did we tell you about the Sunday afternoon we put on a "show" for Olanya George (our driver) and his family? Well, George and his wife have four children who haven't seen the things their daddy saw when he traveled with us. We especially wanted to share all the animals we had seen at Paraa Park back in June! So we set up our "sitting room" (half of a bedroom) as the theater and served orange soda (their choice) and cookies. Pat had compiled the photos taken by all five of us and had them on a thumb drive so we could show them on any computer. Marion attached the projector from her office so they would be enlarged on the wall. Pat ran the show from her computer. When pictures were showing up the second time, Pat started making "shadow animals" on the wall, and then taught the little ones to do it also. George later told us that the show was a great success!

On Saturday, November 22, Pat attended the day-long meeting held by St. Joseph's School. The previous such meeting had been in December of 2005! The school is having major problems, and the Headmaster had invited her to speak to the two Boards, parents, and officials present about her observations while she worked in the classrooms. He said people might listen differently if it came from an outsider. Well, the talk was so well-received that the Archbishop, Bishop, the media, and several others asked for a copy of her talk. A copy was also given to the Education Secretary. Apparently, no one has been doing anything for the good of the school for some time. Pat introduced a visiting priest to the Headmaster recently. He has some very practical ideas regarding steps that can be taken. It will be interesting to see if anything comes from all of this in the near future.

Did we already tell you about our haircuts? Jo has cut the hair of Marion and Pat. Pat has cut the hair of Jo and Marion. With Jo gone and Pat desperate, Marion did her maiden voyage haircut on someone other than herself… You can see how well she did in the mouse picture that follows!

Prayer is a little different without Jo in our presence, but we do still pray together. For example, on Friday evening (December 5) we vigil-ed the Feast of St. Nicholas. December 6 is special for us because it marks our arrival in Gulu six-months ago! Yes, indeed, we've been here in this house for six months now. We reflected on the many gifts God has given us and how we've used them for the poor and needy among us. After sharing our insights with each other, we closed with the song "Holy Darkness" by Dan Schutte. The refrain goes like this:

Holy darkness, blessed night,

Heaven's answer hidden from our sight.

As we await you, O God of silence,

We embrace your holy night.

Since we had thought we would have been in Amuru about three or more months ago, we felt this was very fitting and meaningful.

Speaking of Amuru…. No, we are not there as yet. No, nothing has actually begun regarding housing there. We are talking, but no specific action has taken place. In the meantime, each of us has found ways to make a difference in lives right here in Gulu.
Marion has already written about some of her activities. Right now she is "on loan" from her office to help in the Peace and Justice Office. They are planning a huge (3000 to 6000 persons) peace gathering in mid-January. She has been busy trying to help them get some things moving. The frustrations involved are great… Besides, computer parts not working all the time, and the copier being in a different building about 5 minutes away by foot, and toner cartridges disappearing into a printer in a different part of the building, the individuals who give direction are not readily available. However, at least she feels good about helping out.

Now that the schools have officially closed for the next two months (similar to our summer break), Pat has had to seek other ways of being useful. One of the sisters nearby has asked her to tutor her in math so she will be ready to enter College to continue her education. It's been so long since she studied math, she needs some help to understand it. Pat has had to take several hours to prepare… This is serious math with linear and quadratic equations and operations on matrices in the first chapter! It's been a while for her, too, for this level math. Pat is also helping the Dr. Alice with whom Jo was working. No, Pat isn't playing doctor or nurse… Dr. Alice wants her to create some flyers that will help her patients. Pat will download information from the internet and format it on the computer so that the end result will look professional. She has sought the assistance of organizations that already have brochures available, too. Someone here will translate them into Acoli, and then Pat can get them printed in both languages. Of an evening, Pat decorated her "gum boots" to be in competition with Jo's pretty ones. What do you think?
While we were in Kampala over Thanksgiving, we found the water filter we had been looking for "forever." It is now set up and functioning well. We had been purchasing bottled water since that was the only way we could guarantee safe drinking water. We had been boiling water for dishes and cleaning our vegetables, but even that was limited once we only had a single charcoal burner for cooking. So we decided the water filter will pay for itself (and be much better for the environment) in a couple of months.Earlier this week we were invited to an evening party for two of the priests. One was celebrating his feast day, and the other his anniversary of ordination. It was good to be able to celebrate with them. Pat took some pictures during the party. One of the priests was so excited to see himself on the camera… He grinned from "Easter to Christmas," as Monsignor would say. We are having a print made to give to him!

All of the puppies are gone. This compound has three guard dogs that terrified us when we first came. We had been told that the dogs are let out after supper, and we should be aware of that. Well, the two females had litters within days of each other. Thirteen puppies in all! We enjoyed watching them develop from little fur balls into active puppies. Most of them wouldn't come near us, although Pat managed to pet several of them. They were all sold, so that part of our entertainment is gone. The good part of all this is that the dogs are now more afraid of us than we are of them. When they see us coming, they go in a different direction!

Today Marion learned a great Acholi expression that captures our language struggle: Leb Acholi gidonyo ki wang ot ci gikato ki tungcel. [What enters through one window passes out windows on the other side… Or, What goes in one ear, goes out the other"] …And here's an idiom: Atye ka ryemo olwango ki leba. No, it doesn't exactly mean, "I'm chasing flies with my tongue;" rather, "I'm hungry!"

On the morning of December 5 we picked up some packages from the Post Office in town. Hooray! The long-awaited mouse traps were there! Well, we diligently set them and placed them around the house that evening. Around 2:40 a.m. the trap in Pat's room went off. For the next 25 minutes she heard flopping around off and on, then nothing. The flopping had sounded closer and closer to her bed, so she was hesitant to step down in the dark. However, after experimenting a bit, she managed to find the dead rat/mouse, larger than the trap, not too close to her bed. That was the only catch that night, though. We are sure there are more, judging by the amount of droppings each morning. We will keep
We are now awaiting the visit from Amy Hereford and her brother, Father Tom. We will be back in Kampala the night of December 16 to pick them up the next morning. We'll tell you all about the visit in the next blog. Have a blessed Advent!

[Ed. Note. I have experienced a great deal of difficulty getting the photos to go where I want them, and one or two inexplicably disappeared while I was putting this pot together. I am not sure what the problem is. I will continue to work on it. However, some of the photos mentioned above just couldn't seem to stay on here, in case you're looking for them!]

Thanksgiving, Times Two

2008-12-02T11:28:00.001-06:00

November 27, 2008
On Thanksgiving morning, we went to Kampala to take Sr. Jo Ann Geary to catch a midnight plane to Brussels and then to U.S. She is going to St. Louis to have emergency oral procedures she could not get here. She is a big loss to us and to the people in the diabetes and high blood pressure clinic at Gulu Hospital, so we ask your prayers that all goes well and she’ll be able to return here in January.
So we ate our “first” Thanksgiving dinner mid afternoon at the Rwenzori Restaurant in Kampala which we like-Pork chops, tilapia, and our driver George—in pix [coming]-- had chicken wings; and….a second and Boston-style complete Thanksgiving Dinner later at the Missionary Franciscan Sisters of Africa who happened to be next door to ARU [Assoc. of Religious of Uganda] where we had arranged to stay for the evening. The Franciscan sisters had heard we were coming and wanted us as their guests which was ok with the lovely women at ARU. There were three US sisters among the group and the woman from Boston had engineered it with help from their African cook. Turkey, dressing, potatoes, stuffed pumpkin, carrots overlaid with fresh rosemary sprigs, etc. Of course, pumpkin pie for dessert. We thought we had died and gone to heaven! Marcellina Otii had sent us a clever “pieless Thanksgiving note” but not to be! The cornucopia was stunning with African vegetables and fruits!

October News

2008-10-24T12:55:00.005-05:00

Well, it’s been too long since we last wrote for the blog. Hopefully, most of our readers have heard at least some of this from other sources. We apologize, but maintain our claim that this is the best we can do under the circumstances! Please forgive us….

Well, Barbara Moore and Toni Temporiti, CPPS, arrived in Kampala as planned and welcomed us to the overnight accommodations. (We were “bumped” from our original accommodations without our knowing it until the day before we left. We were disappointed in the fact that no air was stirring in several of the rooms since the windows opened onto an indoor area. We even had to share a room on the return trip – with no moving air again.) However, the time in between those Kampala visits were full of rest and good times, Gulu style. Attached are a few photos from those days…. A supper in our kitchen; a hot game of rummy (Contract, Liverpool, etc.), doing laundry,…. Oh… and a flat tire on our journey! Thank God for the good driver, Olanya George, who handled the car well, and was able to replace it with the spare which he has kept in good condition.

Amazingly, the electric power remained stable until their final evening here. They had to pack by flashlight and candlelight. Both Barbara and Toni were “good scouts,” without complaining. The longest we have been without power was six days. At that time we did lose some of the food in the freezer, but since then we have frozen medium size bottles filled with water, then left one in the freezer and put the other in the refrigerator portion to keep foods chilled until the power returned. Very successful!

Jo Ann has usually been working at Gulu Hospital Clinic with Dr. Alice. This has become a warm and happy relationship in which the patients are also benefiting. Dr. Alice has said that Sr. Jo Ann’s clinics are too crowded! The word got out among the people attesting to the fine care they are getting, and everyone wants to come on her days!

Jo Ann says: This has been a very different experience for me. There are no charts kept on any patient. They have these little 6x8 paper Budget Exercise Books that they carry with them to any /every medical visit – so you can imagine what some of them look like and what shade of white/yellow they are. This booklet is their chart. So you must do all your charting while you see them. There are no prescription pads – they take the book to the pharmacy and they fill what you have prescribed if they have the drug in stock. As you can imagine the list of stock drugs is very short. Often they have none in some categories. They do have a lab and can do some things with fingersticks but don’t have the reagents to do chemistries etc. They have an ancient EKG machine that doesn’t seem to work and no one seems to know how to read them. Gulu Hospital is a government hosp. that is a referral hosp. for the more complicated cases. Needless to say it’s been quite an adjustment. But I just love the patients and can’t seem to move on to where I know things are so much better. Dr. Alice is a great woman and cares so much for her people, I want to do all I can to help. Of course I still need a translator, but have a few phrases down pat. One is “Atwero konyi ningning.” How can I help you. Unfortunately then they answer very quickly and most of the time I haven’t understood nary a word. Enter the translator who I am very grateful to!

Fr. Santo has returned from abroad and will be going to Amuru this week as pastor so hopefully things can move there on our housing soon. Marion is working in the Pastoral Office with school fees for children sponsored by Team Africa in Denver. She also started teaching a class on Mondays and Tuesdays to 103 candidates at Sacred Heart Secondary School who hope to be Baptized and complete Christian Initiation before the term is up. This is short term at the request of our language teacher who was overwhelmed with all sorts of responsibilities.

Pat has been working at St. Joseph’s Primary School which is quite near the Cathedral area where we live. The headmaster turned over the two P7 classes to her on the second day. This wasn’t what she had anticipated! There are approximately 100 students in one class and 86 in the other. Students come late and leave in the middle; there is no bell to start or end; many of the students have neither exercise books (paper on which to write) nor writing tool. They are preparing for their exit exam from Primary which will take place in November. While they are supposed to understand and speak English, many of them do not…. They haven’t been in school all that much. Since she speaks and understands very little Acoli, there is much frustration on both sides of instruction. (There is no desk!) Test results should be interesting!

Speaking of the Acoli language development…. Here is a challenge for you:
Match the Acoli words with their English meanings
Ceng Sunday
Ru-piny Dawn
Cabit Day
Wor Year
Mwaka Night
Answers at the end of this post!

Or, here is another: Sort out: myero, twero, tworo, maro, mero, moro, malo, mato, mere, etc. Then there are the words that have different meanings according to whether your voice is high or low.… Our classes have not been as frequent as we had hoped, but folks say we are doing well. Is anyone interested in our dictionary? All of the words to which we have been exposed in classes are now in a spreadsheet so we can sort them by Acoli, English, part of speech, etc. We have over 830 words already!

Barogal Clinic has finally opened! The nurse who will staff the clinic on a regular basis has moved to a nearby camp with her children. The doctor will visit the clinic periodically, from what we have learned. The people in the area are quite happy to have the clinic so much closer than Gulu which is where they used to have to go. People would walk for miles/kilometers, even though they were sick, in order to wait most of the day to see a medical practitioner. Those in two camps will be close, now.

There was a huge celebration for Bishop Sabino and four of his classmates on September 13th. This was big for the whole Archdiocese! They were celebrating 25 years as priests. Actually, six of them were ordained in a single class, the largest ever for this place. One has died, and one is in Rome and didn’t come for this. The other four were fondly honored. The three of us offered to help decorate, and worked for about three hours. The lady “in charge” was new at this task, but a young man was very helpful. When he realized how much older we were, he was concerned that we were working too hard. Folks just aren’t very healthy by the time they reach our age in this culture. He was extremely grateful for our assistance!

Speaking of Bishop Sabino…. Can you imagine this happening with the Bishop in YOUR area? …. Friday evening the three of us, Marion, Jo, and Pat, were sitting at the kitchen table studying, when Pat noticed movement elsewhere. Something had scuttled from the counter behind the propane burner, down to the floor behind the propane tank. We all jumped up. (We have been trying to get rid of our mouse population since we arrived!) Marion and Pat moved the propane tank out from the wall, but as they did so, the mouse scooted under the tank. They dropped the tank and we heard “Eek! Eek!” several times. When we looked closely, we could see a furry tail sticking out. ??Furry?? Yes! Well, we couldn’t decide what to do. We prepared the trash can to capture it, but realized that none of us had the heart to kill it. We thought of getting “Bura Puss” from one of the workers, but about that time we saw car lights near the garage…. It was Bishop Sabino’s garage. Pat went out with her flashlight, braving the dogs, and enlisted Bishop’s assistance. Marion had the push broom by this time. Bishop immediately lifted the tank, releasing the mouse. We all jumped back at first, then Bishop cornered the poor creature, who had lost the fur on its tail by now, whacked it with the broom then stomped on it. Pat then used the brush part of the broom (which had separated from the handle) to throw it out the door. Did you notice that Jo wasn’t mentioned in this saga? Can you guess where she was? Yes, standing on a kitchen chair to observe! Bishop Sabino was our hero! The mouse was very small! We do hope this is the last one for the duration.

In the midst of all of this we had our second birthday celebration. Pat had a birthday on September 19th. We started with prayer, followed by supper, and then gifts.
There are two other photos this time. One is of the two resident donkeys. This photo was taken from our open door… They are almost house residents… One day they tried to follow us into the house!

The other photo shows a building under construction. Look closely to see that the supports that look like scaffolding are simply pieces of tree trunks. It is amazing to us that the structures don’t collapse!

Answers: Ceng=Day; Ru-piny=Dawn; Cabit=Sunday; Wor=Night; Mwaka=Year

Affirming God Present

2008-10-07T13:02:00.003-05:00

Everything in me wants to not turn my back on them, but to affirm the love of God that has sustained them and brought them and all the people of Acholiland through immense sufferings; to affirm God present in their midst and to be privileged to walk with them.
-- Marion Weinzapfel

Dear All,
Greetings from Uganda--this land of stunning sunrises and sunsets. I love walking over to the Cathedral in the morning getting the view through the large palm trees—tugu. Jo and I usually walk on a variety of little trails around here after supper and we time ourselves to be back as dusk becomes dark! We always walk with at least one flashlight and phone just in case!

On Monday morning Archbishop invited us to attend a celebration of cleansing at the Rwot Arcana or the place where the Paramount Chief and elders gather to carry on the traditions, called Kal Kwaro. Because he was also wanting to attend the priests' retreat day, he asked us to drive him. Jo and I were free to go. Pat has started teaching a morning math class at St. Joseph's school here. It was a really great experience. All of us, including the Archbishop had thought we'd be there just an hour or two. However, it turned out to be critically important for him to stay and speak. He was not on the original agenda; yet when he arrived, they asked him to say the opening prayer and put him on the long list to speak.

The event was focused on welcoming back returned LRA. 7 young men and later 1 young woman joined the group. They stepped on an egg and walked through a line formed by the elders and chiefs. The idea is that when anyone returns to a community after many years they bring things from the outside that might bring evil or harm to the people. Thus they remind themselves that any experiences of death [broken egg] they've had outside should be left outside while they are brought back to their family and clans. They step over a lira, a stick or tool that is used to open the granary which holds the food for the village; being aware that they now need to safeguard what is inside the home. There is a second part where they tell the story of what has happened outside and then, if there has been killing, the next step of sending a trusted person to go to the clan where injury was done and arrange the very involved and lengthy reconciliation service of mato oput. In the course of this event, one young man spoke for the rest. He had been taken as a very young boy and had spent 20 years in the bush. He talked in general terms about looking ahead to a new life and leaving the past behind. The real truth telling occurs first in the families or with someone very trusted, usually the mother, aunt, or uncle. It was wonderful to have the Archbishop filling in these little details.

The event began with wonderful dancing and drumming and the dancers returned several times as part of the ritual interaction, before the chief spoke, and to entertain. The dance of royalty is the bwola dance that we have seen performed each year and in other events, but I've never seen it done for the Rwot for whom it is primarily intended. There were speeches—lots by some of the NGO's like GUSCO or US Aid or local organizations like the Amnesty Commission whose charge is threefold: to forgive, to build capacity in the returnees, and to reconcile the community.

Certainly not everyone agrees with the "Forward ever; backward never" determination of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace Initiative (the Archbishop and his group) and the cultural leaders (chiefs and elders.) Yet, I think Northern Uganda is probably one of the few places on the face of the earth today where the individual dignity of even the perpetrators of this misery is held in high regard while dialog as a way to end violence forever is brought to a fine art. Archbishop Odama in his remarks first commended the cultural leaders on their initiative to celebrate the ancient ceremony of cleansing and welcome. He noted that earlier there seemed to be some question of how this was viewed; but that he strongly commends it. Then he focused on the young returnees and spoke to them in this vein: " You have come in to a holy place. Your home, clan, and tribe are holy. Remember what you have destroyed outside. Come and share the same granary and eat together. No more going back to the old way. Say to your family what went on outside and express sorrow to your family for what was done out there."

Both Jo Ann and I were moved to tears when the archbishop then knelt down and apologized to these young people for not having done more to prevent what happened to them. In this culture, women and children, especially, kneel to the Archbishop all the time; so this is all the more stunning.

Then the Archbishop commented on the peace process and said he "...personally accepts to be a fool for the peace process. We will not stop. Some of us have already died in the process of searching for peace. "

The chief concluded the speeches. He told the young people, "God can make a way for you coming back to your roots." He spoke to the parents there, the leaders, and community all to accept these young people because in many ways they are being rejected.

Afterwards we all ate a very nice meal and then the Archbishop went to greet the young people, some of whom he recognized from his several trips to the bush. I followed and was happy to shake hands and several of the parents were just elated. It was a privilege.

I tried to take some pictures with my camera phone but only today realized that I never removed the little plastic cover over the lens! Sheesh! Still haven't found the battery charger for my camera that is misplaced—maybe when we move…

So having gone about 10 AM we returned home later very deeply moved by this graced day.

Wishing everyone peace and love!
Marion

Animals of Uganda

2008-09-19T15:05:00.006-05:00

Photos by Monica Lubitz, CSJ.

Adapting

2008-08-30T21:30:00.005-05:00

Hello, all you dear readers of the Gulu Blog! We have had access to the internet for parts of two days in a row! Thus, we have put together a new edition of our lives in Uganda.
You have already heard from Pat Haire and Monica as they returned to their U.S. homes, so this will update you from around August 4, when the other three of us came home to Gulu after saying farewell to our housemates of two months.
That first week is a sort of blur as we adapted to living as a three-some instead of a five-some. We decided who would work with Esther, our cook, each day of the week, what days each of us would prepare prayer, who would do the shopping on which dates, and which Sunday each of us would prepare the meal since Esther was given that day off. So far, this has worked out for us. We realize that adaptation is good for us, so changes can be made at any time!
By the way, the folks around here have a very difficult time understanding that we really do operate without a “superior.” “How can you decide things?” they ask. We do our best to explain what collegial living is, but then they ask about the whole community, meaning the Provinces and Congregation. This is all new to them, Sisters, priests, and laity alike!
We finished our beginner’s language book with Mr. Okee, [top photo] and started a full week of classes with Sister Grace who works at the nearby Sacred Heart Academy. The girls (all boarders) are now gone for a month of vacation and will return in mid-September. Sister Grace also has plans to be away part of the time, and we, of course, have plans to go to Kampala twice for Barbara Moore and Toni Temporiti. Sharing our lives with them for the few days they will be here will be fun. Our language lessons with Grace will continue sporadically as our times allow. She is an “adult” teacher, much different from the vocabulary foundation given to us by Mr. Okee. We are picking up phrases, and trying our mouths at sentences. The people here are delighted to hear us saying things (or trying to), and are most helpful in offering suggestions or “extensions” of what we mean to say.
We have three negatively memorable dates to report… On the morning of August 12, we looked for something in a kitchen cupboard only to discover that the termites had made it their home in a major way in the previous week. Termites build “hills” in which they live, multiply, and build onto. Well, they had used (eaten) all sorts of things that were in that cupboard, including those green Scotch-Guard type pot scrapers. Their hill was so hard it had to be removed through the use of a hammer! After spraying the entire area several times, and sweeping up wings and bodies each time, we think that is under control for the time being. We were told that this entire building has termites which are underground, and surface anyplace at any time.
The next such memorable moment came on August 17. Marion was not home at the time, as she was doing her presentation at one of the various parishes. Jo and Pat were seated on opposite sides of the kitchen table doing some studying. The sky darkened somewhat and the winds picked up. Suddenly there was a flash of lightening followed immediately by the crash of thunder. It was so close that we heard the sizzle and felt the tingle through our bodies! Later we heard that the lightening struck a transformer right across the fence from us. Of course, that was the end of the electric for several days. The internet was also disabled for several days.
As some of you are aware, there are many days/hours when we have problems with electricity and internet access. We can no longer access the internet from our house. Instead, we walk up to the Catechist’s Training Center (CTC) and use their wireless – when it is running! This has provided us with more than internet, since we have been be-friended by Fr. Joseph and his young men (sort of technicians) from various countries. Philipp left us his Acholi dictionary and some other notes when he returned home to Austria.
Our third memorable event in August was the ant invasion. Pat M had been battling ants coming through her wall for some time, but sort of controlled the problem by spraying into the holes, then covering the holes with tape. Evidence of their continued efforts (new holes) was then covered by a piece of paper so she didn’t have to be reminded of their nearness! However, on the morning of August 18, while Marion and Jo were elsewhere, Pat came home to find a few ants in the kitchen near her room. She used the fly-swatter to kill them. She turned and found one on the stove (which doesn’t work). Well, that was the beginning! With one reverberating swat to that ant, a few more came from between stove and counter; then a few more, and…. Then they swarmed from every corner of the room. Here is a photo [second photo above] of one area AFTER spraying and sweeping up hundreds of others. The ants were everywhere for days – both inside the house and around the foundation outside. We went through several cans of insect spray those next days! Again, they are sort of under control by now.
We had more “memorable” days, but for non-traumatic reasons. On August 16 there was a “work day” in Barogal where the St. Louis Province has financed the building of a much-needed health clinic. The building is nearing completion, but much clean-up was necessary to make the place presentable. Mpora, the chairman of the Board, and his wife, a new medical doctor, Dr. Beatrice, met with the people a week or so earlier to enlist their “ownership” of the new clinic. Well, the people came out in force, many of them working very hard to slash the weeds, even the terrain, and haul away the cut grasses and trash. Keep in mind that there are no mechanical tools to assist... This is all very physical labor! The grasses are cut with hand wielded slashers; the cut grasses are hauled away by picking them up, piling them in large containers which are then carried on their heads to the rubbish pile. Later, all sat around for a meal of beans, rice, cabbage, and, cassava, all cooked over separate wood fires in large “washtubs.” This is a social occasion, and the people interacted with us in joyful ways, laughing with us over our attempts to converse in Acoli! The people ARE taking ownership of the clinic area.
Jo’s first birthday (in Gulu) occurred on August 19. Shortly after Mass and breakfast, Jo and Pat went into Gulu town for a special purpose: Jo was again trying to get her driving permit. She had been studying a book with 17 pages of road signs, 20 per page. Here in Gulu we only see about 5 different signs, which are very difficult to spot. The streets do not have names on them, although the locals know what they are called. Also, keep in mind that the term “street” is used very loosely, with “erosion” taking the place of “potholes”! On this memorable day, the permit was actually handed to her. The best birthday gift then occurred! The term “permit” really means her license to drive. She didn’t have to take a test of any sort! Jo is now an official driver for the whole of Eastern Africa, not just Uganda!
Jo then practiced driving under the tutelage of Olanya George. At the end of her journey she took Pat to the Camboni Sisters house, but had to “not look.” The Sisters had agreed to bake a birthday cake for us – in a wood stove! They fixed it up with a paper “Happy Birthday” sign around it and powdered sugar (they call it icing) on top. For dinner we had Reisling wine, spaghetti and meat sauce (thanks in part to Monica and Pat H), green beans, and bread. We couldn’t make garlic toast since we had no electricity. After dinner she was given her presents of a new fabric shoulder bag stuffed with a clipboard folder and several items she had wanted… various sizes of spiral notebooks!
On August 20 we finally got into the spaces in Amuru that we are expecting to use for our living there. A young man named Samuel, age 16, and his 16-year-old helper, Steven, had the needed keys and showed us everything we wanted to see. The condition of the place leaves much to be desired, so we came home and made a list of recommendations to give to Bishop Sabino, who has inherited the responsibility of preparing the place for us. The next morning we gave the list to Bishop, knowing that he was leaving for nearly two weeks. Would you believe that he made time for us right after breakfast, and that he had a 9:00 AM appointment with the architect who would work with us! Talk about Providence! (That also gives you a sense of the great person Bishop Sabino is!) This morning we went to Amuru with the architect. We are anxious to hear more about the possibilities of our recommendations.
While we were in Amuru on the 20th, we also met and visited briefly with Sister Dorothy, with whom Jo will most likely work once we settle in up there. She immediately whisked Jo off to see a patient, a woman who was trying to deliver her baby, but the baby had died in utero, and the contractions had stopped. She needed to be taken to the hospital in Gulu, but would have to wait till the ambulance took another patient there and then returned for her. There are so many sad situations that it breaks your heart. However, Sister Dorothy seems to be quite a character, in a good sense.
We will tell about our time with Barbara Moore and Toni Temporiti in our next blog.
Apwoyo matek pi wulego! (Thank you very much for your prayers… or something like that!)

Children of Gulu, Part III

2008-08-28T21:59:00.004-05:00

Photos by Monica Lubitz, CSJ.

Children of Gulu, Part II

2008-08-26T14:15:00.004-05:00

Photos by Monica Lubitz, CSJ.

Children of Gulu, Part I

2008-08-20T11:46:00.005-05:00

Photos by Monica Lubitz, CSJ

Welcome Home, Pat H. and Monica

2008-08-13T16:01:00.004-05:00

With great joy, awe and appreciation Sisters Monica Lubitz and Patricia Haire returned from Gulu safely last week to the Congregational Center in St. Louis . On Wednesday, August 6th , the Feast of the Transfiguration, they shared with us, the Congregational Leadership Team, and with a number of the Sisters serving in the St. Louis area, some of their experiences and learnings from meeting and being with the people of Gulu during the months of June and July, 2008. They shared meals daily at Archbishp Odama's table and traveled to their possible new ministry site in Amuru with (auxiliary) Bishop Sabino, who made delicious expresso and pasta for them on his portable outdoor stove!

While Pat heard the war stories of many individual primary and secondary school students and teachers, Monica cleaned, held and cared for orphan babies at nearby St. Jude's Orphanage and assisted child mothers with their babies at the health center. Members of the Congregational Team enjoyed welcoming Pat and Monica back, shared informal conversations at meals with them and treated them to "Fiddler on the Roof" performed at the Muny.

As Monica and Pat continue to share their experiences of being in Gulu, may we all continue to keep Archbishop Odama, Bishop Sabino, and all the pastoral leaders and people of Gulu and their efforts for enduring peace and resettlement in our prayers, inviting God’s great compassion and healing love to be fully present and active in all.

Thanks to all of you for helping us share this good news

-Susan, Franny, Elizabeth, Catherine and Laura

Photos: The Sisters and their driver, George, enjoyed American food at the Sheraton in Kampala before taking Monica and Pat to the airport for their trip home; and a street in Kampala. From the nearly 800 photos (!) brought home by Monica!)

Pat and Monica Head Home

2008-08-01T11:20:00.001-05:00

Monica writes: It is 9:45am here [on Friday, August 1]. Pat M., JoAnn and Marion are at language class, leaving Pat H. and I here to pack. They will be home soon. This morning at breakfast the Archbishop and Bishop presented Pat and me with a life history of two of the Ugandan Martyrs, some of their relics in a beautiful little case, a certificate of authenticity and a beautiful rosary that has a medal in the shape of Africa on the back of the cross. It was very touching. I can't tell you how wonderful they are. We had all of them (bishops and priests ) over to our house for a spaghetti supper Wed. night. Pat H. and I made the sauce, garlic bread etc. Everyone pitched in to make it a very memorable evening.
Thank you so much for all your prayers for us. Please continue. We leave here tomorrow morning [Saturday, August 2] at 6am [which is 10pm Friday night CDT] We are going to the source of the Nile near Jinga. Then on Sunday hope to go to the equator before they drop us off at the airport [to fly to the US].

Guests at Our Table

2008-07-28T10:28:00.005-05:00

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

Visit to Amuru

2008-07-25T12:39:00.005-05:00

Francine spoke with the Sisters in Gulu by phone this morning, and here's the news:Bishop Sabino accompanied the sisters to Amuru yesterday, and he brought a picnic lunch and prepared coffee for all of them. Sr. Jennifer of Mary Immaculate Community went with them. They were met by people of the parish, members of the Parish Council and school children who performed a few dances for them. They toured the rectory in Amuru, and explored some ministry possibilities. One of their findings in Amuru was the closing of one elementary school that had been set up for children living in a part of the Displaced People Camp. The families had returned to their villages, to their land. This is a good sign that peace is becoming a reality in the Gulu district. The other reality of Amuru is the lack of electric power. The institutions rely on generators or solar power.
Marion, Pat and JoAnn have begun studying the Acholi language. The comedy of the study is the teacher's missing front teeth, so they cannot get the correct pronunciation. They have opportunities to try the language with the people in Gulu, but it is a challenge to speak the little they know with the people of Amuru where the dominant language is Acholi. The sisters have a great sense of humor. They laugh over their attempt to speak it.
Photo: A haircut in the kitchen.

Tater Tots in Gulu

2008-07-21T12:50:00.006-05:00

Monica called Sunday morning. Everyone is doing fine, and Marion is much improved after a course of antibiotics. The group does their own cooking on Sunday evenings, and Monica was about to make tater tot hotdish, a Minnesota staple, for supper:

TATER TOT HOTDISH
1/2 bag tater tots
1 lb. hamburger
2 cans cream of celery soup
2 TBSP minced onions
pinch of salt
Brown hamburger in pan with minced onions. Drain the fat. Mix hamburger, cream of celery soup, and salt in a casserole dish. Cover mixture with tater tots. Place in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Monica was going to attempt to make this on the stovetop, rather than in the oven. The sisters eat breakfast and lunch at the Archbishop's residence, and have a woman who cooks for them most evenings.
Monica and Pat H. will be leaving Gulu in early August, and expect to be back in St. Louis on about the 5th.

Photos of Uganda I

2008-07-18T15:26:00.003-05:00

photos by Susan Hames, CSJ

...and a tiny bit of news from Monica, who called on July 17:
Marion is returning to health, thankfully, and everyone else is doing fine.

Catching Up II

2008-07-12T16:02:00.003-05:00

June 24, the feast of St. John the Baptist, is also the feast day of our Archbishop. It is a custom here to celebrate feast days rather than birthdays. Doesn’t that sound familiar to those of us brought up in the traditional days of Postulate and Novitiate? We brought wine and cake to supper that night. The other community of religious women were also there and brought gifts. We all enjoyed ourselves… especially the Archbishop!
It is now July 7, and we are still experiencing difficulty with getting ourselves set up with an internet connection. Right now, we can’t even use the borrowed computer for the internet… Yesterday morning we woke up to find a blinking red light on the phone indicating that it was “in use.” Believe it or not, this lack of internet access seems to be our greatest source of frustration. It has been very time-consuming for all of us. We are so spoiled with fast connectivity at home in the U.S.A.! Sharing a computer that takes nearly five minutes to boot up, and then have no guarantee that we can actually connect to the internet, has caused endless frustration. We have tried to write out our messages on our other computers, then use a flash drive to change to the computer that might get us on the internet, but we need to remove the internet connection to have a place to insert the flash drive! Ahhhh! Life is difficult!
We are learning some new words and phrases in Acholi. We are pleased with ourselves and seem to be a never-ending source of entertainment to some of the Acholi people listening. Most are very understanding and offer some assistance with pronunciation. This morning Marion, Jo Ann, and Pat M began formal lessons to help us communicate with the people among whom we minister. Monica has been making herself useful at St. Jude’s Orphanage; Pat Haire does some counseling at Mary Immaculate School in P7. Marion is getting involved with the Parish Office in Father Santo’s absence, while Jo Ann and Pat Murphy are still contemplating their options. Jo is working towards setting up the clinic at Barogal. Pat Murphy is working up a curriculum to teach some basic business math to the child-mothers (and others) in the tailoring class in the same place.
We’ve all had our tongues hanging out for chocolate, so Pat H indulged us with another of her talents. She made fudge (without a recipe) the evening of July 5; it was so good that we devoured all of it prior to our going to bed! The next morning we were invited to supper at the convent of the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate up the road from us. Pat made another batch of fudge so we could bring them a gift. They provided us with a wonderful meal of local foods, along with a juice beverage composed of mango, banana, pineapple, and passion fruit. Then they discovered the new plate of fudge and the wine we brought. We ended our time together with dance, drink, and fudge. It was a big hit!
Rain had been scarce during the month of June, except for the two heavy storms we had early in our stay here. But rain has been more “normal” for this area in the past few days… Roads were full of puddles when we returned from our early July trip to Kampala. It has rained two more days since then. So far, none of us has suffered greatly from the rains, but now we are more alert to mosquitoes! Hopefully, our mosquito nets will protect us enough that none of us will get sick.