Praying for Peace in Kenya - Tunaombea Amani katika Kenya

Today is a historic day for Kenya. It is now just before dawn. There is a symphony of birds outside my window proclaiming the new day. Today is the day of a national referendum on a constitution. It might be the first constitution since Kenya gained independence from England in 1963.

The Constitution has been the predominant headline since I arrived in Kenya early this year. When I was in Nairobi, I was asking Kenyans that I was getting to know what they hoped for. Moses, the day security guard at our hostel who also served as our Swahili tutor and friend, told me that his hope was for a new constitution - a new beginning for Kenya.

Since then, the wording was finalized, the draft published, rallies held on both the sides, questions raised, highly publicized arguments and insults thrown, articles written, sermons preached, alliances made, and campaigns full of both innuendo and promise run. Although most agree a new constitution is needed, key issues have hotly contested. Almost three years ago, violence erupted in hot spots around Kenya when the last presidential election results were disputed. The memory of loss, frustration, and unresolved conflicts still remains. The tide seemed to turn in the last two days from heated battling to requests for peace and reconciliation between the two sides whatever the result may be.

After work yesterday, I went to the ocean and it was still. Even the ocean breeze seemed to be holding its breath.

Please join us in praying for peace in Kenya.

July - Mwezi wa Saba (The 7th Month)

I thought I would take you on a photo journey through a few events this past July.
A highlight was visiting friends in Uganda & Kenya. Here's one my the English classes that my friend Cindy Korb (another MKLM missioner) teaches in Kitale. The students and I were enchanted with each other as we asked each other questions and sang songs. Cindy & I gave our best version of Amazing Grace, while the girls sang various ones of hope, love, faith and unity.


Earlier in the month, the Community Based Health Care Center which I work with had a Family Day for children who are receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS through their programs. I went as part of the staff and was happy to see a few of the children that the AIDS Orphans project serves as well - particularly one girl who I has last seen at her home still very weak. The CBHC provides the children with medicine, counseling, and peer-support groups, where as the AIDS Orphans project that I coordinate supports educational needs for some who have lost one or both of their parents to AIDS.

The Family Day had an excellent emcee who has a gift with young people. He found a little performer who sang a solo for us all.

The CBHC staff sang a song about stomping out AIDS and then the teens living with HIV/AIDS performed the song for everyone with the support of a couple staff members - after just hearing it once!
We didn't let the 4th of July go by without a BBQ! Brother Stan is one of the few Americans we know in Mombasa. He is the director of a Marianist Center for training youth. This center offers training in vocational skills such as welding, hairdressing, and catering for an affordable price. We are very happy to partner with them in the training of some of the orphans in the AIDS Orphans project. I was delighted to find when Brother Stan offered to bring cake and buns for the occasion that they were made by some of his catering students (pictured with one of their creations).

As part of our BBQ, (which also included grilling hotdogs & hamburgers) we had a sing-a-long.
July also brought a visitor to Mombasa - Russ, who is a MKLM missioner in Kitale. He came with Jane, a CBHC nurse (2nd right), and I to do home visits. This woman we visited was absolutely delightful. She had recently lost her husband, so Jane wanted to see how she was holding up. Her eldest son was busy constructing a new shed from local materials, and they are fortunate to live where they can do some farming.

Jane was telling me how this little guy always had a beautiful smile for her so she asked for a photo.
July also brings a new year in my life, and I was blessed to have friends to share a meal and homemade cupcakes overlooking the Indian Ocean.

Fellow missioners & friends

As July came to a close, I was able to join the CBHC staff for a meeting at a beautiful place along the beach. We talked about the challenges of our work and it was an honor for me to listen to stories of others.
I also learned how the Giriama (from just north of Mombasa) do their traditional dance - but it wasn't something I was able to master.

The last sunrise in July.

Wishing you moments of peace and wonder in the coming month,
Mary

Balance - Mizani

Many of you may have learned to drive a stick shift a long time ago, but I didn't really learn until I came to Mombasa. So it was when I was re-learning how to drive that Coralis told me something I needed to learn: Balancing.

I think I've figured out the balancing it takes to get through a jammed roundabout and secondly, into our driveway, which up the little hump and through the gate with narrow clearance. These both take some coordinated footwork, a feel for the clutch and a good eye for the right moment to go or to stop.

I am finding that balancing isn't just about driving, it's also:

• Balancing the time for greeting and welcoming with the time for getting into what might be deeper and need more attention.
  
• Balancing the reality of people's needs being greater than what our project can offer them with the possibilities of hope.
  
• Balancing being quick enough to ask the right questions when the moment arises and taking enough time to reflect on what is being said.

These types of balancing, I am still working out. Perhaps I will always be working on them. One moment this week that sticks with me was a time of speaking with a mother who has chosen to send her daughter upcountry (the term for "back home" or in the rural areas) since she thinks her daughter will do better in school there. She was worried about the friends her daughter had in the local area and saw the influence they were having on her. Although I had to tell her that the project couldn't pay the school fees for a school 1000 km away, I realized as we were talking the solution might not be to bring the girl back to where we could support her school fees. I told the mother that I was glad she was so interested in her daughter's education and caring enough for her to make such a difficult decision.

I work with so many women that are working so hard to give their children - or their nieces and nephews, siblings, grandchildren, or cousins an education. They hope that the young ones can have a brighter future. This mother told me that her two children ARE her future. They will care for her in the later years of her life - possibly even soon, as she is infected with HIV/AIDS.

One of the project donors contributed funds for blankets for the children. This time of year is the coldest in Mombasa. Some of our children sleep on the floor so a thick blanket is really valued & can be used as a mat, too.

A few photos from the blanket delivery:

Smiles that make me smile.

A family member of one of the orphans at home.

Most of our children live in a more densely-populated setting.
A few live on the edge of this valley, overlooking Tudor Creek, which runs to the Indian Ocean.

One of my new friends

Today I'm ending with the Swahili word for the day:

mizani /mee zah nee/
1. weighing scales, balance 2. mental serenity

Wishing you all a good sense of balance and serenity,
Mary

This little light of mine

The song "This Little Light of Mine" has taken on new meaning for me in the last two weeks. I knew it as a children's song from Bible school many years ago. Now it is a joyful memory of Coralis, my mentor and friend, who left Mombasa today for another chapter in her life story.

After returning from the airport , I was doing a bit weeding-therapy in my shamba (garden), about which I will post on another day, and reflecting on some of the things I learned from Coralis about mission.

+ Sometimes people just need someone to listen.
+ Things take time. Don't rush them.
+ Be present.
+ We can come to know God more deeply in all we do.
+ Be one with the car.

I will add more as they come to me. It has been an incredible privilege to know and work with Coralis. She is a woman of deep faith, many versatile talents, and great hospitality. She will be greatly missed in Mombasa.

It's common for women to be called Mama here, usually followed by the name of the mother's first child. Coralis is fondly called Mama Paulo. For me, we decided that my new name would be Mama Bado ... or Mama Not-Yet.

Coralis with some of the children in the AIDS Orphans Project

Nenda salama - Go in peace. I know your light will continue to shine.

Moments of Life - Maisha

I was thinking tonight of several moments from the past days. I don't know of an equivalent phrase in Swahili, so I am sticking with just maisha, which means life.

• having a police officer help me move the car off the road by directing nearby men to Sukuma! (Push!)
• being told by a Kenyan "that's life!" and being humbled in realizing that my challenges are so small relative to those I serve
• drinking uji (porridge - like liquidy malt-o-meal) this afternoon in the support group for pre-teen kids that have all been HIV+ since they were born, laughing with them as we said "cheers" in as many languages as I could come up with
• singing songs I don't really know and somewhat out of tune with new friends
• making my new colleagues laugh
• being honored to hear someone's story

These have been some of the moments that give me hope. There have been challenging moments, too, especially realizing that there are not easy answers.

Photos of life in Mombasa:

Joyful faces of our kids, showing off the prizes of lollipops from the Education for Life workshop

Most days I take a matatu, or mini-bus like these to work. They conveniently stop anywhere on their route - which is hazardous for a new driver like me trying to avoid a collision.

Tuk-tuks are also available for a ride - 65 cents will get you most anywhere in town, & another group of vehicles to watch for while driving.
Behind the tuk-tuk, you see a hand cart, which men earn a living by transporting goods, an incredibly demanding line of work.

Most of our children live (with their guardians & families) in rental units that would be one room of these structures. If you look at the spacing of the windows, you could see how big one room might be. The clothes drying on the line made me think of everyday life.

Being on the coast, every once in awhile, there's a glimpse of incredible beauty and the wonder of creation.

Another image of life in Mombasa. Many people try to make a living selling items along the street. Here there are tomatoes on the bottom right and coconuts heaped in the bottom center.

My heart has been heavy this week as one of my cousins was laid to rest after a fight with cancer. My thoughts are with his mom, his siblings and his wife.

Life is so precious.

The Visitation

Yesterday we celebrated what we call in English, the Visitation, reading the story of a pregnant Mary going to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who was also pregnant. This story is one that I find moving for a variety of reasons.

The idea of the two of them supporting one another. I imagine them drawing strength from each other. They both were facing unusual circumstances, one pregnant in her old age and the other out of wedlock. I find myself grateful for all those who have supported me in my transition here in Mombasa.

The second idea that really struck me yesterday was the time of expectation - the time in which change has already begun but also knowing that there is more to be - the time of preparation and of growth that happens during a pregnancy. So while there are many differences in their story and in mine, I saw those parallels. My work has begun, but I know it will be evolving. I am still preparing for more, learning my way around town, trying to improve my language skills, reading the family history of the many children in the project and hoping to remember their faces when they come to the office at the next term break. I know there will great life and growth in this experience for me.

A couple other moments to share accompanied by photos:

Tabitha

One of the joys of the project I am working on is seeing young people succeeding. Tabitha is one of the success stories of the project. She graduated from high school this past year, scored very well on the national exam, and is hoping to study Electronic and Electrical Engineering at Kenyatta University next year. The Archdiocese prepared a video about her and we visited her family home. As she told me on the way, it's a simple home, but it's theirs. I am so proud of her and hope she finds a way to reach her dreams.

At home with Tabitha and her family. Her nephew has a beautiful smile that the photo didn't capture.

A week ago, my new parish, the Holy Ghost Cathedral, celebrated Mass outside, as Pentecost is the feast day of the Holy Spirit. Three different groups of children danced.


After the service, the bishop invited us to the front to introduce ourselves. He told everyone that Coralis is leaving (and tried to make her commit to coming back!) and welcomed Susan & I to the archdiocese. I managed to give a speech that sounded like I know Swahili ...

Another lesson I've been shown here repeatedly is hospitality - Both Fr Kengah (far right) and Coralis have been taking foreigners under their wings and teaching with their gentle ways.

Eating Swahili style - on the floor with our hands

This photo shows my fellow missioners, Pat and Ilona, with our newpaper guy, Joseph. Joseph told me on Sunday that it makes him happy to see me. I didn't tell him that I got all emotional the week before that when he gave me the Swahili newspaper as a gift to help me learn more. He has been a patient Swahili instructor so I always chat with him when ever I am passing by his stand.

And by request, a photo of our backyard. The tree with the palm leaves is a coconut tree with the neighborhood crows who serve as my alarm clock. The large tree in the back right is a mango tree (laden with many large mangoes), and directly beneath it, with the thin straight trunk is a papaya tree. The bushes in front right are jasmine, which the owners harvest as buds to sell locally.

Wishing you a wonderful June!

My new project work - Kazi yangu mpya ya mradi

After months of packing, traveling, studying, and unpacking - it's time to get to work!

My new work is coordinating a project called Maryknoll Fathers AIDS Orphans Project in the Archdiocese of Mombasa. It was started in 1999. I am assuming it from another missioner who has worked on the project for the last 9 years and has been a great inspiration and role model for me.

Coralis saying farewell to the children at a community center near the project office.

The mission of the project is be a sign of hope to families and especially the children afflicted or affected by HIV/AIDS, that God does care, and has not abandoned them.

One of our teens leading the others in a song during our recent workshop.

The project addresses the educational needs of children who have lost one or both parents to AIDS. They come from marginalized families who have very limited economic opportunities and live in slum areas surrounding Mombasa. Many of the guardians are living with HIV/AIDS and have other children to care for. Some of the orphans in the project are living with HIV/AIDS themselves. Majority of households live in one room unit, with no access to running water nor electricity. Some households have orphans as the head of household.

Emma, a social worker, teaching the children about their rights.

So how does the project work?

The AIDS Orphans Project operates in ten parishes and collaborates with the volunteer services of 400 health workers who belong to the parish small-group faith communities. These community volunteers identify the orphans, bring them to the attention of the project, and assist in the monitoring of the orphans after their acceptance into the program. The project provides school fees, books, uniforms, and supplies so that the children can go to school.

Based on the progress and personal aspirations of each student, placements are arranged for the students in vocational training schools or secondary schools. Students are currently placed in computer training, tailoring, hair styling, welding, and mechanic training programs. The project has also been able to help a few children in the program attend special schools for children who are deaf or have mental or physical disabilities.

Our annual Education for Life Workshop includes life skills and group discussions.

And for the younger children - a few games just for fun.

The project collaborates with the Archdiocese of Mombasa Community Based Health Care clinics to provide support to the families of the orphans. Many of the guardians are members of a support group for people living with HIV/AIDS. I have just started meeting with the support groups associated with the ten parishes and hope to assist them in the future in the micro-finance and their incoming-generating activities.

I am really fortunate to be working on a project that is well-organized and where I can see the benefits directly for the families I serve. It is still going to have its challenges. I realize already that my level of Swahili is limiting me in my conversation with the kids and their guardians. It is constantly humbling how much I have to learn.

For now, I'm listening and learning as much as I can.