It's hard to believe that one week ago today is when this "journey" began; it's harder still to believe that one week has already passed. Today's "adventure" was another amazing experience of the joy, warmth, and faithfulness of the people living here in the Diocese of Lodwar.
Our day began with a quick breakfast with Msgr. Mike, Father John Peter and myself. We got to say hello to a group of U.S. Military people who are here for some reason; we didn't get the reason, but it was very nice to see these young American service people (young women and men) here with us. Bishop Dominic (and his wonderful young driver, Lucas) came to pick us up at 7:30 to begin our trip to Kakuma (accent on the first syllable), to Good Shepherd Parish there where we would be celebrating Confirmation. Bishop Dominic had invited me to be the Principal Celebrant/Homilist for this Mass and to be the one privileged to confirm the (what he originally told me was to be) 35 young people. When we arrived, we learned that the number was actually 168. I still don't know how that big of a discrepancy took place, but one thing I have learned here is the need for flexibility, and for "going with the flow". The Church was large, and I was shocked to see that it was filled to capacity (about 900) with school children, who had come from schools from all over the area. Schools are very important here in the Diocese of Lodwar---and a number of them are Boarding Schools (all girls, and all boys).
The Mass was in English. I should say that everyone here knows English---it is taught in all the schools, and most people speak English quite well ----a British form of English. The Sate language is Swahili----and everyone speaks that language usually among themselves. And some villages and other regions speak another language known as Turkana. Fortunately for me, this Mass was in English, but most of the singing was in Swahili. It was a very lively celebration, and all the students were very engaged. We started a little late---perhaps 10:15---and we did not finish until nearly 1:00 p.m. I have to say that was NOT because of the length of my homily :), but rather due to the number of those to be confirmed, and a number of beautiful additions that took place, including the gifts that each of the schools presented to "the Visitors" in very African style---dancing their way up the aisle to present their gifts, which included two more goats!!! I tried to draw the similarities between the name of their town----Kakuma---and Kalamazoo! They enjoyed saying that word: Kal-a-ma-zoooooo! They were quite impressed and grateful that we had come to visit them from the United States.
After Mass, we visited the local Catholic hospital which is operated by a group of Medical Sisters. Their dedication is quite impressive, but the circumstances in which they try to do their work are so challenging and it is quite sad to see the conditions that they are in. This is the only hospital around that entire area. When people get sick, they have very few options, and even the options they have are not that great. This is certainly a matter for our prayers. After visiting the hospital, we visited the St. Clare of Assisi School for Girls, which was a kind of "finishing school", in the sense that the young girls (high school age and beyond) were being taught how to cook, bake, sew, etc. They provided us with a wonderful lunch, and then they entertained us with some wonderful singing and dancing.
After these two wonderful experiences, we went to visit the Refugee Camp in the area. Kakuma is in far northern Kenya, not far from the Sudan border. Because of the terrible civil wars in the Sudan area, people have been leaving in droves to get away from the danger, and this Refugee Camp is one of the places where they have come. There were nearly 120,000 people living in very bad conditions (which is more than the number of Catholics throughout the entire Diocese of Kalamazoo!!!). There were make-shift dwellings, one after another, for as far as the eye could see. Some people have lived here for as long as 10 years, and there is no end in sight of them being able to go back home; this seems to be their plight. It was quite sad to see. Among these people, a group of Jesuit priests have a ministry there, which is what we went to visit. Father Luke is the primary priest, being assisted by a number of his confreres and many volunteers. They run schools for computer training, auto mechanics, electrical work, wood work, etc. Father Luke was a joyful person, and finds great satisfaction in his work and ministry of trying to help people through the trauma of having violently lost their loved ones in this senseless war. Please keep this ministry in your prayers as well.
We then stopped to visit the St. Leo Boarding School for Boys, where almost 600 young men, from age 14 through 22, live and get a good education. Boarding schools are very popular here in Kenya, and especially in this area, due to the lifestyles of their parents---shepherds for the most part, living a nomadic kind of life. The Boarding School gives the students a sense of stability while they get a good, Catholic and quality education.
Finally, now that it was nearly 5:00 p.m., we began the long trek back to Lodwar over roads that are far from ideal, and after nightfall, are even more challenging. However, Lucas got us back to Bishop Dominic's residence safely by 8:00, where a very nice dinner, with a few of Bishop Dominic's staff, was awaiting us. We enjoyed this meal, and the wonderful conversation that we shared.
We then returned to the Diocesan Pastoral Center to get ready for our first over-night trip which will take place tomorrow. Not sure when I will be able to get that Update to you, but be assured that it will be as soon as the internet connections allow. In the meantime, know of our prayers for you, and please continue your prayers for us, and for all the wonderful works of the Church that are being done here throughout the Diocese of Lodwar.
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