Update----Day 7:  Tuesday, October 22, 2013

   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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Heroes Day spent with Diocesan leaders

[Day 6----October 21, 2013]

Msgr. Mike, Father John Peter and I began our day by con-celebrating Mass together---just the three of us---in the Chapel here on the grounds of the St. Teresa Diocesan Pastoral Center.  The Chapel is enclosed, but it's really an outdoor setting.  At the early hour of 7:30, it was cool and pleasant.  I offered my Mass this morning for all the Priests and Deacons of the Diocese of Kalamazoo.  We pray each day at Mass, in particular, for all those dear people who we know are praying for us during this great adventure.  After a quick breakfast, we were picked up to travel to the Diocesan Offices, a 5-minute drive from the Pastoral Center, through the heart of the marketplace of Lodwar along the very dusty roads.  Here in Lodwar (and throughout the entire state of Kenya), today is a national holiday known as "Heroes Day" (perhaps similar to our Memorial Day).  Like holidays in the U.S., this is a day off from work/school and the usual bank/post office closings.  However, in spite of the holiday, the 24 Department heads of the Diocese of Lodwar Pastoral Staff were all present for the day that Bishop Dominic had planned for us to hear from the Staff leadership about the works of the Church here in Lodwar. 

As a note, the Diocese of Lodwar is similar to the Diocese of Kalamazoo in a number of ways, some of which I've mentioned already:  we share the same diocesan Patron, Saint Augustine; we are about the same age---Kalamazoo is 43 years old as a Diocese; Lodwar is not quite 40 years old yet; the size of our Presbyterates are similar (as an interesting note, there are no Permanent Deacons here in Lodwar; in fact, Bishop Dominic said that there are no Permanent Deacons in all of Kenya and throughout most of Africa).  However, when it comes to the nature of what our Diocesan staffs do, there's a world of difference.  The pastoral staff of the Diocese of Kalamazoo is very similar to most diocesan staffs in the United States---our focus is on the spiritual, pastoral, educational, temporal aspects of parish/ecclesial life.  The pastoral staff of the Diocese of Lodwar is a mini social services agency, in light of the fact that the government here in Lodwar does next to nothing for its citizens.  If it was not for the tremendous and varied ways that the Church here in Lodwar, through this dedicated staff, reaches out to help people, no matter what their religious affiliation, a lot more people would be dying from the terrible circumstances in which a high percentage of this population lives. 

It is also interesting to make mention of the makeup of this Diocesan Staff.  Of the 24 people in the room, more than half were lay persons.  However, there were also three brothers from a religious community based in Utrecht in the Netherlands; a religious Sister; and several priests.  While most of the people are citizens of this country, a number of the staff are from elsewhere in the world.  Several of them came to Lodwar by means of a program known as Volunteers in Mission and Assistance.  Among them is the Director of (Human) Development from the Phillipines; the Director of Transportation from Australia; the Chancellor who is from Ireland.  In addition the Finance Director is a Religious Brother and is originally from New York City.  The staff composition is quite varied and diverse.  

We spent the better part of five hours today, listening to these department heads speak about the work that they do, and the great challenges that they face while trying to do their ministries.  The circumstances are far different; but the challenges that both they and we face are pretty much the same:  a lack of funds and resources, the shortage of priests, paid staff, and volunteers.  The one circumstance that they have here  that is not one that we encounter is in the ability to reach the people they need to serve because of the awful infrastructure here in this entire Diocese.   The Diocese of Lodwar covers only one county---the County of Torkana---but the area is vast:  77,000 sq. km. compared to the 5,337 sq. miles of our 9 counties in our Diocese.  Turkana County is the poorest county in all of Kenya, and ranks at the bottom of all the charts in terms of health, education and social services.  We discussed ways that our two dioceses can continue to be in dialogue over the years to come, and ways in which our two diocesan pastoral staffs might be supportive of and helpful to one another.  We will hear more about that in the months to come.

I need to mention that Sr. Maureen Metty's name came up any number of times today.  Sr. Maureen is a Sister of the Congregation of St. Joseph in Kalamazoo.  Sister spent about a month here in the Diocese of Lodwar several years ago, and she is the one who began to encourage our two dioceses to find ways to work together.  Sr. Maureen is also the one who encouraged the Sisters of St. Joseph Foundation to help sponsor the Diocesan Pastoral Visit in which we are currently engaged.  Many of the Lodwar staff send their greetings to Sr. Maureen. 

Following the long and fruitful discussions, we visited Bishop Dominic's office and toured a few of the diocesan offices, and tried to catch up on some of our e-mail since the only place here in Lodwar that we can have access to the internet is at Bishop Dominic's offices (not the Pastoral Center where we are staying). It is for that reason that these blog updates will be appearing somewhat on a haphazard schedule, depending on when we can have access to Bishop Dominic's wi-fi.

Msgr. Mike, Fr. John Peter and I have had a leisurely evening, a hearty dinner, prayed Evening Prayer together, and now are ready for a good night's sleep.  I look forward to tomorrow as we will travel with Bishop Dominic to a parish two hours away where I will have the privilege of conferring the Sacrament of Confirmation on 35 young people. 

Emanuel, a staff member in Lodwar, is shown on-air at the diocese's radio station: Radio Akicha, 99.5FM (photo courtesy of Flickr, by Javier Merelo/Internews

World MIssion Sunday-A World Away-Day 5

    Before I actually get into any of the details of this day, I just need to say that this day was truly one of the most life-changing, eye-opening, heart-touching and spirit-lifting days of my life.  

    Upon awakening, I realized that here I was in Lodwar, Kenya in East Africa to celebrate World Mission Sunday.  For most of my life, I had the stereotypical idea that "the Missions" focused on far off, primitive places like Africa or the Far East.  Of course, over the years, I came to realize how wrong that stereotype was.  In fact, the Church in Africa is thriving in most parts of this vast continent, and it is the Church in Africa, and the Church in India who are sending missionaries to help the Church in other parts of the world, including the Church in the United States---in fact, to help our own Church in the Diocese of Kalamazoo.  So it was wonderful to realize that here I was in the heart of Africa to celebrate Mass with the faith-filled people of Lodwar.  

(stock photo of Mass being celebrated at the Cathedral of St. Augustine)

But I was not in any way prepared for what I encountered when we arrived for the 8:30 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral of St. Augustine (one of the wonderful similarities between our two "sister Dioceses":  that we share the same Diocesan Patron, St. Augustine).  To get to the Cathedral, one must travel through poor and dusty, crowded and litter-laden roads; but entering into the Cathedral plant is once again like entering into a different world.  The Cathedral Church is simple, large and beautiful; the diocesan colors of green and yellow predominate.  The Mass began at 8:30 and we did not finish until 11:00 a.m.  (By the way, I offered my Mass intention today for all the Faithful of the Diocese of Kalamazoo, Lay and Clergy, Living and Deceased.)  The Cathedral was filled to the doors, and when Mass was over at 11:00 a.m., the Cathedral was still just as full. No one came late nor left early.  They were fully engaged in the Liturgy, singing with great gusto and with all their hearts, and responding to the prayers with great devotion.  The entire Mass was celebrated in Swahili, the State language, though English is the primary language throughout all of Kenya.  The entrance procession itself took over 30 minutes, with liturgical dancing on the part of a great number of young girls, and older men.  When it was time for the Liturgy of the Word, the Sacred Scriptures were carried in a joyful procession greeted with loud applause from everyone in the church, welcoming the Word of The Lord into their midst.  The Scripture Readings and Homily were beautifully done, followed by the Creed. The Prayers of the Faithful were quite energized with one of the elders leading a spirited sort-of-litany style of prayer petition.  The procession with the gifts of bread and wine then took place, along with fruits, vegetables, and other kinds of food stuffs to be offered for the poor.  When it was time for the Collection, every single person came forward to put their offering in the collection boxes, rather than having the baskets passed through the congregation.  Following the Preparation of the Gifts, I was struck with how silently and immediately the entire congregation knelt down for the Eucharistic Prayer and participated in that special prayer with great devotion and respect.  After Holy Communion had been distributed, we were asked to be seated while the Announcements were made, a special guest, who is a member of Parliament, spoke to the People (on the occasion of a great Kenyan national holiday being celebrated today called "Heroes Day"), and then of course the "Visitors from the United States" had to be welcomed.  We each got to speak briefly to the congregation, and then they overwhelmed us with gifts of hand-made hats, mats, brooms, baskets, fruits and vegetables, presented by very native people with much singing, dancing and "jumping".  Of course, the Visitors were expected to do the same, which made things that much more interesting.   Following Mass, we got to meet the beautiful children who had participated in the Mass, and they sang us some more wonderful songs.  I've never met people who are so faith-filled, happy and joyful, in spite of their material poverty (perhaps because of their material poverty?).  

   Following a brief repast in the Cathedral Rectory, and an impromptu visit to the Diocesan Radio Station where we were each interviewed for live Catholic Radio (a program that is extremely impressive, and one which I hope we can learn from for our own radio ministry in the Diocese of Kalamazoo), we had a short rest back at the Diocesan Pastoral Center.  At 3:00 p.m., we traveled to one of the very far outlying "stations" (as they call them here in Lodwar) of St. Augustine Cathedral Parish, to visit with the TurkanaPeople.  These people are part of a primitive and ancient African tribe.  They have no connection with the "modern world".   They have no schools, no social services of any sort.  They are shepherds by trade, raising and herding primarily goats.  They speak only their own language.  They do not know Swahili, let alone English.  They live according to the ancient tribal practices of the men and women separated from one another in their social settings, the boys sitting with the men and the girls with the women.  Their normal dress is what we would consider primitive.  If you have ever watched a Discovery Channel program on African tribes, you would have seen the way these people dress, the married women with multiple decorative rings around their neck, raising their necks inordinately high off their shoulders.  

Turkana children presenting traditional dance with ostrich-feather headresses and traditional dance costumes--from Wikipedia

It took quite a while for us to reach this "outstation", and these people had to travel from miles away, each from their own little villages, to be together to meet Bishop Dominic and the "Visitors" (as we were known).  When we pulled up covered with dust from the trip, they swarmed the car, and danced and sang in their native ways to greet us more warmly than I've ever been greeted before in my life.  It was almost overwhelming, and a bit intimidating at first.  However, these people, with whom we could not communicate (even Bishop Dominic could not communicate with them due to the language barrier), extended a bond of love and hospitality like none other before.   Each of us "visitors" spoke to them our words of greeting and good wishes, through a translator.  They were so pleased to have had us come to visit with them.  However, these people lack one of the most essential necessities of life:  water.  What we take for granted, they have to search after, and mostly go without.  We (the rest of the world that is) simply must find ways to help these wonderful people.  (Of course, the unavailability of water is a major issue throughout Lodwar, but that's another matter.)  When we got ready to go, they overwhelmed us with the presentation of gifts; so many that we could not count them.  These people, who have literally nothing of this world's goods, went out of their way to give us gifts from what little they had to thank us for coming to visit:  we were given at least a half a dozen goats, several chickens, hand-made grass hats, mats, baskets, fruits and vegetables, and various handmade utensils.  They sang and danced us to our vehicle, and waved as we drove off, literally into the sunset.    

   The long and the short of it is:  this is a World Mission Sunday I will never forget.  I have seen firsthand the diversity of the Body of Christ in its most dramatic realities.  No matter where we live:  in Kalamazoo, in Lodwar,  among the primitive people of the Turkana Tribe, or anywhere else in the world, we are ONE in Christ, and, no matter what we do or what we have (or don't have), each of us is precious in the Eyes of the Lord.  As I go to sleep this evening, my heart is truly filled with thanks to God for allowing me to be having this amazing experience of the worldwide Family of Faith.

From Eldoret to Lodwar- Day 4

 Once again, there was some rain last evening and into the night, but this new day dawned with beautiful blue skies.  We began the day, of course, with Mass in the Diocesan Pastoral Center Chapel.  It was my privilege to be the principal celebrant with Bishop Dominic, Msgr. Mike, and Father John Peter as concelebrants, and a small congregation of the three Sisters and some lay people who work at the Center.  After Mass we had breakfast, and then drove into the city of Elderet to visit the Cathedral Church and the Diocesan Offices. Eldoret is a bustling city more than half a million people.  The Cathedral Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was very beautiful; 

we visited and spent time in prayer at their Adoration Chapel which had the practice of prayers/worshippers removing their shoes before entering into the Presence of the Blessed Sacrament.  What a beautiful sign of respect for the Real Presence of Christ----something that we might want to consider for our Adoration Chapels.  The Diocesan Offices were also quite impressive.   They were all busily getting ready for a major celebration to be held tomorrow, and the arrival of their Apostolic Nuncio who was coming to bless and launch their new Catholic Radio Station.  After returning to the Diocesan Pastoral Center, we packed our bags and headed for the Eldoret International Airport----about half the size of the Kalamazoo Airport.  The 4:00 p.m. scheduled flight was somewhat delayed, but by 4:30 p.m. we were boarding the small plane to fly us to Lodwar.

    All along the journey through Kenya, from Nairobi through the beautiful wild life preserves all the way to Eldoret, Bishop Dominic kept saying:  this is not what you will be seeing in Lodwar (meaning the lush and beautiful flowering exotic trees, bushes, and farmlands.  And he was so right.  The difference was extreme.  It became obvious as we approached Lodwar and looked at the arid, desert-like barren plains below, we were entering into a new and dramatically different experience of the world in this northern-most part of Kenya.  Barren mountains dotted the horizon surrounding the city of Lodwar.  The plane landed at the airport which had no terminal of any sort.  It simply landed on the airstrip, the bags were unloaded onto the dusty ground, and every passenger picked up his/her own bags and that was it.  Bishop Dominic's driver was there to meet us and load up the car to take us to the St. Teresa Diocesan Pastoral Center.   We drove through crowded, dusty streets, amidst much poverty.   What we have come to recognize as normal "marketplaces" throughout Kenya in the small towns and cities were very evident in Lodwar as well.  When we arrived at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, it was very much like an oasis in the midst of the desert.  The Center was lush with trees and bushes.  Similar to the Diocesan Pastoral Center in Eldoret, this was much more like a retreat/conference center, with guest rooms for many guests available.   The rooms where Msgr. Mike, Fr. John Peter and I are staying are very nice, and, may I add with a prayer of thanksgiving to God, equipped with individual air-conditioning units.  Needless to say, mine has been running 24/7.  It really is the only thing air-conditioned that I have found so far in Africa.  Even Bishop Dominic's vehicle does not have a/c, nor any of the other facilities we have visited.  So, I am doubly grateful for the a/c in our guest rooms.  The temperature is quite warm; even Bishop Dominic commented how hot it was.  He tells us that the months of January, February and March are the hottest months here in Lodwar---the very months that are the coldest for us in Michigan and the Northeast.  We were able to settle in and freshen up before our dinner at 7:30 p.m.

(stock photo)

    The dinner turned out to be another "birthday surprise" by Bishop Dominic.  Even though it was a Saturday evening, he had invited the entire Diocesan Pastoral Staff for this "welcome dinner" and to celebrate my Birthday, one day after the fact!  Once again, we sang the traditional Birthday Song (African style---once again with the verse "How old are you now?"---and still I would not tell :) ), and they gave us "Welcome to Lodwar" gifts.  The Diocesan Pastoral Staff differs from our Kalamazoo Diocesan Pastoral Staff in that there are far more priests, sisters, and religious brothers serving in staff positions, with only a few lay people.  We also took the occasion at this dinner to make the presentation to Bishop Dominic of the financial gift that was from a number of our parishes and individuals in the Diocese of Kalamazoo, totaling nearly $8,000, for which Bishop Dominic and his staff were most appreciative.  Again, after a very long day, it was good to get to bed, this time in air-conditioned comfort.

From Buffaloes to Birthdays--Day 3 in Africa

Following a pretty heavy downpour of rain through the night, we awoke to a cool, bright and beautiful Friday morning  We all gathered at 7:00 a.m. in Bishop Dominic's Lodge room for the celebration of Holy Mass on the Feast of St. Luke, Physician/Evangelist (and for the special occasion of my own birthday).  After Mass we enjoyed a hearty buffet breakfast and checked out of the Lodge.  On our two-hour leisurely drive out of the Massai MaraGame Preserve, we got to see, both from a distance and from close up, thousands of wild, beautiful animals:  buffaloes, wildebeasts, elephants, warthogs, ostriches, zebras and many more.  It was simply breath-taking and once more, a reason to give praise to God for all His amazing creation.
  
Our destination today is the neighboring Diocese of Elderet---about a six hour drive.  Some roads during that trip were fairly good; many were in great disrepair.  We passed through beautiful mountains and lush valleys where there was a good bit of farming. The main crops are tea, sugar cane and wheat.  The raising of cows and goats is essential to each family's livelihood; therefore cows and goats are everywhere:  along the roads, in the marketplaces, and grazing in the fields.  The marketplaces are very, very modest; some are quite poor.  But once again, the people are industrious, happy and very friendly.  Halfway through our trip, we stopped at a local parish----Good Shepherd in Reton---(unannounced) for lunch and to freshen up.  The pastor and staff dropped everything to welcome and wait on us.  It was a living example of the quality of hospitality that we seem to find evrywhere.  

 It was past 7:00 p.m. and at nightfall when we arrived at the St. John the Baptist Pastoral Center for the Diocese of Eldoret.  Unlike our Diocesan Pastoral Center in Kalamazoo (and most diocesan pastoral centers in the U.S.), this was more like a retreat/conference center.  

The Center is staffed by Sisters who  are part of a newly-established diocesan religious community known as the Cornelian Sisters of Mary of Mt. Carmel, founded by the current Bishop, Cornelius Karrir.  We were each given a clean, modest room at the Center where we only had time to freshen up before traveling to the Bishop's House, where Bishop Cornelius graciously hosted us for a festive meal.  Somehow he had come to know that it was my birthday, and had arranged a party with the dinner, including a cake with candles, the signing of the traditional "Happy Birthday" song (African style, including a verse:  How old are you now?---which of course I did not answer), and even presents.  Bishop Cornelius is an extremely outgoing man:  humble, simple, astute, and truly a gentle but strong shepherd for his People's spiritual and temporal well-being.  He was ordained a bishop at the age of 40 after only 8 years as a priest, and he has now been Bishop of Eldoret for 23 years.  At the end of the evening, and with assurances that he will consider coming to visit Kalamazoo in the near future, we returned to the Pastoral Center for a much needed good night's sleep.  I'm quite certain that the memories of my birthday this year will be remembered for all the years to come!

Photo Ops

Photos courtesy of Fr. John Peter, MSFS

 

Photos taken as we landed in Nairobi:

 

Photos taken during dinner at the MSFS house. Around the dinner table: Bishop Dominic, his nephew Reginald (not Joseph), Fr. Jacob msfs, and a few msfs friends from Switzerland.

Day 2--Seeing the Big 5

Dear Family of Faith,

On this Feast of the great Bishop/Martyr of the early Church, St. Ignatius of Antioch, I greet you as we complete the first full day here in Kenya.

While I concluded my message last evening by stating that we had not seen much, but that we had already met many wonderful people, today I can say that we didn't meet that many people today, but we saw enough to fill up our memory banks for a very long time!

After a restful, though fairly brief night, we awoke for early morning prayer, and Msgr. Mike, Fr. John Peter and I concelebrated the Holy Mass together in the Chapel of the MSFS priests where we were staying.  Bishop Dominic and his nephew Reginald joined us for some breakfast, and we were on the road by a little after 7:00 a.m., with the destination the Masai Mara Game Preserve----a good six hour drive.  The first third of the trip was through the heart of Nairobi during rush hour.  If you've ever been in rush hour in New York City, or Chicago, think of that, plus a whole lot more.  There's more than 3 million people living in Nairobi, and everyone follows their own "rules" for driving.  It's kind of like driving in Rome, but much worse.  There's no "order"---its every driver for him/herself.  Once we got through the city, and it was well past 9:30 a.m. by that time, we drove through some of the most beautiful countryside you could imagine.  A lot more "green" than I expected, up into the mountains, then down into and through the plains, then back up the mountains again, and finally down into the plains/flatlands/savannahs of the Game Preserve.  Sadly, we drove through a tremendous amount of poverty, but it was clear that these people, though poor, are extremely hard-working, busy, and dedicated to providing for their families.  I was surprised to see signs for innumerable boarding schools for children, and churches of every denomination.   Bishop Dominic tells us that Africa in general is known to be "notoriously religious".  It is actually quite refreshing to see churches of every denomination, and people openly expressing their faith.  We in the United States could learn something very important about that.

From the beginning of the preserve, "normal roads" ended, and dirt, rocky, narrow roads prevailed for the rest of the trip----a good 3 hours.  If you can imagine the worst road that you've ever driven on, then these roads would be about 10 times worse than that.  It was amazing that the car's suspensions system and tires survived.  However, it was quite worth it as animals of all kinds, shapes, sizes, and species can be seen just roaming-----for miles and miles and miles.  Once we actually arrived at Masai Mara (which is named for the tribe of people who live in this area, the Masai Tribe, and the huge river that flows throughout this area, ending up in Lake Victoria, the Mara River), the animals were in greater abundance.  Bishop Dominic was very interested in seeing what he calls the "Big 5", which includes: giraffes, lions, rhinocerus, buffalo, and elephants.  We saw all 5, and many, many  more.  More than once, we found ourselves quoting from the Book of Genesis "Creation Account" and the Psalms of Praise of God for His beautiful creation.  Finally by 5:00, we arrived at the Lodge where we are spending the night.  I was shocked at how beautiful, modern, and comfortable this place is, truly out in the middle of nowhere.

This is our one "holiday" day in this Pastoral Visit pilgrimage.   Tomorrow we travel by car for another 6 hours or so to stay overnight with a Bishop of a nearby Diocese, and then the next day----Saturday----we will actually fly into Lodwar.

May God bless you and keep you safe throughout this night.

+ Bishop Bradley

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