John Roche's African Adventure - 2

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

There has been no internet here since Saturday afternoon and there is no sign indicating when it will be back on. Fr. Eric and Br. Dominic have contacted the internet provider. I don’t mind this situation except for the fact that with the internet I can make Skype calls and stay in touch. I also wanted to do some work on SLIM and pass that along to concerned parties. I realize, though, that those I need to touch base with in these days are fully immersed in SYLC or SES, so their hands, like mine, are full.

The weather here in Dar Es Salaam is very humid and warm. It is actually one of the coolest months for Tanzania, so the nights cool off well. The fan in my room and the open screened window make all the difference in the world. The humidity does, however, take its toll, but I am fortunate that it is not at its peak!

Yesterday, the Provincial asked me if I had Malaria. This took me for surprise. I told him I was taking medication to limit its possibility, but asked why he would ask the question. He told me that I seemed very tired. I found that unusual because I had given what I thought were three engaging and energetic sessions. My sleep, however, has been all off and last night was the first night since my arrival to East Africa that I slept pretty much through the night and slept soundly. So, perhaps, I appeared tired or bedraggled to him in the evening because my sleep had been off and I almost missed evening prayer.

The facility here at the provincial house has many wonderful rooms and is designed as a meeting place for the province and for other meetings. The rooms are simple but spacious and have individual bathrooms with hot water showers. 

The first session on Friday evening was a good one and the confreres made their decisions regarding the schedule. For instance, they decided that breakfast and supper would be taken in silence. They also assigned music ministries, presiders, and homilists. 

Yesterday, our first full day of retreat, seemed to go well. In fact, the afternoon session I designed for sharing of experience and bringing practical considerations to the theological and spiritual content of the morning. The sharing was marvelous and I wish I had some way of recording what is being said. The realities here are so vastly different from anything in my experience, yet, we all speak Salesian here. There arose the same insistence that relationship is at the center of continuing effectiveness and authenticity in the Salesian Mission. This came out strongly in this first afternoon discussion.

The Good Night was shared by a young priest, Fr. Artimi Paul, who works at the border of Kenya and Ethiopia, the village of Korr, where the climate is arid and the conditions more treacherous. He spoke of the tribal conflicts which leave the diocese in shambles and of protestant ministers who come in with fire and sneak away after a few months. The Salesians have been the most effective presence so far and the one that is most stable. This young priest smiled as he referred to his parish as being a school, counseling center, and hospital 24/7. Their cars often serve as an ambulance. He told of a six year old orphan who was recklessly shot by people playing with guns. There are a lot of weapons lying around with little supervision. This child was hit in the stomach cutting across his abdomen leaving his intestines to hang out. He was rushed to the priests and they tried and tried to get the permission—which is required—to act as an ambulance. This process was frustrating and inefficient allowing the boy to grow weaker and weaker. When they finally drove him to a clinic, they had no physicians or surgeons capable of dealing with the situation, so the boy died in front of them. The tribal leader came out that night and said, “We knew he would die. I will come to the burial tomorrow.” He never made it, but the boys and the young priest dug the boy’s grave and laid him to rest themselves.

Fr. Artimi Paul apologized for sounding sad. In fact, he was very joyful and he delighted in the work and the people. Nothing replaces the ability to relate to others. It makes all the hardship seem small comparison to the trust he experiences among the people. It is a place where, he says, nothing can equal the impact of consistent and caring presence. In a world where so many come and go, where impermanence is the rule, the abiding presence of the Salesians has earned much respect and love. This work is the oldest work of the Salesians in all of Africa.

Today, Tuesday, I will focus on the person of Jesus for the individual Salesian after having laid a foundation yesterday for a Salesian Theology and Salesian Christology. I will begin this morning with the short film prepared by Debra Asis in my Christology classes drawing together hundreds of images from all cultures and times depicting Jesus. From this launching pad, I will move through the images which sustained the early Church and invite the Salesians to individually reconnect with those images and imaginations of Jesus which have sustained them. I will continue my diary after supper tonight.

The day seemed to go well and I am happy to hear the Salesians weaving the content of the retreat into their homilies and their good nights. I especially appreciate the afternoon sharing periods. Today, so many spoke about their images of Jesus and each were very moving. The background of each confrere is so vastly different one to another offering quite a variety of experiences and perspectives! For some, Jesus has been companion while for others a big brother or friend. For one, Jesus is the creator capable of creating harmony and reconciliation in the midst of chaos and division. For another, Jesus is the one who laughs and who offers the only unconditional love we can ever experience goading us to love beyond logic or reciprocation. One confrere has always held Jesus as the perfect image of a father—all that a father should be. For all, Jesus is profoundly close and present in the Eucharist and readily available. One referred to Henri Nouwen’s image of Jesus as the wounded healer and has taken this image with him from place to place since his earliest formation.

The good night was offered by Fr. Thomas CK. He will be leaving on Wednesday for his holidays, but he has immersed himself for these two days. He spoke of the secondary school in Western Tanzania where the Salesians work side by side with the Sisters of Notre Dame. There are over 700 students and they have the distinction of being one of the only co-ed programs in Salesian Africa. 300 boys board, 200 girls board, and the other 200 mixed students live in the nearby villages or take up residence nearby during the school months. Most of the young people are members of one tribe and much of the Salesian effort is to educate this tribe into mentalities for peaceful co-existence with other tribes and peoples.

The internet came on for a few hours last night for the first time in days. I downloaded some files and pictures for a presentation. When I returned in the later evening to send out these thoughts, it was down again. Perhaps Wednesday will open the gates! I have been unable to call anyone or check any email. This has been an unusual spell even for the local community. 

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Today’s focus will be on the question of salvation. We will examine what it means for a Salesian to “save souls” or to invest in Don Bosco’s borrowed life goal “Give me souls! Take away the rest.” In so doing, we will unpack some of the soteriology that is part of our formation and educational approach and connect this in a practical way to the insistence of Fr. Juan Vecchi that each Salesian is called by mission to lead the young to “the mystery of Jesus Christ.” I will refer to Fr. Michael Sweeney’s wonderful talk regarding this topic as he offered it to our province in June 2009.

The provincial has been asking the confrere to dedicate this retreat in prayer for a young priest, Fr. Edwin. This poor priest was the headmaster at a school in Kenya until suffering a cerebral hemorrhage and stroke leaving him very disabled. After three months in hospital, he was brought to this community on Monday evening. His brain continues to swell cutting off the use of much of his left side. It has been beautiful to witness the love and attention this young man receives from all the Salesians here.

Hopefully, today, the internet will connect again and stay connected long enough for me to contact others in the States during their waking hours! Each day we have experienced at least one loss of power. This happened to me on Tuesday afternoon in the middle of a presentation. I had to roll with the punches, but at least the information on my computer was available by battery. It also allowed much more sharing.

I am watching the sun rise here this morning at about 6:15 AM. The sun sets about 6:30 every evening. One of the effects of living so close to the equator is the relatively miniscule change in the sun’s rising and setting. This is basically a year round and predictable arrangement: 12 hours of sun and 12 hours of moon!

This morning it seems a bit cooler and less humid. My hopes are not high, however, that this will remain such. Usually by breakfast, the sweating begins. As long as there are fans and some breezes, it is all bearable. And according to the local Salesians, they keep reminding me that this is the coolest time of the year in Tanzania. The lush vegetation reminds me of the Pacific Northwest, though there are so many varieties of palm trees, palm plants, banana and rubber trees. The garden environment—the jungle—witnesses to the two months of rain in April and May. We had some heavy and brief rain on Monday, but that was considered a surprise to the locals.

Onward to the day’s tasks! 

Wednesday evening:

Br. Jim Comino gave a moving good night this evening about the Salesian works in Kartoom in Sudan. He went there some years ago for what he imagined would be a two year experience and he has been there many years. He says things are better than they were, but there is always danger of violent outbreak. The government is hot and cold. For the most part, they seek the Don Bosco model of technical schools and see the benefit for their young people, but they have hit Islamic and political roadblocks more than once. Over the years, Br. Jim has come to wonder at how much our Lady still creates miracles and clears impossible paths to bring about the growing works in Sudan. This personally moves him and reminds him that she promised to lead Don Bosco and still promises to lead the Salesians today, even in circumstances that from many perspectives seem impossible.

The region is very hot and very dry. Water is not easy to find. They rely heavily on the Nile and on wells tapping under ground rivers and sources not obvious for that terrain.

Br. Jim spent three wonderful years at the Tech in California and next to his stay in Korea, he said it was his favorite experience. He asked about many persons by name from John Malloy to Carmine Vairo. He remembers the Brothers at Tech and St. Joseph in his years there from 1965-1968. He would love to come back for a visit or, perhaps, even for the ISS. I will leave a bug in Fr. P.L. Jospeh's ear, the provincial here in Tanzania who is a lovely and warm presence.
The Salesians are anxious that I visit their ministries and houses and I regret that after next week's work with the young priests followed by a workshop with the brothers in practical training, little time is left to see many places except for those on the way back to Nairobi. Hopefully, I will be able to see one or two sites before I leave.
After supper, I showed them a movie and many seemed thrilled with the chance. We all watched "The Blind Side".