During this holiday time of the year it has always struck me how New Year’s Eve, and not Christmas, brings out the most joy in the people, especially people who don’t have a lot. They’ve seen a lot of deaths during the year, probably were near death themselves from malaria or typhoid. Everyday is a struggle with getting clean water, enough food and keeping your house in adequate repair so it doesn’t fall down in all the heavy rains we’ve been having. There’s a wonderful smile on their faces. So thankful. So happy to made it to another year. Perhaps this year will be better than the last their smile seems to say.

I celebrated Mass on New Year’s Eve Night. It was a sublime moment for me listening them sing their hearts out bringing light and joy to our church of one light. These people know deep down the meaning of celebrating because of what they’ve gone through and what they face in the New Year.

Things are pretty quiet at the Lake House of Prayer. We have finished putting down the concrete floor of the Community House and now are watering it for almost one month before moving on to the next stage.

The builders themselves are on vacation and will be returning right after the new year to finish off some small jobs in order to complete the contract for the first phase of the building of the Community House.

I  will be travelling to Nairobi with a few Maryknollers for our annual retreat and meeting. So, we are in a transition time in which we hope all to return renewed and ready to begin the second and final stage of the building of the Community House.

I continue to have Mass in my living room. The congregation is growing because school aged children are coming now when they normally would be going to school since they are on vacation. We blessed a whole bunch before Christmas to highlight the coming of God as a child.

I have been celebrating all the Eucharist Liturgies during Christmas at the Ibanda outstation. It gives me the feel of being back in a parish with all the activity. I am grateful for the connection in prayer with the local community.

My favorite spot at the Lake House of Prayer

Mango forest at the lake

My walk down to the lake

Pouring the cement floor

It has been over three months since I paid the fees to get hooked up to the Water Department. During this entire time, no water, until today! It would be easy to use the standard reasons for the delay, corruption, inefficiency, laziness, etc. Perhaps. But when one looks at the tremendous challenges of a growing by leaps and bounds city, one can marvel that the Water Department can keep up with the demand. Either way the long wait is over. We have water from the Water Department.

As far as the building is concerned, we have one last major job to do before the first phase of the construction of the Core Community House is completed, we need to pour the floor. We are planning to do this in a couple of days. This job needs a lot of water. Perhaps the Water Department knew this. Knowing it or not. We have water abundantly now, from God (rain water)  and from our beloved Water Department (piped water). Either way, one is thankful.

People when they come up to the House of Prayer comment on the road. It is a steep, winding, narrow road that passes, like a camel trying to go through an eye of a needle, through humble dirt and cinder block houses lined on either side of the road. One can easily start a conversation with the people sitting outside their homes, usually on rocks.

The road is full of people walking, motorcycles, chickens, goats, an occasional cow, cars, vans, bikes, the list can go on. It can be quite a show to just watch the multi-faceted scene unfold before you but one doesn’t for fear of running over a chicken.

The rains and constant heavy traffic are creating conditions on the road where one can see the day where it will be impassable. What to do when your road goes out? My plan is to somehow get my car to the parish below in the valley and keep in there until the road gets fixed. I’ll just walk down to my car, probably a 20 minute walk. Life will slow down, which  may not be so bad after all.

Finishing the basement

When I lived in the villages for off and on for ten years whenever in rained hard one always had to relook at his plans, especially depending on the condition of the roads. Our road coming to the House of Prayer is getting eaten up by the heavy rains. Where I would make two, three trips up and down our road in one day to go to mid-town in past, now I just plan to do everything that I can in one trip. It is the mentality I had in the villages, go slow, and try and get all that you can done in one trip.

The rains have slowed down the building a bit, but not much. The building crew is working hard and getting quite wet at times. We are now preparing the forms to pour concrete for our floor of the Core Community House.

The rains have filled up my 10,000 liter water tank but I can’t pump the water up to my house tank because the electricity keeps going off.