Now that the rains have come and remain somewhat consistent we decided to start greening our plot more. I’ve decided that, for now, to concentrate on the western portion of the plot. We have cut the tall grass(by hand) and have started digging deep holes for the tree seedlings.

My foreman, Ernesti has started digging the holes in straight lines. I let him know  that I want to plant trees in the manner of God’s way, not in straight lines. This forest ought to be as natural as it can be as we try to follow the pattern of Mother Nature.

In many ways, if we do this right, this will  be the place of rest and tranquility, not inside the buildings. In an age of ecological diminishment perhaps we can have a taste of Eden on the edge of rapidly growing African city.

Today at the end of Mass I was given an envelope with this message: “Shukuranii yangu kwa Padri Jim kwa ajili ya kununua mafuta ya gari lake ili kuendeleza utume wake” (Thanks for Fr. Jim for the sake of buying gas for his car to continue his ministry). Inside the envelope was 10,000/ Tanzanian Shillings(around $4).

The average wage in this area is about $2.50 a day. This person probably makes more, but not that much more. The message to me is, give your all, God will take care of the rest.

The real test of a Vision is its encounter with Reality. It will only be a dream with no substance until it meets the Real, everyday life, as it is. The Vision of creating a transformation space of Silence, Simplicity, Solitude and  Spiritual Direction needs to be formed in the flow of everyday living.

Yesterday at the end of mass I spoke with the people about how much Silence would be a vital part of the future at the Lake House of Prayer, non-verbal response was good. It is these small seemingly insignificant encounters of ‘vision-testing’ that help what began in one’s own spirit to flow out into Creation.

 

The discussions on buying the neighbor’s house/plot have  taken significant steps these past few days. There  seems to be an agreement as to the price. Now some legal documentation has to be signed before money is exchanged. The process drags at times but now there appears to be an end in sight.

We have also started looking at how to get a steady supply of water. This will become be important if I start living in this house.

I celebrated Easter with the Christians in the neighboring outstation. Their joy and deep sense of celebration is wonderful to be a part of. As we say in Swahili, “Heri ya Pasaka”, have a Blessed Easter.

Fr. Jim setting up for Mass in the pre-dawn light

An elder prayers before mass

Sharing the Word with the Folks

Putting back the Mass Stuff

I once visited this elderly woman, she must of been 70 plus years old. She lives alone in a tiny mud hut that had one of its walls falling down. I thought to myself, if a decent storm comes the whole house will fall on top of her while she is sleeping.

Like many of the elderly living in an urban environment she does not have the traditional support that was normally available in her culture. She can’t ‘retire’, everyday she struggles just to get enough to eat. This is a growing problem in Tanzania, the neglect of the elderly.

Yesterday she came up to me and said that she does not receive communion at mass. I asked her why, she said that she does not give any offering. I said, so what, why don’t you receive anyway. She said, it would be like stealing to receive communion and not put in an offering. I asked her how much money she had. She answered, none. I smiled and said, it is not a sin to receive communion if you did not put any money in the offering basket because you didn’t have any money. She smiled back at me. The integrity of the poor people astounds me.

Tomorrow will be Palm Sunday. It will be an occasion for the Christians to express themselves in a truly African fashion. We will start with the Blessing of the Palms at the House of Prayer. From there we will walk-dance-sing our way to the outstation church.

The choir will be decked out in their finest, so will the altar boys, the leaders and the people. Usually we have traditional drums since we can’t carry the organ. For a minute one gets a glimpse of traditional Africa and one is grateful for not having electricity.

It is quite a site to see the many Christians marching through the village, stopping traffic, taking their time, ever joyful in be in God’s Creation with God’s People.

While the wait continues during negotiations for purchasing the neighboring house/plot to come to a satisfactory resolution, I am seeking out other ways to be proactive. One way is to get a steady supply for water, especially when we start building. For now, we are bringing water in on our heads. We hire women to bucket in water on their heads for so much a bucket. This has the advantage of giving work to the local population but it is expensive and unpractical during the heavy building stage, for watering plants and tress, ok, but not building.

We found out from the Water Dept. that it is possible to bring in piped water, for a price. They will have to come out and take measurements and give us a cost estimate. I hope to take this step after Easter.

I’ve learnt that one has to wait an awful lot here so having something else to do while your waiting helps. One is always preparing something, as the Boy Scouts say, “Be Prepared”. But more importantly, as Jesus said, “Watch and wait”.

Yesterday there was a big celebration in which the bishop blessed the site of pilgrimage for the people. On this site is the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and a chapel for perpetual adoration. Over the years this area on the top of Kawekamo Hill has been a place of prayer and pilgrimage.

We also have a place on the lake where people can go for a meal and drink with friends. Groups can go to have a picnic outing. There is music and an all around good atmosphere to enjoy oneself. The diocese also has a Pastoral Center that serves all types of groups, Christian and Non-Christian. It is a very busy place with many people coming for seminars, extension classes, and meetings.

Where does the Lake House of Prayer fit in with all this? Well, we already have a Pastoral Center, a restaurant/picnic area on the lake and a pilgrimage site. Why not have a place of Silence, Solitude, Simplicity and Spiritual Direction that provides the contemplative space for people to enter their ‘inner rooms’? The above mentioned serve the outer needs of the people. The Lake House of Prayer the Inner. This is where we can fit in.

The Eucharist under a large tree on the Lake House of Prayer land has been full of blessing. We usually get around 30 people, mainly women who come just as the sun is coming up(one of the reasons we start at 7am so we can see to read). The small table which is also used for breakfast and office work is the altar. The people sit around the small altar on grass woven mats, some men sit on rocks. I seek to set a quiet contemplative tone for the mass with times of silence for reflection and prayer.

A few days ago it was St. Joseph’s feast day. This year will be the Year of the Man in our diocese. The hope is to reach out to men to involve them more in the church and family life. As the mass went on I got the idea that the women should bless us men at the end of mass. After receiving communion I told the people how just before I was to return to Africa from vacation with my family I would kneel before my mother and she would bless me. I also shared a famous Swahili saying, “Hakuna Mtu kama Mama” (There’s no person like Mama).

I suggested that the women stand up in front of the men and the woman catechist lead the blessing of the men (there were 5 of us). They were a little shocked and very embarrassed to be asked to do this. Women don’t usually bless priests here. But with a little encouragement they gave us a fine blessing. As I watched the Christians slowly walk away after mass talking about what just happened I thought that this is the way things change. How life gets transformed. By asking for the unusual in the midst of the usual. Women blessing the Men.