Nine of our delegates are in the air and will be arriving around 1:00 p.m. this afternoon. (9/30)  We were told that they were having problems with the communication system in Kitui which is why there haven’t been any additional stories posted until today.  Please read the two new ones below.  Then to view more of the entire story during their visit, you may go to the Diocese of Kitui website at: www.dioceseofkitui.org.  Mike Haasl and Eric Simon will be boarding their plane to return today.  Please hold them all in prayer while they travel back home to us.

To date, we have been taken to hospitals, schools, parishes, villages, dams, families and other important locations to experience the Akamba culture and agricultural situation.  We always wondered what it would be like to step out of the car or bus and walk around the African “bush.”   We got that opportunity several days ago.

    We should have recognized a bit of foreshadowing when, after eight hours of driving to a lodge in Amboseli National Park, the bus quit as we glided into the entrance.   “Electrical issue” they said.

     After an hour or so, it was fixed.  We enjoyed a nice break from our mission trip in Kitui and the next day headed back for another 6-8 hours of travel.  About 45 minutes into the return trip, in an area of sand, animals and Maasai herders, we hit an area of soft sand.  Sand so fine and deep that the tires of the bus sank easily.  The tires spun in the same fashion they do in a soft, snow bank in a Minnesota March.  You readers know what I mean.  We were not going anywhere.  In addition, the electrical problem reappeared as the bus quit.

     We jumped off the bus expecting hard ground, only to find we sank about four inches into a fine, red, powdery sand - like a cross between sand and flour.  The sand penetrated our shoes and socks upon impact.  The flour-like sand created a suction sensation as we walked.

     We tried the old Minnesota techniques of shoveling out the sand from the front and rear of the spinning tires and placing sticks (from small, shriveled shrubs nearby) and rocks (wherever we could find them) behind the wheels for traction.   The electrical problem had been fixed.  The entire group would push the bus as the driver made a go of it.  Not only did it not work, but the pushers were quickly enveloped within a dense cloud of fine sand.  It was in our clothes, hair, ears, nostrils and lungs.  Lots of spitting, coughing and gagging.  By the way, did I mention that it was in the heat of desert-like conditions?  Felt like it was over 95 degress.

     Soon a young Maasai teenager, dressed in the traditional red cloth wrapped around his body, arrived.   He calmly and matter-of-factly joined us.  The teen crossed his legs and leaned against his staff for balance and watched.  I could imagine he was thinking, “Can’t wait to tell my family about this one!”  To our surprise, he jumped in to help push the bus with us.

     After several tries to free the bus, and some mounting concern, a large truck ambled by and agreed to help.  The bus driver tried several methods of securing the bus to the truck to pull us from the sand.  A rope and steel cable both snapped.  After six attempts and 1.5 hours of inhaling sand, It was the combination of the two that finally pulled us to solid ground.

     We jumped on the bus amid shouts of joy and certainty that we were on our way.  But wait, what was wrong with the rear left tire?  100 yards down the road, the bus driver stopped, checked the rear and announced that one of the springs had snapped and we needed to stop at the next village to have it welded back in place.

     The next village was Emali, and we were delayed for another 1.5 hours.  There was one interesting shop in town and a location for soda, so we were able fill up the time waiting for the bus repair.   The 6-8 hour trip become 12 hours. 

      We had our adventure in the African “bush” and made a Maasai friend as well.  The question is, will the red, fine sand ever come out of our clothes?  Not yet.

This blog entry is written by Keely Wojda, a delegate from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, while in Kitui, Kenya.

     The Church was full of life and growing in Kitui!  My delegation partner and I were blessed to visit the village of Nuu.  Our host was the pastor, Fr. Emmanuel, who was truly an amazing man.  On any given day he could be saying Mass, managing the building of a technical school for his parish, fixing his truck, visiting a family mourning the loss of a loved one, and taking a sick grandmother to the hospital.  He did all this from a parish house that had no electricity and on many days, no running water.  His co-worker in the ministry was Deacon Jonathan.

     Deacon has been waiting to be ordained a priest for over 10 years due to a serious car accident that caused him to accept the loss of one eye.  He was in charge of cooking for the parish house and took such good care of us!  He was a very pateint, kind man and I know he will be a wonderful priest.

     We also met many women religious whose congregations originated in Kitui.  They were involved in all areas of the ministry from education to health care to working in the parishes.  As with the priests, these women were fluent in three languages: Kikamba, Kiswahili and English.  I spent the most time with Sister Ann in Nuu.  She was a slim, vivacious young woman with a great smile and a quick wit.  I will always remember her laughter when she tried to translate for me.

     There were many lay leaders involved in all aspects of parish life.  Each parish had a chairman, as well as a president of the Catholic Women’s Association and the Catholic Men’s Association.  Many parishes also had small Christian Communities which met weekly.

     As a Director of Religious Education in a parish and a teacher of religion in our Catholic School, all that I have seen here will be a well-spring of inspiration and hope.  To be in Kitui is like seeing the Church in its early years, soon after Pentecost, with the strong sense that the Holy Spirit is so very present.  And as for me, all they accomplish here, in the midst of so many obstacles, will help me put my own life and ministry into perspective.

They have so very little in material goods but are so rich in spirit.

     The dam constructed in the Nuu division of Mwingi district is a critical project initiated through the Partnership between the Archdiocese of St Paul/Minneapolis and the Diocese of Kitui with the help and supervision of Catholic Relief Services.

     The area of Nuu has been suffering from tremendous drought.   Today, 1,250 families have to walk as much as 15 miles to gather water.  And the water is not as clean as it should be for use by the people of Nuu.   Without sufficient water, crops fail and livestock suffers.  A decision was reached that this region of Kitui was best suited to host an enormous dirt and clay dam to hold water from seasonal rain.

    Over 220 villagers from the Nuu division were hired to build and maintain the dam.  They created 15-foot walls around a large man-made basin – excavated by hand with pick axes, shovels and other small implements. The dam was designed to hold approx. 5 million liters of water.   It was an enormous undertaking and a breath-taking example of human effort. 

     Many families and children in the Archdiocese of St Paul/Minneapolis helped collect funds for construction of the dam through the H20 initiative.  Funds were then collected and forwarded through the Center for Mission office in St Paul. (See the Web site for additional information) Along with funds from the Food Resource Bank and Catholic Relief Services, the project was initiated in October 2007.

     It is a marvelous example of ingenuity and accomplishment.  One must visit the dam to realize the scope of the project and the seriousness of the drought and it’s damage to the community.  Penny Knoll, a member of the delegation visiting from the Archdiocese described her experience.

“…the experience can not be described in words.  When we first arrived we were greeted by almost the entire community of Nuu.  When I first toured the dam itself, the scripture came to mind, ‘When I was naked, you clothed me; when I was hungry, you fed me; when I was thirsty, you gave me to drink.’  At that point, the tears that started to flow might have been able to fill one of the dry river streams that we’ve been driving through all week.  I was very proud to be a member of the delegation and the projects that have helped make this possible.”

   The dam is a valuable asset to the community of Nuu and will significantly help to  alleviate the  drought conditions currently endured in this area of Kitui.   All it takes now is prayer and rain.

     The Partnership between the Archdiocese of St. Paul/Minneapolis and the Diocese of Kitui, Kenya has been very successful.  It truly feels as if the two communities are linked in a way that respects and values cultural differences as we all worship as Catholics.  Contact between the two communities has been primarily focused on exchanging delegations every other year.  This year we brought the Partnership ideals to children as we provided an opportunity for real-time communications between a class in Kitui and a class in St. Paul, Minnesota.

     Through the use of SKYPE, nine 6th graders from St. Michael’s in Kitui were able to see and speak with a similar grade at St. Mark’s in St. Paul.  They shared names, family and pet information, school subjects, and sports interests.  Although Kitui children have a comfort with English, language was a bit tough. Yet a connection was made and the cultural barriers began to be transcended.   Two children asked to be pen pals.  

     Technology was used to provide a a platform for communications between children in different countries.  It is a first step.  We hope that kids in Kiuti and St. Paul realize that their counterparts are real people.  Respect and a sense of common interests can begin to be fostered.  With the success of the initial contact, the Partnership group in both countries is considering a long-term implementation to continue engagement among children.

     The Catholic Church in Kenya, as we have experienced in Kitui, is extraordinarily committed to the social development of communities.  This includes projects related to education, healthcare, food and water, and justice issues.  The Church is involved with these and many more.  The Nyumbani Village for children orphaned by AIDS is an impressive example of one of these social development initiatives.

    Considered an important pilot program in Kenya, the Church has been instrumental in constructing an entire self-sustaining Village on 1,000 acres of land located about one hour’s drive from Kitui.   Children, who have been orphaned by the death of parents due to AIDS and left with no available support, are accepted into this village.  They are matched with a family of other orphans that are led by a grandparent. These grandparents may or may not have grandchildren with them, and are coming from a condition of financial crisis themselves.  Each grandparent lives with 6-8 children in a home environment.

     A home is situated within a pod of four homes.  In the center of this pod is an area with water for washing, cleaning and cooking.  Water is a valuable resource that has been badly depleted by a long drought.  Thus, a family environment and a community atmosphere are generated for each child.  The Village offers services like education, healthcare, counseling, food management, agricultural and vocational training for children and is almost totally self-sustaining.

    The Village currently has 24 homes in 6 pods and is growing quickly hoping to triple the number of children residing at Nyumbani. 

     This visit has reminded us of the important mission of Christ and the Church - to love our neighbors.  The Church within the Diocese of Kitui reflects this through initiatives of action.  We have been impressed and inspired to do the same.

     It didn’t take long to discover what is unique and wonderful about the Kenyan people.  And it didn’t take long to feel comfortable with it. We were wrapped in acceptance and warmth from the moment we stepped off the plane. 
And I mean wrapped, literally.

     Six representatives of the Kitui Diocese met us at the Nairobi airport.  Amid cries of recognition, were hugs and back-slapping as if we were long awaited friends. Our cultural walls were scaled immediately.  The St. Paul/Minneapolis delegation felt comfortable as if we had known the group from Kitui for years.

      From that introduction to our arrival in Kitui, a three hour journey southeast from Nairobi on rough and cratered roads, the host group taught us the meaning of true hospitality. We were met at the Kitui Diocese by the Cathedral choir, a group of about 30 young adults.  This was an amazing, wonderful experience as the choir combined African music and harmony with church music.       

    But even more, as we prayed together, worshipping through the same Liturgy, reciting the same prayers, we realized that we were truly one family in Christ. Ultimately, Catholic prayers and worship are the same, even on the other side of the globe.  We can share that with Catholics worldwide.  The Kitui group exudes and practices is a recognition and celebration of that oneness.  We will take that back with us…and the trip has only begun.

On September 16^th, eleven of us representing several parishes within the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, will be leaving for a two week solidarity mission to Kitui. We are visiting to demonstrate solidarity with the people of Kitui as we are all one human family created by God. And as Catholics, we are all one in the body of Christ. For solidarity to be experienced, we need to be sensitive to cultural differences, understand the socio-political situation of Kitui, identify our expectations and be prepared for these to be shattered as we engage with the Kamba culture, the people of Kitui. This requires a great deal of patience, sensitivity and acceptance.

Mike Haasl, the mission leader has taken us though months of preparation in these matters. We reviewed everything from the basics – what shots to get and medicine to bring – to information about the Kamba culture, their sense of order, worship and most important, daily activity. We even had a quick language lesson from Father Joe, a visiting priest from Kitui. By the way, Kitui is about 100 miles southeast of Nairobi. Groups of two or three will be spread out in different villages throughout the Diocese of Kitui.

Well, we are now as ready as we can be…and a bit nervous. We are entering a very different culture with its own sense of the world and Catholic sensitivities. We all hope to be open, sharing ourselves with others. In this way, we will find that spark of Christ in all and understand what it means to experience solidarity with other cultures. Perhaps, we will discover things about ourselves that will cultivate growth and maturity within our own Catholicity.

I will be posting stories of our experiences throughout the next two weeks. Please feel free to read them and post questions. We will answer them as frequently as we are able. Wish us all luck and keep us in your prayers.

Tiwaina useo! (Good Bye!)

In 2001 U.S. bishops issued “A Call to Solidarity with Africa” which encouraged parishes to engage more with Africa. In the spring of 2003, Fr. Michael Perry, an advisor on Africa to the U.S. bishops, spoke at an archdiocesan mission forum and challenged participants to be more engaged in Africa. Shortly after, the Center for Mission office was contacted by Catholic Relief Services to investigate whether the archdiocese would be interested in partnering with the Diocese of Kitui, Kenya. Meetings were held and five parishes in the southeast region of the archdiocese opted to pursue the initiative.

In 2004, the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis joined with the Diocese of Kitui in a global solidarity partnership as a way to share faith, culture and resources. In October 2005, a 16-member delegation representing a group of parishes in the rural southeast corner of the archdiocese traveled to meet their new friends. We then had the opportunity to host some of our friends during their visit here in September, 2006. Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. bishops’ overseas relief and development agency, assisted with the effort.

Stay tuned for more Information….

Ask a question about the Kitui Mission