Month: June 2019

This past week we had meetings with the guardians of the students in the H.O.P.E. project. As I mentioned in my last post, H.O.P.E. helps provide orphans infected or affected by HIV/AIDS with access to an education by assisting with tuition, school fees, uniforms, supplies, and other school related expenses. Meetings with the guardians are held in both Mbungoni  and Changamwe twice a year (usually in consecutive days). The purpose of the meetings is twofold. The first is to give the guardians an opportunity to provide feedback on the project, voice concerns, tell us what is working well and what they would like to see changed or improved, and to interact with other guardians. The second is more educational in nature. Typically the meeting will include a workshop on a social issue, a self-improvement  topic, or a session on spiritual enrichment. The workshop topic for this set of meetings was “self-awareness”. We had a facilitator, Yohana, who led the workshop.

This was the first time I had a chance to meet the guardians of our students. It was certainly an enlightening experience for me. Here are some of the things that the guardian’s told us during the session. They told us that H.O.P.E. provides them “hope”. It gives them hope for a better life for their children, hope in an education on which their children can build a career, and hope that their children can become self-dependent and live happy, joy filled lives. The guardians told us that H.O.P.E. is the only chance their children have of an education and learning career skills.

The guardians said that H.O.P.E. has changed not only the lives of their children, but also their own lives. They said that they are much happier now and more stress free with their children in the H.O.P.E. project. They even told us that reduced stressed has even had a positive impact on their health. What was probably the toughest comment for me to hear was when they expressed that H.O.P.E. has removed the shame they felt by not being able to provide an education for their children.

All these wonderful comments are a result of the great work that Coralis and Florah have done on the H.O.P.E. project over the past several years. This was emphasized even more by the outpouring of emotion for Coralis when she told them that she would be leaving H.O.P.E. at the end of the year and heading back to the U.S. I only hope that I can continue to serve the orphans and guardians in such a positive manner as I begin my role as H.O.P.E. administrator. Luckily I have Florah and I looking forward very much to working with her in moving H.O.P.E. forward.

Finally, I was thrilled to hear of the direction that the guardians would like to see H.O.P.E. go in the future to be even better and help more children. They threw out ideas like opening a school, which they want to call H.O.P.E. Academy, to provide students with a learning environment with more personalized attention than they receive in public schools. The guardians would like to see us be able to support more orphans, that is to expand the number of children we are able to help. They also threw out ideas like expanding H.O.P.E. beyond only funding education and also moving the project in the direction of helping graduates start and/or expand businesses. The worse scenario is when graduates can’t find a job and make a living after completing their education.

Obviously some of these ideas are lofty and sound out of reach (although I won’t say that anything is impossible), but I am humbled at the enthusiasm that the guardians have for the continued success and growth of the H.O.P.E. project. I currently have no idea how to accomplish any of this, but trust that God will provide and give us the help we need to fulfill his plans for H.O.P.E.

All of this was driven home for me on Sunday, which was the feast of Corpus Christi (or what is now more formally known as the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ). I attended Mass in Mikindani with Florah. The Gospel for the feast day is one of the very well-known accounts of Jesus feeding a multitude of people. Yesterday’s Gospel reading was from St. Luke. Like any of the Gospels passages, this account of the feeding of the crowd can be read and understood from so many different angles. What resonated for me, especially in light of what I had rattling around in the back of my mind from the recent H.O.P.E. guardian meetings, was looking at the Gospel from the viewpoint of the apostles.

In the Gospel passage, Jesus had been speaking to the crowds, but it was getting late and they were in a deserted place. The apostles approached Jesus and asked him to dismiss the crowds so that they can go into the surrounding villages and find lodging and something to eat. Jesus responded to them and said “Give them some food yourselves”. On the surface, this sounds like a pretty harsh response. The apostles are concerned about the well-being of the people, approach Jesus and ask him to dismiss the crowds to allow them to go find something to eat, and Jesus responds by basically telling the apostles to feed the people themselves. Not exactly what I expected to hear Jesus say.

However, in actuality, Jesus is not telling the apostles to feed the people themselves,  but rather to allow him to work through them to accomplish what they asked. Jesus is not telling the apostles to go it alone, but rather to trust in him, cooperate with him, and allow him to accomplish his will through them.

Jesus did not need the apostles to tell him that the day was getting late and that the people needed food.  Jesus not only already knew this, but he also knew how he would accomplish feeding the crowd. Jesus just wanted the apostles to trust in him and cooperate in his work. God wills that we participate in our salvation and in bringing the kingdom of God to others. It’s not that God needs us to accomplish his will, but that only through giving of ourselves to others do we truly share in his divine life and become the person that he created us to be. God wills that we work with him and allow him to work through us in accomplishing his work.

But how do we accomplish what in many cases seems the impossible? In the Gospel passage, the apostles were tasked with feeding five thousand with only five loaves and two fish with which to work.  But as was the case with the apostles, God never asks to do something without giving us everything we need to carry out what he is asking of us. Jesus doesn’t say that everything will be easy, but if we trust, he will provide all the graces we need. Again, God already knows what we need and how he will provide what is needed, he only asks us to accept the invitation to work with him, to trust in him, and to allow him to use our efforts, as meager as they may be, to accomplish his will.  As God can never be outdone in generosity, he takes our efforts, in the case of this Gospel, the five loaves and two fish, and uses them to accomplish great things in abundance. Not only did the five loaves and two fish feed the five thousand, but the leftovers filled twelve wicker baskets!

As I’ve stated many times, God doesn’t ask us to do great things, but rather to do whatever we do with great love.  As St. Therese tell us:

“Our Lord does not so much look at the greatness of our actions, or even at their difficulty, as at the love with which we do them.”

St. Therese of Lisieux

Love is the means with which God accomplishes all things and by which he accomplishes his works through us. However, we must cooperate and trust in what he is doing. God wants us to be willing participants. He does not force anything on us.

As I continue on in my ministry, what lies before me at times seems daunting – both in terms of what I want to accomplish and how to get it done. I realized that I need to allow our Lord to lead more and do what he wants, not what I want. However, I also know that if I trust in him and truly allow him to work through me, everything will work out for good. As I know that Flora shares in my trust of the Lord, I am confident in the fact that he will be working through both of us.

I’ll end with some words from Pope Benedict’s address after being elected pope in 2005. Pope Benedict described himself as “a simple, humble, worker in God’s vineyard.” He then continued “I am consoled by the fact that the Lord knows how to work and how to act, even with insufficient tools …” Pope Benedict, I’m with you.

God is good.

After a lot of discernment, I have decided on a ministry. I actually started the role a few weeks ago at the beginning of June. After six months of preparation – language school, immersion and getting acclimated to Kenya and Mombasa, where I will be living and working for at least the next few years – I’m finally in a position where I can start working with and helping others in a greater capacity. This is why I came to Kenya.

As I understand is the case with a lot of missioners, my ministry is not exactly what I thought I would be doing when I decided to come to Kenya. However, I feel I have made the right decision. I had originally thought that I would teach – most likely computers, or possibly math and science. However, our Lord led me in a slightly different direction.

My ministry role is administrator for the H.O.P.E Project, which serves orphans infected and/or affected by HIV/AIDS across 10 parishes in Mombasa. H.O.P.E. stands for Helping Orphans Pursue Education. The goal of the project is to provide orphans with access to an education and the prospect of a career so that the can be self-reliant and have the best opportunity possible to succeed in life. H.O.P.E attempts to accomplish this by paying for school fees, exams, uniforms, shoes, books and other school supplies based on need. Some students are funded fully and others only partially. H.O.P.E. also pays for transportation and meals and in special cases, boarding, depending on circumstances. Since its inception in 1999, H.O.P.E. has assisted about 2800 orphans. There are 138 orphans currently being served by H.O.P.E.

H.O.P.E. also runs tutorial sessions for the students – every Saturday while school is in session and three times a week during school breaks. There are also number of events hosted throughout the year for the orphans and their families. These range from sports days to seminars to assist with family and social issues to retreat type sessions for spiritual enrichment. 

Kenya is one of the most HIV affected countries in the world, with an estimated 1.6 million people currently affected by the disease and many tens of thousands of new cases reported each year. With approximately 36,000 AIDS related deaths yearly, many children have lost at least one parent to AIDS, while sadly some have lost both. Of the 2.6 million orphaned children in Kenya, close to 1 million, nearly 40% of all orphans, lost their parents to HIV/AIDS. Even if there is a surviving parent, that parent will most likely be HIV positive. On top of this, more than 40% of the Kenyan population lives below the national poverty level and the unemployment rate is more than 40%, so even children with a remaining parent are very often either abandoned or left with a relative. As most often the relative either has school children of their own to support, or simply doesn’t have the means due to the poverty and unemployment situation, these guardians are unable to provide for the educational needs of the orphaned child. Without an education and with no prospect for a job, youths end up out on the streets where they are vulnerable to radicalization, trafficking, exploitation, gangs, drugs and diseases. 

The goal of the H.O.P.E. project is to ensure that no child orphaned by AIDS is deprived of a basic education. Through a holistic approach addressing the orphan’s well-being and the development of a healthy environment in which to thrive, the hope is to provide the best chance of success for each orphan and their guardian/family. Without this type of healthy and safe environment to learn, grow and mature, and the opportunity for an education, many of these children would end up living on the streets where they are vulnerable to exploitation, radicalization, gangs, drugs and disease. Through the power of education, the hope is to eventually reintegrate these children into society as valuable, contributing members.

My role as administrator will be to manage the operation and finances of the project, promote donor relations and funding, maintain project data, coordinate with the H.O.P.E. board of advisors, report on the project, and maintain community relations. Working hand in hand with me will be Florah, who has been a full time social worker on the project for a number of years.

I am taking over the project from Coralis, who was the coordinator for the project early on in its existence and more recently has been the administrator for H.O.P.E. for the past four years. Coralis has been a Maryknoll Lay Missioner since 2000 and has served most of this time in Kenya, but is returning to the US at the end of the year. Coralis was born in the Philippines, but moved to the US after college where she lived in San Francisco and raised five children. Coralis was an investment banking firm administrator before joining Maryknoll.

Although I didn’t necessarily want to work in a ministry role as an administrator, the more I learned about the H.O.P.E. project, the more I got hooked. I was initially concerned about not working directly with people, but although nominally an administrative role, that is not the case with H.O.P.E. I will work with a number of different groups of people in my ministry job. First and foremost, I’ll be working with the orphans – getting to know them, their life situations, and their educational needs. I’ll also be tutoring them in our weekly sessions and three times a week sessions during school break. I’ll be working with the guardians’ who are responsible for the children and doing home visits to understand their home life situations. I’ll be working with H.O.P.E. board of advisors on strategy, assessments, and candidate applications. I’ll be working with the schools that the orphans attend, meeting the school headmasters and in some cases teachers . I’ll be working the community of health care professionals and health care volunteers, who identify the candidates and provide health care services to the orphans and their families. Finally, I’ll be working with Florah, my good friend and coworker. Florah is a Kenyan and has been working with H.O.P.E. as a social worker for many years. Florah is the sister of Anne, in whose home I am currently living together with her husband Richard and two children Joel and Hope.

Prior to discerning doing my ministry as the administrator for the H.O.P.E. Project, I looked at a number of other potential ministry jobs, including teaching computer classes at a technical institute. In fact initially, I thought that this might be the ministry I ended up choosing. While I know that I would have been completely happy teaching at the school, which is wonderful environment and would have provided me the opportunity to work with students all day, which is what I thought I wanted to do, I ultimately decided on H.O.P.E. Even after I made my decision, Coralis and I discussed potentially working on H.O.P.E. only part time and also teaching computer classes. In the end, I decided against this as I think it is better that I focus on one thing for now. The more I learn about H.O.P.E. the more ideas I have on new things that I want to try to implement. I’ll be sharing everything I’m doing on H.O.P.E. in future blog posts. Right now, however,  I need time to not only learn all the details of administering the project (luckily Coralis is around until the end of the year), but also want the opportunity to start exploring some new things. All of this is in addition to the normal day to day activities of the project that are ongoing. If in the future, I feel I have some spare time and want to supplement my H.O.P.E. ministry with teaching computer classes, I think the door will still be open for me to do that.

While I’m completely happy with my H.O.P.E. ministry role, it does present a few challenges, but which in the scheme of things, are relatively minor. The first is that we have two locations for H.O.P.E. – Changamwe and Mbungoni. While the two locations are less than nine miles apart, traveling between them is not pleasant. It takes slightly over an hour door to door and involves walking, which is fine when it’s not pouring rain, and two matatus, the infamous minivan/minibuses that serve as public transportation here. I’m not yet certain where I’m going to live once I move out from Richard and Anne’s home, but as I can’t live in two places at once, some commuting is going to be necessary. If there was just one location, I would simply find a place close to it and problem solved. On a positive note, Maryknoll treats the commute as part of your ministry work day. So although the commute doesn’t necessarily mean more work time, I’d much rather be spending my time doing something “productive” rather than riding matatus. However, as Coralis keeps telling me, I need to get over that type of mindset. Everything we do here can be ministry. It’s all in how we do it. Being present to those riding the matatu with me is ministry. I’m unfortunately still working on fully accepting and internalizing this. The second unpleasantry is that I will typically have to work on Saturdays. That is when the tutorial sessions are as the children are in classes at school during the week. My work week is now Tuesday through Saturday, with Sunday and Monday off. I guess it doesn’t really matter that much that I’m shifting my weekend, except for the fact it makes it difficult to do weekend activities with others. However, as all the other missioners here in Kenya, with the exception of Coralis, have been able to negotiate their work schedules as to work Monday to Thursday – same number of hours, just more hours per day – and have a three day weekend almost every week, this makes working on Saturdays and even harder pill to swallow. :0)

I thought it providential that the Second Reading yesterday, the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, talks about the virtue of hope – just as I begin my ministry on the H.O.P.E. (hope) project.

“… we boast in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint …” (Romans 5:2-5)

As St. Paul tells us, hope in the glory of God because it does not disappoint. Yes, there will be afflictions – struggles, challenges, and disappointments, but persevere. God will give us the graces we need to endure, but more than just that, to thrive. The struggles that we face will transform us if we allow them to, if we open our hearts in trust to our Lord who loves us without limit and gently prods us along the path of sharing our life together with him.

As I begin my ministry here in Mombasa, Kenya, I am both excited and grateful that God has given me the opportunity to service him in this capacity, but at the same time anxious as I want to do a good job in serving those I’m called to help. I fully know and expect that there will be many challenges ahead, but I trust in God and know that all things will work out for good as hope does not disappoint. I boast in the hope (H.O.P.E.) of the glory of God. Please pray for me as I begin this new phase of my journey.

God is good.

Yesterday was the Feast of Pentecost, the day considered the birthday of the Church, the day in which we celebrate the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples gathered in the Upper Room. On this day, Jesus invites us, the Church, to participate in his divine life by sending his spirit to dwell within us. Jesus gives us an Advocate to be with us always. He does not leave us orphans, but fills us with himself. Jesus tells us that the Advocate will teach us everything and guide us in all truth. He will our hearts and strengthen us. The gifts of the Spirit enable us to follow Christ and be witnesses of the truth, which is Christ, to the world.

Although not part of the Mass readings for today, the Gospel passages related to Pentecost that I really like are when Jesus tells the Apostles that he is going to the Father and that they will no longer see him. Upon hearing this, Jesus tells us that the Apostles hearts were full of grief. How could it be otherwise for those who truly encountered our God in the flesh – at least those whose hearts were open to accept him. But Jesus proceeds to explain that it is better that he goes because if he does not go, the Advocate will not come, but if he does goes, he will send the Advocate to them. Jesus promises the Apostles that their grief upon his leaving will turn to joy. Jesus then goes on to make a beautiful analogy to the joy which we can expect – “When a woman is in labor, she is in anguish because her hour has arrived; but when she has given birth to a child, she no longer remembers the pain because of her joy that a child has been born into the world.” (John 16:21) How blessed are we that Jesus has shared his divine life with us by sending his spirit to dwell within us. Jesus told the Apostles on the night before he died to not let their hearts be troubled, but to have faith in him. Jesus promised them, as he does us, that he will take us to himself, so that where he is, we may also be. Jesus’s sending of his spirit makes this possible. Come Holy Spirit, set our hearts on fire with your love.

This morning Dorothy and I went to the 8:30 AM Mass at St. Martin de Porres in Mbungoni, which is a little over a twenty minute walk from the house. We arrived at the church at about 8:25 and there was a large crowd of people gathered outside the church. I was not surprised to realized that the 7 AM Mass had not yet finished. Masses running way over are very common here. Truth be told, the 8:30 AM Mass is actually supposed to be an 8 AM Mass (at least according to the church bulletin), but since I’ve been going to Mass at this church, the 8 AM Mass has never started before 8:30 AM and usually starts later that that. It may make me a bad Catholic, but I now just treat the Mass as an 8:30 AM Mass. Today, the 7 AM Mass ended up getting out at around 8:50 AM – almost an hour past the published start time of the second Mass.

What I found amazing was that the Mass I was attending started at only a few minutes past 9 AM. The people from the 7 AM Mass were able to exit the church and those of us waiting outside for the next Mass were able to enter the church and be seated in under fifteen minutes. As we all have experienced, Mass goers typically forget all about the Gospel once the Mass ends and people want to get home. In the US, this is most evident in the church parking lot, where everyone is in a rush to be the first ones to exit, which makes things even worse. While almost everyone walks to church here, the parking lot is not an issue, but exiting the church itself can be a free for all. However, what is even more amazing to me is that Fr. Dan, the parish priest, goes from one Mass into the other with virtually no break. When the Mass I attended was over at about 11:45 AM, the people waiting for the next Mass, the “10:30 AM Mass”, were outside the church. They streamed in as soon as we exited so that the next Mass could begin. I don’t know how Father has the stamina to do these back to back to back Masses. Remember, these are not your typical one hour and done Masses. These Masses are typically two to almost three hours long and during these Masses, Father will preach from forty five minutes to an hour.

The Mass itself was pretty typical for a Mass here, although it was a little amped up for the Feast of Pentecost. The choir at St. Martin’s is very large consisting of several dozen people, who occupy the front rows of one aisle of the church. As in most churches in Kenya, the choir is accompanied by an electronic keyboard playing a synthesized back beat. The choir is also accompanied by a drum and a kayamba, which is a flat musical instrument made of reed and filled with seeds that is shaken to produce sound similar to the way a rattle works. During the entrance procession, the offertory, and the recessional, about fifteen children lead the procession by dancing while walking. During most songs during the Mass, the congregation claps along and/or waves their hands. Some people even accompany the songs with with yells.

During yesterday’s Mass, there was no sense of rushing, regardless of how far behind the schedule was. The Mass was celebrated with energetic participation by everyone and no concern for time. What mattered only was the present and giving of oneself in worship to God. Just the Gloria itself, which was sung, went on for almost ten minutes. As the power grid is problematic here in Kenya, blackouts are common. During the Gloria, the lights and electricity went out in the church. As people here are used to it, no one missed a beat. The Gloria continued uninterrupted, but without the keyboard. Fortunately, the blackout only lasted about thirty seconds. When the electricity came back on, the keyboard just joined back in.

Although sprinkling with holy water and incense are also used in the US, they are used much more during Masses here in Kenya. In the US, you would typically see these used only during “special” Masses, here they are pretty much used in every Mass – at the beginning of Mass to incense the altar, before the reading of the Gospel, and after the bread and chalice are placed on the altar before being consecrated. When the congregation is blessed with holy water, it is no mere sprinkling, but rather a full onslaught of water. The priests here do not use an aspergillum – that silver ball on a stick that is used to sprinkle holy water, the liturgical implement that we have all seen hundreds of times at Mass, but which no one knows what it’s called. Yes, I had to look it up as I forgot its name. It’s not like aspergillum comes up in conversation very often! Blessing with holy water here is done with palm branches.

Skipping ahead to the collection and offertory, I’ll come back to the homily in a minute, the way the collection works at St. Martin’s and in most churches in Kenya is that collection boxes are placed in front of the altar and everyone walks up and drops an offering in the collection boxes. Keep in mind that during Masses here, the church is typically full. We’re talking about hundreds of people walking up to give their offering. There is no passing around of a basket in which to give your offering in anonymity. Sometimes there is more than one collection. If so, you do it all over again, but typically after Communion as these are special collections. After the collection, people also offer other gifts like food and clothing. These are also offered to God and for the usage of the Church. The children line up again and dance their way up the center aisle with people following them carrying these other gifts. The children then dance up to the alter yet another time with the bread and wine following them.

Now back to the homily. There were two themes from Fr. Dan’s homily that stuck with me. I’m sure he said many more great things, but as the Mass and homily were in Kiswahili (with a little, but not much, English mixed in), I’m grateful that I was able to extract even two things for further reflection. The first was speaking in tongues. Although I believe that the gift of speaking in tongues was one of the many gifts given to those gathered when the Holy Spirit descended during Pentecost, I have to admit that the idea of speaking in tongues is unfamiliar and rather uncomfortable territory for me. But I guess I’m in good company. I remember about five years ago after Pope Francis met with Catholic charismatics at a meeting in Rome and let them pray over him by speaking in tongues, Pope Francis admitted he was uncomfortable with the idea, but did go on to say that he realizes the benefits that charismatics have brought to the Church. In any event, I interpreted what Fr. Dan was saying with respect to speaking in tongues in the more general sense of the gifts with which the Holy Spirit blesses us – with speaking in tongues potentially one manifestation of those gifts. As St. Paul tells us, the Holy Spirit produces different kinds of spiritual gifts in each of us, according to God’s plan for us.

There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes.

1 Corinthians 12:4-11

The second point from Fr. Dan’s homily was the idea of stewardship. We are given these wonderful gifts from God, but it is up to use to use them generously and responsibly. Jesus himself tells us that we will be held responsible for the gifts with which we have been entrusted.

Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more.

Luke 12:48

I once read read a reflection on this quote by Jesus in Luke 12 that amusingly, at least for me, referred to the often quoted phrase from Spider-Man where Uncle Ben tells Peter Parker “With great power comes great responsibility” as a paraphrase of Jesus’ above quote. So as Uncle Ben tells Peter, we need to use our superpowers wisely! Or, if you prefer a biblical exhortation, St. Peter said the following.

“As each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of God’s varied grace”.

1 Peter 4:10

So what exactly is stewardship. We are all very familiar with the often used phrase of giving our time, talent and treasure. While being a Christian steward certainly means giving generously of our time, talent and treasure, the following, which I first read in a publication from the Archdiocese of Boston many years ago, is what best sums up for me what it means to be a good steward. For me, this beautifully spell out to how we are to responsibly use the gifts, the superpowers, which God has graciously bestowed on us. As Christian stewards, we are to receive God’s gifts gratefully, cultivate them responsibly, share them lovingly in justice with others, and return them with increase to the Lord.

God is good.