LAUNDRY DAY!

Ravina (Mama Ana) has been washing my laundry since June of 2013. I appreciate her help so much! I didn't realize how very much until last month! 

The oldest brother of Ravina's husband passed away and it was necessary for Ravina, Venant (her husband) and the children to travel 125 miles by boat to the home of Venant's family. They were gone for a month! With the absence of the oldest brother, Venant had to help his mother get household things in order. 

I understood why they had to be away for so long but I didn't know what to do about the laundry. I had tried to do it myself when I first arrived here but things started looking grayer and grayer as time went on. I just didn't have the knack, or the strength in my hands, like the local women and girls do. I didn't want to hire another woman to come and help. Ravina does such a great job with the washing, and I would have felt I was betraying her if I were to bring in someone new. I finally started washing things myself, but only the things that absolutely needed to be washed! I've always washed undergarments myself, anyway, so that wasn't a problem. But anything bigger than that is a problem for me! I managed to make my three bath towels last for a month! And the kitchen towels and bedsheets were also looking pretty sad by the time Ravina came home!

hanging the mosquito net

The girls in Tanzania learn how to wash clothing at a very young age. One of the "down sides" to washing clothing and bedding this way is things wear out quite a bit faster, not to mention the toll it takes on the back! Everything gets hung inside out to prevent dirt, dust and anything else that might come along, to undo all the hard work. Luckily I have a lot of clothesline space, although occasionally Mama Ana needs to lay hand towels or rags on top of the bushes because she runs out of clothesline space. 

Kelement wants to see the picture as soon as its taken!

Another aspect of laundry day that I really enjoy is having Ana and Kelement over for a visit. They are really so much fun! Ana goes to school most laundry days, but Kelement is always with his mother when she comes. The kids call me Bibi, which means Grandmother. Kelement is actually helping me with the language. He is learning quickly, but still talks slow enough that I am able to pick words up much easier than when an adult talks. Ana talks pretty fast and she isn't as patient with me when I don't understand what she's trying to tell me, or ask me. Kelement looks at me kind of funny, if I don't answer right away, and then he just laughs. I love it!

 

WINTER BREAK (part five)

HANGA ABBEY

Sunset in Songea

Hanga Abbey guest house

The final week of my three week holiday in June was spent in Songea...the home of Hanga Abbey. The photo of the beautiful sunset above was taken just a few miles from the abbey, after an afternoon of shopping in town. The photo below was taken in town. I couldn't resist taking a photo of such an interesting display. The salesman was happy to oblige. He was probably thinking he'd make a sale but I wasn't in the market for a new pair of shoes. 

 

shoe mobile

Hanga is the home of many of my closest Tanzanian friends, and my closest (and only) Austrian friend, Christa. Christa has been volunteering at Hanga for the past 10 years. She helps out in the seminary library and office, and assists the monks and students in many other ways. She even teaches German to those who want to learn the language! Fr. Chrysostom is the rector of the seminary where Christa volunteers. He surprised Christa and I, the first night I was in Hanga, with a bottle of wine and some very tasty fried pork!

Christa, Fr. Chrysostom & Jean

Christa is also an artist. She really enjoys painting egg shells. We went to Br. Arno's farm in Hanga Abbey and Christa bought a tray of eggs to blow. She tapped holes in the ends and taught me how to blow out the insides. It was kind of fun. The next morning we had scrambled eggs for breakfast, which was a nice treat! Unfortunately, Christa wasn't able to decorate any of the egg shells before I left Hanga so I wasn't able to get any photos of the colored eggs. She takes the painted eggs to Austria when she returns home for a visit and sells them. With the proceeds she pays school fees in Hanga for disadvantaged children. A rather nice ministry, I think.

Egg keeper at Br. Arno's farm

Br. Arno works with the young candidates who are discerning a religious vocation with the Benedictine community. He teaches the young men how to run a chicken and pig farm. Below are a few photos of the farm.

Over 150 chickens!

Laying boxes made from burnt bricks

An interesting papaya tree

Pens for the pigs

Just peeked out to say "Hi"!

 

 

One afternoon I attended a birthday mass and party for a Benedictine priest, Bishop Plasidus Nkalanka, who turned 95. He has a very interesting life story. He was first ordained, as a young man, as a diocesan priest. When he was in his early 50’s, he was ordained a bishop for Bukoba, Tanzania. At 60 years of age his doctor told him he had better retire because his heart wasn’t good. Instead, the bishop decided to join the Benedictine’s and went through the entire process… postulant, novitiate, and so forth! He took his final vows when he was 65, so he has already celebrated 30 years with the Benedictine’s!! What an amazing story! The priest, Fr. John Lupio, who celebrated the birthday mass, is 90, and he is just as sharp as Bishop Plasidus! I could hardly believe it! 

Bishop Nkalanka is in charge of the Nakagugu formation house at Hanga Monastery. St. John Bosco is the patron saint of the formation house. Below you can see St. John Bosco chapel at Nakagugu, where the birthday mass was celebrated. 

St. John Bosco chapel

After the birthday mass

 Fr. Lupio, the 90 year old priest, went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land in 2012! He saw an advertisement on television for the pilgrimage, went to inquire about it and found out all the details. He didn't have the $2500 he needed to go on the pilgrimage so he visited a friend and asked for a loan. He was given the money and went on the pilgrimage. Some time later, he returned to repay his friend but the friend told him he couldn't accept the payment. The friend said that shortly after he had loaned Fr. Lupio the money, he was given an unexpected bonus of $5000. He felt he was already repaid. Another interesting story! 

Bishop Plasidus

Fr. John Lupio

June 22 was the feast of Corpus Christi (the Body of Christ). It's customary, all over the world, to have a procession of the Blessed Sacrament on this feast day. As always, the church in Tanzania goes all out! The procession began at the parish church in Hanga Village. The monks from the monastery, many local choirs, the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, children's groups and all the Catholics in Hanga joined in the procession. Christa and I joined the procession, along with the villagers. Some of the local homes had decorated outside their homes for this special occassion. 

Hanga Village parish church

Corpus Christi procession begins!

St. Laurent's Primary students

Benedictine monks

Society of Sacred Heart of Jesus

One of a number of choirs performing

home in Hanga Village

The procession stopped at the Hanga Abbey guest house, where I was staying. I went to the second level of the guest house to take pictures. It was a pretty awesome scene! The procession ended in the Hanga monastery church. I was very happy to have been part of this beautiful day!

photo taken from 2nd level of guest house

The Blessed Sacrament

Hundreds in attendance!

Visited with Br. Augustine (one of the original members of Hanga & founder of St. Laurent's Primary School

Heading to the Abbey church

Before leaving Hanga, I was able to visit with two of my good friends who studied in Wisconsin in 2008-2009. Br. Cletus Kayombo, who just celebrated his 25 year jubilee as a Benedictine, is currently working in Njombe, Tanzania, with a forestry and agricultural project. He happened to be in Hanga for retreat. The timing was perfect! Br. Patrick Mwinuka is the headmaster of the Vocational Training Center at Hanga Abbey. Br. Patrick sent me back to Mwanza with a nice bottle of wine he picked up in Ndanda (15% proof!). The wine was rather special because of its name, Rosella, my oldest daughters middle name.

Br. Cletus Kayombo (Jubilee celebration 7/11/14)

Br. Patrick Mwinuka

Rosella Sweet Red Wine

I left Hanga by bus at 6am with Br. Cassian. We arrived at 2pm in Mbeya, where I stayed for one more night. I walked near the guest house in Mbeya and found a brand new hotel that had just opened that week. The owner is apparently from the US, so there was a Tanzanian flag and a USA flag flying in front of the hotel. I couldn't just walk past without taking a photo of such a beautiful sight! June 25th I left on a plane from Mbeya to Dar es Salaam, with a connecting flight to Mwanza. It was good to get back to Mwanza after so much traveling, even though it was great to be able to see so many good friends!

Br. Cassian couldn't get a good internet connection indoors. In Tanzania, you learn to adapt.

Padz Hotel in Mbeya

 

WINTER BREAK (part four)

                                                St. Joseph Seminary - Kaengesa

Seminary church & a couple of the classrooms

Inside the church

Front of the church

Seminary sign

Fr. Maufi (Dean), Fr. Nkungwe (Rector) & Fr. Makasi (Vice Rector)

 June 13, 2014...After a long day of traveling and visiting throughout the Sumbawanga area, Fr. Makasi and I finally reached St. Joseph Seminary. It was so nice to finally relax, have a meal and go to sleep! Traveling around Tanzania is so exhausting!

The next day, Fr. Nkungwe and Fr. Makasi gave me a tour of the seminary grounds. The last couple times I visited, there wasn't time for a tour. This time I had a couple of days so I was able to see everything and get a little bit of the history. Built during 1954-1956, the seminary opened in 1956. Some prominent business people throughout the country have attended the seminary school over the years because of its excellent reputation. The seminary has also prepared many young men for the major seminary and the priesthood, including the priests on the current seminary staff. The school is currently at capacity with 300 students attending. Almost all of the students board at the school, with only a few coming from the local village. There are four dormitories, housing 72 students each. Because the seminary lacks the necessary funds, these dormitories are in pretty bad condition, as are most of the buildings throughout the grounds. The building where the corn harvest is usually stored is in such bad condition that this year's harvest had to be stored in the dining hall, and the students had to take their meals outdoors. The school lacks a library, as well as equipment and chemicals for their science labs.

boy's dormitories

storage buildings

dining hall

 

inside a classroom

courtyard in front of the classrooms

The seminary is located at a high elevation in the Sumbawanga mountains and has only one access road. The bridge connecting the property to the main road was destroyed during the last rainy season, which made going to, or coming from the seminary, impossible. The priests and some of the students built another bridge, which had managed to withstand the traffic over a few months time, until a delivery truck crossed and damaged half of the new bridge, along with all of the supplies in the truck. Only half of the bridge remains until now, which terrified me when we first approached it. I didn't think it was possible for the vehicle we were in to cross safely, but Fr. Makasi assured me he had been using the bridge for many months without problems. I hope the priests will find a way to repair the bridge properly before someone really has trouble!

The view overlooking the villages below

remains of the bridge built by the priests and students

Another thing I find interesting is that the teachers live on site at the school. The seminary provides them with housing. I have found this to be the case with most of the schools I've visited here. I suppose that's because very few people have vehicles, so transportation would definitely be a problem, especially at this elevation. 

teacher's housing

Boy's choir

instruments used in the church

Only the 2nd year students were present during my visit because they were studying for their national exams. The remaining students were on holiday. In spite of the small numbers, the singing during mass was beautiful! I can only imagine what they sound like when all of the boys are present! I was also very impressed with the behavior of the students. They were extremely polite and courteous whenever we met on the grounds or in the church. 

It makes me sad to think that if the seminary isn't able to find the means to renovate the buildings and the classrooms, what will become of this beautiful place?!