The Other Middle of Nowhere Parish

4 Dec 2005 Sunday Nairobi to Kitete

We spent last night at the formation house in Nairobi. Michael, McD (Tom McDermott), Ronnie (?) - a Holy Cross seminarian, and I celebrated Mass this morning. I read the second reading, and it touched me. I remember one line from it about trying to do the best you can while waiting for God’s return. That seems to be very relevant to my experience now. I am trying to do the best I can. I just need the patience to accept that my best isn’t perfection. McD’s homily touched me too. He spoke about Advent as a season of pregnant longing, as a season of emptiness, a time to see where we are and to be honest. I think that’s where I am now.

I feel empty, in the desert (literally and spiritually). I have come to an honest realization about my pride and faith. I am longing for healing, for Jesus. I am accustomed to being put together, a stronghold. Here, now, I am completely scattered, uncertain. If 90% of praying is being present, it is no wonder why I can’t pray. Where am I? Who am I? I guess it is just frightening to think you know yourself well only to discover that you really wonder who you are at times.

After Mass we saw Kibera slum - the slum where Christine works. It is the largest in Africa or something like that. Maybe it’s the largest south of the Sahara. It is about eight miles long and straddles the railroad tracks. I was reminded a lot of the US/Mexico border seeing the place - poor housing conditions crammed on a dividing line. By the way, I really want to learn Swahili!

We drove from Nairobi to Kitete today. It was an uneventful trip. which is a good thing. The scenery was gorgeous! I was proud of myself for negotiating an exchange rate of 15:1 at the border with a man named Assan. Michael and I talked to him for a bit. One of his friends asked if Michael and I were dating/married, and I said no. He proceeded to tell me his from Sudan and likes me. I think in the future we will just say we’re a couple.

I bought airtime for Kyazze’s Tanzanian sim card, but it’s not working. I really hope I can get it to work since everyone has that number. Kyazze had told me that the card had expired but that adding airtime could renew it. The man at the phone booth said that wasn’t true. I think what he was really saying was “you’re a rich tourist from whom I want to earn more money by making you buy another phone line instead of helping you fix the one you already have.”

We met a former OLM, John Kraft, and his children in Arusha. He was in Nairobi in 1987 working at Dandora parish, and he’s been in Arusha with his family for about 10 years now working as an architect. He bought us Italian ice - mmm goodness. I had Nutella flavor!

The guys in Kitete arranged a 4x4 car for us to use while here; so we got it in Arusha. McD’s station wagon doesn’t have the necessary equipment to tackle the interesting road to the parish or the roads in the parks. The Land Cruiser has a removable roof, which will be awesome in the parks. We’re real tourists.

The landscape here is breathtaking. I saw many zebras, some giraffes, and two baboons. The parish in Kitete is very remote, and they have worse roads than us. I didn’t think it was possible. I think I will enjoy it though. I am so grateful for this time away even though I’ve only been here three months. Call me weak, but I really, really needed this vacation.

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