Showing posts with label Buturu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Buturu. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Friday, September 28, 2012
Weekend? You bet!
Whenever I come across people excited by TGIF (Thanks God It's Friday) frenzy, I question myself if I am abnormal. To me, Friday is the beginning of the busiest time of the week. This 'weekend' is no exception to this rule...
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Graduation
Just to let you know that I posted a new photo album on Facebook with pictures taken today at Chief Edward Wanzagi Girls' Secondary School on the occasion of the second graduation of the Form Four students. The link to the album is here. Enjoy!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Five Balls
The internet came back on Vodacom in my corner of the world, so I am able to post my yesterday's reflection / homily I gave at the conclusion of the recollection day at Resurrection Sisters convent at Buturu, some 10 km from Kiabakari. This is the full text in Polish (below). Please, use Google translator provided at the right sidebar for your language version...
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Uprooted Tree
Uprooted and transferred. Just returned from Buturu, from a farewell dinner with the Resurrection sisters, in honor of Sr. Ewa, the superior, who is wrapping up her Tanzanian odyssey and after few years of selfless and dedicated work for girls and the school community of Chief Edward Wanzagi Secondary School in Buturu is getting ready to fly back to Poland...
Monday, May 9, 2011
Saint Hedwiga
It might have been Saint Stanislaus, bishop and martyr, Solemnity in Polish Church yesterday, but for us it as a grand day of celebration of Saint Hedwig (Jadwiga in Polish, Hedwiga in Swahili) as we gathered together at Buturu, the outstation of Butiama Parish, in the vicinity of Chief Wanzagi Girls' Secondary School, some 10 kilometers from Kiabakari, for the solemn blessing of the recently constructed church, the fruit of work and dedication of many, under the guidance of the parish priest of Butiama, Rev. Father Maciej Braun, CR (visit his blog here)...
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The Lord Of The Dust
That's how I can describe myself today. Simply and genuinely the Lord of the Dust. When I arrived home yesterday evening, I noticed how dry the whole area has become during these past two months of dry season, called here in swahili kipupwe. But what I have seen today, surpassed my wildest expectations. I was shocked to see how ugly the whole Divine Mercy Hill has become. Ugly, dry, dull, lifeless. Couldn't believe my eyes... African winter in its ugliest...
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Blessed Among Women
That's how I felt all day long today.
Started the day, as usual, with prayers and Holy Mass in the shrine. With my sisters - of the Congregation of Little Servants of Mary Immaculate. Then breakfast together.
Right after that I drove 35 kilometers to Bunda to the only monastery in Tanzania of Cloistered Discalded Carmelite Sisters. I went there to hear sisters' confessions, as I've been doing since 2001 (with a short break of two years maybe when I was in Musoma Cathedral alone and couldn't cope with all things I had on my head that time). I feel I receive more than I am able to give...Of course, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is priceless, but what I mean is that spiritually I feel extremely enriched whenever I go there, to the Carmel. I thank God for this unique opportunity I was given, when Sisters asked Bishop Samba to appoint me as their regular confessor. I received so much through this service I cannot even explain. I feel blessed...
Rushed back to Kiabakari to pick up my Sisters and escort the old Landrover I was given by Bishop Samba back when I was in Musoma, then gave it to volunteers administering our health center. Since they are gone now, I decided to return the car to the bishop and borrow another one, used Toyota Hilux, but in much better shape than poor old Landrover.
In Musoma I met several sisters from different congregations - Ivrea Sisters, Franciscan Sisters, Immaculate Heart Sisters of Africa, even one Maryknoll Sisters from USA passed me by in her car.
Returned back to Kiabakari in time to get myself ready to go to Buturu, to Chief Wanzagi Secondary School. Sisters of the Resurrection invited me to celebrate the very first Mass in their house chapel. In the house I supervised its construction just recently. This celebration had a deep meaning to me...To be able to celebrate Holy Mass in the place that was just a dusty field a few months before was so rewarding and fantastic feeling!
Sisters were very hospitable and generous in their warm welcome. We had a beautiful Mass with reflection, spontaneous prayers and sense of belonging to each other as came from very far together and shared same experience as misionaries, in our struggles, failures and victories. To pray together in that place had a taste of achievement and victory.
Then lovely chat at the table, deepening that sense of togetherness and community. Great dinner accompanied the conversation. It felt so good to spend this memorable evening together with sisters in Buturu. I am very grateful that this way they wanted to celebrate my ordination anniversary as well. The lovely statue of Good Shepherd I was presented as a gift will remain with me as a visible reminder of this evening...
This day truly was day when I felt in a special way - blessed among women...
Started the day, as usual, with prayers and Holy Mass in the shrine. With my sisters - of the Congregation of Little Servants of Mary Immaculate. Then breakfast together.
Right after that I drove 35 kilometers to Bunda to the only monastery in Tanzania of Cloistered Discalded Carmelite Sisters. I went there to hear sisters' confessions, as I've been doing since 2001 (with a short break of two years maybe when I was in Musoma Cathedral alone and couldn't cope with all things I had on my head that time). I feel I receive more than I am able to give...Of course, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is priceless, but what I mean is that spiritually I feel extremely enriched whenever I go there, to the Carmel. I thank God for this unique opportunity I was given, when Sisters asked Bishop Samba to appoint me as their regular confessor. I received so much through this service I cannot even explain. I feel blessed...
Rushed back to Kiabakari to pick up my Sisters and escort the old Landrover I was given by Bishop Samba back when I was in Musoma, then gave it to volunteers administering our health center. Since they are gone now, I decided to return the car to the bishop and borrow another one, used Toyota Hilux, but in much better shape than poor old Landrover.
In Musoma I met several sisters from different congregations - Ivrea Sisters, Franciscan Sisters, Immaculate Heart Sisters of Africa, even one Maryknoll Sisters from USA passed me by in her car.
Returned back to Kiabakari in time to get myself ready to go to Buturu, to Chief Wanzagi Secondary School. Sisters of the Resurrection invited me to celebrate the very first Mass in their house chapel. In the house I supervised its construction just recently. This celebration had a deep meaning to me...To be able to celebrate Holy Mass in the place that was just a dusty field a few months before was so rewarding and fantastic feeling!
Sisters were very hospitable and generous in their warm welcome. We had a beautiful Mass with reflection, spontaneous prayers and sense of belonging to each other as came from very far together and shared same experience as misionaries, in our struggles, failures and victories. To pray together in that place had a taste of achievement and victory.
Then lovely chat at the table, deepening that sense of togetherness and community. Great dinner accompanied the conversation. It felt so good to spend this memorable evening together with sisters in Buturu. I am very grateful that this way they wanted to celebrate my ordination anniversary as well. The lovely statue of Good Shepherd I was presented as a gift will remain with me as a visible reminder of this evening...
This day truly was day when I felt in a special way - blessed among women...
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Cooperation in God's Creation
Just came back from Chief Wanzagi Girls’ Secondary School at Buturu. Went out there this morning to document work we have accomplished there. Saying ‘we’ I mean my workers and myself who were asked by Sisters of the Resurrection, running the school, to help them in construction of their own house (a religious convent with all additional infrastructure) – the very first convent of the Congregation in whole of Africa! And also, to build two new classrooms in Sisters’ continuous effort to develop school infrastructure for the benefit of Tanzanian girls’ and their quality education...
We started the construction works in mid-November 2009 and by the end of April 2010 both projects were fully completed, though we had some unexpected breaks, including my emergency trip to Poland in March seeking medical help for my illness.
Browsing through pictures I was gradually taking throughout the whole construction process till today it amazes me how creative we, human beings, are! From the abandoned cassava field in November last year till (five months later) complete convent compound with underground water tank, solar system, polytanks, full electrical wiring, quality workmanship and finishing...Same with two new classrooms...
I do not want to keep this amazement to myself only, so decided to share some pictures with you, depicting our participation in God’s creation which is unfolding in front of our eyes and will continue to do so with us participating in it till Lord Jesus comes again...
The first set of photos shows the progress of the construction of Sisters’ convent from the setting of foundations till today:
The second set shows the construction of two new classrooms at Chief Wanzagi Girls' Secondary School:
Blessed be Lord, God of all creation!
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Relativity
Albert Einstein once said: 'Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity'.
Just yesterday we had this beautiful celebration of an official blessing and opening of the very first convent of Sisters of Resurrection in the whole continent of Africa, which happened to be built by my workers and myself at Buturu in the compound of Chief Wanzagi Girls' Secondary School (some 10 km from Kiabakari just off the main road from Kiabakari to Butiama).
Bishop Michael Msonganzila of Diocese of Musoma presided over the celebration, well attended by clergy, religious, invited guests and - of course - school community itself.
He blessed two new classrooms which we built as well as an another step in ongoing expansion and development of the school.
It was a day of joy, satisfaction and feelings of accomplishment for me and my workers. We started the construction works on November 14th, 2009 and - with just a few short periods of necessary rest - continued until the successful completion of both projects in April 2010.
There was another project in the area.
It started just before ours...
Whenever I drove my old beat up pickup from Kiabakari to Buturu, I always passed by that other project site...
Yesterday I passed by too - for the last time - on my way to participate in the blessing and opening of Sisters' convent and new classrooms...
And that other project was still far from completion. A tarmac surface on the new bus stand in Kiabakari.
So far, the construction company hired for the task (as the info billboard states) managed to bring several layers of murram and soil on top of existing muddy-soily surface. That's it (the picture below was taken on my mobile a month ago, but so far those heaps of mud and gravel are roughly evened, that's it)...
And my people in Kiabakari, who felt for the short while a bit more secure being able to ply their trade in the new stand, off the main road, some eight months ago were forced to go back to old stand, right in the middle of the busy highway, risking their lives, fighting for every penny, swarming around incoming vehicles, selling whatever foodstuff they have, to earn their living...
(See the new bus stand in the background of this picture)
I wonder how long it will take to accomplish the task and let the people go back to where they duly belong - in the new bus stand?
Well...That's relativity.
Just yesterday we had this beautiful celebration of an official blessing and opening of the very first convent of Sisters of Resurrection in the whole continent of Africa, which happened to be built by my workers and myself at Buturu in the compound of Chief Wanzagi Girls' Secondary School (some 10 km from Kiabakari just off the main road from Kiabakari to Butiama).
Bishop Michael Msonganzila of Diocese of Musoma presided over the celebration, well attended by clergy, religious, invited guests and - of course - school community itself.
He blessed two new classrooms which we built as well as an another step in ongoing expansion and development of the school.
It was a day of joy, satisfaction and feelings of accomplishment for me and my workers. We started the construction works on November 14th, 2009 and - with just a few short periods of necessary rest - continued until the successful completion of both projects in April 2010.
There was another project in the area.
It started just before ours...
Whenever I drove my old beat up pickup from Kiabakari to Buturu, I always passed by that other project site...
Yesterday I passed by too - for the last time - on my way to participate in the blessing and opening of Sisters' convent and new classrooms...
And that other project was still far from completion. A tarmac surface on the new bus stand in Kiabakari.
So far, the construction company hired for the task (as the info billboard states) managed to bring several layers of murram and soil on top of existing muddy-soily surface. That's it (the picture below was taken on my mobile a month ago, but so far those heaps of mud and gravel are roughly evened, that's it)...
And my people in Kiabakari, who felt for the short while a bit more secure being able to ply their trade in the new stand, off the main road, some eight months ago were forced to go back to old stand, right in the middle of the busy highway, risking their lives, fighting for every penny, swarming around incoming vehicles, selling whatever foodstuff they have, to earn their living...
(See the new bus stand in the background of this picture)
I wonder how long it will take to accomplish the task and let the people go back to where they duly belong - in the new bus stand?
Well...That's relativity.
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