Serengeti Day Trip

Just a few photos from Serengeti day trip we did last week. Dusty and dry as bone, all creation screams to God for mercy - rain... We too in Kiabakari. Three months without a drop of rain... The link to pictures is here.

Kiabakari Open For Business

Having finished a tense period of long preparations of the ordination of Fr. Augustino Mapambano, his thanksgiving Mass and all events related to it, we can go back to work. Kiabakari open for business again. My mind and heart shifting back to parochial pastoral and spiritual life, development projects, daily stuff coming from our educational and healthcare facilities, diocesan events like tomorrow's silver jubilee of Fr. Julius Manyonyi in Masonga Parish which I am going to attend. After all, Father Julius along with Monsignor Aristaric Bahati are my classmates - we were ordained same year, 1988. So, I really look forward to tomorrow's long journey to Masonga parish. Nice day off Kiabakari and its duties.

On Thursday I will accompany our volunteer Jane from Rome who has been working for a couple of weeks in Kiabakari serving children in our pre-school during her annual holidays. Jane is working professionally for Italian Television Rai Tre, but she decided to offer her holidays this year for voluntary work and asked to come to Kiabakari to do so. As she will be leaving next week back home, this week is the last bell for her to reward herself a little with a day trip to Serengeti. I want to make sure that she gets the value for money as the experience shows that when my volunteers go by their own, without the knowledge of Serengeti, sometimes drivers tend to shorten the day and save fuel for which we paid after all, and they come back in the afternoon without even reaching Seronera and Hippo Pool. So, I will go with Father Augustino to make sure we get what we paid for and Jane and us enjoy spectacular views and close encounters with the wildlife. Expect some nice picture soon!

Broad Grin

That's what rules my mood since Saturday afternoon. Just a  broad grin on my face, revealing my satisfaction, relief and sense of huge accomplishment. In simple terms - we did it!

All three days of celebrations went unexpectedly well and we harvest a lot of credit and praise from every corner of the society, from every person who attended the celebrations. I am happy for my people, I am happy for Augustine, our new priest, for his family, for my employees and the whole parochial community.

Thanks be to God and to everybody involved in preparations. As they say - we managed to pull a major stunt, taking into account the true state of our parochial community, their resources and pure numbers.

The Summit

We have been talking about this week for years now. At least since Augustino Mapambano entered the major seminary. It seemed to be so far away in time at that point. But as Swahili proverb rightly says - 'Hayawi, hayawi, yamekuwa!' (not yet, not yet, it is done! in a free translation) - THE WEEK has finally came upon us. The Summit of the Year of Faith in Kiabakari. I think we are ready to tackle the challenge, but who knows. The next six days will tell the truth. We tried our best but doubts will always be there till it is over this Saturday afternoon.

We have been praying Novena to Divine Mercy for the protection of Divine Providence and blessings we need in fulfilling our responsibilities. We ask you, my esteemed readers, to keep your fingers crossed for us and pray for us all involved in the preparations of the ordination, children's fiesta and thanksgiving Mass. I appreciate your kind spiritual involvement in our challenge.

God bless Mapambano! God bless Kiabakari! God bless us all!

All are welcome for the celebrations starting this Thursday.

Neighbors

Kiabakari is not all about Divine Mercy Hill, my mission, health center, pre-school, primary school, nor  about the military camp, prison, defunct gold mine. It is also all about my neighbors in Lutheran Bible School, or these days known as Kiabakari Scripture School, located on the other side of Kiabakari center, just a few kilometers from my place.

I remember the beginnings of the school, when they came to purchase the land, the construction and the opening. I made good friends with several members of the staff, in particular with the former headmaster, Rev. Heslon Byamgwamu and his family. We are still good and close friends and our friendship means a lot to me. I thank God for such a priceless gift of a man of God in my life.

Here is a short presentation of the Bible School in Kiabakari on YouTube.

If you know Norwegian, please visit also their official website (here).

I pray for my neighbors and wish them all the best as they are such valuable asset in our community in Kiabakari. God bless!

Forgotten Sons

Today's Sunday Gospel brings to our attention the true commandos of the Lord, thirty six SEAL teams in the service of the Lord, carrying His Gospel to the people as the groundbreaking mission in preparation of the coming of the Lord and His Apostles:

Request

Our deacons, Augustino Mapambano and William Bahitwa who will be ordained in their home parishes on July 11 (William in Musoma Cathedral) and July 18 (Augustino in Kiabakari), asked me yesterday - as they were heading to Effeta Retreat Center in Makoko, Musoma in the evening to begin their retreat before the priestly ordination - for our prayers for them and for guidance of the Holy Spirit throughout the retreat. So I ask all of you, my esteemed readers, to keep an eye on them in your kind prayers and liturgical celebrations. May Christ, the Good Shepherd, form them in His liking through the power of His Spirit. Thank you in advance for your generous response.

Deja Vu

Deja Vu again. Well, almost. Sixteen years ago Kiabakari was flooded with hundreds of people who came for the official dedication of the Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and Saint Gemma Galgani parochial church in Kiabakari (which has become since then the Diocesan Shrine of Divine Mercy), official inauguration of Kiabakari parish and the appointment of the first parish priest. I still remember that day as all that happened just yesterday. Great day paid with huge stress and exhaustion.

As I write these words today, on the same date, there are no guests in Kiabakari at this particular point of time. In two weeks time, though, the history is going to repeat itself, in the same manner but for the different reason. This time hundreds of people will flood Kiabakari coming for the ordination to priesthood of our parishioner, deacon Augustino Mapambano. The stress, struggle and challenge is the same if not bigger as I am no longer the vibrant and full of youthful power priest. Time has taken its toll and I can't work 24/7 in full steam anymore. That is why we started preparation well ahead of time. Still, the last two weeks are the most hectic ones and most stressful. I know it very well from my own experience. Gone through that period so many times in my life. I pen these words sitting at the food outlet in Musoma, picking up things for the construction of development projects, buying various items needed for the ordination and thanksgiving Mass, making numerous phone calls here and there. Just to make sure we are ready.

Please, pray for us! And I will pray for you and for all your intentions today, in the afternoon solemn Mass on the day of obligation for the faithful of Kiabakari who will come to thank God that He wanted to be God-with-us and built a house for himself in our midst, which was handed to Him exactly sixteen years ago.

No Half Time

First six months of the year already behind us. Today marks the beginning of the second half of the year. Sadly, no half time in between as the steam roll ahead with full speed closing on the highlights of the Year of Faith in Kiabakari - ordination of our deacon Augustino Mapambano, his Thanksgiving Mass and other celebrations, events and function which are associated with these event. The development projects of Foundation Kiabakari are well underway as well and we are ready to put roofs on the new buildings. The end of this week will see the first volunteer arriving from Italy for one month voluntary experience in our pre-school. Later this year we expect a few more - Polish surgeons coming in August, then volunteers of Foundation Kiabakari. The second half of this year looks even more challenging than the first one. We need to stay focused, determined, committed, in deep prayer and trust, united in purpose and getting down to work with courage. Let us pray for each other!

Hilarious, Inspirational, Sarcastic, Deep - All In One Blog

Just to share with you my light moment that occurred right now when I stumbled upon a Tumblr blog of one theologian with a deep and hilarious sense of humor. Posting amazing gifs in his blog which make me crack, laugh, enjoy and at the same time they make me think, inspire me and give food for thought. Obviously, it is not intended for stiff people with no sense of humor who get offended easily on religious basis. Hope you are not one of them, otherwise do not click here!

Laki Moja

In Swahili, 'Laki Moja' means one hundred thousand. I have noticed that the pageviews of my blog have just exceeded this number. I am not sure if my readers come here by mistake or led by simple curiosity, googling, searching for something they look for or they come on purpose. It does not matter to me, to be honest. I am deeply grateful to each and everyone of you for coming and being a part of my life and my work.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

I pray for each and everyone of you and for all intentions dear to your hearts, as a token of my appreciation and gratitude.

As I wish to continue writing and sharing with you in this place, I ask you to continue with our journey together. God bless you much!

Deep Ocean Diving

Back home in Kiabakari, feeling on the very first day after return as if I dived deep down into the ocean of issues and troubles forcing me immediately to switch to the full working and combat mode. Pity it did not rain since I left for Poland some six weeks ago. Everything has changed so dramatically since then. I left the place green and lush. I found it upon my return dull, dusty, gray and yellow. Trouble, big trouble with water supply for our development projects which I commenced before I left. Guys did a great job anyway and things are moving forward in a decent pace, though they admit if not the water problem, they would be much farther ahead in the construction process. Still, I am impressed! Yesterday I spent most time discussing water issue with relevant authorities. Today we started digging out all pipelines to see who has been connected to our water lines and to make sure everything is in proper order. If I cannot solve the problem with steady supply of water from village pipeline, then I will be forced to use the option of water tanker supplying water from the nearby creek. This will be very costly and I do hope we can avoid it. Let's see what happens in these few days.

Here are some pictures (click here) I took yesterday on my tour of construction site which I posted on Foundation Kiabakari Facebook profile. As always, I count very much on your kind prayers!

Houston, we've got a problem! Water!!!

Visitation - Farewell Pictures

Here is the link to the pictures from the farewell Mass for visiting image of Divine Mercy and Holy Relics of Divine Mercy Apostles - St. Sister Faustina and Bl. John Paul II in our St. Kazimierz parish in Grzegórzki - Kraków. It was a blessed and intense time, full of prayer and spiritual power.

Visitation - Images

Here are images from the arrival of the Divine Mercy Image and Holy Relics of St. Sister Faustina and Bl. John Paul II in our parish of St. Kazimierz and the first Mass presided by His Excellency rt. Rev. Bishop Grzegorz Ryś, the auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Kraków and my classmate. Click here.

Doors Wide Open

In a few hours the doors of Divine Mercy will fly wide open for the community of the faithful of St. Kazimierz parish. My home parish. After the week-long parochial retreat and three days of communal prayers and preparations for the visitation of the Divine Mercy image along with the holy relics of the Divine Mercy Apostles - St. Faustina and Bl. John Paul II, we are ready to welcome the Merciful Lord at Grzegórzki. I look forward to this profound spiritual experience. Starting with 6pm Holy Mass and ending tomorrow with 4.30pm farewell Mass, this will be 24 hours period of intense presence of Divine Mercy in our parish. Merciful Lord comes to respond to our faith, hope and love. He comes to allow us to enter His Ocean of Divine Mercy to find consolation, light, power, resolve. A genuine Spring of the Holy Spirit in our parish. The new Pentecost. Rest assured, I will pray for you and all your needs in this exceptional time of grace.

Teaspoons Not Allowed!

Ninth Sunday of the Ordinary Time is the opportune time for our parochial community at St. Kazimierz in Kraków's Grzegórzki to give thanks to the Lord for the wonderful spiritual journey of our parochial week-long retreat which ended last evening. In front of us three special days of preparations for the visitation of the Sacred Image of Divine Mercy accompanied by the holy relics of the greatest Apostles of Divine Mercy - Saint Sister Faustina and Blessed John Paul II. I spoke about the importance of these three days in my today's homily, asking people to open up completely in trust to Divine Mercy. Divine Mercy is not a syrup which we drink in teaspoons. Nope. If you want to please the Lord, come to Him with trust the size of largest bucket you can afford to carry. The text of the homily in Polish below. Use Google translator on top of the right sidebar to read in your language, please. Have a blessed Sunday!

Retreat - Saturday - Last Day Texts

Finally, we have arrived to the last day of our week-long retreat. Thanks be to God for this amazing time. Here are texts from today's morning and evening final Masses. Thank you all for your spiritual support the whole week. I appreciate it very much. God bless you much!

Retreat - Friday - Sixth Day Texts

The penultimate day of our week-long parochial faith awakening spiritual experience. The day for the sick and the day for the meditation on the mystery of the Cross. The conclusion of the day was the meeting with married couples taking on the issue of the crisis of the father figure in the world. Here are the texts:

Retreat - Corpus Christi Solemnity - Fifth Day Texts

Today the Holy Mother Church is celebrating the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. The Solemnity of the Most Holy Eucharist. Here is today's text of the homily and four short reflection at four altars during the Eucharistic Procession this afternoon in our parish. Please, continue praying for me and for the whole community taking part in this important spiritual exercise in the parish. Thanks in advance!

Retreat - Wednesday - Fourth Day Texts

Here are texts from today's spiritual talks.