In The Presence

The Holy Hour this evening gave us all participating unique opportunity to enter KAIROS. The time full of Christ Crucified and Risen... I explained the meaning of the this term in my other post (read here). But this is something else to understand this term and something else completely to enter its realm...

Ave Crux, Spes Unica!

Ave Crux, Spes Unica! Hail Cross, the Only Hope! The day we have been waiting and getting ready for for many days, have finally come. The Jubilee Cross visiting all parishes of Diocese of Musoma during the centenary year of Christianity in our diocese, has come to our parish in Kiabakari after a lovely handover Mass at Butiama parish...

Auguri!

Our Hoy Father Benedict XVI celebrates today (and all of us with him) his 60th anniversary of his priestly ordination. Our thoughts and prayers go out to him, immersing him and his Petrine service to the Universal Church and the world in the Divine Mercy Ocean... Tanti auguri, Santo Padre!

Anticipation

Anticipation creeping in in bucket loads. Tomorrow it will be Kiabakari parish turn to welcome the Jubilee Cross in its boundaries. The strong representation of the parish will go to Butiama to participate in the farewell Mass in the parochial church there. At the end of the Mass Butiama will hand over the Jubilee Cross to us. The seventeen days journey of the Cross through all corners of the parish will begin...

Raised Eyebrows

It's been second instance I have been confronted by Immigration officers in the past two weeks. The first time two young fellows in their late twenties or early thirties, holding some kind of a register, came up to my car when I was parked in the street in Musoma, asking who I was, where I was living, what I was doing, for how long I've been working in Tanzania. Gave them correct answers and they seemed genuinely surprised as they never saw me before. Strange, they did not demand any means of identification, like my passport with residence permit stamp in it...

Serengeti Of The Seas

Just a quick post. Check this link. Great read!

Coming Home

Great feeling having my people coming back home. Our sole seminarian from Segerea Major Seminary in Dar es Salaam (there are no diocesan major seminaries in Tanzanian Catholic Church, only inter-diocesan major seminary in four facilities - two philosophical seminaries in Kibosho near Moshi and Ntungamo in Bukoba; and two theological seminaries in Segerea, Dar es Salaam and Kipalapala in Tabora) coming home after finishing another chapter of his theological studies, with one year only left before going for pastoral year and finally in 2013, God willing - diaconate in January, then ordination to priesthood in Kiabakari in July. Augustino Mapambano, the seminarian, reported to me this afternoon, and will spend his holidays with us till the end of July, upon which he will go for one and a half months of pastoral exercises in Musoma Cathedral Parish, as he has told me...

Chakula

This is a word for 'food' in Swahili language. For those of you who would like to know what we eat in Tanzania, they may be very pleasantly surprised how diverse, tasty and fantastic our Tanzanian cuisine is in reality. Check this link on my volunteers from Croatia blog, who have just posted new item on their blog dealing with their Tanzanian cuisine experience. Buon appetito!

Sahara

I read once somewhere about the people traveling from one location in Sahara desert to the other, and when they car broke down, they were found dead several days later. They died of dehydration, though they forgot that they had enough water to survive in the radiator of their car...

Corpus Christi

The Sunday of the Solemnity of The Most Holy Eucharist (also known as Corpus Christi) waking up slowly to the sounds of music and announcement coming from the Seventh Adventist annual camp wrapping up after whole week prayers, songs, loudspeaker noises and general nuisance caused by the disturbance to us, neighbors, from very early morning hours till late night. Thank God it's over now! I wonder if there is a law in Tanzania safeguarding the right of citizens to have a peaceful rest at night and forbidding people from making noise from certain evening hour till certain morning hour...

Out Of Range

Through with the hectic day, as Saturdays in Kiabakari tend to be. Falling into subdued mode of reflecting upon the Gospel of tomorrow's Solemnity of Corpus Christi and Gospel read at four altars. I've just finished putting cosmetic changes to my homily I will preach on Thursday during the Holy Mass of handover of the Jubilee Cross at Butiama parochial church, coming to Kiabakari for 17-day journey through our Small Christian Communities in Kiabakari and all outstations. As my mind went into mental journey itself for the past three or four hours thinking, praying and rethinking what flowed into my soul during that mediation, I traveled throughout the whole world, beginning right here in our area and covering all continents, oceans, seas and sky...

Stone Age

Yet another night in darkness. The power rationing in Tanzania is getting worse and worse day by day. In the last 48 hours we had only 7 hours of power. How can you live in a reality like this? Going backwards in the 21st century instead of ensuring constant uninterrupted power supply for the Nation's growth, prosperity and development...

Two Signs

Just a while ago I have finished the Holy Mass of the Solemnity of the Birth of Saint John the Baptist. As today is Friday, this Mass was the last event of the recollection day in the shrine, which dates back, as I wrote on my occasions, to 1994 when we were about to begin the construction of the parochial church, and has been continuing for 17 years now on each and every Friday of the year without interruption till today...

Witness Shirt

Thank You, Bożena, for making my catechists happy! We have just finished our monthly meeting with catechists, planning for the reception and the peregrination of the Jubilee Cross in the parish - its outstations and Small Christian Communities. There was one surprising moment when I told them that our benefactor helped me to make special witness shirts - polo shirts with printing on them - for all catechists in the parish...

In The Mood

The second day of winter in East Africa. Another bleak, gloomy, overcast day. I'm still hoping for some rain as we run dangerously low in water supply in our tanks. As I look at these heavy, lead colored clouds and fog covering Kukirango valley, this song sprung up in my mind, so I'd like to share it with you as the wintery mood encompasses us here more and more...

Winter Has Arrived

The winter season in Tanzania, at least in our part of Tanzania, has officially arrived. We woke up to a gloomy, foggy day, with temps that dropped down dramatically since yesterday. A very slight drizzle for a while, which sometimes happen in winter in Mara Region, no wind, thick air insulating sounds of the neighborhood, making for a weird feeling of being inside a cotton layer...

Sweet And Sour

Safely back home after a quick trip to Mwanza and to Dar - with Mare and Mare staying in Mwanza for two days, to get a feeling of the second largest city in Tanzania, and me hopping to Dar for business and coming back to collect M&M and drive back to Kiabakari. Everything would be perfect if not stomach bug which first got Marjanna, then Marija and now me. But I know the reason at least...

You Raise Me Up

This song, so powerfully and beautifully sung by Josh Groban, I wish to dedicate on this day, the Fathers' Day, to my Dad, my Godfather, my Granddads and all men in my life who represented to me the God Father himself, who raised me up, formed me, advised me, prayed for me, helped and took care of me in the process of growing up, education, human and spiritual formation, to all those who for me were always the best example of father figure in my life. Love, gratitude and respect!

Sonnet 18

Just a masterpiece from the most underrated voice in the history of mankind of a mega-talented composer and musician with looks of a bloke round the corner in your 'hood, as many people loving and appreciating David Gilmour would confirm. As the evening unfolds and the week wraps down its business, sharing this little gem with you brings many memories to me... Have a blessed Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the source of all beauty and goodness...

Noone

"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but might have eternal life". (Jn 3:16) This is an astonishing statement of the Holy Spirit through the Evangelist Saint John. Limitless love and care of God made Him to sacrifice His only beloved Son for us. Not some cows, goats, chicken or even some of us for the sake of all... Do you still doubt that God is a loving and merciful Father who is ready to do everything divinely possible - for us? There is the other side of this message...

Sitting Allowance

The Members of Tanzanian Parliament may be in hot water discussing the constitutionality or not of their sitting allowance and other benefits, dragging the whole society into the heated debate. But in my little remote corner of Tanzania and the world, I ask myself only one question this morning - will my body give me enough sitting allowance to attend the important meeting of the parochial council with some crucial agendas that cannot be postponed or moved ahead bit further...

Fathers' Day

Tomorrow is Fathers' Day in majority of countries (though in Poland it's celebrated on June 23).  I'm lucky to have my Dad alive. Not so lucky with my Mum. Last year I wrote extensively on the theme of the father figure in the family, society and the world at large. No need to repeat words I still firmly stand by and believe in. So, please visit this link to read that post. Thank you! And - a very happy Father's Day to all Dads worldwide, especially to my own Dad....

Two Months

Looking forward to my only travel home this year. Just two months left. Huge amount of work to be done before that though and the preparation of the parish and its institutions for my absence. This is the worst part - to get ready everything for my departure, so that parish and everything in it runs smoothly when I am away. I wrote on this topic last year in a separate post (here). Hopefully, this year things may not be that bad. Hopefully... But, before that I need to get well now and go back to full swing in work tomorow. Because tomorrow is a mid-year meeting of parochial council with a mega-long agenda. Who never took part in this kind of meetings, may consider himself born under a lucky star...

Lifeline

I have a confession to make. Owing to Maja (a friend of mine from London), I came to know and admire the creative, inspiring and touching music of one of the best female composers and singers the world has been graced with in the human history. Imogen Heap. I come back to her time and again, never tired of the ever fresh music and lyrics. Thank you, Majeczka! Thank you, Imogen! As I look for a way out of malaria, getting back to normal, this is another Imogen's masterpiece to start a new day...

Apart From Those Things...

In an hour or so it will be time to go to the other side of the Divine Mercy Hill and celebrate the morning Mass for sisters who are continuing with their annual retreat. The first reading of today's liturgy is an outburst of sincerity of Saint Paul, a big bang of emotions and straightforwardness. I love his frankness and the way he puts things in a passionate way. The last passage of the Second Letter to Corinthians strikes me exceptionally hard: "And apart from these things, there is the daily pressure upon me of my anxiety for all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is led to sin, and I am not indignant? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness".

No Tap

Celebrating Holy Mass on Thursdays, though every Mass in a pilgrimage in time and space to the Upper Room in Jerusalem, gives a special meaning as it is the same day on which Jesus Himself celebrated His first Mass with the Apostles and instituted the Eucharist and the vehicle to bring Him to people in three sacraments of His unique love and mercy...

Timing

Yet another time, yet another moment, yet another proof. Of global network of the Communion of Saints. Waking up to the sound of incoming texts on my mobile, reaching for it, checking mails. Yet another time meeting in virtual world with real people and their real problems and desperate calls for help...

24 Days In Tanzania

I have just came across this link shared by a friend of mine on Facebook. To me, living in Tanzania for the past twenty years, it is always interesting to learn the perspective of visitors who come here for their very first time. It has always been refreshing, unexpected, different, allowing me to reset or refocus myself or discover anew things that have become routine and invisible. Check for yourself. It is a great read with stunning photos.

Green, Green, Green!

Celebrating the Holy Mass this morning, for the first time since before the Lent season started. I like to vest in green chasuble after Christmas and Easter seasons. It is such a symbolic gesture and the color full of deep meaning. Reminding me of my duty to take care of blessings and special graces I was granted by God in His Holy Church in the just-passed festive season...

Summer School

Yet another valuable addition to the collage of activities and inputs of our volunteers to the common effort to bring Divine Mercy towards a needy human being and the human being to Divine Mercy...

While Waiting...

While waiting for the total eclipse of the moon on June 15th (link here), getting your pro photo gear ready for great shots of the lunar eclipse, preparing snacks and drinks for the occasion,  here is something to enhance your mood along the line...

Fruit Of the Holy Spirit

It's raining. It started a half an hour ago. Not a big rain, but gutters carry water to our tanks. Sisters from my convent and from Shirati will begin their annual retreat in the evening. The water is necessary. Since I fixed gutters to the half of their house and put two 5 thousand liters tanks, there was no rain. Not a single drop. Till today. This is Solemnity of Pentecost. And one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit is joy. And we are happy to get rain just today when we needed it most and we were a bit worried what we will do if we run out of water during the retreat. I hope it rains for a while longer so the tanks can be filled... Thank you, Holy Spirit, for giving us joy today!

Veni, Creator Spiritus!

On this Pentecost Solemnity I wish all of us the fullness of the Holy Spirit gifts, charismas, divine light and virtues, so that we may live the fullness of life as designed and intended by the Creator, in divine happiness, peace, love and unity with Him and with ourselves. This is the intention of the morning Mass I am about to celebrate in a half an hour or so. Ut unum sint!

Unwritten Books

"There are also many other things that Jesus did, but if these were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world would contain the books that would be written." (Jn 21:25b) This sentence from this morning Mass touched me powerfully. The books that would be written. Unwritten books...

Miodonka

So, today we had another special day of handover of the Jubilee Cross from one parish to another in our small Butiama deanery. This time we went to Mother-Parish of Zanaki (which gave birth to three others so far - Butiama, Kiabakari and Nyamuswa) to participate in the Holy Mass of farewell of the Cross in Zanaki and handover to Butiama parish. It was a great day of communion, prayer, sharing joy and happiness which ended though on low note of Miodonka...

Point Of View

Just found this picture on Facebook, shared by a friend of mine. Funny yet educational, a food for thought. Especially for those who live in so called Western democracies...

Earthquake Near Dar Es Salaam

Just got news from my friends in Dar that in some areas of the city the tremor could be felt this morning with chairs and tables shaking. The official confirmation of the quake can be found here. Thank God it was nothing major, just a tremor!

Vodacom Thumb Down

So, what if they can produce beautiful professional commercials and flood the market with billboards and PR stuff drawing customers' attention if the reality of their deteriorating services speaks quite a different story? Vodacom may seem to float towards the buyout by Vodafone as they already have changed their logo to what is - in fact - Vodafone logo per se, but the quality of their services is going downhill day by day. I am not sure to what factor it should be attributed, but it looks like they draw lots of new customers, but the infrastructure of their system is lagging behind big time...

Our Daily Bread

Continuing with the slow recovery from malaria, but not idle. Baking bread for tonight's supper, Polish style. One thing that we, Poles, miss most here in Tanzania, is our daily bread, Polish bread, the best in the world, I don't mind saying... So tonight at least we will part from white toast bread available around here, and indulge in home baked loaf of bread with a preserve and a nice cup of aromatic tea. Simple but stylish...

Taking It Easy

I used to commit the same crime in regards to dealing with malaria. Forgetting that the motto of this beautiful land, so many times heard and repeated - 'Haraka haraka haina baraka' (there is no God's blessing in haste) or 'Pole pole ndio mwendo' (Going slow is the right speed), is full of wisdom and maternal care of Mother-Africa, reminding me to take it easy and go slow when needed. Just like now when I got hit again by malaria and - frankly saying - should be firmly lying in bed, taking it easy and letting drugs to do the job and the body to regain the full strength...But...

Chapati

Expecting Mare and Mare to come back from school safari to Serengeti any moment now. They went with some forty plus children, two sisters and two pre-school workers this morning to visit one of the most famous wildlife parks worldwide. Of course, muffins and sandwiches went with them as well...

Again

Don't feeling well for the past two days. Checked my blood this morning and found with malaria again. Not a good news. Yet another round of strong medication to fight parasites in my body. I wonder how long  my liver will continue to accept this kind of merciless abuse... It's a price, I guess, you gotta be willing to pay for being a long-term missionary in Africa. So be it.

Announcement

Yesterday, the Polish Foreign Ministry announced the results of this year competition for voluntary programs submitted for funding to them. My Foundation was among other NGOs who applied for funding. It was our first time to do so. I was happy to share with you that our project code-named 'Afya Bora' (Perfect Health) qualified for the second round. And now we got the funding, meaning that the very first volunteer of Foundation Kiabakari will come here at the end of September to supervise the implementation of the project. A happy day indeed and a great result for all those in the foundation who contributed to the success. Well done, ladies and gentlemen! The link to the Ministry announcement is here.

Muffins

Tomorrow is the big day for children from our school. They are going on school tour to Serengeti National Park. You can only imagine how excited they are! Since I came to Kiabakari in 1991, I have never heard of any school tours in government primary schools in our area to Serengeti. So, tomorrow is a historic day. The very first ever school safari to the Pride of the Nation - the Serengeti National Park...

Desperate Housewives in Kiabakari

Mare&Mare just finishing the setup of their blog. They described themselves in their blog as Desperate Housewives in Kiabakari, hence the title of this post. The link to the blog, which I encourage all of you to follow, is here.

Over Fabulous Cake

M&M did a great job right at the beginning of their voluntary service in Kiabakari. They volunteered to cook a lunch for us and sisters. And they delivered great pumpkin soup, great biscuit-cream-jelly-fruit cake plus some other stuff like potato salad, fruit 'kompot' etc done by Aurelia, my housekeeper. It was a fantastic treat. And while I was giving the ladies company in the kitchen, serving as an ad-hoc translator to facilitate communication between Aurelia and M&M, we talked about the blog which many in Croatia, Poland and elsewhere were asking for, sharing with the wide audience the daily life and service of M&M in Kiabakari and Tanzania...

A Case Of You

Walking down the memory lane again, revisiting Joni Mitchell and her absolutely amazing song - 'A Case of You'. The lyrics are so powerful and tender at the same time, they move me deeply and shake the core of my sensitivity and feelings... Just wanted to share with you at this calm and peaceful Saturday evening hour...

M&M

Thank God Marianna and Marija arrived safely to Dar es Salaam yesterday. Thank God for Brother James and Sister Ewa who met them at the airport and gave shelter overnight and brought them back to the airport for the morning flight to Mwanza. Thank God for bringing me safely to Mwanza. Thank God for Father Janusz and the whole SMA community at their regional house in Bwiru, Mwanza, for allowing me to stay with them overnight and giving me a great company. Thank God for M&M safe flight to Mwanza and our first ever meeting and breaking ice there. Thank God for our safe journey to Kiabakari and our first ever lunch together at home...God is great. Always great!

Lighthouse Family

Their songs accompany me in the last two days as I tried to fight the clock and get everything in place and ready for the first volunteers who will give a comprehensive test to the renovated and refurbished St. Martha House and the premises...