Peas And Cabbage

Today is a day like in the Polish saying - 'peas and cabbage'. Everything thrown together, not fitting or complementing each other. Real organized chaos...



Started as usual early. Morning coffee, walk up the hill and downhill to sisters' convent for the morning Mass (on Friday morning each week we have a communal Mass at 7am at their home chapel). Then breakfast with the community. Came back home to find Marjanna, Marija and Agnieszka (who came for two-three weeks to do her research in primary schools in the the region and decided to stay with us for the time being) at the dining table having breakfast, so I  joined their conversation...

At 10am we went for the birthday party at the pre-school and primary school combined as the sisters organize twice a year a communal birthday parties for students born in the first and the second half of the year respectively. Huge organizational efforts on their part, so kudos to them! I was impressed! Children were so happy and ecstatic, pity I cannot post pictures at this time, still waiting for the charger sent by Lou from California (thank you, fratello!).

Came back home for a quick lunch just in time to go to the shrine for the final part of the regular Friday recollection day - confessions and the Holy Mass with the homily and Divine Mercy chaplet.

Continued with the registering of the baptisms and weddings during the peregrination of the Jubilee Cross, with  the help of my secretary. Almost done, now issuing new baptismal certificates for baptized children.

Went to check how Marjanna is doing being in her second day of braiding her artificial hair with hundreds of little braids (I admire the hairdresser who stand there the whole day with her fingers working so fast weaving those braids), while Marija is reading a book out loud to her. Tomorrow is the turn of Marijato undergo the same process...

Now I try to get in terms with M-Pesa system as I want to buy electricity units for this LUKU meter (Lipa Umeme Kadiri Unavyotumia - pay for electricity as you use) which is basically buying kwh before you use them. They give you (or send via sms if you pay through M-Pesa system of Vodacom mobile operator) a code which you punch into the keypad of the LUKU meter and it shows how many kwh you have put into. And then as you use, the number goes down, and if you don't buy new units, it will cut you off. So, we have 8 kwh left on the display, so I am trying to buy new units via my mobile, which I haven not succeeded yet. If I don't, then I will sent Yusufu, my electrician, who conveniently is in Kiabakari today doing wiring for someone in the area, to pass here as he goes back to Musoma and take the meter card and money and go to Tanesco office to buy units then he will send me the code via sms and I will punch it in the meter. Bit complicated but it is better for us as we can monitor our consumption and limit as much as possible...

But first, Tanesco must bring back the power, still one hour to go, hopefully, if I am to trust their schedule of rationing...

In the meantime, I went with Sr. Grace to the bus stand in Kiabakari to receive a new sister coming from Zambia to join the community of our sisters. Sr. Lucy Tembo will teach in our school, so I am happy that we have an extra teacher as we are really short in terms of staff in the school.

So, peas and cabbage today! But it's ok. The day like this shows really how lively and active community we are here in Kiabakari.

Have a nice and blessed weekend, everyone! Praying for all of you always!