Ulmerfeld

Will it be a shortest ever post on my blog? Ulmerfeld. I'm home. Enough said.

Another Good Measure

The email from Polish embassy in Nairobi is truly Veronica's cloth for my sad face after the theft of my macbook with all files and pictures. It somehow wiped away my sadness and helplessness. It was a very good email informing me that our application for funding of modern equipment for the delivery room in our health center in Kiabakari has been approved by the Polish Foreign Ministry. This means that upon my return from Poland, we will complete the purchase of all items on pro-forma list supplied by my dealer in Dar to the embassy. Thanks be to God! And thanks be also to very helpful staff of Polish embassy in Nairobi, Miss Joanna Popławska in particular. I am so happy for the ladies in Kiabakari who will have deliveries in a modern delivery room, with all important equipment, incubator, machines etc. happy ending to the day which started so horribly wrong.

For The Good Measure

Life has struck a right balance this morning, for the good measure of good and bad. A lot of good happened yesterday, so this morning it was the turn of the bad to happen. Woke up to discover that my macbook, left by me last night in the communal area of the house I arrived to, is nowhere to be seen. Apparently, a petty thief (like those who walk around in neighborhoods looking for any opportunity to get hold of a bucket, hanging clothes, a chicken, anything) took his chance at around 5.30 am, forced his entry into the mosquito net swing door of the livng room, locked only by the light latch on the inside by the cook who went to the kitchen to fix early breakfast for residents and sneaked in and grabbed whatever he could put his hands on in a flash and ran away. I pray to St. Anthony and St. Jude Thaddeus for help as - apart from the value of the macbook itself, what is most important are the latest pictures we took this year for various projects, especially in our pre-and primary school. These were not backed up yet by me (my fault apparently) on my time machine external hard disc. Non-recoverable loss if the computer is not returned to me by any means possible. I announced a reward to anyone who returns it to me before I leave. We will see. This is the second time this macbook has been stolen. First, in California in the sacristy of the Catholic church. The second time this morning, at very good friends of mine residence, whom I visited while in Dar. Bad luck indeed.

Looking Ahead Together

Last evening something happened that had no precedence since I started to develop the vision of Divine Mercy in Kiabakari. The establishment of a development board of Kiabakari. For twenty odd years my friends, benefactors and myself along with the parochial community in Kiabakari have been pushing the cart of progress and fulfilling of the vison of Kiabakari - only by ourselves. Yesterday it has changed. On the advise and the invitation of Dr Patrick Mgoya, we met at Southern Sun hotel in Dar es Salaam, some ten men, all born and raised in Kiabakari and its vicinity, to sit together and look ahead as a team discussing the development of Kiabakari, not only of the parish. I left the meeting with a very positive feelings and high hopes for the breakthrough in thinking and acting towards genuine development of the place, brought by people who have Kiabakari written in their blood. Although the immediate concern was to set in motion the preparations to the next year ordination of our seminarian Augustino Mapambano from Kiabakari (God willing, of course) and the ways to compensate one family living in an allocated (years back by government) plot for the future expansion of our health center, the perspective was much broader, with my immediate concern for the improvement of water supply for Kiabakari inhabitants which has been particularly bad for the last few years. We talked and set up a procedures for the next steps, and when I am back in Dar from my trip to Europe in May, we will meet again for more detailed to-do list. I was very impressed with positive reactions of the participants who admitted that a thing like this has never happened before and that they were grateful for this opportunity to come together as people of Kiabakari living in diaspora to make a difference in Kiabakari. I would like to ask for your kind prayers, so that this initiative bears long-term fruit for the benefit of all.

The Greatness Of The Other

Will it be a shortest ever post on my blog? Ulmerfeld. I'm home. Enough said.

From The Perspective

Left the mission today after Sunday Mass. Feelings of weariness and mental exhaustion taking toll on me a bit. From the perspective, being somewhat in between I can see Kiabakari, Krakow and all people and places I left for the time being or I am heading to. The certain loneliness of this state in between hits me hard. It makes a spontaneous prayer of trust in God's Mervy to spring up to the Lord. He is able. I am not. And in this particular moment, in this hanging in between, this truth is clearly felt by me... What can I see? Tired, worn out and somehow subdued? Jesus, I trust in You! There is no other way...

Almost There

This morning I've finished home visiting of my sick parishioners and elderly members of our community. Then finished office work and handed over management of the parish, the health center, our schools and construction works to my deputy. Sorted out all papers I needed to take with me. A short meeting at health center followed, the same topics as the early morning meeting at breakfast with sisters at their place. I can say that I am almost there with my preparations for the home trip. This afernoon I will lead the Stations of the Way of the Cross and the following Holy Mass with the conviction that I did everythng humanely possible to make sure the parish and its institutions function as normal as possible while I am away and that the basic schedule for my trip is done as well. The rest I leave up to God and His Mercy. May His Will be done in us and through us.

Home Visitation

It gives me so much consolation to home visit my sick and elderly in the mission, preparing them spiritually and sacramentally for the coming Easter. As I leave in a few days for Poland to be with my Dad, relatives and friends for a few weeks and to see what I can do to help my Dad to live securely and with adequate assistance and help, I wanted to visit my sick and elderly in the parish to make sure they are safe as well and reconnected with Jesus.

Beautiful Day

The last 24 hours? A very very beautiful day. Agreement with German embassy for funding of construction of two new classrooms for standard three and four students signed and sent to Dar. A new project for education funding of our pre-school drafted and sent to cooperating organization in Italy. A nice and rewarding recollection day at Dimesse sisters convent in Bunda. Penitential service at Bunda Carmel, conversation and assurance of prayer for my trip. A few short meetings here in Kia, solving matters that popped up suddenly at health center. My workers finished the fence at pre-school. My supplier brought cement and other construction materials for those two classrooms and the Nyakiswa church rain water tank. Just returned from Small Christian Community prayer meeting with nice and thoughtful Bible sharing. All in all, I'm totally exhausted but very happy and satisfied. Deo gratias!

Spiritual Powerhouse

Just came back from Bunda. Bishop of Diocese of Bunda asked me a couple of weeeks ago to be a confessor of Dimesse Sisters who live nearby Carmelite monastery, and want to establish themselves in the diocese, providing education from pre-school level to high school (these are plans for now). So, apart from being a confessor to Carmelite Sisters for eleven years now, I have become Dimesse Sisters confessor as well. Not only. Actually, they asked me to give them monthly recollection when I come for confessions. So, this is precisely what happened today. Went to Bunda this morning, gave them spiritual talk, then meditation time, then confessions and the Holy Mass. After the lunch with them I drove to the Carmel for confessions. Later came back home. It is so reassuring when sisters tell me about their prayers for me, Kiabakari, my development plans. They promised to pray for my safe and successful trip home and the search for help. So good to have a spiritual powerhouse behind me, supporting all the way... Praying back for them as well, wherever I will be, in every shrine and holy place in Poland and elsewhere.

St. Joseph

The Solemnity of St. Joseph, Husband of Our Lady and Custodian of Our Lord today. I love St. Joseph. A man of deeds, not a man of words. You won't find a single word he spoke which was written in Gospels. Yet he did so much more...

Formula 1

The long wait is over and a wonderful sound of firing up of F1 engines announced the beginning of what is presumed by many to be a very exciting season. The first race of the season in Melbourne, Australia, ended a few hours ago and we can see now clearly where the balance of power lies at this moment. Gutted to see my team, Scuderia Ferrari, produced a dog of a car after eight long months of developing it and they need to react very quickly if we dream about championship this year. Sad to see the best driver on the grid, Fernando Alonso, driving his socks off to bring the car home with just a bunch of decent points and unable to fight for the win. Even more sad is to see Felipe not up to his task. My feeling is he will be shown the door in a not so distant future if he does not improve as soon as possible. I was unable to watch the race live, celebrating three Masses as usual on Sunday, so I will wait till evening to watch the replay on Superport South Africa. Well, what can I say, as a lifelong tifoso? Forza Ferrari!

St. Patrick's Day

All my thoughts, my heart and my prayers go out to my wonderful friends in Ireland, Northern Ireland and elsewhere. You know who you are. Celebrating with you, with tons of amazing memories filled with emotions, love and gratitude! Have a fabulous feast day! May St. Patrick guard you wherever you go, and guide you in whatever you do-- and may his loving protection be a blessing to you always.

The Visit

Yes, I should and I did write this word in capital letter. The Visit. This underlines its importance to Kiabakari and myself. To have an opportunity and honor to host the director of international cooperation of the biggest pediatric hospital in Europe - Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesù in Rome, right here in Kiabakari, was an unique experience, to put it in mild terms. Doctor Lorenzo Borgese and his wife wholeheartedly responded to my invitation to come over and see Kiabakari, and in the first place - Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati Health Center in my mission. I got the news from the family of Pier Giorgio that the doctor will be visiting hospitals in Africa, including Tanzania, which cooperate with his hospital in Rome. So, I contacted him promptly and was surprised how kind and forthcoming the doctor was to the idea of coming to Kiabakari while in Mwanza. To the extent that he decided to use his vehicle and did not demand that I come to pick them up. How cool is that?! So, the doctor and his wife came yesterday evening and left this morning after visiting all our institutions in Kiabakari. I will not go into details of our conversations, but they left me with overwhelmingly positive feelings and a solid conviction that this may be a genuine breakthrough I was praying for for too long. And that the cooperation between Bambino Gesù hospital in Rome and our health center may become reality. We must pray for this to happen. And trust the Lord for whom nothing is impossible! They left just a few hours ago but I'm still mesmerised and pinch myself if it was not a dream. Thank you, oh Lord, thank you, Pier Giorgio!

Fencing Off

For a long time my sisters have been complaining that some of the local people come after school hours to pre-school and devastate the playground. They managed already to cut off one of the swing, steal bolts and nuts, wood planks and wreak havoc on the playground area in general...

Volunteers' Blog

I would like to draw your attention to freshly updated blog of volunteers of my Foundation Kiabakari. Thanks to Agata Krupa, who did all the update works, the blog has come alive. Hopefully, this trend will continue and the successive volunteers will add to its interesting contents. Check it here.

Memory Is Our Homeland

The story of my acquaintance with Jonathan Durand, the filmmaker and producer of "Memory is our Homeland" movie is simply amazing. When Jonathan was googling the internet at the end of September 2010 in search for documents, photos and news on Polish Second World War refugees in Africa (among whom his own Grandmother was), he came across my post on Tengeru in this blog and later he found out that on the same day he was reading the post, I was landing in Montreal where he lived. He told me later on when we met for the first time there in Montreal and made preliminary plans how to help him in achieving his goal of producing the movie, he almost spilt his coffee on his macbook when he discovered I was there, a few clicks away from him...

Naaman's Skin

"But his (Naaman's) servants came up and reasoned with him.
"My father," they said,
"if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary,
would you not have done it?
All the more now, since he said to you,
'Wash and be clean,' should you do as he said."
So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times
at the word of the man of God.
His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean". (2 Kgs 5:13-14)...

One Horse Cart

All four parishes (missions) in our Butiama deanery a manned by single priests. Four parishes. Four priests. One horse carts...Yesterday we had a meeting of the executive council of Kiabakari parish. One of the chairpersons of outstations asked a question when we finished agenda and arrived to AOB (any other business). He wanted to know why I did not ask bishop for an assistant priest, so it could be easier for me to perform my duties and find time for rest and ensure the continuity of pastoral services while I am away on my 'scouting trips' looking for support and funding...

Sacred Time And Space

Today's Liturgy of Third Sunday of Lent brings forth yet another message from God to us who follow His Son in the wilderness of spiritual desert of Lent and lenten spiritual, mental and corporal exercises...

Quiet Morning And The Long List

Saturday again. I like to wake up very early on Saturdays, much earlier than on any other day. Around 4-5 am I'm usually up to make for slow and balanced start for another hectic day. It is no different today...

Proper Perspective

Being in the middle of the hive of activities in my mission, surprisingly, the Friday privilege to restore the dignity of the Children of God in the Sacrament of Reconciliation preceding the Via Crucis for the parochial community in the shrine, then leading the meditations of the Stations of the Way of the Cross and the Holy Mass that follows the Stations immediately - gives me a huge relief inspite of this intense feelings and spiritual work. This Friday meditation of the Christ's Passion gives my whole life and what I do a proper perspective, it gives simply a right meaning to my struggle, hardships and fight for the vision which drives me since 1991 here in Kiabakari. I am so happy that today, as much as I am tired and worn out by numerous things that go on in the mission on various fronts and levels, I can detach myself again from all this, and look on myself, the reality, life and everything from a distance, in the divine light that radiates from the meditation of the Passion of Christ. I cannot simply get how anyone can claim that she or he participated well in Lent season without participation and meditation of the Stations of the Way of the Cross. Incomprehensible to me.

Deja Vu No. 2

Yes, number two. The number one deja vu you will find here. This time it is the similar feeling I got today when coming back to our health center in the capacity of the standing administrator. The proper admin went for the funeral of her brother in Zambia and the following holidays and won't be back till June. The superior of local religious community to which the admin belongs, was handed over the supervision of the health center. She came to me yesterday asking for help. So I was forced to jump into the shoes of the admin and take charge of the facility. Deja vu feelings as I was sitting there and making preliminary decisions and setting up the due course for the staff. Lot of work to do. Prayers appreciated!

Lost Battle

The results of the Polish Foreign Ministry competition for Polish Aid 2012 have been announced today. Sadly, our important development project of constructing a volunteers' center in Kiabakari was not among those chosen for funding. I feel sorry for members of my foundation who worked day and night on it for almost two months. We lost battle, but we won't lose a war.

Photo Albums

Using spare snippets of time these days of Lent to clear my photo albums on my macbook. Well, sorting out oneself spiritually, morally and physically in this sacred time involves also sorting out, clearing the mess and making some order in the house, clothes, papers, books and photo albums as well...

The Power Of One Single Hour

The First Thursday of the month prompts me to share with some thoughts on the importance and the divine mystical power of the Holy Hour devotion in our Christian lives...