Altar Servers

The Solemnity of the Christ the King was celebrated in style in Kiabakari. We gave to the King thirty eight new servants in His House - the new altar servers who were officially accepted by Rev. Father Janusz Machota, the regional superior of SMA congregation in Tanzania, who with his confrere visited me on Saturday and stayed through Sunday. After a long preparation, our boys were ready to start serving the King of Mercy in His Shrine in Kiabakari in the liturgy celebrated in the church. Here are some pictures of the Holy Mass yesterday...

The Visit

Writing these words in Mwanza, at SMA regional house, I wrap up the visitation of the Mother General of Little Servants of Mary Immaculate Sisters Congregation, Mother Beata Chwistek from Stara Wieś in Poland, in Shirati and Kiabakari, as the part of her visitation of the African Province of the Congregation. Tomorrow our guests - Mother General, Assistant General, Mother Provincial - will fly to Dar es Salaam and onward to South Africa. We, Sister Superior of Kiabakari community and myself will drive back to Kiabakari. It was an important and historical visit. The very first one of the Mother General in Kiabakari convent. I am very satisfied and very glad. And I know this visit will bear multiple fruit. For now just a couple of pictures from the artistic program of our school children presented to the Guests.

Two Small Coins

“Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and observed how the crowd put money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow also came and put in two small coins worth a few cents. Calling his disciples to himself, he said to them, "Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood."” (Mk 12:41-44)

A couple of weeks ago a letter came for the youth of Musoma Cathedral who asked me for a retreat here in Kiabakari, in the diocesan shrine of Divine Mercy. Some of those youth I worked with back in 2002-2006 when I was a pastor there. The letter brought back memories of that period and one particular moment of it, when the youth group of Musoma Cathedral asked me for a retreat day for them. I complied and we had a recollection day in the cathedral...

The Avenues Of Love

November is my favorite month. The mystery of the Communion of Saints fully relived and experienced anew by the whole Church. All Saints Solemnity congratulating our sisters and brothers for passing the exam of holy life, worthy of God's accolade and acceptance in Heaven. Asking our champions to keep a watchful eye on us walking together towards the gates of Heaven...

Blessing

Finally, 'mvua za vuli' (short rainy season) have arrived. A genuine blessing in this part of the world, and I guess, all over where people know what it means to lack water for certain periods of the year. Thank you, Lord!

For a few days now we have enjoyed thunderstorms with good downpours. Our plastic tanks filled up quickly and we pumped the rain water out of them up to the main concrete tank by the church. One good rain fills six tanks (3-4 thousand liters capacity) in a matter of a couple of hours. The main water tank by the church though depends mainly on the water from the village pipeline which never comes up our hill (we need to use boost pump each time we get the news that the water appeared in the neighbors' taps. We harvest the rain water only from the small portion of the church roofs, unfortunately, as the village pipeline failure to deliver water to inhabitants of Nyamisisye and Kiabakari villages in relatively new backward development.

It looks like the situation is not going to improve in the foreseeable future, so we have to react quickly and install gutters and build main retention tanks for rain water, funds permitting. Just a few pictures below taken with mobile phone camera to show you the beauty of the Vuli season.