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!