A Farewell To A Good Old Friend

Two days ago I mentioned in my post that I returned the old Landrover to the bishop and borrowed another car for my Sisters till we get a brand new one, if our vehicle request project succeeds.

I did not took this event lightly. The brevity of my note the other day can be misleading. To the contrary. I wanted to dedicate a separate post to my good old friend - a vehicle that served so many for so many years since its creation in 1986 in a factory somewhere in Europe.

Bishop Justin Samba, when in 2003 I requested a bigger car for my work in Musoma Cathedral (since we had only one Suzuki Samurai vehicle there, and she was too small for construction purposes and other longer safaris), instead of giving me a pickup truck as I asked, he gave me this old beat-up Landrover 110, which was parked in bishop's residence yard for some time, with smashed right mudguard (after an accident), peeling off paint and poor maintenance record. I took the car, drove her with trouble to the garage, repaired her completely - bodywork, paint, new carburetor, tires, seat fabric etc...

She served me quite well in Musoma and then in Kiabakari, when I came back here in November 2006.

This vehicle has a soul. And a very stubborn character. She was able to serve perfectly for periods of time, then all of a sudden stopped in the middle of the road for no apparent reason and drove me crazy trying to convince her to start the engine again! And the fuel consumption was just outrageous. She was so expensive to maintain (well, this is what I hear many times talking my my friends about their relationships with modern ladies)... Made in times when fuel prices were very sympathetic to customers' wallet, she guzzled one liter of petrol (not diesel) in 5-7 kilometers. When I played with nozzles, she choked going uphill and stopped. So I was forced to use her in short safaris, though I managed to drive her to Dar es Salaam and back, to Mwanza, and here in Mara Region to various places.

In 2008 I handed over the vehicle to Polish volunteers custody, who were administering our health center. They needed her more than me as I had Toyota Hilux I left in Kiabakari going to Musoma and found her on my way back still here in Kiabakari, though in very poor condition (huge effort of parishioners and myself to restore her to her beauty).

The vehicle continued to give them all sorts of trouble too. She showed her independence and character on many occassions. But still, they managed to use her for outreach program in Nyakiswa village, and sometimes this poor old chap of a vehicle was able to rush sick people to referral hospitals and saved their lives - like in the case of complicated deliveries, when mother needed to be transferred immediately to Butiama health center or Bunda hospital.

My good old friend served us well, yet with a stamp of her authority - she did what she wanted to do most of the time. And sometimes she showed us her donkey attitude - stubbornness and freedom to refuse to serve.

And yet, when the time came to bring her back to bishop's yard in Nyamiongo in Musoma (as the volunteers from Poland left and my sisters need more reliable car for the health center and their communal use as well, so we asked the bishop to lend us a used car, but better than this one), I felt immensely sad...It was like saying a farewell to a good old friend with whom we shared so many good and bad experiences, and that made our bond of friendship so close and lasting...

I want to share with you these last moments of being together with her. And her last voyage from Kiabakari to Musoma. And, of course, she couldn't fail to show us her attitude for the last time. So she stopped all of a sudden just 3 kilometers from bishop's place and refused to start the engine again. We needed to call for help of mechanics, and after begging her to agree to start the engine, she graciously came to life again and we were able to bring her finally to bishop's residence, from where I took her for the first date with me seven years ago. Our rocky relationship came to an official end. It was inevitable, yet still - so sad and heartbreaking...

A few pictures from our last journey together the day before yesterday to share with you this moment...

Farewell, my good old friend! Happy retirement!

Blessed Among Women

That's how I felt all day long today.

Started the day, as usual, with prayers and Holy Mass in the shrine. With my sisters - of the Congregation of Little Servants of Mary Immaculate. Then breakfast together.

Right after that I drove 35 kilometers to Bunda to the only monastery in Tanzania of Cloistered Discalded Carmelite Sisters. I went there to hear sisters' confessions, as I've been doing since 2001 (with a short break of two years maybe when I was in Musoma Cathedral alone and couldn't cope with all things I had on my head that time). I feel I receive more than I am able to give...Of course, the Sacrament of Reconciliation is priceless, but what I mean is that spiritually I feel extremely enriched whenever I go there, to the Carmel. I thank God for this unique opportunity I was given, when Sisters asked Bishop Samba to appoint me as their regular confessor. I received so much through this service I cannot even explain. I feel blessed...

Rushed back to Kiabakari to pick up my Sisters and escort the old Landrover I was given by Bishop Samba back when I was in Musoma, then gave it to volunteers administering our health center. Since they are gone now, I decided to return the car to the bishop and borrow another one, used Toyota Hilux, but in much better shape than poor old Landrover.

In Musoma I met several sisters from different congregations - Ivrea Sisters, Franciscan Sisters, Immaculate Heart Sisters of Africa, even one Maryknoll Sisters from USA passed me by in her car.

Returned back to Kiabakari in time to get myself ready to go to Buturu, to Chief Wanzagi Secondary School. Sisters of the Resurrection invited me to celebrate the very first Mass in their house chapel. In the house I supervised its construction just recently. This celebration had a deep meaning to me...To be able to celebrate Holy Mass in the place that was just a dusty field a few months before was so rewarding and fantastic feeling!

Sisters were very hospitable and generous in their warm welcome. We had a beautiful Mass with reflection, spontaneous prayers and sense of belonging to each other as came from very far together and shared same experience as misionaries, in our struggles, failures and victories. To pray together in that place had a taste of achievement and victory.

Then lovely chat at the table, deepening that sense of togetherness and community. Great dinner accompanied the conversation. It felt so good to spend this memorable evening together with sisters in Buturu. I am very grateful that this way they wanted to celebrate my ordination anniversary as well. The lovely statue of Good Shepherd I was presented as a gift will remain with me as a visible reminder of this evening...

This day truly was day when I felt in a special way - blessed among women...