Back in Seattle

I arrived in Seattle on February 8 after moving through 10 time zones and spending nearly 20 hours in transit. The best surprise of the trip was that my luggage was the first off the plane when we landed in Seattle.

I am bouncing back from jet lag and will begin some new projects next week. I have been working on a slide show as a way to share the experience with others.

Ash Wednesday Thoughts

We have three Masses today with the distribution of the ashes. Much like the US, this is an important celebration for Catholics and the morning Mass community tripled and I am told that the evening Mass will pack the Church. The laws of fast and abstinence are not stressed in Zambia, partly because meat is not that available and you do not ask people to fast who are already hungry.

People follow the US elections with interest. Most people are more familiar with the democrats than the republicans. Zambia politics are fascinating with multiple parties who form alliances to create an opposition. The current president's wife is considering running in the next election. The newspapers are filled with charges and counter-charges and it is quite lively. However, many of the politicans are not that close to their constituencies and serve personal interests. That charge could be leveled almost anywhere.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to visit my friend, Josephine's school. She has taken a school that was on the brink of closure and is bringing it back with discipline, vision and results. The school is a private school and is located next to the property for the new US embassy. We visited a number of classrooms and saw the boarding facilities (70% are boarders). It was impressive.

Departure Reflections

It is hard to believe that I am in my final week in Zambia. I will head back to Seattle on Thursday morning and be in Seattle on Friday evening. I was asked this morning, if the experience had met my expectations. I arrived wanting to have an experience of Zambia and of a new culture. I hoped to be able to learn from others and to use some of my gifts in service to others. I leave with a deep appreciation for what I have learned, how I have been touched and for the gift it is to be part of the Society of Jesus. In the next couple days, I will write some of my reflections on the experience as a way to draw the blog to a conclusion. The above picture is of the road in the front of the Church. On the right hand side is the campus of the legal institute and on the left hand side is one of offices of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

I leave with a powerful experience of the Church and of the work of the Jesuits in Africa. The faith is alive and it is growing. I sensed that the Church has a priviliged place in society, primarily because it has always been on the side of the poor and dispossed. In so many places, the Church is the loud voice for the poor. Christianity is relatively new in the African culture but it has helped create vibrant communities of people who serve one another, who take real interest in practicing their faith, and who encourage vocations.

I have been touched by the Jesuits and their work in Africa and I am impressed with the ways that the Society is more and more reflective of Africa. I had a chance to work with the young men considering vocations and seven of them will likely enter in July. The work begun by Jesuit missionaries over 100 years ago will continue with a new vitality. Men want to be of service to the Church and to Zambia and Malawi. The opportunity to live with committed men of great talent and diversity has been an honor. I am pleased that I leave with some good friendships.

I am hopeful that the future will have more opportunities for collaboration where we can learn from each other and help each other in our ministries. Africa is not well-known to the US church, or if it is, it is only known for its struggles and problems. But Africa has much to teach us about collaboration, involvement of the laity and the formation of community.

Jesuit Garden Flora

Miscellaneous Critters

Take your choice of the one that you would want to encounter. The dog belonged to the caretaker at Siavonga and was a beautiful, alert animal. The crocodile was not in Lake Kariba; however it could have been there. I have read of several crocodile attacks during my time in Zambia.

Chiwileda School

The name Chiwileda sounds like it could be from Zambia, but it is actually an acroynm for Children With Learning Disabilties. The parish provides moral and fiscal support for the school. There are about twenty children and they have a good ratio of teachers to students. The Bambina Sisters, an international Franciscan community, run the school and it is obvious how committed they are to the children. The learning disability child is marginalized in Zambia, and the school provides them a wonderful environment for growth, community and self-esteem.

Owl

I spotted the owl perched in one of the trees in our back garden. The owl was quite content to sit in the branches and to take in the world. The Zambians are not fond of the owls, primarily because they are nocturnal and are not easily seen.

One of the interesting things is how cultures view things in different ways. I mentioned that some Zambians eat things that Westerners find off-putting (caterpillars and fried termites) and they find the Western attraction to shellfish to be very strange (crabs, shrimps, crayfish and clams).