Docs Go Gulu

treeofwisdom.org

2011-05-24T19:09:00.000-07:00

This year we will be sharing our story on our website

Tree of Wisdom!

(Please click on this link to follow us!)

God Bless you all!

Monique

At Home in the Jungle

2010-07-21T01:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I never did make it to electricity last week. It was all we could do to charge the battery for the camera. What an amazing week it was!!

The drive from Moyo to Paidha was long but beautiful. We headed southwest and into the mountains. Paidha is on the far west border of Uganda and Congo. It is at high elevation, so the view is beautiful, the air is fresh and cool, and the best part---no mosquitos! We arrived in the village in the dark and recieved a warm welcoming meal enjoyed by the light of a kerosene lantern. The next morning I awoke to the beautiful village scene--a clustering of typical Ugandan tukuls with grass roofs. We went for a walk around to meet Sr. Rosemary's extended family. What wonderful people! They were warm and welcoming. Some spoke English, but most didn't. I was so happy to have learned some Alur, so I was able to communicate a bit. They were helpful and patient with my feable attempts. As the week went on, I improved but still have a long way to go.

On Saturday, we went to the Market in Paidha. Wow!! It was great!! I love going to local markets to get a feel for the local culture. The market was packed with people busily buying and selling produce, fish, meat, and best of all, beautiful fabrics from Congo! People were loving getting their pictures taken. They were smiling and kind and seemed to find my presence rather entertaining.

Sunday Mass was inspiring as always. I hate to keep repeating myself, but the faith here is truly amazing! The church was completely full in the pews and the aisles were full of young people sitting on the floor. There is singing and dancing and a celebration of faith that I have never experienced in the States. To add to the experience, this was the church where Sr Rosemary grew up and made all her sacraments, including her perpetual vows. What an inspiration.

After Mass we had our Paidha Tree of Wisdom celebration. As we were approaching, all the guardians were sitting together. They all stood up and burst into song and came to greet us with dancing and smiles. We met with the guardians and children who all looked clean and healthy and happy. The outpouring of gratitude from all of them was truly overwhelming and humbling. I don't have words adequate to explain to all of you who have supported Tree of Wisdom how life-changing the program has been for these children and their guardians. Sr. Rosemary said she couldn't believe the change in all of them. It seems unfair that I am the only one with the opportunity to experience it all first hand. Please know that the sacrifices you have all made has had a tremendous positive impact on the health, education, and outlook of all of the beneficiaries.

The celebration was a great success! Through the generosity of donors, we have supplied balls, jumpropes and writing/drawing supplies so the children can have fun and build a family when they meet together. Because many of them come from far away, we give them a small meal on arrival and a larger meal at the end of the meeting. We have decided that these meetings will take place twice a year, July and December, so the children and guardians can build relationships and we can keep track of their progress. We are getting great reports so far about most of the childrens' performance in school too. They are wonderful and respectful children who are so happy to have the opportunity to build a future for themselves.

Yesterday, we returned to St Monica's in Gulu. We saw some elephants on the way after crossing the Nile. Uganda is really a beautiful country. We'll have our final meeting with the orphans in Gulu this weekend then I will begin to prepare to come home.

Thanks again for all your prayers and support.
Peace to all.
Monique

The Road to Moyo

2010-07-14T13:24:00.000-07:00

Travel to Moyo was set to begin on Monday morning but in typical Ugandan style, the plans changed. Sr Rosemary had so many meetings and unexpected visitors that we decided to delay our departure till Tuesday. That day I succeeded in riding a boda boda sidesaddle because I had on a kitenge (traditional Ugandan wrap skirt). At first I was holding on to the driver and could hear audible laughter from onlookers as we were passing. I got my bearings and did it the right way....another small victory.

Tuesday AM we left for Moyo and our week long trip to the villages with the car packed to the brim and multiple passengers. No gas is wasted here. Any trip is maximally utilized. The trip was uneventful. We stopped in Adjumani for lunch with Sr. Mary, a most welcoming and jovial soul. She runs a primary school there with 840 children grades 1-7, and a nursery school with over 300 children. She takes all of this in stride with a smile on her face. Each teacher has 50-60 children--a task only made possible by the incredibly good behavior of Ugandan children. We were welcomed with songs and smiles. We distributed books sent from Liberty High School in Columbus and Project Hope--a very generous project spearheaded by Hope Latiak´s sister Julie who is a teacher there. The children were so happy to recieve the books. When they got them they immediately sat down in the grass and started reading. One child in 4th grade stood up and started reading aloud with amazing fluency. We later distributed balls and the mayhem began. Any small thing means so much!

We are now in Moyo, visiting the Sisters´ provincial house and the Redeemer Childrens´Home. The orphanage for the children 4-teens. 65 children live there and 60 others are in boarding schools but return on holidays as this is their home. So far on this trip I got the loudest singing welcome from them. On arrival, the children poured out of the home and started singing before we could get out of the car. They are loving and curious and sweet. They all come to greet us at once, with so many around it can be hard to stay on your feet. This is a poor but happy place with constant activity. The children were even singing as the did chores. Here we met 2 young women from Spain who are hear for a month or 2 to live with the children and spend extra time. I am so lucky to meet selfless people like this along the way. Three of our Tree of Wisdom children live at this home--Sharon, Patience, and Samuel. They are being well taken care of by these loving Sisters. Tomorrow we will go to the babies home to see Elijah.

A word about the bombing in Kampala. First of all, we are very far away from that area and we are safe, so please do not worry. The country is in mourning for the victims of this tragedy. We are all saddened by the far reaching and long lasting effect that terrorism has on our society at large. Every day we need to continue to pray for peace in our world.

Once again, thank you for your prayers and support. Tomorrow we go further in to the villages and will not have electricity at all until we leave on Monday. I hear that in town there is electricity and an internet cafe, so I will do my best to stay connected.

Love and prayers,
Monique

Tree of Wisdom Atiak

2010-07-11T15:21:00.000-07:00

Greetings to All!

My days in Gulu have been full of life. Flexibility is definitely the key here as you never quite know where the next hour will take you. Earlier in the week we visited Lacor Hospital. Sr Rosemary's 2 y.o. nephew Timothy was admitted with malaria. Wow--what a difficult experience. The hospital was incredibly overcrowded. In some areas they had 2 children to a bed and there were family members all over the floor. Each room had 10 beds in it. I walked around feeling so helpless and wondering how they all are able to cope. The patients and family members were patient and quiet. They bear their burdens very quietly here in Uganda. I can't imagine what it must be to practice medicine in a world like this. With a doctor:patient of 1:25,000, I can't begin to comprehend how overwhelmed they must feel at times. No matter how much we think our medical system is broken in America, we should never forget how lucky we are. In Uganda, life and death is a daily grim reality.

We spent much of the week planning the Tree of Wisdom activities for this month. The staff that Sr Rosemary has put together is great. Mr Komakech follows the 61 children in Atiak, Brother Bede Beda follows the 40 children in West Nile/Paidha district, and John Kennedy follows the 15 childen in the Gulu region. We also have 4 orphans in Moyo at an orphanage being cared for by the Sacred Heart Sisters. So as you can see we are approaching 120 children. The Tree of Wisdom is growing strong and tall. We are working out logistical issues, visiting schools and trying to find the best ways to meet the needs of our children.

Today was the first big TOW celebration since my arrival. It was awesome!! We left for Atiak at 7AM with the car full of 9 people and lots of gear over bumpy roads for 2 hours. We got there a bit early and visited the site of the new St. Monica's Tailoring School in Atiak which sits on 12 acres of land. They have 2 classroom blocks erected and have begun building the hall/kitchen/restaurant building. The compound is on a very busy road from Sudan to Gulu. Their eventual plan is to open a restaurant to serve travellers and tour busses. This will provide training for the young women in the school and also help sustain the campus.

The day began with Mass at 10 am. It was beautiful! Atiak is one of the hardest hit areas from the war. We saw obviously malnourished children and people dressed in their ragged Sunday best. Out of their poverty comes a richness of spirit and faith that is truly overwhelming. After Mass we began the TOW festivities. Robert Komakech is such a soft spoken humble man with such a big heart and a love for the children. Unknown to us till now, he has bee meeting with them every Sunday, trying to teach them practicalities of life and build community. On this day, we met with the children and all their guardians. The children were clean and well cared for. The guardians have formed a co-op and are trying to support one another in many different ways. There was much singing and dancing. The dancing kills me because every time they do it they drag the visitor up there and you have to shake your booty as fast as you can in the traditional Ugandan style, and let me tell you...this white girl can't dance!

After the laughing subsided, we all ate lunch--complete with meat. The children played with the balls, frisbees and jumpropes provided by all of you. They had a GREAT time! Later we drew pictures, wrote letters, and distributed the great beanie babies, matchbox cars and snacks sent by all of you kind hearted people in the US. Afoyo!! You have no idea how much they appreciated all of it. They are truly destitute people. Every small kindness is one step closer to a more promising future.

This evening Sr. Rosemary and I sat and reflected on our day. What an amazing blessing Tree of Wisdom has been for so many people. It gives the children a brighter future, the guardians a greater sense of commuity, and for those of us in America, a way to help that is direct and relevent. I told those children that they each have a Mom or a Dad in America who loves them very much and prays for them every day. Please pray for the people of Atiak. They have endured such terrible suffering from the war and are now falling prey to a 3 year drought. Throughout the day I choked back tears and thanked God for all the blessings in my life. I never imagined that this tree would be so strong so fast.

On the other side of the planet, I get reports that bead sales at St. John Festival of the Arts have been great. Thank you so much to all who participated.

With tremendous gratitude to all of you. Thank you for all your prayers and support.
God bless!

Monique

Back home in Gulu

2010-07-08T13:20:00.000-07:00

What a great homecoming we received on arrival to St. Monica's on Sunday night! The sisters sang us a beautiful welcome and prepared a beautiful meal. It was so great to see everyone again.

Over the past few days to see the unfolding of the Tree of Wisdom project. On Monday, we had a meeting with the 3 people who are in charge of following the children. They had great reports. The children are for the most part thriving and doing well in school. Mr. Komakec who follows our 61 orphans in Atiak has been meeting with the children every Sunday. How nice to see his initiative! They gather together and talk about different topics and share community and belonging. The basic thing these children lack. Tomorrow we will travel to Atiak to see some of their schools, meet the children and get a general assessment. This Sunday we have planned a great celebration with the children there. We will start with Mass, then have lunch, a gathering and medical assessments. We plan to take balls and other toys that can be left there so when the children gather they can play together. Thanks to the generosity of many, we are able to give each of the children their own toy to take home, toothbrushes and toothpaste. I can't wait to meet these children, hear their stories, give them hugs from everyone back home and see their smiling faces.

During this week at St. Monica's I have had the joy every day of meeting some of Tree of Wisdom children and their guardians each day. Many of the guardians are now employed at St. Monica's so it has become the focal point for them. The children are adorable and so appreciative of having the chance to go to school. Most of them are very small for their ages due to long term malnutrition, but they are now happy and hopeful. Patrick is a boy who we wrote about on the website. He is a 7 year old orphan who was brought to St. Monica from Atiak where he was living with his aunts, working as a child laborer, and basically starving to death. He is now happy and thriving. The nuns are his new family--they love him and he loves them. He has been with them since November and none of his family members have inquired about him. I am amazed at the impact that TOW is having on these children. My gratitude goes out to all who have participated. I feel blessed to get to experience it first hand.

Afoyo matek! (Thank you very much!)

P.S. Sorry about the technical difficulties. Ugandan computers!!!

Happy Landings in Kampala

2010-07-05T12:26:00.000-07:00

Hello to all! Greetings from Gulu!

I apologize for my extended silence, but did not have internet access until today. The things we take for granted in America take more effort in Uganda. Because of the long delay, this is probably going to be a lengthy one so sit down, relax and let my try to transport you to another world.

The trek to Uganda is always a long one (about 25 hrs in all), but it went once again without a hitch. Flights were on time and pleasant. To my great relief, I was once again completely ignored by customs and made a run for it through the "nothing to declare" line. I attribute this good fortune to the wonderful ladies at Holy Spirit who pray that my smuggled medicines will become invisible. It worked again---phew!!!

The first few days of my visit were spent in Kampala at the house of Sr. Rosemary's biological sister, Catherine. I must admit, this was a very far cry from "roughing it". Ugandans, even in difficult circumstances, give hospitality a whole new meaning. Catherine has many adult daughters who were constantly at the ready. One was kinder than the next. Although there was no running water, there was always water heated over charcoal for bathing, they brought me coffee in bed, and one night Harriet even washed my hair for me! I felt so spoiled that I developed pangs of guilt about everyone worrying about me back home.

One day driving down the road outside Kampala, we came upon a construction area and found a policeman making people turn around because the road was closed. The taxi driver asked to go through anyway, the police said "what about my soda (i.e. bribe)?", then the driver leaned over as if to get some money and said "I'll be back!" and sped off through theconstruction zone. Everything is negotiable here it seems.

The next day we travelled to Jinja, to Bujugali Falls, which is the "Source of the Nile". From here the Nile winds north through the continent of Africa. What a beautiful area! The birds are amazing--huge and beautiful. We also saw rafters and kayakers on these class 5 rapids. Nobody was injured on that day but many did not remain in their boats.
On Sunday we had a beautiful Mass at Catherine's home, thanks to Fr. Don, and began the long journey (or so I thought) to Gulu. It seems the year before the elections those in power decide to spruce up the place a bit to garner support. The road to Gulu was completely paved! Instead of 8 hours on back-breaking, bumpy roads, it was 4 hours of smooth sailing. We bought pineapples, roasted corn, and enormous mushrooms along the way, but in the interest of our gastrointestinal health, decided to refrain from the street meat. The car was so packed that upon a sudden stop, Sr Rosemary got a pineapple to the coconut. On the way across the Nile we not only saw baboons but monkeys too. It's great to be back in Africa!

New Adventures

2010-06-14T03:34:00.000-07:00

Time is running quickly as I am preparing for my next visit to Uganda. I will be going for the entire month of July again. This year I am traveling alone, without my better half, so I can focus on the organization of Tree of Wisdom. Fear not, our dear friends in Uganda have promised to keep me safe!!

Attempting to pack for such an adventure is always interesting. The things that seemed hard last time are easy--visa, travel, immunizations, etc. The hard part is what to bring...actually, what not to bring, because they need everything. Evading insects in every way possible has also become a major focus---watch one episode of "Monsters Inside of Me" and you'll know why. ALL of those organisms congregate in Uganda.

Great thanks to all my dear friends who have donated so many items for the trip. Medical supplies, toothbrushes, beanie babies, matchbox cars, clothing...the list

goes on and on. The outpouring of generosity is truly humbling. One woman, after hearing about the "garbage balls" that the children play with during one of our talks, sent me a check for $150. She said, "Buy as many balls as you can with this, children shouldn't have to play with garbage." I am blessed to have the opportunity to see the goodness of people on a daily basis because of this project.

Stay tuned. I will try to update as often as internet access and electricity allow.

Thank you for your prayers.

God bless you all!

Monique

Article in The Villager

2009-12-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

For those of you who may be visiting this blog as a result of the article in The Villager, thank you so much for your interest. Please visit treeofwisdom.org for more information on the distant adoption of orphans in Northern Uganda. This Tree has already begun to grow strong and is already helping many children there who are in desperate need. You will find stories there about the launch of the project. The need is great. Any help is sincerely appreciated.

Merry Christmas!

Monique

Tree of Wisdom Website

2009-09-10T16:03:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

Much exciting progress is being made on the Tree of Wisdom project! Through the kind and dedicated efforts of the The Mikes Richwalsky we have a new web address for the Tree of Wisdom Distant Adoption program!! Please visit the site via the link and register your information in the "Contact us" section.

Afoyo matek!! Thank you very much to both the Michaels!!

Tree of Wisdom Distant Adoption

2009-09-05T05:46:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

As we start a new school year, we are embarking on a very exciting new project called Tree of Wisdom Distant Adoption. My husband Stan and I traveled to Northern Uganda in July 2008. It was an experience that changed us both forever. The conditions are grim and the poverty is extreme. Half of the population is less than 15 years old. As a result of 20 years of rebel insurgency warfare and HIV, there are many orphans. Their only hope for a future is education. We just couldn’t turn our backs on them.

Since returning home, it has become clearer to us why we went in the first place. We are striving to find ways to provide relief directly. While in Uganda we were very lucky to make some close friendships. The most special of which was with Sister Rosemary Nyirumbe, Director of St. Monica’s Girls’ Tailoring Centre, and winner of the 2007 CNN Heroes Award. Together we have developed a program for distant adoption of children who don’t have the basic necessities of life.

Sr. Rosemary has identified many children who are unable to attend primary school due to lack of resources. A donation of $150 per year will provide a specific child with primary school tuition, uniform, books, materials and one meal per school day. The sponsors will receive the name of the child, a picture, and at least one letter from them at some point in the year. All donor information, except for first names, will be kept strictly confidential by me. All correspondence will be directed to me and I will distribute it via regular or e-mail.

If you would be interested in sponsoring one of these children please send a check for $150 made out to Tree of Wisdom Distant Adoption, PO Box 272, Avon Lake, OH 44012. If you have further questions please do not hesitate to contact me at 440-949-9066. 100% of your donation will be used to help your adopted child. All donations are fully tax deductible and will be directed through Rural Hospital Fund. Please include your address and e-mail address, indicating how you prefer to be contacted. Thank you in advance for opening your heart to these needy children. Please visit treeofwisdom.org for ongoing updates and more information.

God bless you,
Monique

Long Range Adoptions

2009-07-23T19:21:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update. The long range adoption process is moving forward!!

We have thus far identified over 35 children in Northern Uganda who could benefit from the long range adoption program we are putting in place. In the near future we will publish the official letter that outlines the program details. Stay tuned!

2009-05-24T22:18:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Thank you for your ongoing interest in Uganda. As you know, we continue to try to find different ways to provide assistance.

The latest news is that St. Kizito has just published a website: stkizito.org
Check it out--it is full of information and photos. The St Kizito foundation has helped over 500 young people in Africa resume or continue their education. Over the summer they also opened a counseling center. The foundation was begun by Fr. Don Dunson of St Mary's Seminary here in Cleveland, OH.

On June 10, Father Don Dunson will be giving a presentation on his book "Child, Victim, Soldier: Lost Innocence in Uganda" at St Angela Merici at 7 pm. All are welcome to attend. If you have never heard Fr Don talk about Uganda, you will be very moved. He is a tireless advocate for these victimized children. What wonderful work he is doing for them!

Long range adoption plans are still moving forward. Thank you for your interest. When the details are worked out, I will contact you.

The total for us for the bead sales is up to $5000. Incredible how much awarenes and money can be raised $5 at a time. Thanks to all who have participated. If anyone would like to start a bead selling project, please contact me at will.richardson@oh.rr.com. What a great fundraiser!

The Atiak project is still moving forward. They are currently clearing the land, surveying and starting with some housing for the nuns and for volunteers. The people of Atiak are so impoverished. They are very encouraged by the hope this project brings with it. They have already started training some of the girls in tailoring in some of the temporary structures.

Please continue to pray for peace, and God bless you all!

Spreading the word

2009-04-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

Hello friends!

Just to let you know. We will be doing our Uganda presentation at St John West Shore Hospital on Thursday, April 23 at 6 pm in Auditorium B, Building 2. All are welcome to attend.

We have many ongoing projects. The most amazing of which is the ground breaking for the new St. Monica's to be built in Atiak, a very impoverished and war torn area about 50-60 kilometers north of Gulu (the land is pictured above with Srs. Rosemary and Assumpta). The people there are in such desperate need. The Sisters of the Sacred Heart are currently preparing 12 acres of land to build a similar facility as St Monica's in Gulu.

Necklaces made by the young women are beautiful. They are always available at my office for 5-10 dollars. A great way to support a great cause. Again, thank you all for your support.

We are also working with Sr. Rosemary on a project to have individual 'long range adoptions'. She is identifying children who are unable to attend school secondary to financial constraints. It seems that about $100-150 per year will provide a child tuition, clothing, books and food assistance for a year. What a small sacrifice to change the future of a young person. We are currently developing the logistics of this project. If anyone is interested, please contact me at will.richardson@oh.rr.com.

Wishing you all a most Blessed Easter season!

Peace,

Monique

2009-03-04T20:01:00.000-08:00

Hello to All!

It has been a while since we have updated the blog and a lot has gone on in the interim. First of all, please revisit the St. Monica's site http://www.stmonicagulugirlsrelief.org/. as it has recently been completely updated.

To all of you who purchased the beautiful beads made by these young women, THANK YOU! We recently sent a donation to St Monica's in the amount of $3500 from the proceeds of the beads. There is ongoing support and we are so appreciative.

Fr. Dunson recently published his new book "Child, Victim, Soldier: Lost innocence in Northern Uganda" depicting the lives of these young people. What an amazing look into the lives of these traumatized people. It is available on Borders.com or from us.

We have been working in other ways to continue to help the people of Northern Uganda. We are in the process of trying to furnish their new clinic. If anyone has advice regarding shipping of supplies it would be greatly appreciated. We have many medical supplies that we would like to send.

Sr. Rosemary was recently with us and would like to personally thank all of you for your prayers and contributions. She is currently working on opening a centre in Atiak, about 2 hours north of St. Monica's.

We have been doing talks in the community about our experience in Northern Uganda. We are eager to spread the word. Please let us know if you would like to hear from us. Our e-mail is will.richardson@oh.rr.com

Thank you and God bless you all!

A Long Time Home from Uganda

2008-11-09T13:43:00.000-08:00

Hello all!

Home from Uganda for about 3 months now. Re-entry was harder than we thought it would be. Living in a third world country makes you look at the world with new eyes. We all need to thank God every day for all of our blessings.

Just to inform, we are giving a presentation about our trip at Holy Spirit Parish on Thursday, November 20 at 7 pm. Fr. Dunson just published his new book "Child, Victim, Soldier: Lost innocence in Uganda". He will be promoting his book on this evening. Everyone is welcome. If you can't make it, the book is available on Amazon.com. It is a very compelling look into the lives of many of the victims of the war in Northern Uganda.

God bless all of you, and thank you again for all your prayers and support.

Stan and Monique

Last Day in Gulu

2008-07-21T06:14:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone,

The St. Kizito's Counselling Center dedication festivities were grand indeed. There must have been 700 people there. After mass clebrated by His Grace Archbishop John Baptist Odama, there were several hours of feasting and celebration, including native cultural singing and dancing. This convinced us beyond any doubt that "we got no rhythm". We were able to witness the slaughter of the bull. There is a team of professionals that perform this task for all large animal slaughtering in Gulu (Sr. Rosemary didn't tell me that). At any rate, the task was performed with simple tools - knife, machete, and axe - but was very respectful of the animal and humane. The entire job, from start until when the animal was cleaned, quartered, and ready to be hung in a cooler took 45 minutes. There was very little wasted. An interesting observation was that whereas these three men performed this task in a way that has been done for thousands of years, the head man, shirtless and wearing flip-flops, had a very expensive cell phone hanging off his belt! Times, they are a changing.

On Friday afternoon, we were able to visit an IDP (internally displaced persons) camp with the three American benefactors for the St. Kizito project. It was as emotional an experience as we've yet had in Uganda. No amount of reading or research can prepare one for exposure to that type of hopeless poverty. And yet the children laughed and laughed at our white skin and camera flashes. Please pray for those that have yet to move out of the camps.

Tonight is the 21st, our last evening in Gulu. We are already missing our freinds, and they are many, that we have made here. We decided we would take out for a celebration dinner the wonderful Sisters of the Sacred Heart from St. Monica's, who have shown us a level of hospitality and love that we will never forget. Tommorrow we will travel, likely by bus, to Kampala and the Children and Life Mission, an orphanage started by Fr. Hattie for the lost and forgotten street children of Kampala.

Can't wait to munch on some 'hoppers :-)

Hope is well with you. We will try to blog from Kampala or Amsterdam(we arrive there on the morning of the 24th). We can't wait to get home and give you all the unabridged version of our experiences here - the real story of Northern Uganda, so to speak.

Peace to all of you,

Monique and Stan

P.S. -Thank you all once again for your comments and prayers. You have our prayers in return.

LaCor Seminary and St. Kizito's

2008-07-19T03:23:00.001-07:00

Hello to everyone!

Thank you all for all the comments and your prayers. It is a special treat to read sentiments from home. Well it's Saturday the 19th and internet availibility is spotty all over Gulu. St. Monica's is hosting a large gathering of the Undugu Family, so there is alot of activity at the center.

A few days ago we were blessed to be able to visit the local seminary called LaCor Minor Seminary. The seminary is documented in Fr. Don's books as, tragically, 41 seminarians were abducted on one night in 2005. 30 escaped, and 11 are still unaccounted for. The young man who accompanied us, David Lakony, is one of those who escaped. He arranged for a driver and wore a suit complete with french cuffs to take us to be recieved by the rector! The grounds of the seminary are beautiful, and the chapel is extraordinary. The paintings and frescos on the walls and ceilings were done by Italian Camboni missionaries.

The rector is a wonderful man, Msgr. Mattew Odong. He recieved us with a smile and promptly sat us down and served us tea and cookies while we conversed. We came to find out later that he is Vicar General (number three man) in the Archdiocese of Gulu, a diocese of nearly one million Catholics. Can you imagine being waited on by such a man?? As we talked, it came up in conversation that we weren't quite sure what our purpose was here in Gulu, as we've not been asked to serve in the capacity of doctor very much. Msgr. cleared that question up for us so eloquently. He said that he knew about the medicine we brought. He also said he knows we could've gone to Asia or Europe, or South America - so why Africa? And if why Africa, why Gulu?
He said our mission is to spread a message of peace, consolation, and solidarity to our African brothers and sisters who have suffered so much for so long. He said that our presence here in Gulu, two professionals from America, helps to sow the seeds of hope. He said that standing shoulder to shoulder with these people, eating with them, shaking their hands and hugging them helps them to remember that God has not forgotten about them, and that there are people across the planet who love them and pray for them. This is very important to healing, and the Msgr. said this is much more important than any money or medicine we could've brought.

Tomorrow brings the great celebration day for the dedication of the new St. Kizito's Counselling Center. This is Fr. Don's big project, just completed. The Archbishop will be there tomorrow, and there will be many speeches - 5 hours worth (ouch!). St. Kizito's is an organization that has been working to identify, and assist financially with tuition, those young people who suffered in the war, are poor or orphaned, and who have the aptitude but not the money to complete their education. We have met many of the scholars, including a nun and several college students, including young David Lakony. The counselling center was created to be a place where the youth of Gulu can go to recieve counselling and healing for the deep psychological wounds they've been dealt from the long war. I'd say that every child older than 4 has PTSD, and until this is addressed formally, then this young generation of Northern Uganda will continue to slide into hoplessness and apathy. St. Kizito's and those that work there are truly brilliant and inspiring.

We have tried the local delicacy, white ants. Actually cleaned, roasted, and fried giant termites. They were challenging. We hear that the grasshoppers are in season in Kampala, and we shall have to try them in a few days.

We are missing home a bit, but continue to enjoy the Ugandan life and experiences. Know that you are all in our prayers, and that we'll blog when we can.

Peace,
Monique and Stan

Uganda Safari!!!

2008-07-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

Hello to all!

Have read all the comments and laughed a lot. Enough about the goat already. Stan spent entirely too much mental energy on worrying about this and today when we found out the shepherd was going to do the deed, we got the heck out of dodge and came to Gulutown. Stan didn't want to participate, sighting fear of erlychiosis. It's best to leave these things in the hands of trained professionals. Also, we are in the business of keeping things alive and would like to keep it that way. So sorry to hear that Thunder got voted off the island--it's a jungle out there!

Well, believe it or not we did get to go on safari--it was awesome! The Bishop called on monday night and invited us to go on tuesday. We left on tuesday PM @ 3 hour drive and drove around until dusk. Wow! What beautiful countryside! It's exactly how we pictured Africa. The landscape was unspoiled and beautiful. Wide open spaces with intersperced acacia and elephant trees. We saw 4 different species of antelope, elephants, giraffes, warthogs, baboons and a multitude of birds. They are all wandering free in their natural habitat. There are no fences for these parks. As a matter of fact, during the war, the rebels took over the park and all the animals left and went to the Congo. Now that there is peace, the animals are back.

In the evening we went to this very cool "Sambiya Lodge". We stayed in a tukul. It was very rustic and exotic. Whenever we wanted to go from our room to the main lobby, we were required to be escorted for fear of wild beasts. That night we heard african wild dogs in the distance. Not the best night's sleep...

The next morning we were up at 5am for breakfast and the 45min drive back to the Nile to catch a sightseeing boat. We watched the sunrise on the dock before boarding. What an amazing experience! The hippos were everywhere--they're huge! We also saw many crocodiles lying mouths agape for their next meal. We made sure to keep appendages well inside the boat. Bishop Sabino was a great tour guide. He knows a lot about the animals and their behaviors. He grew up in the park. Also saw many, many amazing birds and Murchison falls. Wonderful! Of note, there were many tse tse flies along the way--evidently the african sleeping sickness has been bred out of them so we shoud be okay. After the boat, more driving and many more animals. The pictures shoud tell the tale much better. Zoos are not a place these animals should be living.

Got back to town last night and are gearing up for the big dedication of St Kizito's on Sunday. Fr. Don went down to Entebbe to pick up a few American benefactors and they should be arriving soon. Party at the convent tonight. Gotta go and cook up some goat!

Love and prayers,
Stan and Monique

New members of Undugu Family

2008-07-14T01:50:00.000-07:00

Hello from Gulu!

It is Monday, July 14 @ Noon. The internet is functioning again at St. Monica's. The things we take for granted in America. Electricity is intermittent here. When the lights go out, everybody just sits around in the dark like it's standard operating procedure. The mosquitoes (pronounced MOSKWEETOES) are not too terribly bad here. They're out at night only. We've had a few bites each, but no fever yet. Using lots of DEET, permethrin treated clothes, and mosquito nets to protect ourselves as well as possible. We've seen some HUGE insects and critters here. A praying mantis attached itself to the back of my pants one evening and scared the **** out of me. It was easily 6 inches long. Also saw an enormous snail one morning. The shell was about 5 inches. It was beautiful--we wanted to cook it with garlic butter. Just kidding! In front of our room, we have a mango tree, an avocado tree that is laden with delicious avocadoes, and eucalyptus trees. Very tropical, but we lucked out because the weather has been unseasonably cool. We think it's great, they're wearing down winter coats when the temperature dips below 70 F. They call it winter.

Yesterday morning Mass was outstanding! We all processed in to the hall with about 200 girls singing and about 10 doing traditional dance. They sang and drummed throughout almost the entire Mass--the Gloria, the Sanctus, and a beautiful acapella song after communion in their native Acholi language. The tears were flowing--they are so inspirational. Chioki (the guy travelling with the midwives), was kind enough to get up and record the whole Mass for us with professional recording equipment. We heard a little last night-it sounds great. As it turns out, he's here doing a radio documentary about the midwives for NPR.

After Mass, we attended a seminar about membership in Undugu family. It is an organization created to promote peace and unity in Africa and the world, and to decrease intertribal and interreligious violence. It was founded by a Tanzanian Jesuit priest in 1996 after witnessing the mass genocide in Rwanda. In Swahili, ndugu is the word for both brother and sister. When you put a U in front of it, undugu means the relationship between a brother and sister. The concept is that because we are all children of God the father, we should strive for unity and peace with all people, our brothers and sisters in Christ. A link will be forthcoming for more info.

As if the chicken was not enough, now Sr Rosemary has informed Stan that he will be expected to slaughter and roast a goat for dinner on Thursday. He is experiencing great anxiety over this matter and has been soliciting help from anyone willing to listen. The whole thing has been rather entertaining. They're slaughtering a bull for the St. Kizito dedication ceremonies on Sunday. If Stan succeeds with the goat it's on to the bull!! We'll keep you posted...

Love and prayers to all of you and thank you so much for your kind responses.
Stan and Monique

Mass of healing for Sr. Victoria

2008-07-12T03:27:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

Thank you all for your prayers and comments. We are so enjoying reading them. Modern technology is amazing!

Today is Saturday, July 12 the internet is down at St. Monica's, so we are in "Gulutown" at an internet cafe. No coffee, just computers. Just so everyone sleeps a little better back home, we are very safe here. The people are peaceful and kind. We had a short bout of gastroenteritis last week after sampling street meat (bad idea). Other than that we have been very well. Our thoughts of losing weight in Africa have quickly gone by the wayside. The sisters are amazing cooks and get very upset if we don't eat 3 squares a day. Oh well...

We want to tell you the story of Sr. Victoria. The Sacred Heart sisters are a refugee order. They fled the Sudan during the wars in the 1960's to Moyo and other towns in Northern Uganda. Since then they've become active again in the southern Sudan in times of relative peace. Because they themselves are refugees, their mission has been to serve refugees, orphans , and the poor. One of the nuns here has cancer. We had a chance to sit and talk with her about her medical history and her story. Sr Victoria is originally from the Sudan and wound up in Nairobi, Kenya. She developed a rare uterine cancer that has metastasized to her liver. The initial chemo did not work, and the 2nd type was too expensive for the nuns to afford. She was failing in Nairobi and Sr Rosemary fetched her back to St Monica's for recuperation and love. When we went to Moyo, we stopped at a few places where the sisters cried when seeing her because they thought she would be dead. A few days ago we had a Mass of Healing for her. She and several other sisters were annointed by Fr. Don (they never know if they'll have access to a priest should they suddenly become ill). It was very touching and beautiful. Sr Victoria shared with us a story of personal trauma. Her father had been shot by the SPLA and she was on her way to Khartum to bring him back to Uganda for treatment. Along the way, her car was commandeered by the army and she was forced to ride in the back of a truck with many other people. The SPLA ambushed the truck. "It was raining bullets for 5 minutes. 11 people died instantly and I was shot in my left shoulder. Another sisters applied a tight dressing to stop the bleeding and I went on to get my father." It was a month before she was able to have the bullet removed, but her father lived. She is a very inspiring woman. We are praying for her daily. She has accepted her diagnosis with great grace and is bearing the burden very lightly.

Everybody here has been affected by violence in some way. The other day we met Evelyn, one of the girls at St. Monica's who was one of the "wives" of Joseph Kony. He is the head of the terrorist organization LRA, which was responsible for the slaughter and abduction of many Ugandans over the past ten years. She bore 3 children by him. They are also at St. Monica's. The stories are endless, but the people have a great spirit and are trying hard to recover and rebuild their lives. Their faith in God carries them through.

On a lighter note, we actually had an opportunity to see some patients, minor illnesses only. We took the sisters out for dinner last night and had a blast. They were very funny fighting over the last Red Bull. Some things are universal. Later today, Monique will be speaking to some of the girls about leadership, goal setting, self esteem, etc. Pray it goes well.

The weather has been great. Low 80's and dry. The butterflies are many and beautiful, as are the birds. No safari yet, but still hoping. Sorry, but pictures have not been technically feasible as we can't get online on our own computer. Photodocumentation is ongoing however.

Love to all. We miss you. Keep the comments coming--they make us smile.

Stan and Monique

Luigi's 82nd birthday

2008-07-08T23:37:00.000-07:00

Hello to all!

Sorry about the long delay, but have been away from the computer for several days.

St. Monica's is turning out to be an amazing place. Sr. Rosemary knows many people and has them working here. For instance, at our first dinner here, looking around the table we see several nuns, three Italian construction workers from Milan who don't speak English, two very earthy midwives from New Jersey along with their Rastafarian friend, and of course, our priest and guide, Father Don. The Italians are part of the order of Magenta, a construction volunteer organization. Luigi, the oldest, turned 82 on the 5th and the sisters threw a big party with a huge cake, way too much food and lots of singing and dancing. These sisters know how to cut a rug!

That evening Sr. Rosemary invited us to accompany her on Sunday to Moyo, the place of their mother house for the Sisters of the Sacred Heart. "It's about two hours to get there, depending on the roads."

We met for a few hours with the new clinical medical officer that recently started here, and helped him set up the new clinic in the morning after Mass. He was very excited about all the meds and surgical supplies.

We then set off on the road to Moyo with Sr. Rosemary, Sr. Victoria, and Brother Andrew, our very capable driver. It was very rainy and the road was very bumpy and we were rather nauseated most of the way. The most rugged 4-wheel drive road we've ever travelled. We caught the last ferry across the Nile and made it into Moyo in a cool 6 hours. We stayed with 2 Camboni missionary priests, Father Luigi (yes, another one) and Father Dino. Father Dino has spent 54 years in the west Nile region creating missions. Father Luigi is very skilled at accounting--the reason for Sr. Rosemary's visit. They were excellent hoSr Victoria and sts.

The next day we went with Brother Andrew to tour the mother house, complete with full orchard and gardens. The people really live off the land here. They keep animals and grow most of the food they eat. We harvested lemons, grapefruit and mangoes there. We then visited the orphanages and medical clinic run by the Sacred Heart Sisters. There was a baby house with about 20 babies, including brand new triplets! Then we went to the toddler home and were swarmed by about 50 kids as we handed out Jolly Ranchers and balloons. The kids here are great. They are so appreciative of even the smallest things. We then went to the home for the older kids and toured, but they were all in school. Because we didn't have time to stay for a meal, in keeping with African culture, Stan was presented to take home with him a beautiful live, white rooster--still cocka-doodle-dooing. We ate it that night for dinner for Fr. Luigi's birthday. They made fun of Stan for not knowing how to kill the cock!

The next day after Mass in a tukul (round traditional African building with straw roof), we took a very ill older neighbor from the village to Moyo hospital. The medical assistant was "late", so the man lay semi-unconcious for 1 hour and 15 min on a wooden bench in the waiting area before being seen. Brother Andrew was most courageous and insistent and got him seen first. The man was accompanied by about 4 other villagers who were not his family. They brought supplies and food and stayed with him. These people really look out for each other. We took a self tour of the hospital. No one questioned our presence. The conditions are pretty grim--crowded, limited facilities, personnel and resources. Nobody smokes here, it's in their best interests to stay well.

The trip back to Gulu was equally touristical. The weather was good but the ferry was less reliable this time. After waiting an hour for them to dredge a new dock with a backhoe, we set off across the Nile. But wait! Half way across the driver remembers to check the fuel guage--we have to turn back, we're almost out of gas! He commandeers a motorcycle to get fuel. After gassing up we head off again. But wait! Half way across the engine dies--we are adrift on the way to Sudan. Don't worry, they fixed the problem, we got across fine. They unloaded the cattle and we were on our way back to Gulu. We arrived home late to an extraordinarily warm welcome, and yet another birthday party for Srs. Assumpta and Pauline. What an adventure! Slept like logs. Today is Wednesday, the 9th, and we will rest.

Thank you all for your prayers and comments, know that you have ours in return from across the planet. Please continue to pray for the people of Northern Uganda. Their life has been unbelievably hard over the past 3 decades. Pray for ongoing peace.

Stan and Monique

Home of Hope and the road to Gulu

2008-07-05T01:20:00.001-07:00

Hello all,
We are blogging from an internet cafe in downtown Gulu. We have a lot to report.

On July 3 we visited our first orphanage, Home of Hope. This is the place Hope Latiak , fellow Clevelander, has been staying for the past year. There are about 35 children there age 2-16, both boys and girls. The conditions were very rugged to say the least, but the kids were happy and healthy for the most part according to our exams. They are well loved, well fed, and danced for Jolly Ranchers! In the evening we enjoyed freshly caught, still wiggling, tilapia from Lake Victoria. After dinner all the kids sang and danced for us. It was very touching. Rats dropping onto roof and scrabbling around kept us awake most of the night, but it was all worth it. Woke up 6 am to all the children, even the 3 year old, doing chores. They were carrying water, raking leaves and cleaning up. They are given responsibility at a very young age here. We were sad to leave.

After Mass and breakfast, we were driven to Gulu by Geoffrey, Sister Rosemary's private driver. She didn't want us on the bus because she wanted to make sure the meds got there safely. Wow! What a drive! The scenery was beautiful, we saw the river Nile and baboons along the way. The road was very bumpy and treacherous but we arrived safely without event. St. Monica's is beautiful. It's a large compound with many buildings. It has a front gate, a high wall and a 24 hour guard. We feel very safe and are blessed that Sr. Rosemary saw fit to put us in the matrimonial suite. More later. Love to all.

Safely in Entebbe

2008-07-02T23:38:00.000-07:00

Dear All,

Praise the lord, all of our and your prayers were answered yesterday as the customs inspector looked at us the tourists and waved us impatiently to the door out of Entebbe airport with barely a glance. All of our medical supplies and pharmaceuticals arrived intact and we look forward to delivering them to the girl's school in Gulu.

We awoke today overlooking the great Lake Victoria. Already the sights, sounds (of the birds), and smells are wonderful and exotic!! We are travelling with Fr. Don and his freind Felix (a very knowledgeable local) to the Home of Hope today, a small orphanage run by the Good Samaritan Sisters here in Kampala. Hope Latiak, a Peace Corps volunteer we met for dinner last week in Cleveland is working there, and will be there when we visit. We will stay at that orphanage tonight July 3, and understand that fresh whole wild tilapia caught in Lake Victoria will be the featured dish tonight. Our first impression of the Ugandan folks we've met so far: they are very warm, genuine, and wanting to help us. And they have a good sense of humor:-)

So far no access to allow us to post pictures, but we are photographing our journey, and hope to be able to post them in Gulu. The plan thus far is to travel to Gulu and St Monica's school on Friday July 4. Sr. Rosemary was kind enough to dispatch a private car and driver to take us the approx. 150 mile north to Gulu. This is a very big compliment and Fr. Don tells us it will make the journey much more manageable.

Well we thank you all for your thoughts and prayers, and will post when we can.

Peace,

Monique and Stan

Half way to Uganda

2008-07-01T22:53:00.000-07:00

Hello to all from Schippol airport in Amsterdam! So far we've had fair skies and smooth sailing. Pray to God it will stay that way. We somehow managed to fit all the supplies, toys, candy, and our clothes into our 4 bags. It was like the loaves and the fishes in reverse.

A big thanks to all of you for all your thoughts and prayers for our success in this mission. A special thank you to all of you at Holy Spirit Parish for the wonderful send off blessing--it gave us strength for the journey.

From here we're on to Entebbe, Uganda where we'll meet with Fr. Don Dunson. We'll probably spend several days in Kampala before heading north to Gulu where St Monica's and St Kizito's are.

Here's hoping for a smooth customs tranfer. Stay tuned!

Peace, Stan and Monique