Hello from Aru!

February 3, 2008

Hi Everybody!

You all are in my thoughts and prayers frequently and I am delighted whenever I hear from you. Sorry my responses have been few lately. I am lamentably behind in my correspondence due to a variety of factors, including limited electricity for charging the computer to write, the necessary trek to the computer center to send the e-mails and my tons-to-do, hurry-up-and-wait life in Congo. I hope this update fills you in on my last month or so, and you can be patient as you wait for e-mail responses.

I am now immersed in a life quite different than the one I led at the convent. I am blessed to have Fausto and Luca as fellow volunteers. Fausto plans to stay for two years and Luca for one year. Another Italian volunteer, Simone, arrived January 22. He is working to set up the solar panels and electrical systems for the volunteer house and cyber café. His to-do list is about a year long, but his departure date is February 28, so he's been very busy.

Luca is busy baking and selling bread. He has quickly gotten the hang of using the big wood oven and now it seems that he will be able to use the new electric oven that came in the container since a new generator, sufficiently powerful to provide electricity for it, is due to arrive from Kampala any day now. (It was supposed to arrive in Arua Friday, then Saturday and now today. We'll believe it when we see it.) Anyway, the people have been buying all the bread that Luca makes. We have to beg to eat some at home. It's delicious!

Fausto is called upon constantly as driver and general handyman. After helping Luca get the bakery going, he's been doing soldering for farm equipment and working with Simone on electrical systems. Eventually, he'll probably spend more time at the farm where the cows (along with two new calves) and the unplowed fields are awaiting him.

I have spent quite a bit of time cooking and working in the house. Since processed foods aren't much available and Luca, Fausto and Simone really like to eat, cooking is rather a major project. Also washing clothes is time-consuming since we don't have a washing machine yet. When Luca and Fausto's clothes were visibly dirty and we didn't have time and energy left for cooking twice a day, the sisters suggested getting some help. About ten days ago, with the help of Papa Joseph, the cook at the convent, we hired Maman Maria to help us cook and clean. We thank God for her hard work, sweet spirit and good cooking.

At the high school we are now in the midst of semester exams, when the regular class schedule is suspended and exams are taken full-time. The grades for the exams are worth half of the semester grade. I've been writing exams, proctoring exams and correcting exams. I continue to learn more about the educational culture and educational system in Congo. I still find it bewildering at times. I pray that I can really teach practical English and share in the students' lives at the same time that I prepare the students for their state exam.

Life at the pre-school is filled with singing, smiles, bright eyes and craziness. We're now learning the names of the colors in English and the alphabet song. One of the kid's favorite songs is "If You're Happy and You Know It". This Thursday we're supposed to take a field trip to the farm. That should be exciting!

I see the group of eleven aspirants once a week. We sing songs in English and have started learning a bit of guitar, but this will be difficult until we get a few more guitars. Now we only have three or four.

The library project has been put on hold until we can get the other projects better established. For now the books (and new magazines that arrived by post!) are housed in a little room by the chapel. I've entered more of the titles in my computer to start a library catalog, and will be searching for sources for buying more books in the coming months.

Community life is delightful and exhausting. We eat three meals and day together, pray together (somewhat sporadically, unfortunately), often work together and spend the evenings together. At least once per week we have dinner with the Sisters and we are invited to special celebrations. Constant community is a big adjustment for me after having lived alone, but mostly I like it. I am learning many things I may never have otherwise, like how to bake bread, drive a tractor, cook, wire a house for electricity and speak Italian. I am grateful God brought us together somehow.

The volunteer house is nearing completion. (Maybe it will be done by Easter?) I am happy to be settled in my new bedroom with my own bathroom now, after spending a couple of weeks between the convent and the new house in temporary, bathroomless quarters. My room was the first finished in the new house. A couple of days ago Simone moved into the second bedroom. We have power in the evenings from the main generator of the Sisters, and this week Simone says the solar panels will be up and running for 24-hour power. This is very good news. I have a feeling that our little refrigerator will be much more effective with more than three hours of electricity per day, and coordinating the charging of computer, phone and other batteries will be more manageable.

I am beginning to feel at home here in Aru, little by little. It takes a lot of time and energy to adjust. I'm thankful God brought me here and for his constant Presence, for the support of the Canossian Sisters, the kindness and companionship of my fellow volunteers and for all of your love and support in the past from which I still draw strength, and for your prayers and efforts to stay in touch now. You give me courage and comfort. Thank you!

We Three Volunteers, Aru VOICA

Fausto, Me, Luca

We had an odd (for me), but beautiful celebration of Christmas here in Aru. I wish you all joy and hope as we begin 2008!

Love,

Tricia

Aru Nativity

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope that as we celebrate Jesus birth, you and all of your loved ones find yourselves in good health and good spirits. You are often in my thoughts and prayers.

As I sit down to compose this letter, I remember Colorado's beautiful Christmas blizzard last year that blanketed the world white and made roads nearly impassible. The forecast for Christmas this year is green with roads that are perpetually nearly impassible. Maybe we can decorate a banana tree ☺ since pines are scarce.

Since I wrote my last general letter at Easter time, I've passed through three stages:

The Grand Getting Ready
April and May were busy months as I made arrangements to leave the country, prepared my house to sell, packed for two years in mission and said goodbye to friends and family. I am grateful to the many people who helped me to prepare practically, emotionally and spiritually. My house sold just a few days before my departure from Denver on June 6. (Thank God!) I flew to Paris, spent a few days traveling in France and enjoying the kind hospitality of Therese and Paul in Annecy before making my way to Rome.

Reflecting in Rome
I began formation on June 13 at the Canossian Institute in the heart of Rome along with three other volunteers. During these three months we came to better understand the Canossian Charism "Above all, to make Jesus known so that he will be loved" with Mary at the foot of the cross as a model of discipleship. Living in community and lessons of culture and language also prepared us for mission. We also spent some time eating gelato, pasta, pizza, pesto and pinoli and exploring Rome, Assisi, Lorretto and other beautiful places nearby.

Adjusting in Aru
On September 1, I arrived in my new home: the town of Aru on the northeastern edge of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Aru is a world distinct from any place I've known before. In some ways it's like going back in time one hundred years. In some ways its like living in a National Geographic magazine. Life here is fascinating, challenging and full of opportunities to learn. I am grateful for the chance to experience life here.
I teach high school English, give English/music classes at the pre-school and work with the aspirants once a week on English and music. I also do a bit of accounting and secretarial work. This, along with language study (French, Lingala, and Italian) cooking and housekeeping, keep me quite busy
For my first three months here I lived at the convent and shared in the community life of the Canossian Sisters, as I was the first long-term lay missioner here. Two weeks ago two more volunteers arrived from Italy and we have begun our lay community, eating meals and praying together. Luca and Fausto are delightful company and I am grateful for their presence. I will continue to sleep at the convent until the new volunteer house is finished and we call all move in.
The pictures that I hope to post with this blog show a scene from the fifth-year English classe's nativity play and our new VOICA community (Fausto, me and Luca). I will try to post another blog in January. Internet access continues to be scarce.
Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année 2008! Rejoice, God is with us!

Love and prayers,

Tricia

Two More Photos

Hello from Aru!

A zi mi chi! Edyo ngoni ya?

I've started Logbara Ti and Lingala lessons with Papa Jerome, so I thought I'd try out a little bit of Logbara Ti on you! My students break out in laughter whenever I try this with them. I'm not sure if the laughter comes from delight in a shared language, or amusement at my poor pronunciation. In any case, I am enjoying the attempt.

Logbara Ti is the language of the local Logbara tribe. Lingala is more widely spoken as one of the four national languages of Congo. Daily Mass and Sunday Mass are usually in Lingala, so I've had more exposure to Lingala and I've begun to get a feel for the flow of the language. Logbara is still quite foreign. I'll keep practicing. My French, also, needs work, but I am usually able to communicate effectively eventually, although not always correctly.

I hope you are all well. You remain in my thoughts and prayers.

Much of my time is spent developing curriculum, preparing lessons, grading papers and teaching at the girls' high school. I have some delightful students. On Saturday when I entered the classroom, my fifth form class greeted me with a welcome song in English accompanied by dancing and drumming. Today they adorned my desk with an embroidered cloth with crocheted fringe. These moments help balance out the frustrations that come with teaching and living in a sea of unfamiliarity

I have begun preparing Christmas pageants with my fifth and sixth form classes. Fifth form will enact the infancy narrative from St. Luke's Gospel and sixth form will follow the story line from Matthew's Gospel. Both classes will sing Christmas carols.

I am also beginning to prepare a Christmas program with the pre-school children. They will sing "Good Morning", "If You're Happy and You Know It", "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Silent Night", if we can manage to have them ready by December. They are as cute as they are energetic.

I also have become an unofficial secretary, librarian and photographer. I use my laptop everyday. These high tech devices seem incongruent with our wood-burning stove, petal-powered sewing machine and charcoal-heated irons. We are still without internet at the convent, but I'm grateful that at least I can connect at the computer center.

The construction of the volunteer house is progressing well. Two Italian volunteers should arrive at the beginning of December and we hope to move into the house soon after that. I am looking forward to helping paint and furnish the house, and to starting the lay community there.

We also have begun making arrangements for the library, and the organization of books. I will keep you updated on the progress with these plans.

I am grateful for the many blessings God has given me in these first two months in Aru: a welcoming community, kind local people, energetic students, great natural beauty, a culture filled with music and color, exposure to many languages and many opportunities to learn. In the midst of the ups and downs, I feel I'm in a good place to grow and serve.

Thank you for your prayers and concern.

Peace,

Tricia

Phone Info Again

A zi mi chi!

I hope that you are well. I am fine. Next week I will post a proper post. For now I just wanted to let you know that the number might have 011 243 as a prefix or 00243. It's hard to tell.

Love and prayers,

Tricia

New Phone Information

The Pre-school field trip to the mission

Hello Everybody!

I am learning a lot and enjoying life in Congo. I hope that you are well.

I just wanted to correct the phone information that I gave in a previous blog. From the States, my number should be: 00243 81 7477103 Text messages usually don't go through because VodaCom the carrier here does not have SMS connections with many carriers in the States. I have tried sending several messages and none of them have gone through. I have a voice mailbox now, and I also leave my phone on most of the time since it doesn't take much battery power when its sleeping. If you would like to call, 9:30 or 10 p.m. Congo time (1:30 to 2:00 p.m. Colorado time) is the best time to catch me.

There is no fax service in Aru. There is still no internet connection at the convent, but I can get e-mails at the computer center. I go about once a week.

Lots of love,

Tricia