Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Photos from D.R. Congo
Now that I have access to high-speed internet, I will post some photos to accompany the text I've written in past months to help you see what I've been talking about.
Hopes for the Future
This is a picture of Maman Feni and her two children. It is the first picture of our "library" in use. They are reading books that I collected, bought and shipped to Aru with your help. For now, those books are stored in a room in the former noviate building.
Maman Feni's husband, a teacher and university administrator, recently died. One of his dreams was to start a library in Aru. Maman Feni has agreed to work together with me to begin a library with our books. For now we only have about 400, but I'm busy looking for more books and further support while I'm here in the States. Little by little we can create a place for children and adults to read, study and learn.
Home Scenes
Cooking in the old kitchen
Our almost finished volunteer house
Luca and Fausto assembling solar panels
Making fufu (the staple of the people in our area of Congo, made from manioc flour)
Monday, July 7, 2008
Visiting Home
Hello!
Sorry about the infrequent blog updates! I will work on updating soon! For the moment, I just wanted to let you know that I'm back in Colorado for about a month to visit family and friends, and to prepare for my next year in mission in Congo.
I would like to have a gathering of my Denver area friends on the afternoon of Saturday, July 26, from 1:00 to 4:00. We can meet in Highland Park (where Woodbury library is located) at the intersection of 32nd and Federal. I will have my laptop with pictures and some snacks and stories. Please come if you can!
Tricia
pjpipkin@mac.com
Sorry about the infrequent blog updates! I will work on updating soon! For the moment, I just wanted to let you know that I'm back in Colorado for about a month to visit family and friends, and to prepare for my next year in mission in Congo.
I would like to have a gathering of my Denver area friends on the afternoon of Saturday, July 26, from 1:00 to 4:00. We can meet in Highland Park (where Woodbury library is located) at the intersection of 32nd and Federal. I will have my laptop with pictures and some snacks and stories. Please come if you can!
Tricia
pjpipkin@mac.com
Friday, May 9, 2008
May Update
Dear Family and Friends,
Hello! I hope that you are well.
Here is a quick update on what's happening in Aru:
The teachers' strike ended on Monday after the parents agreed to pay additional school fees to help pay the teachers' salaries. Unfortunately, but expectedly, there has been no response from the government. I'm glad to be back in the classroom and especially glad for the students who were at risk of repeating the school year.
Yesterday was the feast day of St. Magdalene of Canossa, the foundress of the Canossian sisters. We celebrated with a mass filled with singing and dancing attended by the students of the Canossian schools in Aru from pre-school to high school, and with a big meal we prepared for the workers who built the volunteer house. In the evening we had another celebration with the sisters. We have no lack of parties here!
Tomorrow afternoon the volunteers and several of the sisters plan to go to Biringi, a nearby village to celebrate the Pentecost vigil and Pentecost. We have heard that the vigil of Pentecost there lasts most of the night with lots of singing and dancing to invite the coming of the Holy Spirit.
The garden in front of the volunteers house is sprouting up with lots of pea, bean and basil plants as well a lots of flowers and a couple trees. The rains have started to come more frequently, but we still have quite a bit of sunshine.
I appreciate all of your prayers. I know they sustain me through the ups and downs of life here.
Blessed Pentecost!
Tricia
Hello! I hope that you are well.
Here is a quick update on what's happening in Aru:
The teachers' strike ended on Monday after the parents agreed to pay additional school fees to help pay the teachers' salaries. Unfortunately, but expectedly, there has been no response from the government. I'm glad to be back in the classroom and especially glad for the students who were at risk of repeating the school year.
Yesterday was the feast day of St. Magdalene of Canossa, the foundress of the Canossian sisters. We celebrated with a mass filled with singing and dancing attended by the students of the Canossian schools in Aru from pre-school to high school, and with a big meal we prepared for the workers who built the volunteer house. In the evening we had another celebration with the sisters. We have no lack of parties here!
Tomorrow afternoon the volunteers and several of the sisters plan to go to Biringi, a nearby village to celebrate the Pentecost vigil and Pentecost. We have heard that the vigil of Pentecost there lasts most of the night with lots of singing and dancing to invite the coming of the Holy Spirit.
The garden in front of the volunteers house is sprouting up with lots of pea, bean and basil plants as well a lots of flowers and a couple trees. The rains have started to come more frequently, but we still have quite a bit of sunshine.
I appreciate all of your prayers. I know they sustain me through the ups and downs of life here.
Blessed Pentecost!
Tricia
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