2009

Hello Everybody,

I hope that 2009 has begun well for you. I was happy to spend Christmas and begin the new year in the warmth of my welcoming family and friends.

I'm not sure what 2009 will hold for me. For now, I will not be returning to Congo. I went through several weeks of limbo, waiting for medical test results, talking with friends and family, waiting for news from Congo, wondering and praying about what path to take. Last week, I received an e-mail from Sr. Pat, who coordinates the VOICA program in Rome, saying that she agreed with Sr. Tina (in Congo) that it could be a serious health risk for me to return to serve in Aru, since there is no hospital to treat stroke patients nearby. No cause has been determined for my stroke (all the tests came back normal), but having one stroke is a risk factor for having another.

I am sad that I will not finish the school year with my students, and that Liz and Kyle are left "alone" since Fausto also returned home for health reasons. I also regret leaving the library project in its beginning stages. I hope that I can continue to support the development of the library from afar. I know there is a reason for my time in Congo, and for the events of the last few months, too, although those reasons aren't clear to me yet.

For now, I continue to discern what direction to take from here and my vocation in general. Serving in mission in another location is a possibility. Part of my discernment process will take place in Italy where I'll spend a few weeks (mid-January-beginning of February). I am also beginning the application process for schools on the Western Slope of Colorado for next school year. As you can see, I'm not sure what my future holds. Please keep me in your prayers, that I discern wisely where God is leading me. I also ask prayers for Fausto and Luca as they adjust from returning from mission, and for Liz and Kyle who courageously continue their work in Aru.

Thank you again for your overwhelming concern and support.

Love,

Tricia

Update

Dear Family and Friends,

Hello! I hope that you are well. Thank you for all of your prayers and support.

I apologize for the lack of new posts on my blog in recent months. A lot has happened during this time. Now that things are settling down I will try to give you a concise update.

The Sisters in Aru and Kampala were so helpful and understanding during this time, for the wonderful warmth of the VOICA community in Aru, and for the support of my family, especially my uncle Bob. Thank you also to all of you who prayed for me.

In Aru, the computer center classes are going very well, the new classrooms for the elementary school are nearly completed and there are big hopes for a new library. On November 21, Luca returned home to Italy after completing his year of service. His presence is certainly missed. The bakery continues to produce bread thanks to the two Congolese men Luca trained as bakers. Fausto is back in Aru after spending over two weeks in Kampala for medical care. Liz and Kyle are quickly learning about mission life.

I am planning on staying in Colorado through the holidays as I discern my next steps. Going back to Congo is a possibility. Please continue to pray for the sisters and volunteers in Aru, and that I discern wisely which direction to take.

I wish you all a blessed Advent season.

Love,

Tricia

Belated Post

Here's a post I wrote almost two months ago, but wasn't able to get on the internet.

Hello, Everybody!

I hope that you are well and enjoying the falling leaves and autumn breezes. Sorry that it's been so long since I've written!
A lot has happened here since I've last posted a blog. After the short-term volunteers departed at the end of August, we enjoyed the visit of Luca's cousin Andrea. A week later I took the bus to Kampla to meet the new long-term volunteers Liz and Kyle. After a short night with the sisters in Kampala we got on the 6:00 bus to return to Arua where Luca and Fausto awaited us.
Liz is from Rhode Island and just finished her studies in Math/Elementary Education. I'm really happy to have some female company, and especially hers. She is a lot of fun, very helpful and thoughtful. Kyle just finished his studies in psychology and is from North Carolina. It's nice to speak in American English with other native speakers. Seven weeks after their arrival, we are gelling into a community of five, and they are learning to speak the language of VOICA (our strange mix of French, Italian, a little English and some other words and grammar structures that were made up ourselves.) Liz and Kyle have already received the "baptism of Africa" (as the sisters call it): malaria for Liz and typhoid fever for Kyle.
Classes began September 1. I am teaching Sophomore, Junior and Senior year English and working with the pre-schoolers once a week, as I did last year. There's still talk of a strike as the government hasn't paid the teachers for February and March of last year, but for now the parents are paying extra and the teachers continue to work.
I also have begun teaching English at the school for the promotion of women. The class is small and the women are eager to learn. There is a group of eight aspirants this year. I will probably spend an hour each week working on English and music.
We were happy to receive the news that all but one of the eighty or so seniors at our high school passed the final exams last year. Last week there will be a big celebration at the school.
I am hopeful that before I leave we will have a functioning library. We have some friends in Italy working on fundraising to construct a new building to serve as the library. On my next post, I will also let you all know how to contribute if you would like to support this project There may be a container coming within the next year. We hope to make contacts in France to get books donated there and shipped in the container.
I've been tired, but healthy and enjoying community life and teaching. The time goes by quickly here. We are still getting a lot of rain, so everything is green and beautiful. We have a problem with the inverter for our solar panels, so many times we are without electricity. This means problems preserving food and a lot of washing by hand. The last few days we've had more consistent electricity, so maybe the problem is solved.
I continue to learn a lot. Fausto and I began taking Lingala lessons, and lessons for life are constant. I thank God for answers to prayer and for his creative ways of teaching me.
I miss you and pray that you are well.

Love,

Tricia

Fausto has been sick with malaria and typhoid fever for the last week. Please keep him in your prayers.

Back in Aru

Hi Everybody!

I hope you all are enjoying the end of the summer. It was truly refreshing to my spirit to visit with many of you during my time in the U.S. Thank you for your hospitality and for making time to see me.

I departed Denver the morning of July 28 and arrived in Kampala at 4 a.m. on July 30 after a five-hour layover in NY, an eleven-hour layover in Cairo and a seven-hour time change. Fausto was waiting for me at the airport, and we flew together from Kampala to Arua where Luca awaited us. It's good to be together again.

Back in Aru we prepared for the arrival of the short-term volunteer group that was to arrive from Italy. On Sunday, August 3, Luca, Fausto and I caught the bus from Arua to travel back to Kampala to meet the seven volunteers. The trip took about six hours and we saw some beautiful scenery along with two elephants, two hippos, two gazelle, and some interesting bird life. We were able to spend and hour or two in downtown Kampala before taking a taxi to the convent where we met the volunteers and briefly slept before catching a bus back to Arua at 5 a.m.

The group is working on several projects that I will have to tell you about later. I think we've gotten off to a good start. I'm glad to be back in Congo, but I do miss you!

Love,

Tricia

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)