TO ELENA

The food is so much like Puerto Rico. Plantains rice, bananas,papaya,chicken ,pork,goat,corn meal and porridge's, and all the rest Just like Mom"s cooking.

TO ROBIN and others

ULTRASOUND REPORT

                   The ultrasound teaching has been progressing. The pace of course is slower than I would like because of the other duties of the Nuns.

I have seen very little pathology, probably because the hospital in Ngarenaroibi is still not equipped with a surgical suite and serious cases go to Moshi, one hour and forty-five minutes away. Sister Ernesta is progressing well. Because she is a physician she has the background to place things in perspective. OB is the most that we do but as people hear about the Ultrasound capability they come asking for Ultrasound for abdominal pain. I have yet to see any pathology in the abdomen. I think most are suffering from reflux. I have had some trauma cases but have seen nothing like organ damage. In Ashengai there is definitely a higher volume. I have seen ascites in an alcohol abuser( 20 yo) ( Sister called his family) we sent him to Moshi. We also saw some testicular abnormality in the fetus of a hypertensive mother who was also sent to Moshi because of her hypertension. The Internet helped me place the fetal abnormalities in perspective. I find that my medical experience is often helpful to the doctors. Two heads are better than one. I have done very little with cardiology so far. I am hoping to do more with three weeks left. The Internet has been a great aid to the doctors. They eat it up. Fr Priscus is working intensely with Carol DeAngelo from the Cardiac Hospital Foundation to get a generator that will be able to supply power to the proposed operating room with automatic kick in if the yet unavailable power line kicks out which then routinely do in Asengai. The generator is approximately 25 K. I might add that the hospital is only three years old.  In start up mode. I will place a list of needs later. Any X ray for starters. There is none. No EKG. I am hoping that others will follow me here .A computer expert could do a lot. I could use one myself. There are very comfortable quarters in Sebuko with fr Beatus the superior who is the most gracious host. Someone could spend a few weeks there, enjoy the area and still find time to do some teaching. This is just an off the cuff assessment for now. Fr Priscus hopes to make some comfortable accommodations for visitors in Ngarenaroibi to upgrade things there. The hospitality for me has been wonderful from some great Priests and Nuns.  

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

On My walk with Sr Asteria today around the Maasai neighborhood she was asked many times who is the” European” you are walking with. She explained that I was doing Ultrasound at the Dispensary. I saw a man coming with a big smile and rosary around his neck greeting us and welcoming me with hand shakes. He was a member of the remote Christian  community which is a Catholic outpost where the priests travel to celebrate Mass on Sunday. He invited me through Sister to come on Saturday and speak to the members. I declined since Fr Priscus is planning to pick me up on the way back from Moshi on tommorow. He was very gracious. I told Sister to tell him it was always a joy to see a joyful face like his. I felt like I made a new friend. Thank God for the Universal Church.  

TO ELENA

Hey Elena,

       I was thinking about what you said about what Nanny Moriarty would think about my stories about the Maasai and seeing houses out in the middle of nowhere. For the benefit of others Nanny Moriarty was that very special woman in my life who after raising her 7 children took me into her house and polished off her mothering skills on me. My grandfather died when he was 63 and she was about the same age at the time. I was eleven. She lived till ninety-nine. She is one of the great loves in my life. She was born in 1890 and saw the coming of the automobile, road paving but also many of the things that I am seeing here  in Africa today. I remember pictures from the past when I was a kid, which gave me a glimpse into the times that preceded me. As I walked with sister Asteria around Ashen Gai which is a highly Maasai area I was convinced that I had to write about Elena’s remark. The roads are all dirt. They have no maintenance to speak of. There are pothole mud holes and double passages that were the idea of someone avoiding some pothole or rock or fallen tree. The houses are very individual with totally practical characteristics that seldom correspond to esthetics. People are walking to and fro before the nightfall to finish their day tasks. Animals are grazing everywhere and anywhere. Men are gathering and talking. Life is so different than us in our houses in Tequesta with so little sight or knowledge of our neighbors barricaded with the air on behind closed windows. When I was walking around the neighborhood with Sister tonight  some women actually stopped her to ask who is that. She had to explain many times about what I was doing. I fell like a celebrity already. Many said they would come to get an Ultrasound. Life here is a vision of our past as I now experience it. What have we gained and what have we lost. Perhaps convience but have we lost relationship and togetherness. 

THE SISTERS WITH ULTRASOUND MACHINE

VISIT WITH EMILY MOSHA

On Wednesday Fr Priscus and I drove to see Emily Mosha, Fr Benedict’s sister who lives in Pofo. As we left the main road which was tarred, we hit the usual wavy, rumpled, rutted  adventure in driving command performance. After a few kilometers of this adventure we  arrived at the new church which I presented in the pictures. The people in the pictures which I was not able to name are Emily Mosha, the Pastor, Fr Fulgence and the Project manager. The Boys and girls in the pictures I add today are those African children who when they see a white person yell to their friends. Un Zugu Unzugu! Which literaly means a European. They almost always say “ Give me money or give me present. Fr Ihedeus actually preached against this practice when I first came. He said That I don’t have money to give. When some older boys asked me in front of Father, I asked him to tell them I already gave my gift. It was at the hospital where they could come to be treated when they get sick. Fr Priscus entertained these young boys and girls with jokes and we had a lot of fun so I took their picture while waiting for Emily to finish talking to some people. She road with us to direct us to her house. She had walked to the church from home which was at least two miles.We proceeded to a turn which took us on a road which was narrow and just between the fields on either side. We turned right then left getting narrower and narrower until the road was only wide enough for one car. Every time we made a turn I thought we were there. The area was very pretty. We finally arrived at Fr Ben’s house which was very nice looking. The living room was large with chairs around the room up against the walls with a large table in the middle. We had some tea and talked to Emily who is a very sweet lady. After a while  she left to get the food which was being cooked at her brothers house. We ended up with a banquet fit for about ten more people. Later Fr Ben’s younger sister came to say hello. I was glad that Fr Priscus was there because she did not speak English.We had still to buy things in Moshi before going back so we had to leave after a couple hours. To make the return 2/1/2 hour drive back. I have delayed sending this because I wanted to upload the pictures but have not been able. Hopefully I will send the pics in the future.

POFO CHURCH UNDER CONSTRUCTION

I visited the site of the New Church under construction in Pofo, Fr Ben's  families' parish. The funds were donated by a member of  St Judes Tequesta. Fl.

LIKE A BIRD ON THE BRANCH

On  the way back From Sanya Juu where we left Sr. Emily, Fr Thedeus decided to take a little more adventurous  road back home. The road at first seem better than the usual washboard with udulating contours and challenging ruts mixed with pedestrians goats cattle and parked on the road cars. The road was as a matter of fact just the oppiosite. There was no one else on the road. As we progressed it became what Fr called a cattle road. Their were big bumps, ruts, stream beds challenges even for a cow. We saw a house and stopped to ask directions. A woman came to the door and recognized Father because she was a member of the local Catholic community where he goes at time to celebrate Mass. Another woman came  who was holding a 3yr old child who when he saw me started screaming hysterically as if I was the devil himself. We all started laughing about as hard as he was crying. I felt sorry for him but the mother calmed him down and Fr went over to help. When father reached out his arm to him he grabbed it like a drowning man to a floating log We got some directions and as we were leaving he waved at Fr.  And then waved to me. I was again a racial anomaly but so pleased with that little boy waving at me. After putting on the four wheel drive we made it out what only approaches what may be called a drive way we headed down the cow path shake , rattle and rolling past mostly wilderness with an occasional house or shack with a candle shining from inside. I was amazed that people could live in such wilderness with no running water, except what they can carrying on their head from who knows how far, no electric next to nothing. We passed a Maasai boma or coral with thatched shelters shaped like pieces of tootsie roll on end.  They are inside the coral which is formed by piled up thorn branches that would keep any enemy away, but are to keep the cows in. As nightfall was beginning I wondered what they do in the near darkness until bed time. I could only pass with a sense of awe. It reminds me of a bird on a branch in the middle of nowhere, the Lord takes care of them and so He takes care of His people. And I ride by in a four wheel drive with a sense of awe.

FR BEN's SISTER

Father Ben’s sister Sr Emily made a surprise visit to see me yesterday. When I got to the hospital after lunch Sr. Ernesta informed me that I had a visitor. I could not believe who she said it was. I was embarased that I had not contacted her sooner and that she should travel on those terrible roads to see me. She came to see me in a bus  which is defined here as a minivan packed with people. She left at 8am and arrived here at 1:30 pm.She lives about a half hour on the other side of Moshi. I invited her to come to the rectory to have some lunch and meet my African family. We got her some food and had a great time talking with the nuns and priests about Fr Ben. She knows him to be the same Man we all do and we enjoyed talking about his outrageous qualities. I can’t wait for him to read this.Fr Thedeus and her were familiar with each other because he used to say Mass at a parish in which she taught secondary school for 27 years I might add. The Nuns offered her to spend the night at the convent but she felt she had to head back to her home. We drove her on those terrible roads too where the tar roads begin so she could get a “bus” back to Moshi Town as she called it so that she would not be too late. We made arrangements to meet next week on Wednesday when Fr Priscus will make a trip to Moshi. She is a very charming Lady who has that great awareness of human nature perhaps that comes from all those years with secondary students. Her face reflects her sweet nature and faith.

PLACENTA

I was headed on a walk with Sr Daria on Sunday and we came across a women and a cow and a calf. The woman was holding something long and anatomic looking that stretched almost to the ground. I asked sister, what the heck is that? She said, That is a placenta. I said, Wow! that is a newborn calf. A big surprise for an old city boy like me. The calf was walking and hanging around the mother. Sister asked the Maasai Lady if I could take her picture. She told me that she does not want her picture taken. I said that is ok. What women would want to be remembered holding a placenta. I mean tourists can get out of hand. What was I thinking? Actually I was more fascinated by the fact that a new born calf was walking around after just coming out of the womb. I took a couple of pictures of the calf with Sr. Daria standing near it and the cow. As we continued our walk Sr. told me the lady ask for 1000tsh that is about 30 CENTS. I figured a picture holding a placenta was worth a lot more than that for a woman. I mean what if she became famous on the internet as the woman with the placenta. What kind of comments would her friends come up with. There is Tilly the placenta girl.

Or How is iT hanging today Tilly? Or HappyBirthday Tilly what’s the calfs name. The Maasai people are always getting asked to have their picture taken by tourists because of their unique way of dressing and their unique stretched earlobes, their necklaces and the mens dress with something like a dress as I mentioned previously in this writing. Some work in tourist places where they charge money to be photographed. I am sure the ordinary Maasai gets tired of being asked by strangers if they can be photographed. I would. I guess they compensate by hoping people will just go away when asked for money.