Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

As much as I hated the school because they were my school's biggest rival, the church I was baptized in and grew up in was the church and parish of the Epiphany in San Francisco. Therefore, it is only fitting that I post on the (traditional day of the) Epiphany and the end of the Christmas season! I remember going to Epiphany as a young child with my family because my grandparents lived (and my grandmother still lives) across the street from Epiphany. The church had a beautiful mosaic behind the altar that depicted Mary and Jesus on top of the world, while Joseph and the three Magi looked in wonder. Today, I too can look with wonder at Jesus and Mary in South Sudan and ask for their guidance the way the three Magi followed the star and St. Don Bosco followed Mary his star.

Christmas time in Gumbo, South Sudan was honestly vey quiet and normal, in the days leading up to Christmas, there was not a lot of movement nor were there a lot of celebrations. In the U.S., we are very much used to seeing decorations everywhere, Christmas carols being sung, movies, television shows and so much festivities in the air. However, here in Gumbo, there was no sign of Christmas. Then all of a sudden, at midnight mass (9pm mass since we try not to keep our parishioners out too late because it gets dangerous at night), during the Gloria, the church got lit up with shouts of joy, laughter, singing, dancing, and festivities! There was light, there were decorations, the carols were sung with great joy, the people were dancing and shouting with joy as the bells were rung! I was so overwhelmed with joy!

Preparing the altar of Midnight Mass Christmas Eve!

Almost done in time for Midnight Mass Christmas Eve!

Big turn out for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve!

That evening, the community of priests, bothers, and volunteers got together and enjoyed each other's company for Christmas. We had snacks and drinks, shared stories, and played games. In many respects, it is similar to what I do at home with my family (we even had panettone or Italian fruit cake after might mass on Christmas, which is a tradition in my family)! When I talked to my mother, she said that although I was away from home this Christmas, I was spending my Christmas with my other family, a family that I am serving this year. Christmas night really showed me what my mother was saying, I was with my other family and I was happy!

Group of priests and brothers enjoying each other's company Christmas Eve!

Fellow volunteer and site partner Colleen giving us her thoughts on Christmas Eve!

On Christmas morning, my fellow volunteer and site partner Michael and I went to the village of Lesutu (one of five village outstations or satellite parishes) to celebrate Christmas mass. I am so pleased to say that the festivities continued in South Sudan! Christmas mass in the village was even louder and more joyful than midnight mass at the parish. There were very few people that attended the mass, but the few, were very loud and their joy was very contagious! They had girls go up in front of the altar and dance while the choir sung carols, and the people all around us joined in dancing and singing! After the mass had ended, the choir kept singing more and more songs because the people requested encores. It got to the point that the choir and the girls who were dancing processed out of the chapel singing and dancing. They continued to sing and dance outside the church in the courtyard! It took a while for us to leave because the greetings and blessings were so numerous! The people in the village were so welcoming, hospitable, and grateful for our company (as we were grateful to have joined them in such a beautiful occasion). As we were leaving, one of the people in our group told me that Lesutu means "Forgotten" in Juba Arabic. I found that with such a name, the village had even more reason to celebrate and be joyful, because with their joy and noise, I found the irony that to me they were anything but "forgotten".

Girls dancing in the village during Christmas morning Mass!

The girls also incorporated prayer in their dance (although, in this case, dance is a form of prayer)!

 

Great turn out in the village during Christmas morning Mass!

 

The festivities continued after Christmas Mass!

 

I was so overwhelmed with joy this Christmas having experience both midnight mass at the parish and morning mass in the village! The fact that leading up to Christmas Day, there was not so much celebration was a big reminder to me that maybe this is the way Christmas should be celebrated. Maybe we should wait until Christ is born to celebrate his arrival. We are quick to start celebrating (or at least buying) Christmas earlier and earlier every year (this year it was in October before I left) without regard that it is actually Advent, and that the Christmas season (the 12 Days of Christmas) only starts on Christmas Day. It is so sad that Christmas festivities in the U.S. stop right when December 25th is over. Yes, there are still decorations after Christmas, but it may be a sign of laziness to bring them down. Either way, I was so inspired by starting Christmas on Christmas Day in South Sudan!

Welcome Baby Jesus!

Crib at the church designed by Brothers in formation and Pre-Novices!

Crib at the house, also designed by Brothers in formation and Pre-Novices!

Like Christmas, the New Year was not celebrated until midnight (9pm) mass! The whole evening on New Year's Eve was very solemn. To prepare ourselves for the New Year, the priests put on a time right before mass for recollection (a form of meditation), adoration, and reconciliation (confession). However, as soon as the mass started, the joy I remembered on midnight mass on Christmas came back! The shouts of joy, the dancing, the singing, and the laughter came as strong as it had ever been! Since it was still during the Christmas season, the carols were still being sung! The people in the crowded church were so excited to start the New Year! I was so blessed to experience such a transformation in atmosphere from very solemn to once again great joy on my birthday (for those of you who don't know, my birthday is on December 31st)!

Welcome 2016, Bye 2015!

 Very crowded New Year's Eve Mass! 

After mass, Michael and I spent the remainder of the day (year) counting down the minutes until midnight and the official start of the New Year! We reflected on the past year and talked about what we expected out of the upcoming year (not so much having a resolution, but to have hopes for the year). I concluded the year, that for almost all 2015, I applied for the Salesian Lay Missioners program (I actually started writing my application in October 2014, but did not submit until March 2015),  and that I finally made it here in South Sudan! The year 2015 was filled with a lot of prayer and discernment that led me to my decision to quit my job and follow my heart! 2015 was a year of sacrifices but also a year of great joy because what I surrounded myself preparing for actually came into fruition! For 2016 my hope is that this year be a year of learning! Now that I am in South Sudan and most likely will be in South Sudan for all of 2016, I hope not just to learn about the people here, but also to learn about myself. My hope is that I continue to pray, I continue to serve, and I continue to understand the world this year!



The SLM's in Gumbo, South Sudan wish you and your family a Merry Christmas! (Designed by Michael Gordon)

I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from South Sudan! May your Christmas and New Year be filled with blessings and joy!
      

A Typical Day in Juba!

Now that I have settled into my life as a Lay Missioner in Gumbo, I can tell you what a typical day looks like for me!

National flag of South Sudan

 
Before I begin with my daily itinerary, I would like to give you some background information. I have been given the task of being an Administrator at the Don Bosco Vocational Training Centre (DBVTC) in Gumbo. The DBVTC is very close to my house as is the church and all the other buildings that house other communities and schools. The DBVTC is what we in the US call a Vocational or Trade School. We teach 4 departments: Auto Mechanics, Electrical, Weldng, and Computer Science. Although my office (which is quite big) says "Director" on it, I really don't feel like nor do I act like the director of the school. I mainly do administrative and clerical work for school functions and routines, but I also teach 8 English classes a week.



The DBVTC in all its glory!

The following schedule is a typical day, but I must put a disclaimer that not all days are typical in the life of a missioner. That being said, the days go by fast and they don't stop but I still manage the time to take a breath and enjoy my time here in South Sudan. The routine of daily events are almost the same, which causes the days to fly by.

Without further ado, I give you a day in the life of a Salesian Lay Missioner in Juba:

6:30am - Wake up, brush teeth, shave, get dressed, and get ready for mass

7:00am- Mass with the parish and community

7:30am- Breakfast with the fellow volunteers

On my way to work every morning, I have the blessing of seeing the migration of children going to class!

8:30am- Start work at the DBVTC

Fellow volunteer and electrical instructor James giving the day's morning talk (a Salesian tradition, in which the students of Don Bosco would start their day with a thought).



Fr. Joseph PL SDB giving the day's morning talk as DBVTC's Principal Fr. Joseph Can SDB looks on.

1:00pm- Lunch with the religious community (sometimes I eat at 11:30am other times at 2:00pm, depending on when I have to teach class).

3:30- Classes end (but I don't head home until 4:00pm).

4:00pm- Get ready for oratory

5:00pm- Oratory


At oratory we play football (soccer)!

 

Even Sister is in on the action playing football with the little ones!

We a also play basketball at oratory!

The big kids are usually really good at basketball!

 

We also play volleyball at oratory!

It is always fun to watch the pick up games!

We even throw around the Frisbee at oratory!

6:30pm- Rosary with the children and community

Rosary with the children and community!

 

It sometimes gets crowded at rosary, which is a good thing!

 

We pray until the sun begins to set

7:00pm- Take shower and get ready for dinner


 

Sometimes I will play guitar in the evening to relax.

  

7:30pm- Evening prayer with fellow volunteer

8:00pm- Dinner

9:00pm- Check e-mail and attend to personal business

10:30pm- Sleep (sometimes I sleep later depending on how much work I have to do. I sometimes do school paperwork at home).

What you see here is my schedule Monday-Wednesday. On Thursday night, we the volunteers go to evening mass with the community (instead of going to morning mass) and then we eat dinner with the community right afterwards. On Friday, there is no oratory, but rosary starts at 5:30pm, followed by adoration with the parish at 6:00pm. Saturdays are usually our day of rest, where we take care of our own duties, so we don't have oratory that day either, but we do have mass at 5:00pm. Finally Sunday, we usually attend morning mass (celebrated in the local tribal language of Bari), however, there is oratory at 5:00pm, followed by rosary at 6:30pm. We then take a quick shower and get ready for Sunday night adoration with the community at 7:30pm, which is followed by dinner with the community.

So there you have it! A typical day in my life. The routine of things here in South Sudan makes the days go by fast, so I am constantly trying to slow down and for a few minutes to enjoy the day and enjoy my time in Gumbo! I will fittingly conclude this post with beautiful pictures of sunsets that I see in Gumbo everyday through my eyes! I invite you to join me in taking the time to enjoy Gumbo with me through these pictures!



Beautiful sunset in Gumbo, South Sudan!

I can't tell you how beautiful the sunsets are in Gumbo!

One of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen in South Sudan after evening prayer rosary!



Road to Gumbo

On Friday October 16, 2015 my journey to Gumbo finally ended! After 8 days in Europe and 4 days in Nairobi, I was finally ready to go home (or what would eventually be my home for 1 to 2 years)!

My flight from Nairobi to Juba was quite the trip! What should have been a 2 hour flight ended up becoming a 6 hour ordeal! I guess instead of getting a 2 hour direct flight from Nairobi, my travel agent booked a cheap economy ticket with RwandAir, which went all over the place before hitting my destination, which was supposed to be 4 hours, but ended up being 6 hours due to a delay. I started my trip by leaving Don Bosco Boys Town in Nairobi right after mass at 8 am so that I could catch my 11am flight in Nairobi Kenyatta International Airport. From there, I took a one hour flight from Nairobi to Kigale in Rwanda, then stayed there for a one hour layover, which allowed me to board my next (40 minute) flight to Entebbe in Uganda only to wait in the aircraft for another 40 minutes, and finally take off for a 1 hour flight to Juba in South Sudan!

In Nairobi Kenyatta International airport, I arrived very early and was wondering why nobody was getting in line to enter the gate area (each gate has its own waiting room that could be entered by passing a second security check), everyone seemed to be huddled around the security check entrance and I was so confused. Finally a group of men who just got there, lined up to enter, I was so anxious, I decided to line up after them. I saw the security check point person tell them something, and the men turned around to leave. I asked them if they could tell me what the lady told them, and one of them said: "she told us to wait brother". As soon as I heard the word "brother", I looked up and saw a familiar face, then I looked down at his chest, and sure enough he was wearing a Salesian cross (Cross of Christ the Shepherd)! To my surprise, I was in the presence of six Salesian priests and brothers who happened to be at the meeting I witnessed in Nairobi the day before!

I got to talk to them about meeting them the day before, and how I was confused because I thought the meeting was going on for a few more days. They then replied by telling me that they were only there for the meeting of Salesian African formators that lasted a few days, and that there was another additional meeting for Salesian priests in the East Africa Province. I then asked where they were from, in which they replied that they were from Cameroon in the Central Africa Province, which is where they were headed but had to go through Kigale as well. Then they asked me what I was doing traveling, they explained that it looked as if I was part of the community in Nairobi, and that I seemed so comfortable, that it was assumed I was a volunteer there. Although flattered, I told them that I was actually in Nairobi for only four days and that I was only there enroute to Gumbo, South Sudan, where my real mission site was.

In talking to me, one of the priests excused himself and the group for their English because it is not their strong language. I was very surprised because their English was good, but I remembered that in Cameroon they speak French (as a former French colony). I explained to them that I understand because I too speak multiple languages. In which they found out I spoke Spanish and were so happy to talk to me because they were much more comfortable with Spanish (apparently the Salesians teach Spanish in Cameroon), and I had a great conversation with them! I particularly had a great conversation with Fr. Paul Tegue SDB who was explaining his site and the Salesian presence in Cameroon. We then boarded our flight, and flew to Kigale. I was very blessed to be on the same flight as those men, and was even more blessed to have talked to them. Who knew that I would be speaking Spanish to a Cameroonian priest in Nairobi, Kenya waiting for the same flight on our way to Kigale, Rwanda?! The world is full of surprises!

Me with Fr. Paul at Kigale International Airport in Rwanda when we landed from the same flight!

       
Rwanda Airport, was quite the struggle because the airport's inefficiency. What should have been a 1 hour layover ended up being a 3 hour wait due to delays. In Kigale International Airport, there is only one gate and a small window of opportunity to board passengers, I guess my flight crew missed that window of opportunity and I had to wait an additional 2 hours before getting another window of opportunity to quickly board us. Therefore, my 4 hour flight turned into a 6 hour flight, and I was delayed for 2 hours. The airport was also so strict to transit passengers, and I was not too happy with the airport's cold service.

I finally arrived in Juba! I was awaited by my site partner Michael and one of the resident priests of Gumbo's Salesian community. I was informed by Michael that I was in for a treat, and that we were going to eat at arestaurant in Juba. We immediately left the airport and met with the priest's friends who are part of an Austrian NGO (Non-Governmental Organization), one man was from Ireland and the other from Germany. We then went to the restaurant and had a great meal on the roof top enjoying eachother's company and the sunset! I then arrived to the community in Gumbo and was dropped off where I will be living. The current volunteers were just about done with dinner and were playing card games, so Michael and I joined them for a little while before it got late and it was time to call it a good night. I was shown my room, and I dropped off my bags and began to unpack. In the process of unpacking, I decided to plug in my phone, but to my surprise, the power went out when I did! So I had to open windows to cool down my room (because it was hot and no power meant no fan) and wait for the morning to take a shower. What a welcoming to South Sudan!

St. Vincent De Paul Parish church run by Salesians patiently awaited my arrival in Gumbo, South Sudan!

Over all it, was a pleasure and an honor to serve the people in Nairobi, but I am so glad to be home in Gumbo, South Sudan! I am so excited to be helping the people here! I also want to thank all my friends that have helped me or I have met through out my two week journey to get to Gumbo! I am finally here and I can't wait to tell you all about it!

Finally on African Soil!

My flight from Amsterdam to Nairobi had a daunting four hour layover in Doha, Qatar from 1am until 4am, and I was dreading it my whole trip. However, the wait was not so bad and went by much faster and smoother than expected. The Hamad International Airport in Doha is a very comfortable yet busy airport that looks like it runs 24 hours a day. I ended up eating, relaxing, and checking on some e-mails that made the time go faster. Before I knew it, I was boarding on my flight from Doha to Nairobi!

I arrived in Nairobi Kenya very much not knowing what awaited me. I had knots in my stomach feeling nervous and anxious at the same time. Upon landing, my perceptions of Kenya changed a lot. I thought going through immigration would be long and daunting, but turns out that it was not that difficult and there was almost no line to get a visa and go through immigration (same booth). I had all my paperwork filled out, I paid $50 and I was in! Getting my luggage was fast and easy as well! The luggage carousel was actually as small as the ones I saw in Peru and Panama, but everything came out fast and efficient. I also thought the weather was going to be hot, but turns out that the weather was actually clear, chilly, windy, and very cool to my liking. I really enjoyed the weather because there were no dreaded mosquitos, and sleeping at night was very easy to do (since I was not sweating).

Going to Kenya was an eye-opening experience. Nairobi is a modern city that is run with technology, but at the same time, a very poor city that has its slums. Nairobi is also a very African city, which allowed me to have the final step of gradual immersion to South Sudan by being in an African city that I was not familiar with, but at the same time had some traces of familiarity. I saw the poverty in the slums and I also saw the development for the city’s future in the business district of Nairobi.

The Nairobi city skyline from the rooftop restaurant at my hotel.

The highlight of my Kenya trip is that I got to stay in a Salesian community (Don Bosco Boy’s Town Vocation Technical School). I am so grateful for the priest who invited me to live in this community for a few days! I originally had plans to stay at a hotel and relax in Nairobi, but in the end I was stranded in the hotel  because I couldn’t leave the hotel unescorted due to the danger to tourists in the neighborhood. I then called the priest who was in charge of the Don Bosco Boy’s Town to meet with him so that I can deliver a package from the Salesian Missions’ Office in New York. However, the priest was not very happy to hear that I was staying at a hotel, and insisted I cancel the rest of my stay so I can be at the Salesian Community. I am so glad I took him on that offer!

Statue of Don Bosco at the center of Boys Town in Nairobi, Kenya.

Chapel at Boys Town in Nairobi, Kenya.

 

The young men and women of the Don Bosco Boys Town were so nice and kind to me! They were very curious about American lifestyles, dream cars, girls, politics, music, and Hollywood films. The students asked me a lot of questions and I had some great conversations with many of the young men and women. I was overwhelmed by their hospitality towards me! One boy named Peter told me that he is very thankful for my visit, “a visitor comes so few times and far in between, that here a visitor is a beautiful blessing and a gift from God, thank you for coming here”.

I also got to visit the other Salesian institutes in a town called Karen, just outside of the Nairobi's city center. There are four major Salesian communities and institutions on the same road in Karen. There is the Bosco Boys (primary school for young orphaned boys), the Tumen Salesian Theological Studies (where all the Salesian seminarians in Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, and South Sudan are studying theology), the DB YES (Don Bosco Youth Educational Services) , and the Don Bosco Boys’ Town Vocational Training School (where I was staying and got to know really well). Along with the four communities in Karen, I also go to see the East Africa Salesian Provincial House in Upper Hill, a very important neighborhood in Nairobi where all the important government buildings are. The Provincial House is also known as Headquarters (HQ) for all operations in Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, and South Sudan. Along with operations, the Provincial House is also the site of the Mary Help of Christians Shrine, which is a very beautiful and impressive place of worship, much like the Holy Family Cathedral in Nairobi.

Me at the Holy Family Cathedral in Nairobi, Kenya!

The shrine of Mary Help of Christians at the Provincial House (Salesian East Africa HQ) in Nairobi, Kenya.

My stay in Nairobi has been a beautiful experience and a great introduction to Africa. I believe my stay in Nairobi really prepared me for South Sudan in helping me gradually immerse myself in a completely new culture. There were some familiar traces in Kenya, which are very much Western and similar to what I am used to such as: the language, although Swahili is the language of choice, most people in Kenya can speak and understand English; the connectivity and technology are fairly advanced in Kenya, where there is high speed wifi and 3G cell phone connectivity; finally, Kenya’s stable government and fruitful economy is one that I believe to be one of the best in Africa. However, Kenya is also very much African, and I was able to learn and see a little bit of African culture; I saw that despite the poverty in Kenya, the people are very happy, hospitable, and kind; that people in Kenya are very religious, in which most people are Christian and not just go to church (where Sundays nothing is open and everything is at a standstill), but that people also pray every day regularly; and that people in Kenya have a great respect for the environment and the earth.
 

Me with my new friend Br. Felix SDB (Studying to become a priest)!

Me with my new friend Br. Richard SDB (Studying to become a priest)!

Me with my new friend Edwin (staff of Don Bosco Boy's Town)!

One Salesian priest (far right) and one Salesian brother (far left) from Boys Town in Nairobi, Kenya, along with fellow guest: a Salesian priest from Khartoum, Sudan (center).

I will take my experiences in Nairobi with me to South Sudan and apply my knowledge to best fit the community in Gumbo. After seeing the community in Nairobi for a few days, I am not just ready and prepared to go to Gumbo, I am very excited and can’t wait to get started in my ministry! It has been a long two weeks of travel, and I am glad to have experienced it, but I am also glad it is done, next and final destination is Gumbo!



Me and most of the boys at Don Bosco Boys Town in Nairobi, Kenya!

Closing a Chapter of My Life in Europe

On October 2, 2015, I finally started my journey as a Salesian Lay Missioner in South Sudan! I wanted to gradually immerse myself from my familiar life in the United States to the very different life in South Sudan. My journey to South Sudan is a long two week journey, where I can experience other cultures that are more and more different than my own. I will first go to Barcelona for four days, followed by going to Amsterdam for four days, then making my way to Nairobi, Kenya, where I will stay for four days, and finally (after give or take two full days of travel) on October 16, 2015, I will arrive in Gumbo, South Sudan!

It was once said about Europe that it was created by history, it is the “old country” after all! I have never been to Europe before and it is somewhere I always wanted to go. I wanted to see the historical monuments and the different yet oddly similar way of life I had in America. This is why I chose to close the previous chapter of my life in Europe.

I finally step foot on European soil! However, I will not go into much detail about my trip to Europe since it does not have much to do with my ministry, it was sort of a vacation after all. I say vacation lightly, since after working 3 years non-stop I wanted to enjoy some of the fruits of my labor and go somewhere without any business agenda and just enjoy that place for what it is, thus being the perfect way to close the previous chapter of my life. In a way, my trip to Europe very much prepared me for going to Africa. I wanted to experience a culture that was similar to mine yet different, which is what Europe is. Therefore, my arrival to South Sudan is a gradual one, going from what is home and familiar, to something that is completely different.

Starting my experience of gradual immersion, I first went to Barcelona, which was somewhat different than my life in the US, but at the same time, I felt at home and familiar because I know how to speak Spanish. Reason for going was to meet with my friends, I got to meet a close friend of mine in Tarragona (one hour train from Barcelona) and finally got to meet her daughter (who I met before, but in the womb, while her mother was pregnant). I also got to meet my friends from college (my fraternity little, her roommate, and one of my namesake kids). I enjoyed the culture, the food, and the experiences.

Me in front of Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia Church (Still in construction after 131 years)

 

My Friend and her daughter in Tarragona, Spain!

After Barcelona, I went to Amsterdam, which is a bit more different to my life in the US than Barcelona because the city was built much more differently (with canals) and because the people there spoke a limited amount of English, but mainly spoke Dutch. I met up with my friend from my study abroad program in South Korea (Yonsei International Summer School) and I stayed at her house. I went with her to her hometown of Leiden and got to see the house she grew up in, I got to meet her parents, and went to the beach with her. Seeing her hometown was the highlight of my trip because I got to see something so different from what I am used to, and yet at the same time see how it feels like home for someone who is familiar to me. In Amsterdam I learned a lot about what I need to do to prepare for Africa, and like Barcelona (if not, more so) I really enjoyed the sites, the culture, the laid-back atmosphere (where I finally got to sleep in a few days for the first time in a while), and spending time with my friend.
 

The canals of Amsterdam are so beautiful!

A Dutch windmill in Leiden (I had to see one)!

Before I finish this post, I would like to thank all my friends that I met in Europe for making the time to show me around and for housing me, I really appreciate it and can’t thank you enough! I am so blessed to have friends like you!

My fraternity little and one of my fraternity namesake kids in Barcelona, Spain!

My fraternity little and her roommate!

 

With my friend after watching a movie in a really cool movie theater in Amsterdam!

My friend holding a heart-shaped balloon she found on the beach in Leiden, Netherlands (I think it says "Good Luck" in German)!

 

My friend had one last message for me before I left to Africa!

 

My next stop is Nairobi Kenya, where I will once again gradually immerse myself in preparation to experience a whole different culture. On to Africa!!!