Happy Easter! Alleluia Christ is Risen!

Hello everyone and Happy Easter! I am so sorry for not being able to update since my last post: Christmas/New Year post! I am starting to feel like a Catholic who only shows up to church on Christmas and Easter so I hope to post more for you now that I have time. The last three months have been very busy! I was especially busy in February at the DBVTC when the principal was away (to go home) for a few weeks and I was left in charge of admissions and opening week. Overall, I learned a lot about myself when I had to run the school alone. I can happily say that I was successful in admitting a great batch of new students (who will hopefully one day be great technicians) and I successfully indoctrinated them into our system!

So this post is all about Easter and the Holy Week! Easter is one of my favorite times of the year because I get to see joy and hope for peace at the resurrection of Jesus Christ! It was quite interesting to observe how Easter is done in South Sudan. One thing I got out of my experience was the extra joy and happiness I felt in Gumbo when Lent was over and we as a community could finally say Alleluia!

Palm Sunday

In Gumbo, we started Holy Week with a great Palm Sunday Mass! Palm Sunday was very busy and crowded! We only had one mass and so the church was crowded and packed! It was especially fun to see the people process with their palms and Sunday best! It was also nice to see the children make really cool cross designs with their palms. I was so fortunate and blessed to see the faithfulness of the people in Gumbo, where they would go through extreme measures to go to the one and only Palm Sunday mass at the parish. I reflect upon my own life and how spoiled I was at home to be able pick and chose which mass I could go to in my own convenience. I also found that in making it just one mass on Palm Sunday, the parish highlights the importance of such a mass. I hope to take this message of faithfulness with me wherever go. 

Start of the Palm Sunday Procession!

Great crowd!

The crowd was solemn during the Palm Sunday procession.

Some of the boys during the Palm Sunday procession

Arrival at the church on Palm Sunday! This girl looks happy to have made it!

Holy Thursday

Holy Thursday was a time to remember the last supper of the Lord and I was especially interested to see the washing of the feet. Once again, there was only one mass in the evening on Holy Thursday and once again, the church was crowded and packed. I am so amazed by the people and their faithfulness that I hope to see at home one day the churches crowded and packed with the faithful like what I saw here in South Sudan. The mass was a beautiful mass, where 12 local parishioners got their feet washed. I did not have a great view of the feet washing because I chose to sit in the back of the church to allow one of the local people to sit in my place (which had a great view) so I apologize for not having great pictures of the event.

Large Crowd on Holy Thursday!

Start of Holy Thursday Mass!

 

After mass, the Holy Eucharist was placed in a beautifully designed public tabernacle shrine for the adoration, which was led by various parish groups in shifts, the last one being at 9:30pm by the religious community (which, although I am not religious, I was a part of). Being the last shift in adoration was great and spiritually invigorating because I was surrounded by religious men and women who decided to dedicate their lives to God and to spreading His word in the missions, also in being the last, there is something spiritually special about being the last one to close the church at night!

Start of adoration on Holy Thursday night!

Beautiful Tabernacle Shrine!

I am so amazed by the faith of the people in Gumbo!

Good Friday

To me, Good Friday in Gumbo was one of the most beautiful events for Holy Week in Gumbo because we had the way of the cross with a procession through Gumbo village and into the church. The route through the village was quite long because the road was rough and the heat from sun was extremely hot, causing many of us to wonder if we were sharing the suffering that Jesus had when he was carrying His cross to Calvary. It was very interesting to be a part of setting up the sound system on top of a pick-up truck, head to the staring point by car and walking back by foot, while stopping 14 times and praying for each station of the cross.

I helped set up the "mobile sound system"!

Start of the Good Friday Procession!

"We adore You O Christ and we praise You."

"Take up your cross and follow Me"

Good Friday Procession through Gumbo Village!

We would stop 14 times during the procession to pray the Stations of the Cross.

We didn't stop until we reached the church!

After arriving at the church and doing the last station, we took a short break and returned to the church to do the veneration of the cross and communion service.  I was so touched by the beautiful ceremony and how the people revered the cross. The cross was venerated and then there was a communion service.

Venerating the cross on Good Friday!

I was so honored to see such a beautiful service!

Remembering the suffering of our Lord on Good Friday.

Holy Saturday

For me, as a volunteer at the parish, Holy Saturday was a very busy and stressful day! Tensions were really high when we found out that the Archbishop of Juba wanted to celebrate Easter Vigil Mass with us at the parish. The time was shifted an hour earlier, and as the person in charge of setting up the sound system, I had to work really fast to get it done on time. Despite falling a bit short, I managed to have everything ready exactly on time (although I would have loved to have finished earlier)! I was then in charge of controlling the mixer board and sound during the Holy Saturday Mass.

Despite being very busy, I was able to enjoy a little bit of the festivities. Looking out into the crowd of people with their candles lit, and then having a front-row view of the archbishop celebrating mass, I could not stop but wonder how lucky I am to be in South Sudan and experience the welcoming of Easter in such a fashion! Yes, I was very stressed and very busy during the festivities, but I also had to remind myself to really take in the moment and not consume myself with the work
.

Photo Credit: Italian Volunteer Margaret Dragone!



Thank you Margaret for taking such beautiful pictures of the Holy Saturday Vigil Mass!



Since I was busy setting up and running the sound, Margaret took pictures for me. Thanks again Margaret!

Holy Saturday Easter Vigil Mass with Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro the Archbishop of Juba

When it came time to sing the Alleluia, the choir let out a joyful sound of praise, as the rest of the faithful cheerfully sang along, shouting and praising with joy that the Lord has been risen! I felt a great joy (different from the joy I felt at Christmas). After the first Alleluia, the choir could not stop singing Alleluia and the people could not stop shouting Alleluia throughout the mass!

My view at my work station, it is just marvelous! 

Happy Easter from Fr. Joseph Can SDB, The pre-novices at Gumbo and the SLM Volunteers!

After all was said and done, I was so fortunate to serve the people. James, a fellow volunteer from Kenya, told me that although I did not fully enjoy the mass because I was busy working, the joy I felt was the joy of serving and helping the people hear the service clearly! For that, although not at the time and in hindsight, I am blessed and grateful for the opportunity to serve the people!

Easter Sunday

My site partner and fellow volunteer Michael and I decided that it would be our tradition to go out to mass at the village or outstation during big holiday celebrations. Last time we went to Nisithu for Christmas, this time we decided to go to Mori for Easter morning mass. Mori is a beautiful village next to the Nile River. The village church was a very beautiful church that had a structure that reminded me more of a church at home than the parish church. The people were such great and generous people and the children were very social. The children in Mori talked to Michael and me a lot and wanted to get to know us. They were not shy and played some games with us (mainly them running away from us, like a form of tag). Michael and I noticed that the church was mainly filled with women and children (although there were some men present). The mood was joyful yet reserved, it seemed the people in Mori were very polite and very honored to have guests. That morning 35 babies were baptized into the church, and I was so honored to be present for such a joyous occasion! It is not everyday that you get to see 35 babies being baptized all at once in the village!

St. Dominic Savio community, such a beautiful church structure in Mori!



Although they look serious, the children in Mori were very friendly!



The church was quite crowded at Easter morning mass!

Getting to see 35 baptisms at Easter morning mass!



The village/outstation of Mori after Easter morning mass!

I have to say that finishing Easter in the village was the best way to do it because I got to see the humble yet beautiful celebration of people celebrating mass. Furthermore, I am so glad I got to experience Holy Week and Easter in South Sudan, where although there is civil war and civil unrest, the faithful still exude a feeling of joy (which I can't explain but it is a different joy from the joy I felt at Christmas)! Like how I felt during Christmas, I can only imagine the joy of the people when there is peace in South Sudan, please, continue to pray for my mission and more importantly, please continue to pray for peace in South Sudan.



Happy Easter from me to you! (I know these boys look serious, but they were so friendly!) Once again, Happy Easter everyone! Please continue to pray for peace in South Sudan!

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!