08 September 2017

Greetings from Nairobi at the Maryknoll Society House!  Heidi and I had a very safe and pleasant trip from Chicago and we leave for Mombasa on the bus tomorrow. 

We've been listening to all the Kenyans we've met to learn about the current feelings regarding the 8th August election and the rerun of the election, currently scheduled for 17th Oct.  Every Kenyan has said that they will vote in the rerun...even one who said he didn't vote in the first election.  The country is deeply troubled by negative ethnicity (tribalism).  The IEBC, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, performed very badly on the first election process according to everyone we have listened to. All are concerned for the future of the country but very committed to participating peacefully.  So, we continue to pray and work for peace.  I will make periodic updates on this blog to keep people informed from this side.

01 September 2017

BACK IN ILLINOIS, USA

     This past month has been busy with mission education about our ministry in Kenya.  This picture as taken at St. Peter Catholic Church in Geneva Illinois.  It is the parish of my sister and her family.  They have been supporting us with donations every month for many years.  It was the first time I was able to meet them and thank them for their generosity.

     It is a small world and this woman had already been to both South Sudan and Kenya so she was very interested in our outreach.

     I also spoke at my own parish, St. Patrick in Urbana, at the invitation of the Women of St. Patrick.  I was amazed at how many people showed up as it is August and time for taking vacations.  Not only did they come but they asked excellent questions.  It is difficult, even for me, to get information of Kenya or other news from overseas.  But somehow they had kept up and knew about Al Shabaab, the vaccine disagreement between the Kenyan Bishops and the Kenyan government and the recent presidential elections.  At this point, the elections, which were held on Aug 8th, are contested by the opposition and the courts will give their ruling on September 1st...after I publish this blog.  The violence that occurred after the elections has caused the deaths of over 20 people, one a 6 month old baby and another a 9 year old girl caught in cross fire.  This sounds like a volatile situation and analyses of the democratic process are quite critical of how the polls were managed.  UPDATE The Kenyan Supreme Court has just ruled the elections invalid. They must be rerun within 60 days.  I am shocked and hopeful.

     I also participated in the ministry weekend at my parish.  There is a whole booklet of possible ministries for people to use their talents in service.  I have always been welcomed by the J and P commission to answer questions about Maryknoll and invite people to consider joining us.  It is a huge parish with frequent turnover of parishioners who come and go from the University.  There is now only one priest but the laity are so active the services just seem to grow and grow.  I feel so blessed to have come from this parish and to go with their prayers and loving support.

     All was not work this past month.  On August 21st I traveled to Carbondale Illinois with my brother Michael, his family and Heidi Cerneka to view the solar eclipse.  I have two nieces who live in Carbondale and we gathered at their house for food and fun.  At 1:20pm the sky became very dark and a lone cloud drifted over the moon.  I kept my eyes glued to the place of the sun and the cloud parted for a few moments and I could see the total eclipse of the sun by the moon.  The planet Venus could be seen to the north and Jupiter to the south.  The birds stopped singing and the insects started chirping...just as they do at nighttime.  The sky was a deep blue and it was cooler with a bit of a wind.  It lasted at total of 2 and a half minutes and at the end I could see the diamond as the eclipse began to end.  

     I felt very privileged to see such a magnificent site.  Nature is one of the most clear manifestations of God for me.  It helps me to keep the perspective of my place in such vastness and encourages my faith that despite all of the difficulties and challenges we face I am not alone and all will be well.

     I leave to return to Kenya on Sept 6th, travelling with Heidi, an experienced lay missioner. She will come to do some research for the next year on women in the criminal justice system.  Coralis and I are thrilled to have her with us.

     Today begins the Season of Creation sponsored by the Catholic Global Climate Movement

https://plus.google.com/103310982641750280650

I will attend an interfaith prayer service for the environment at my church, St. Patrick, today.  The season will go until the feast of St. Francis on Oct 4th.  Hope each of you will find a way to celebrate this season too.

PEACE OF THE WAXING, SOON TO BE FULL, MOON TO YOU!!!

16 August 2017

It seems that now the opposition WILL go to court to challenge the presidential election.  (They had said they wouldn't)  So far the country is at peace for the most part.  The doctors and nurses are still striking!!!!  I will return on Sept 6th.  Hope I don't find the same mess that was there when I left during the previous strikes.  Our clinics are way overloaded with work and no support from the government.

15 August 2017

FEAST OF THE ASSUMPTION

FOUNDING OF 

MARYKNOLL MISSION ASSOCIATION OF THE FAITHFUL

1994

    I was privileged to attend our founding assembly in August 1994.  I'm in the middle of this group up near the top in front of the man with the red shirt.  It was a great gathering of so many faithful committed people trying to be faithful to a call to follow Jesus by going oversees to other countries and cultures to serve those in need.  Happy Feast Day to all of us!!!

     The elections for the president declared the current President, Uhuru Kenyatta the winner by 10%.  The opposition does not accept the results and four days after declaring the winner the electoral commission still hasn't finished tallying the votes.  It seems there are discrepancies between the polling station report forms and the constituency report forms.  Still hoping no one will start fighting over the whole thing.

PEACE OF OUR STRONG GENTLE MOTHER TO YOU

09 August 2017

Greetings to all.
      Just to make sure that everyone knows that I am in Urbana Illinois USA.  The election process in Kenya took place peacefully on the 8th August and the returns are coming in.  The opposition claims that the incumbent party has rigged the election and claims the returns are fraudulent.  Demonstrations and 'calls to action' have begun in the bigger cities like Nairobi and Kisumu.  So far I hear that Mombasa is calm.  No need for anyone to worry about me. I am safely residing at our family home and following these developments from afar while praying for peace and safety for all...susan

01 August 2017

SUSAN AND FRIEND ON PEACE WALK

KENYA ELECTIONS 8 AUGUST 2017

PEACE IS THE WAY OF LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING

    

Greetings from Urbana Illinois where I am enjoying sweet corn and beautiful summer weather with my family and friends.  I've had some challenges with cross cultural issues.  The air conditioning in the grocery stores, churches and restaurants almost gives me frost bite. I go everywhere with my light Mombasa wrap to cover my neck and shoulders.  Everything here is BIG!!!  I couldn't find a green pepper smaller than the size of my foot. But the up side is that people are so friendly and courteous.  It is a joy to drive on roads where people follow the rules and vehicles stop for pedestrians.

     At the moment, my thoughts and prayers are with my friends back in Kenya, especially Mombasa.  The elections for the President, as well as governors, senators, Councillors and others will be held on 8th August.  The news my friends send me by email is not good.  In 2007/8 there was terrible post election violence while I was in Kiminini/Kitale.  Issues of land rights, negative ethnicity and corruption caused many problems.  Those issues have not been resolved and seem to have increased.  Kenya has a democracy but it is fraught with dangerous politics.

     The Kenya Council of Catholic Bishops printed a prayer card which we have been praying regularly for peaceful elections.  In June I participated in a peace walk from our Cathedral sponsored by the Association of Sisterhoods of Kenya and wore my Maryknoll T-shirt.  It uses a swahili proverb for peace and has the word PEACE written in English, swahili (AMANI) and Arabic (SALAAM). The first of every month we lay missioners in Kenya always pray especially for peace.  This month we are most concerned with Kenya.

PAUL MARY SUSAN MARTY

     While visiting my family in Minnesota I was able to meet up with former lay missioners Mary Oldham and Marty Roers.  Mary's husband Paul is also with us and we had a lovely evening together remembering our times together in mission.  Many people in Kenya and Sudan still ask about them and a picture is worth much more than poorly descriptive words.  In short, they are all very happy and healthy.

     I will be in Illinois until 6th September when I will return to Kenya.  By then I hope the country has a president and functioning government so we can get on with the important tasks of caring for each other with love.

MAY THE PEACE OF SUMMER BIRD SONG

AND

MOONLIT NIGHTS BE WITH YOU

01 July 2017

DYSFUNCTIONAL HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

     I'm tired and not quite sure where to begin!  The government nurses began to strike on June 7th.  As this article shows so starkly, there is a big difference in public and private health care in Kenya.  The 8 month old son of a doctor died of malaria while the President's wife was opening a new heart laboratory here in Mombasa.  I suppose such discrepancies are the status quo everywhere but it hit me like a brick that if a doctor can't save the life of his son it is impossible for those who live on the margins to get the health care they need.

I've just come back from a 5 day trip to 1 hospital and 4 dispensaries.  This picture shows me teaching the staff at Chumvini Dispensary about Diabetes.  The day started at 5:30am and ended at 7pm.  We squeezed in this teaching session as they are overloaded with patients because of the nurses' strike. The woman in the white coat to my right is Monica, the clinical officer (physician assistant). She is a gem...so interested to learn and sharp as a tack. They normally do 5 deliveries a month but they've done 31 this June.  In 1 day they had 5 deliveries!!!

      Since we're talking about newborn babies, here's some good news.  The percentage of children born with HIV has dropped from a high of 17% in 2014 to 6% in 2016. We have worked very hard to make this happen and our goal is to completely eliminate transmission of the virus from the mother to the newborn child by 2021.

       I love avocados and I sprout the stones in every one I eat. Then I give the young seedlings to children and people whom I hope will keep them alive. This avocado seedling was given to the Sisters at St. Joseph Shelter of Hope in Voi.  I was so excited to see it as tall as this young man at my visit this week.  The hospital was full to overflowing and everyone was exhausted at the end of a day that kept going on and on.  Before I left the following day, I checked on my seedling and it brought me great joy.  It is one small contribution I, and we, can make to care for our home, planet earth, while providing nutritious food.
     I will  be traveling to the US on July 9th for a two month break.  I am more than ready for it.  To all my friends in Kenya, know that you will be in my prayer that the nurses go back to work soon.  To all my friends in the US...here I come!

PEACE OF THE FLUTTERING LEAVES TO YOU