Into Your Hands Africa

Adventures in Namabaale Parish

2011-09-14T12:39:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went to Namabaale Parish which is about 45 minutes away from Makondo. It is Fr. Kasoma's new parish area. We have started 25 piggery projects with the Namabaale students and we have also distributed mosquito nets. I was so impressed with the students that we met. They are eager and have big plans for their future. One wants to be a radio announcer (very popular goal), one wanted to be a veterinary doctor, and one had a step by step plan for becoming a rural entrepreneur. After selling his piglets he is going to purchase a cow, then some land, then start a matooke (banana) plantation and a eucalyptus farm.

Before leaving for home it rained. The roads here are treacherous after a rain storm. They become slick loamy mud, worse than driving on an icy road. As we headed for home we felt pretty confident that our driver would get us safely home. However, we met with disaster! Our car got stuck in the mud and we had to get out and walk. Thankfully we were near a trading center called Nanyua. While we waited for the car to get unstuck, we became the village entertainment for the night. Within a matter of minutes, we were surrounded by young children who thought we were the funniest things they had ever seen. We hoped that the car could be pushed and rocked out of the mud, but to no avail. Since it was nearing nightfall and the car was still hopelessly stuck, we decided to take boda-bodas (motorcycle taxis) back to the MMM compound. We had to travel two plus driver on one motorcycle and three plus driver on the other. Yes, that's right, three people on one motorbike and four people on the other! We really had fun and at no time did we feel unsafe. Only once did we have to get off the bikes because of the muddy conditions of the road. Rita had a blast and so did Jill!

Rita's Sewing Lessons

2011-09-14T12:00:00.000-07:00

Rita getting the treadle machines ready for the class.

First day of class-seven women and one priest...

Learning how to conserve fabric by placing the pattern all the way to the edge.
Some of the women have never held scissors before.

Justine learns how to pin the pattern to the fabric.

Second day...13 women show up.... All are very enthusiastic.
It is the first day of practicing how to use the machines.

More pattern cutting. The women already have one customer for the reusable sanitary pads...
Word travels fast!

The youngest participant, a four day old baby.

Today 17 women showed up. It was only supposed to be 10. Rita is very busy and loving every minute of it. These women are getting incredible training.

The Jajas

2011-09-13T22:20:00.000-07:00

Uganda jajas (grandmothers) were the backbone of the family during the height of the AIDS epidemic in the early 80's. These women bore children, raised them and saw them die leaving behind numerous grandchildren for them to take care of. Now they are in their 80's, their grandchildren have become adults with children of their own. We were priviledged to meet two jajas and, in their presence, we were walking on holy ground. The first jaja we met on Saturday when we went out to visit the Send a Piglet Home recipients. This particular beneficiary was one of the first to receive a piglet when we started the program in 2008. Since then she has graduated from St. Denis and now the profits from the piggery business have been used to start a poultry keeping business. The funds from the original pig continue to benefit the family as more children are able to pay for school fees. The story that this jaja told broke our hearts and filled us with tears. As we were visiting, she started to tell us about the nine children she gave birth to, raised into adulthood, and celebrated with them on their wedding day only to see them die, one after the other, from AIDS. Seven of her children died leaving behind too many grandchildren to count. She took us to the family burial plot behind the house were we saw the graves. There she broke down in tears and so did we.

We asked her to pray for Peter Srsich, a young man in Colorado who is going through chemo for lymphoma. After a teary farewell, we left this sacred ground.

The other jaja we met was Justine's grandmother. Justine is in charge of the Hands of Hope Scholarships. On Sunday, we went to visit Justine's mother and we met her sisters and numerous nephews and nieces. On the way back we stopped to meet her jaja. Again, this elderly lady had lived through two wars and the AIDS epidemic. She is now 85 years old. When we arrived, she was walking behind her house with her broken rosary in her hand. She was so happy to see Justine and immediately started telling her that "Mother Mary had brought us there." She also told Justine that she had been looking in the bushes around the house for her rosary that must have fallen off her neck. She said she heard Mother Mary tell her, "Come closer, come closer, there are visitors coming." As she headed back towards the house, she looked down and the rosary was at her feet right at the moment that we arrived. The jaja blessed us and prayed for us. She is a holy woman and it was a priviledge to meet her.

A wedding and a funeral

2011-09-10T00:43:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been in Makondo for three days. We arrived on Wednesday and as Rita says, "It seems like longer." So much is packed in each day and there are so many new sights and experiences. Here is a brief review of each day so far:

Tuesday: We arrived in Entebbe airport at 10:15 pm after stopping over in Kigale, Rwanda. Rwanda is a new country to put on our list! I say a stop-over even if you don't get off the plane still counts, don't you? The area surrounding Kigale was pitch black. No way to see what the country looks like... I have heard that it is similar to the south-western corner of Uganda with rolling hill. The shuttle driver from Sunset Motel was there to greet us and we loaded all 8 huge suitcases and 4 carry-ons into the van. You should have seen us! There were more suitcases in the van than people! Good thing they did not have any other guests to shuttle back to the hotel. The hotel staff were lovely and welcoming as was the hotel. Everyone was tired and we crashed! I have one interesting experience on the flight from Minneapolis to Amsterday to recount. Right behind my seat there was a young mother with two very young children. The children were obviously tired and upset and did not want to be on the plane! The two kids were as cute as could be, but they cried, screamed, squirmed, and used my backrest as a punching bag for most of the trip. I tried to think of it as a back massage, but that only got me so far. Even the headset and movie did not help. I know what it is like to travel with kids, so I did not complain. I did not realize, however, that the person sitting across the isle did complain on my and my seatmate's behalf. Suddenly we were flocked by flight attendants asking if we were ok. The end result: both my seatmate and I got moved up to first class for the remainder of the flight!!!! Wow! I did not even know how to use all the fancy controls for the seat. What started as a nightmare ended up as a fairy tale.

Jill and Dennis at the Equator!

Wednesday: After a restful night's sleep, we had a lovely breakfast and took a taxi to exchange currency. Right after we got back, James was there with the van to take us to Makondo. We loaded up our suitcases (again!) and made a quick stop at the botanical gardens to see Lake Victoria and get a little walk in before confining ourselves to a sitting position again. The road to Masaka has improved. Only a few sections are still under construction. Our novices, Rita and Dennis, were glued to the windows as the most unusual sights flashed by: tilapia tied to the front grill of cars driving along the road, the businesses of all sorts along the road between Entebbe and Kampala, and the stop on the equator along the way.

We arrived in Makondo at 6 pm, just in time to eat dinner with the MMM Sisters. There are new sisters taking the place of Sr. Rita, Josephine, and Celine. Sr. Celine leaves on Sept. 15 to retire in Ireland. She will be missed! The new MMM Sisters include Sr. Dumka from Nigeria whose most recent post was in Malawi and Sr. Maria from Brazil. It was nice to see Sr. Benedicta from Uganda and Sr. Chinereth from Nigeria who were here last year. I appologize for the misspelled names. What an amazing group of women they are. The newest addition to the MMM family is "Rascal" a dachshun who has become the center of attention. He was adopted by the MMM community after his original owners left to return to England. He will miss Sr. Celine as he thinks she is his new mother.

Thursday: On Thursday we went to St. Denis to greet the students and tour the projects. On the way up the road to the school, I met Emily, the Teach a Man To Fish intern on her way down to greet us. What a delightful young woman. She has done such an amazing job with the community. Her gentleness and her respect for the friends she has made shines in her face. She is really a perfect match. Because of her efforts, students are now eagerly signing up to work in the school businesses and learn how to manage them. Emily has done a marvelous job training the business managers. Because of her gentle manner, Emily has won the whole community over and made many friends. After songs, dances, and speeches, we all purchased items at the school store. We also toured the boys dormitory and girls dorm to see the new mosquito nets. Rita already has plans to teach the women in her sewing class how to make simple curtains for the windows to keep the mosquitos out.

St. Denis students welcoming the Into Your Hands "delegation."

Morning chores! Jill and I took this photo on one of our early morning walks.

Friday: Yesterday we went into Masaka which is the nearest big town. It is about 45 minutes away. You should have seen Rita striking up conversation with the streetside tailor. He offered to make her a traditional dress for 20,000 Uganda shillings ($9.50). She might take him up on it. Rita was amazed by how many people were packed into a small area and impressed by the fact that you can find anything you need. But you need to know were to look! Thankfully Justine was with us. On the way to Masaka we saw a bicycle carrying a coffin heading towards Makondo. We later found out that Bbira Luke's father passed away Thursday night. We stopped by the father's house as hosts of people were arriving for the funeral. The funeral was to take place later that day. The coffin we had seen on the back of the bicycle was under a tarp in front of Bbira's house. After paying our respects and giving our condolences to Bbira, he took us to view the body and meet his mother. Jill was moved to see 200 people drop everything to walk a great distance in the rain to comfort and stay with the family. People brought everything they needed to camp out at the family's compound.

People arriving at Bbira Luke's father's house for the funeral.

Both Jill and Rita were struck by the amount of respect given to the body. The body was laying on the bed in a shroud with the head bound in a white cloth. Surrounding the body were a group of about 10 women wailing and crying. We left quietly trying not to disturb the grieving family members and official mourners. The mourning period lasts 6 days and the family members will stay with Bbira's family for four days.

After we got back, we went up to the parish for dinner with Fr. Pascal. We met the new Father in Charge of Schools. Fr. Leonard was reassigned to teach at one of the National Seminaries and is being replaced by Fr. Andrew. We saw were Rita's sewing sessions are going to be held starting on Monday. So far there is no electricity to the buiding, but we were told that the electrician is scheduled to connect electricity to the building. We will see! Thankfully we purchased the three treaddle machines that are already assembled and ready to go!

Fr. Dennis started his Bible study classes for adults in the morning and students in the afternoon. He is a happy man. On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, he is scheduled to assist with over 100 baptisms. While Jill and I were observing the Bible study session with the students in the afternoon, low and behold, the bio-sand water filters which are part of the Rotary water project arrived! The bio-sand filters purify and filter water removing 99% of bacteria and parasites leaving the water potable. How exciting to be able to watch the technician install the filters!

The rest of the evening we were serenaded by music coming from a nearby village that lasted well into the wee hours of the morning. A big engagement party was going on!

St. Denis students arriving at school on Thursday morning.

Rita negotiating a new dress.

Fruits and vegetables for lunch!

Rita manouvering the traffic at the marketplace.

Fr. Dennis during a Bible Study session.

New bio-sand filters donated by Rotary!

St. Agatha students arriving in the morning.

Off we go!

2011-09-04T14:31:00.000-07:00

Here we go! Our flight to leaves Denver International Airport at 9:20 am tomorrow morning. Rita Grover, Fr. Dennis and Jill Garrou, and I will arrive in Entebbe on Tuesday at 10:15 in the evening. Our airport shuttle will take us to Sunset Motel in Entebbe and the next day we will be on our way to Makondo. Everyone is excited to be on our way. We packed about 30 blankets, various first aid supplies and solar calculators donated through Arron Harm's Eagle Scout project. We are also lugging two electric sewing machines and tons of fabric for Rita's sewing training workshops. Twenty women are already signed up for the workshops which will start next Monday, Sept. 12.

We are also going with green wristbands in support of Peter Srsich, the son of Tom Srsich who is a member of our board of directors. We will keep Peter in our prayers and ask our friends in Uganda to wear the wristbands in Peter's honor as they keep him in their prayers.

We will keep this blog updated as best we can, so please check in often!

Blessings and keep us in your prayers.

Baseball!

2010-04-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

The kids, Al, Luke, Gabby, and Phillip and Daniel (the german boys) had a blast learning
and teaching baseball. By Thursday after school, the students had progressed enough to play 9 innings! On Saturday, after the rain, the exhibition games was enjoyed by many of the boarding and some of the day students.

First Day of School

2010-04-07T12:35:00.000-07:00

First day of school for Gabby and Luke.
They walk to the Senior One classroom, the oldest classroom at St. Denis.
The S1 students have just graduated from Primary School and have taken their Primary
Leaving exams. One of the greatest challenges the students face is learning English as a second language. In most of the rural primary schools, the instruction is done in the local language, Luganda. By the time they sit for their S4 exams, the students must have an excellent command of the English language.

Luke also received some private math tutoring by some of the older students who wanted to compare the Luke's level of math to their own. How did Luke fare? He held his own.

Send a Piglet Home Visits

2010-04-07T12:18:00.000-07:00

Al, Luke, and James, IYH Project Manager, take off on motorcycle to visit the Send a Piglet Home beneficiaries. Ssendagire Joseph's pig has had a bountiful litter of piglets!

Boys Dorm Dedication and Blessing

2010-04-07T12:12:00.000-07:00

The moment we had all been waiting for! The boys' dormitory ribbon cutting and blessing. Fr. Muzuusa was on hand to bless the building while the community waited eagerly to visit the new "Shultz-King Dormitory." The building is magnificent and the boys are eagerly awaiting the moment when they will be able to call it their home away from home.

House Competition Photos

2010-04-07T12:04:00.000-07:00

Bizimungo John competed in the Bible Reading and Interpretation competition. After his team read from a scripture passage, the team members had to answer questions regarding the meaning of the text. Christina competes in the sight singing competition. She was given a bar of music to sing by sight. She did great! Each house then competed in traditional dance. The theme of the day was "Discrimination and HIV/AIDS." The students had to portray the causes and effects of HIV/AIDS through dance and drama.

Human Reproduction and HIV workshops a success!

2010-04-07T11:54:00.000-07:00

Human Reproduction and HIV/AIDS/STD Workshops conducted by Jill Garrou and Michele Homburger at St. Denis Senior Secondary School went without a hitch on Wednesday, March 24. Jill and Michele spent the morning working with the Senior 3 and Senior 4 girls. I caught up with them in the afternoon, while they were working with the S3 and S4 boys.
Some of the questions that were raised included if one can catch HIV/AIDS from a mosquito bite. The biology teacher present went into an explanation of why it is not possible to catch HIV from a mosquito. Jill and Michele spent many hours preparing for these workshops and even distributed a comprehensive student handout that gave in writing all the information they presented. Great job, Jill and Michele!

Farewell to St. Denis

2010-03-25T11:49:00.000-07:00

Sorry it has taken so long to update the blog. We have been very busy. We are sitting at the St. John the Baptist parish dining room with Charles, Fr. John Bosco, Fr. Paschal, Fr. Kikabi, Daniel, Philipp, Gabby, Luke, Lorene, Al, Michele, and Jill. We have just finished a wonderful dinner as a farewell for Jill, Michele, Lorene, and Gabby. What a busy week! Al, Luke, Lorene, and Gabby arrived well on Sunday evening then we travelled to Makondo on Monday after visiting the verbet monkeys at the botanical gardens in Entebbe.

Tuesday we had an amazing celebration of music, dance, drama, and Bible reading. It was an inter house competition. The four houses competing were: Bazira House, Frommel House, Bbuye House, and Maria Camp House. The adjudicator or judge was the music director from the Diocese of Masaka. The students presented a variety of performances ranging from Bible reading, Sight singing, choir performance, traditional dance and drumming, and original composition. Each performance was judged and graded and given points. The house with the highest points overall won the competition. The four houses were grouped into two teams: Bazira and Frommel against Maria Camp and Bbuye. The theme of the competition was: HIV/AIDS and education in Buganda. Guess which house won!!!!! Maria CAmp/Bbuye won by two points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Since the competition was very stiff, both groups won a goat. The goat was not very happy. The winning team was overjoyed and they jumped and screamed for joy. The event was very well organized and well attended by the school community and parents.

We also dedicated the boys' dormitory and broke ground on the Rotary water project for St. DEnis and St. AGatha. Busy day!

Wednesday Gabby and Luke were students for the day. They did not get into trouble and did not have to go to the headmasters office. But they did get lots of red marks in their notebooks. They made many friends and had much fun. After school, Al and Luke and the two german volunteers gave a baseball clinic to the students who were interested. Over sixty students showed up to learn how to throw, bat, and run the bases. It was much fun!

Michele and Jill gave their human sexuality workshops. This was a huge hit. They had great visuals and materials to pass out to the Senior 3 and Senior 4 students. The students asked many interesting questions and very important information was shared.

Lorene worked with thirty students on jewelry making. They did a great job.

Today we went with Sr. Josephine to visit different families: the Yigas, Xenobia, Francis, and Clementia. All have disabilities of various degrees. It is amazing to see the joy in some of the children despite their disabilities. IN the afternoon we visited the Send a Piglet Home students. One pig had eight piglets that were two weeks old! The students who have sold piglets have been able to purchase mattresses, soap, scholastic materials, books, pens, school bags, etc.

We had a quick farewell with the students and are now finishing our day at the rectory.

Charles says: So far so good, keep praying for success!

Fr. John Bosco says: Thanks for the good work done, and we pray that the good Lord will grant you your hearts desire.

Fr. Paschal says: Thanks, God be blessed for the spirit endowed on you. May it keep burning. Be blessed.

We can see clearly now and the rain has come!

2010-03-20T07:50:00.000-07:00

Wow! Our fourth day in Makondo already. Seems like time is just slipping by. The rains have returned after a brief absence and everyone says we brought them with us. Hard to believe as today the sun is beating down with fierce intensity. Two nights ago we had a lovely, long, and much needed rain.

So, here's a brief report:

Day 1: Wednesday, March 17, St. Patrick's day.
After a grueling and brutal drive from Entebbe, we arrived just in time to celebrate St. Patrick's day with the MMM sisters. They are a group of Irish sisters who have created a small paradise in Makondo. They have a clinic and run a mobile health unit. We brought them green caps with "Kiss me, I'm Irish" and "Everyone loves an Irish girl" written on them. They loved the hats and wore them all evening. The road from Kampala to Makondo was a nightmare. Normally taking 3 hours, the drive took 5 hours because of non-stop road construction. Every bone in our body got rearranged. I think my femur is in my shoulder now. Jill got to ride shotgun so she could have a better view of the uncomming traffic. She really enjoyed gripping the sides of her seat and wondered how she would bail out of the van if the approaching truck decided not to move aside. Michele and I stretched out in the back seats, thinking we really should give Jill a break and switch seats. We didn't.

Day 2: Thursday, March 18, Tour of St. Denis

After a wonderful rest in the new flats at the sisters' compound (mine has hot water!), we headed over to St. Denis. Jill could hardly contain her excitement as we eagerly headed to meet the students. The students lined both sides of the dirt road leading up to St. Denis. Three boys on decorated bicycles escorted us to "Bishop Dungu Boulevard" the main path leading up to the school campus. Once we reached the school grounds, the student body greeted us with traditional singing, dancing, and drumming. We met Christina and Jamie, the two Teach a Man To Fish Project Officers. Christina's tour is up on Sunday, and Jamie will stay for one year. After a brief welcoming celebration, Headmaster Charles (from now on known as "HM") took us on a tour to see the progress at St. Denis.

We saw the beautiful boys dormitory freshly named the "Shultz-King" Dorm and the two wings, "St. Albert the Great, The Cororado Room" (they will repaint the spelling), and the "St. John Bosco, The Evergreen Room." The building is lovely and almost ready for students. With HM, Fr.Kasoma, the two project officers, Jill, and Michele, we toured the St. Denis Self-Sufficiency Projects: the dairy production business, the matooke plantation, and the new school supplies store or canteen. The transformation that has occurred over the past year is truly amazing. The school staff, in collaboration with the TAMTF project officers and the Into Your Hands Uganda staff, are changing the culture of the school from one of dependency to one of self-sufficiency.

I also got to meet with the contractor who built the dormitory. He gave me a complete financial report on the construction of the dormitory. James, our Project Manager, and Fr. Kasoma did a fantastic job ensuring that the dormitory was built according to our expectations.

That night at the Fr. Christopher Renner Library, we had a going away party for Christina and a welcoming party for Jamie where we met the new St. John the Baptist parish priests. The new sound system which Jill officially dedicated that morning was put to use for the first time. The sound system was purchased for St. Denis with the Student Christmas Fund Into Your Hands donated last December.

Day 3: Friday, March 19, Vision Screening at St. Denis

The library was transformed into a vision screening clinic, courtesy of Jill and Michele. Over 190 students plus about 20 teachers and staff (including HM, Fr. K, and Fr. John Bosco). The staff was particularly intrigued by the sunglasses. Freddie, the computer teacher, looked dashing in his new shades. Sr. Toni, a local Ugandan sister from the Daughters of Mary, came to follow up on the students identified for further treatment by Jill and Michele's screening. Sr. Toni is an amazing optometrist. She examined at least 60 students, some of which were prescribed eye-glasses or medication for allergies or eye infections. She was also able, with her very quiet but authoritative presence, calm the excitable spirits of young teens waiting for new eye-glasses. Through Jill and Michele's hard work and the dedicated team of volunteers in Evergreen, we were able to bring about 360 eye-glasses.

Out of these eye-glasses, 45 of them were distributed to students according to Sr. Toni's prescription. Thirty eye-glasses will be made by Sr. Toni's clinic for the students who were not accommodated by the glasses available. The remaining glasses were given to Sr. Toni who will be able to use them for others in need. The day went smoothly thanks to the help offered by Christina, Jamie, Daniel, and Phillip, who are two German volunteers teaching at St. Denis for one year. Their help was invaluable.

After lunch, I met with the Into Your Hands Uganda staff, Christina, and Jamie, in the new Into Your Hands office in Kyamukama. Much to my delight, the young man running the store next door was Lugemwa Aloysius, our first vocational training graduate. He is running the convenience store and is employed as a mason.

Day 4: Saturday, March 20, Day of "rest" and "relaxation" and surprise visitors.

Got up early this morning and headed to St. Denis to take the HOH student photographs with Jamie. As we were rounding up our sponsored students, a strange individual came walking up the school path. "Bloomers" made her way to the school, much to the delight and strange amazement of the children in the vicinity. The St. Denis students were much perplexed by the appearance of this surprise visitor. Dressed in fancy flowered bloomers, and wearing a much too small hat for the fierce sun, "Bloomers" made everyone smile and giggle. Too bad Jill (known locally as Gel) was so lazy and stayed in bed at the hostel and missed out on all the fun. The students gave "Bloomers" a big welcome as she toured the classrooms were the students were practicing for Tuesday's big Traditional Dance and Drama inter-house competition (think Griffindor and Hufflepuff in Harry Potter.) Tonight we go to the rectory for drinks and a final farewell to Christina.

Personal Thoughts from Jill and Michele
Michele: Even though this is my second visit and I thought I was prepared for the immense inner beauty of these people who live in extreme poverty, I continue to be overwhelmed by their happiness, generosity of spirit, and peaceful gratefulness. I am also awestruck by the MMM sisters. They don't seem to stop.

Jill: I am amazed at how much is accomplished with so little. We talk about making a "green" world. Here they make use of everything, from using the matooke leaves for mulch to the cows and goats grazing the sweet grass by the side of the road. Their gentle hand clasp as they say our name in greeting speaks volumes to the gratitude they feel towards our contribution to their well-being. There is a real playfulness, sense of humor, and light-heartedness that contrasts to the harshness of their daily life. Above all, what brings me joy are the smiles and a waves from everyone we come accross.

Just arrived!

2010-03-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

Here we are in beautiful Entebbe. The trip was smooth and uneventful. I was so glad to have the compression hose to keep my feet and legs from swelling like a balloon. We landed late last night and were met by Fr. Kasoma and the van driver for the Entebbe Airport Guesthouse. Our six bags were one of the first off the plane!

After a relaxing hot shower and a restful sleep, we woke up to a symphony of nature. The guesthouse is absolutely beautiful. A paradise of flowering bushes and trees, lush green lawn, and a cacophony of birds and insects. What a delight to the senses. Jill was moved this morning because she said this was the first time in a long time that she could actually hear the birds, roosters, and insects. Jill is severely hard of hearing. What a blessing she was given this morning. Our rooms are delightful, with insect netting to protect us from the pesky mosquitos.

We slept well and are going to eat breakfast in a few minutes. This morning we will take a walk by Lake Victoria while we visit the Entebbe Botanical Gardens.

Blessings to all. We will post more photos later.

Ready, set, go!

2010-03-11T13:02:00.000-08:00

After months of preparation, Monday, March 15, is just around the corner. Suitcases are packed, loaded down with soccer jerseys, cleats, and balls; baseball equipment; school supplies; gifts for students and teachers; eyeglasses and charts; workshop materials for Michele Homburger and Jill Garrou; and art supplies for Lorene and Gabby Joos. Hard to imagine we are ready to go! Monday will mark my 5th trip to Uganda since 2004 and this year's trip promises to be the most exciting. My husband, Al, and my son, Luke, are travelling with me for the first time. They will get to experience first hand what Into Your Hands has been doing in the Makondo area for the past four years. What am I looking forward to the most? Finally dedicating the new boys' dormitory, breaking ground on the Rotary International funded water project, and sharing my passion with my husband and son. Can't wait to see all my friends at St. Denis and the sisters at the Medical Missionary of Mary compound!