While I am settled down here and feel at home, my body and mind are still adapting to the country and culture. The weather here is hot (in the 90’s everyday with a scorching sun) despite it being the “winter” here. In fact, it was so “cold” one of the mornings after Mass, that one of the locals thought it might snow (it was maybe in the mid 60’s). Arabic classes are also continuing, and though I am becoming more competent speaking to others, the best communication I do is still through a smile.

Last Sunday, a group of us traveled to Mogri (one of the sub-center parishes nearby) to celebrate the Eucharist. During the bumpy, hour and a half drive we passed through a few military checkpoints, saw a demining effort in progress, and even witnessed a couple monkeys in the middle of the road. We finally arrived at the “hanging church,” which was a small dirt area underneath a tree. To let the town know the Mass was about to begin, the “church bell” was rung, by hitting half of a bombshell with a hammer. During the Mass, dogs and chicken would occasionally walk in front of the alter, as herds of goats and cattle passed behind us 100 feet away. A little bit different than my usual Sunday mornings back in Sylvania, OH as you can imagine.

The week flew by once again. In addition to teaching, my website duties, and playing with the kids, I spent Tuesday morning with several others planting over 100 trees at the new Priests’ House and Wednesday hand washing my clothes. Yesterday, I went to the Preschool’s show, and heard them sing songs and tell stories of the animals in the jungle. It was such a joy to see these little ones, and reminded me of the shows of my younger siblings back home. Today, during a three hour-long celebration, I witnessed 44 beautiful children enter the Church through the sacrament of Baptism. Again, it was such a joy to share in such a special moment with the community, despite understanding few of the words spoken.

And despite all these somewhat difficult adaptations I am making, and noticing all these differences that are so apparent though my physical senses, I feel completely at ease and at home. Why? Because of the welcoming community and grace of God! While normally the change would be daunting, the feelings calmness and comfort fill me, and the presence of Christ strong knowing I am called to be here.

Goodbye until next time!

I have been here just a week, but it seems like it has been months (in a good way). The location is almost exactly what you might picture “Africa” to be like; grass huts, dirt roads, barefoot children with secondhand clothes. The community, both the Salesians and the Gumbo community, are very welcoming and kind which made for an easy transition into a completely new part of the world.  Within the Salesian community, there are three priests, one deacon (becoming a priest in December), nine sisters, three brothers, five Pre-Novices, another volunteer from India, and the four SLMs (Luke my site partner, Grace and Caitlin who are staying for a few weeks before heading off to Maridi, and me). As you can imagine, there is never a dull moment.

The days begin with meditation, prayer, and Mass each morning, followed by my duties of teaching and website management.  I also started taking Arabic classes, which is spoken by the locals, many of whom don’t speak English. By mid-afternoon all of the children come out to play, and the oratory begins. Within the first day of playing futbol with the kids, I became known as Messi (an Argentinean soccer player) because I wore the jersey of his club, am white, and have long hair like him. Today, after playing with the Don Bosco Senior team, I was asked to play in the match they have on Friday, and said yes though I have no idea what the match entails.

As far as my teaching duties go, I am teaching English, Methodology of Study, and Good Manners to the five Salesian pre-novices. They are all Sudanese men ranging from 19-25 who are beginning their journey to become Salesian priests.  It will be quite a challenge, as I did not expect to be teaching these subjects at this level, but hey, its what the Salesian mission is all about! I was also tasked with updating and maintaining the website for Don Bosco Sudan and South Sudan (donboscosudan.org), so feel free to give any comments or suggestions on it.

The food here is all very good. Breakfast is usually small, with some bread and eggs.  For lunch and dinner (the leftovers of lunch are dinner) we always have rice, with some sort of chicken or vegetable dishes as sides. The best part however, is the abundance of fresh fruit that grows on site, including passion fruit, guavas, papayas, bananas, and custard apples. I have yet to find something I don’t like.

There is so much more I could tell about, but here’s a start and thanks to all for the continued prayers and support!

The journey has finally begun! I safely arrived in Juba, South Sudan on Monday after long day of travel. The trip was anything but perfect. On my flight from Detroit to Washington D.C. at 5:45 AM, my seat was right next to the flight attendant’s station, which meant loud noises and bright lights, and led to little sleep (I only slept for a couple hours the night before). On the main flight from DC to Addis Abba, Ethiopia, my TV/entertainment system didn’t work, orange juice was spilt on my lap, and I barely got any sleep during the 13.5 hours.  On the final leg from Ethiopia to South Sudan, I was finally able to sleep. However, out bags did not arrive at first, only to come dripping wet and four hours later.  Despite all these minor inconveniences that usually would have taken a toll on me, I could do nothing but shake my head and smile with how inconsequential they were compared the happiness that consumed me.

After waiting a few hours for our bags at the Juba Airport (which consisted of one room with a waiting area outside) we met up with Fr. Ferrington, the Salesian we have been in contact with here. He took us for a bite to eat, and we eventually located our bags and made our way to the Salesian compound (I have updated the map on my homepage with the exact coordinates if you want to zoom in and take a look). We crossed over the White Nile and headed down a bumpy dirt road into the village of Gumbo, with smiles and waves greeting us along the way. After settling in, we went to Mass, followed by Rosary and dinner.

Once dinner was finish, we all went to bed, exhausted from the 30+ hours of travel. As I lay awake sweating from the heat and with a mosquito net above my bed, I could once again do nothing but smile, recognizing the many blessings God has bestowed on me and anticipating the journey ahead.

For me, today is the start of a new year.  It is the start of a new year not only because I turn 22 today, but also because it marks the beginning of my year of mission in South Sudan.  While most people do not see turning 22 as a big life event, this date has more significance to me than I could have ever imagined.

Over the last three weeks I was in New York for my program's orientation. One of the weeks we attended cultural training at Mount Manresa in Staten Island, NY (we fittingly arrived on July 31, the feast of St. Ignatius).  I was especially excited to go to this Jesuit Retreat House because I knew it would remind me of my last eight years of Jesuit education and of my faith journey which brought me here today.  On site there was a beautiful Chapel lined with stained glass windows of several Jesuit Saints.  On our first day we began with Morning Prayer, and I noticed the window of St. John Berchmans straight ahead upon entry. After seeing this window, I realized I knew nothing about him, despite the fact that he is the patron of my alma mater (St. John's Jesuit High School).

Once Morning Prayer was finished, I went back up to my room to read about St. John Berchmans. Much to my surprise, St. John Berchmans died from sickness at the age of 22, the same age I turn today. I was really drawn to this fact, not because he died at age 22, but rather that he lived holy enough in those 22 years to become a Saint. He used to say, "If I do not become a Saint when I am young, I shall never become one." St. John Berchmans did not become a Saint because he did anything extraordinary. His path to holiness was achieved by doing the ordinary with care and perfection.   He made kindness and piety part of his daily life, which is what I aspire to do during my year of mission.

In this 22nd year of my life, I can only hope to live my life the way St. John Berchmans did. In my time at orientation, I realized that I am not called to do the extraordinary while on mission, but rather to do the ordinary. I am called to be the Face of Christ to the children of Africa. I am called show them love, and more importantly let them know that they are loved. As Mother Teresa so perfectly put it, "We can do no great things, only small things with great love."