Kasweta

I just arrived from my Safari mission called Kasweta, which I often described as the farthest, most difficult, the poorest and the most abandoned mission. It was a tiresome journey, full of difficulties because the road was very bad. It is about 185 kms from Chikowa and the heat on the way was truly painful to the skin. Since that was the first visit of the year as they are unreachable by rainy season, people were very excited. I brought four youth with me to complete our team. One is a teacher by profession and the other has just finished Grade 12 but also capable.

Upon arrival, the people gathered right away, greeted us warmly. The last visit I did was November last year before the rainy season. The youth organized right away firewood which we have to use for evening activities. The chairlady prepared lunch for us, (nsima) porridge of sorghum and pumpkin leaves. The children gathered around us, feeling so excited because every evening, for five minutes, I always give them a ride just around the church. Many of them haven’t seen a car even, believe me.

I love most the evening activities. After our dinner, we organized our prayer around the fire (I will write a separate reflection on this), saying the rosary together, had a short meeting and organized our activities for the whole duration of our visit. Then there was traditional singing and dancing, which is also very alive and we laughed a lot. I danced as I have learned a little bit. For them to see a msungu (white man), especially a priest like me, dancing and singing in their traditional way is sometimes an honour.

I then prepared my place to sleep, a small hut, thatched with dried leaves. The door was made of weaved branches, and my favourite bed, the ground soil! I laid my mat, made of grass, then my mattress, my blanket and put on my mosquito net. I don’t really like mosquito net, but to prevent from malaria or crawling insects if there is any.

My youth are still young and they have their own little house to rest. I didn’t mind them sleeping a bit longer. Since I always wake up early, I boiled water, prepared our breakfast- milk, tea and rice. Then I started my personal prayer, reflection of the day’s gospel and a bit of writing as part of my habit. The neighbour prepared hot water for me to bath.

Teachings started right away after breakfast. Those who are for school age, they have their separate time table. Like last year, at the end of the year, I would like to adopt another child and send him to school. I asked the teacher to select the best one. In this place, there is no school or clinic. My first adopted one is doing really fine. He was just a month in grade 1, passed number one in the exam, and went straight to grade 2. I will try to select another one or two this year.

Another group were the small children for their Bible reading and stories. Some are really little but very attentive. The teacher is very good in dealing with them. While their lessons are going on, I prepared each day milk good for 60 glasses for these little children, so that by break time, they will have a good drink. They never have this opportunity, even just for sugar. It was so nice seeing them asking politely for their share of milk. You will see that many of them are really dirty, no proper clothing, some are malnourished, and smelly.

After the break, it was time for the mothers’ session, especially those whose children are to be baptised, those who are doing reconciliation, marriages and other sacraments. The other group continues their school lessons, mathematics, English, history and a bit of geography, drawings and other simple conversations.

On my side, I did the kulembetsa- the registration of children and parents for the sacraments, for their yearly obligations etc. Since they don’t have money, most of them pay with mats or bananas or maize or sorghum. It is amazing still for me to see this expression of generosity. I celebrate the Mass every afternoon, hearing confessions etc. I feel so sad to see many of them don’t even know how to confess, especially the old ones. Yet, I take them as sincere confessions. They have their own dialect- Chibemba, but they could understand my own, which is Chinyanja. I read in their own dialect for gospels etc. I don’t understand most of the words, except when they are Bible stories because I could relate to them.

Anyway, these are just little things that I am doing in this mission. It is completely nothing, but I am happy. Everything is hidden and I am happy in a hidden mission. I am happily doing all these things hidden from the eyes of many.

Sorry for this description, but I hope you don’t get bored. Take good care always and know that you are always in my prayers.