Good Morning and Good bye For Now

Good morning from Rome, faithful reader. Today marks the last day of my time here, and the rest of this sabbatical is to be devoted to prayer and reflection about the last two months. So alas, this is the final blog entry reflecting on a wonderful journey. 

However, before retreating into my cave, did I tell you that it's possible to climb about a million steps to the very top of the dome of St. Peter's.....? These stairs not only keep going and going, but they become narrower and narrower as you go up.....but the view, even for those of us who hate heights.....spectacular!

And then there was Sunday morning, what with Ida and the kids off to the airport for the flight home (only to learn when they got there of a 6 hour delay... oy vey); but, with no objectors in tow, I headed first for the early Mass at All Saints Anglican Church with its mahhhhvelous stained glass, very British crowd (okay, small gathering....okay, it was me and a couple of couples) and then off to the sung Mass at St Paul's Within The Walls, an Episcopal Church using OUR Book of Common Prayer (the English still use the really old Prayer Book and I still have some thees and thous twisting around my mouth) which is the first non-Roman Catholic Church in Rome, I am told.
                                                                
To add to the small world notebook, as I was leaving at the end of the Mass, the priest in charge asked where I was from, and when I told him, he said to give his very best to Walter (our Dean!) who's a good friend from Sewanee Seminary)......

So faithful reader, many thanks for your prayers and well wishes. I miss you all very much and look forward to seeing you in just a few more weeks.

Blessings and peace....and a few pix of Roma......

 Happy campers who just finished a delicious terimisu 

 The stained glass in this church.....gorgeous!

 Saint Paul's in the Walls Episcopal Church....Fr. Walt, Fr. Austin says Howzit!

 The entry way to St. Paul's.

 I'm thinking we could use some new usher uniforms, eh?

Yoga class will begin in 10 minutes!

A Few More Pix of Tuscany

Stained glass at the Basilica of St Catherine, Siena

The Basilica of St. Catherine

Another altar in the same Basilica

A Church First Built by Charlemagne in the 9th Century. The Gregorian monk is to the right and the No Foto sign is to the left! OOPS! Who took this picture??!

Nothing could be more Italian than two elders talking story in the shade on a warm summer day....

Good Morning From Tuscany!

Well then faithful reader, after a half day of riding the bullet train rails, with speeds of 150 mph (slightly slower than the average Italian driver) and a few hours checking out the preserved head of St Catherine of Siena (really....when this fine woman died, hundreds of years ago, her body was taken to Rome, when the Siena-ites ((I'm sure that's a word)) snuck in, got her head (and a thumb), and carried these prizes in a paper bag back home, where they now are on display in the Church built in her honor....), after all of these adventures, we arrived here in the foothills of Montecino, as grateful guests of extended family member Uncle Mario Bollag.

Uncle Mario owns a vineyard that grows grapes destined to become Merlot, Syrah, and this part of Italy's star child, Brunello wines -- and -- by sheer chance, and at great personal sacrifice, we were required to try ALL of these different wines...a sacrifice I hope to repeat tonight!

We awoke to rolling hills, birds softly singing, blue skies and vineyards everywhere the eye can see. 

Missing you all and hoping you are well....

This leg of our adventure ends in one week's time....sigh!

Green as far as the eye can see

The view from the bedroom.....you could get used to this!

The devil...followed by just a few more fabulous churches

Well, it's Italy, so aside from a picture of the devil coming out of a mountain, I have only photos of churches to share with you! As for the devil, it's at a spot where supposed witches were thrown off a cliff to drown during the Middle Ages. Now it's a spot for reckless youths to jump some 30 feet into the water below (hoping those drowned witches don't reach up and grab the ankle of one of these reckless souls), like one reckless Joseph Teiti-Gierlach, who stood trembling for 10 minutes before taking the plunge.....He did feel someone (or some thing) tugging at his foot, but somehow managed to swim away! Lucky boy.....

 And you thought I was kidding about the devil coming out of the mountain! But there he (she? it?) is. Sorry for the poor shot, young Joey was driving the boat and having a great time zigging and zagging to his heart's content....!

 The neighboring village church with it's "modest" artistry....I'm beginning to think these Italian towns competed with each other when it came to decorating their churches....What do you think?

This church has 6 side altars; why, you ask? I have NO idea!

Saints and more saints

So tonight, I'm going back to this place and packing up the pipe organ for Marie.....

I think this is a painting of Pilate condemning Jesus, but check out the little kid with the puppy on the bottom step!

No idea what's going on here. Stuart, what say you??

A Church in Lugano, Italy

Good morning faithful reader. Looking from the outside at a church nearly 500 years old in this tiny village, you'd expect a rather simple affair when you walk on in. But, as with so many things revealed during this trip, it is not to be. Nearly 500 years old and the artistry is just beautiful. Here, take a look:

 The small village nestled in the pre-Alps, and if you look closely, the church is in the far right hand corner.

 Inside this church are the beautiful paintings; this one showing a very European looking Jesus being baptized by John.

 Most of the walls and ceilings have art work adorning them. The kids, cradle Episcopalians, are a little put off by all the ornateness!

Notice the elevated pulpit on the left, and the organ loft on the right....the organist was practicing for Sunday when we wandered in....just lovely.

Anglicans in Italy: Whowouldathunk?

Bon jour no faithful reader! As you can see below, there has been some traveling going on, with the highlights being the wonderful Sunday Mass at St George's in Venice, closely followed by a 2400 year old Roman arena in Verona (is that where Veronica got her name??) that hosted, just last night, are you ready for it? Sting! (For those not of a certain age, Sting was a very popular 1980s' singer....) Imagine an arena, that old, still hosting concerts!

Pretty sure this is Bishop Chang's old hang out shortly after he retired. Imagine, a chaplain at the only Anglican Church in Venice, where it's IMPOSSIBLE to get a bad meal!

 Of course the gondolas are still being rowed throughout the canals --- what a sight!

 St. Mark's Basilica is the Cathedral of the Roman Catholics here in Venice, a fabulous Byzantine style that is slightly more ornate than St. George's....The line to get in to look around? Oh, maybe a week long! 

 

The lovely town of Veneza, with so many red tiled roofs, a grand church in the midst of it all and a restaurant serving the world's finest Penne Alla Arabiatta....(spicy pasta)

Mass at Saint George's

Hello faithful reader from the canal city of Venice. Thinking of our retired Bishop Dick Chang, we went to Mass at St George's Anglican Church. I'm thinking, if my one active brain cell is working, that Bishop Chang served as a sort of supply clergy there after his retirement.  What a treat it was!  The church has a beautiful simplicity, and this morning we were especially in luck because an extraordinary high school choir from England came and sang hymns that must have made even the angels weep with joy. The harmonies, the range of voices, oh my! Pictures coming soon!

Just Wondering

So I'm thinking that maybe if trusty Junior Warden Dave Kleinschmidt is lolling around with nothing to do, feeling bored and in need of a project.....maybe we could add a little to our pulpit along the lines of this marble sculpture say......or..........





Maybe some solid gold around the altar.....whaddyathink?  

Nah, I'll take the elegant simplicity of St. E's any day! But the Italian churches sure do get ornate, eh? This one is from the 11th Century, it's in Ballagio, Italy. Tute Bene Senore!

A Slice of Swiss With That Please

Good evening faithful reader from the border of Switzerland and Italy. 

Here, in homes that go back to a time that the first Polynesians were just making their way to Hawaii, here where stone houses cling to hillsides for over 1000 years, here is a huge lake surrounded by steep mountains all covered by a deep blue sky. 

Take a look!

I'm keeping an eye out for Julie Andrews and the rest of the von Trapp family.....I think I hear them singing just over that next ridge!

A Journey's End

Alas faithful reader, this time in Africa is drawing to a very quick close. 

Don't let me mention the dozens of giraffes we saw today outside the game park (apparently they didn't read the signs telling them to stay INSIDE), or the baboons lining the highway, or the Costco sized Masai gift shop that tempted me to bring home a 7 foot carving of a Masai warrior, in living color, complete with spear, and loin cloth....no, I won't mention any of that. 

Now it's time for part two of this blessed sabbatical, off to see my sorely missed family and to endure some Italian cooking and Tuscan wines.... the sacrifice is nearly unbearable!



Here's a few photos from the last two days in the wild. While a few of the pix reminded me of a relative or two, I won't be dropping any names.....

A note about the photos: from the top: A Cape Buffalo (he will as soon charge you as look at you, the guide advised); a Zebra with her nearly invisible colt; Dumbo and his mom; and Wildebeest, nature's success story. 

We saw over a million of them (this time I'm not exaggerating....)(really)...and they are evolution's brain child. 

Why, you ask? (You didn't ask? Well, you should.) 

They are nature's brain child because their meat tastes awful, they are ugly and their horns have no medicinal, aphrodisiac or other redeeming function: hence there are literally MILLIONS of these critters in this part of Africa. 

Darwin would be proud! 

And yes, these are the creatures that storm over the Mara River, some drowning, some crocodile dinner but most making it; and yes, our trusty guide got us there just in time to see this marvel of nature! 

God bless you faithful reader. God willing, the next missive will be postmarked Milan, Italy.....

Here's looking at you!

Anyone seen Tarzan??

Hello faithful reader, your correspondent is live from the Animal Kingdom! And the animals didn't wait for the safari to begin. Taking the 8 hour bus ride to Nairobi (which took 10 hours) -- there -- on the side of the road, were hundreds and hundreds of baboons, looking like a scene straight out of Planet of the Apes! I'm told that two weeks ago, someone hit a baboon with a red car. For the next several days, baboons threw stones at every red car that passed -- and yes --

they have good aim! 

Today wraps up safari time, and while I'll bring home lots of film, you gotta believe it was really cool to be 10 feet away from lions, 20 feet away from zebras and wildebeests and even giraffes and elephants! All that was missing was the unicorn--which I hope to see tomorrow. Blessings on you faithful reader and peace.

Saying Goodbye

An African oil painting of mother and child coming home to Hawaii

The day has come to pack and go; I scarcely remember a month that passed so quickly. Today wrapped up the AIDs education with the college young men and women, all had a rollicking good time with the 25 peni followed by a group test with lots of arguing and debate and laughing ---all followed by, what else, chocolate cake! Tomorrow it's the 8 hour bus ride to Nairobi, then a few days of Safari then up to Milan to join Ida and the kids, who thankfully arrived safe and sound, although quite tuckered out, after two full days of flying to the other side of the world. From here on out (except maybe for a lion blog or two) get ready for a view of the original Last Supper by DaVinci (it's in Milan), churches galore (Italy is FULL of them!) and maybe an update on my heart to heart chat with the pope. (I warned you, don't believe anything you read here......) God bless you, faithful reader; please keep us in your prayers; you are in mine.

The Short Timer's Club

Sad to say, faithful reader, that time in this wonderful country is drawing to a close for your's truly. Tomorrow will wrap up the 5th and final community group meeting (3 groups of micro-businesses and 2 of HIV/AIDS Ed). We are in the midst if AIDS ED at the Red Cross in Bungoma, with a class of 30 college students all majoring in public health, social work or community-based needs. It's a very bright, very articulate group and we can do the whole thing in English. It's good fun to be back in the mix with young folks just starting out in life, so full of insight and hope and desire to make a better community.

On the home front here at the farm, the water that has kept us in cold showers and a working actual toilet gave out, so it was off to the outhouse shed for the first time, only to discover, to my great joy and relief, that next to the three "long drop stalls" (okay, for those who may not be familiar with this particular form of waste disposal, a "long drop" is a hole in the floor that one squats over and that which the squatting expels takes a loooonnnng drop into the poop pit.)

However, in the other stall, there was not a long drop hole but an actual, honest to goodness, white, porcelain, seat intact, water flowing, you got it, toilet.

Sometimes life seems like it can't get any better!

Anyway, we will wrap up tomorrow with the famous condom demonstration on the 25 wooden sculptures (word has it my mom's sewing club has put in an order for 50 of them, purely for decorative purposes I'm told....) and then off to the Masai Mara Game Reserve for 2 1/2 days of looking at wild animals.

A house Wedding

A lovely wedding in Bungoma featuring a lovely bride, a beaming groom and lots of food and cake for the dozen or so in attendance! 

Something Sobering

As you, faithful reader, have no doubt observed in reading these ravings, the people of Kenyan have so impressed me with their kindness, hospitality and warmth. This morning however gave a glimpse of another side of life here, something best left to the shadows. Heading into town this morning we encountered a crowd of maybe 40 people standing in half the road. As we passed, there in the street was the body of a man, and folks were tossing green stems from nearby plants over his face. I thought it was a traffic accident because of the obvious trauma on the body and given the chaos that are the roads here, with Mac trucks and speeding vans and cattle and bicycles and pedestrians all sharing the same ten foot wide strip of asphalt, not a big surprise. But I was wrong. It seems this man stole a bag of fertilizer, .... , and encountered what is called here "mob justice." In short, he was confronted -- and blow by blow -- was beaten to death....A life for a bag of fertilizer....

I couldn't help but recall that when the Older Testament counsels an eye for an eye, it wasn't promoting revenge. In those days, like these days in Kenya, small crimes were often met with extraordinarily harsh punishment. An eye for an eye was intended to impose proportionality into the justice system. Proportionality that it seems my Kenyan friends may wish to consider as well...May this departed man, and all the dead, move from glory to glory in the nearer presence of God. RIP.

A Visit To The Cathedral

Sunday had your's truly and a bevy of priests taking the 2 hour ride to the Cathedral of the Charismatic Evangelical Episcopal Church, waaaayyyyy out in the north western part of the country. The Mass was wonderful with so much singing and dancing and nearly everyone having some sort of welcome speech to give.

There were at least 10 priests in attendance as well as the bishop and a congregation of say about 65.

In the midst of it all, a reporter from the Kenyan national TV station arrived with camera in tow and -- somehow in the midst of the service -- managed to interview several of the clergy for a 1/2 hour special on this church.

This denomination is rooted in the Anglican church and seeks to converge, as they say, the three most popular elements in Christianity today: the liturgical/sacramental; evangelical; and charismatic.....It seems to be catching on and seems a particularly natural fit for Africa where the spirit is often moving in people's lives....

I just get a kick out of bringing greetings in the Lord from the place Obama was born!

To bee or not to bee

Sorry, couldn't resist....the bee folks decided to hold off harvesting for a few days so (sigh) won't be there when 7 boxes of angry African honey bees are interrupted and unleashed....;)

It's Saturday and I'm sitting in a small living room with another priest, a transitional deacon and some other folks waiting for a Kenyan wedding to begin. The walls are covered with lace and this lovely young thing is dressed and ready to go! I'm told the party happens later, so no boogying today. (You know how I love to boogie!) a beautiful day today, maybe 79 degrees and light breezes in a sky as blue as blue can be. 

some photos

                                                         two of the local boys

                              see, I'm not secretly in Miami Beach.....

Condom Day Today!

My question is, what did the guy who was hired to make 25 of these things think?

And no, you cannot buy one!

Condom day!

So on the 4th and final day of AIDS training, out come the wooden peni (I'm sure that's plural for penis) and everyone is required to properly remove from its packaging and place on said peni a condom -- all to the laughter and embarrassment of all concerned! Hopefully a picture will follow! 

After the fun, we enjoyed a bite of cake, graduation certificates were presented, healing prayers with oil said, and then lunch featuring not only a recently killed chicken, but a green veggie that was introduced as a local bitter veggie -- and whadayaknow, it turned out to be taro leaf! 

A taste of home at last!

This group of 20 disabled folk told us of their relationship with 9 other groups of disabled, and that they will take what they learned about AIDS to each of those other groups. 

Tomorrow it's bee harvesting day. Only one problem. Vincent, the Jedi knight of bee harvesting, is out of town. "I'll send you an email explaining how to do it," he helpfully said yesterday!

These are, after all, African honey bees....if this is the last blog you see, probably the bee harvesting didn't go as well as we hoped....

Making furniture

June 19

Okay, if you or I want to get some new furniture, it's simple. 

Save your money, or better yet, wait for one of those "take it now pay us later" sales, and in a few days, your newly decorated living room is a reality.

As you may have guessed, things are slightly different here.

This morning as I was leaving for our day trip to the AIDS education program, there, in the compound, was a fellow up in a tall tree -- cutting 2 foot thick branches with a machete.

Cool.

But when we got back, OMG.

Several trees were down, about 50 1"x 6' boards piled up, and from those boards, the bishop will have new furniture made and will sell what's left to pay for the tree chopping and furniture making....

Amazing!

Dawn in East Africa

June 19 already, and the dawn is filled with crickets and roosters and some kind of insect that sounds like a Sammey squeak toy and a wild pig off in the distance and birds that sing like they’ve never seen a sunrise. 

Africa seems most alive at dawn.

The pump for water is going strong, someone began at 4 am and it will go on through the day.

Breakfast is waiting in the next room, instant coffee and maybe some Kenyan style malasadas, without the sugar coating, but just as good!

Then it’s an early trek to the AIDS class since today is the last instruction day. 

Yesterday, maybe 6 of the folks shared that they found the courage and the opportunity to talk with their children about this disease....

Today we will push to open conversations between spouses, a harder sell in this, and probably most, cultures.

The time here is growing short and I am already missing the kind people, the relaxed pace and the incredible beauty of this place.

AIDS Ed Day

Monday June 17, 2013

Into Bungoma town, through the ever crowded streets, then into yet another skinny red dirt road, but this time just a few minutes, until we reached Peter’s house and the community group of disabled persons who make up our HIV/AIDS class this week.

Some of the folks present have polio and some shriveled legs from birth and others wounded feet, an array of physical challenges that seem to make an already hard life in Kenya that much more difficult.

But, you wouldn’t know it from the smiles, the laughter, the participation and just plain joy as we sat under yet another tree and engaged folks who started out as strangers and ended up as friends.

The discussion about sexuality, blood transfers, men’s and women’s sexual secretions and talking with our youngsters as well about such things was lively and funny at times, then turning quite serious indeed.

AIDS kills here, and there wasn’t a person present who hadn’t lost several family members or friends to the disease.

This is a four-day seminar, with the hope that each of the 20 folks present will take what they learn to 5 more, as the word is slowly spreading about how to effectively prevent and/or treat this disease.

AIDS/HIV education is the first project started by Bishop Ruben in the late 1990s, when he began by pushing a wheelbarrow with TV, VCR and generator to villages for this education.

Remarkably, (or sadly, maybe not such a surprise), his superiors in the Anglican Church forbade him from continuing with these classes, reasoning that immorality caused AIDS so those who get it shall suffer the consequences...

Not terribly different from the attitude in the US during the 1980s, eh?

And Jesus weeps.

The night came with a torrent of rain – it felt like living on the inside of a Rock ‘n Roll drum for several hours last night as the skies seemed to be sliced open and water like a monsoon crashed to earth.

Fortunately I did my laundry and hung it on the line to dry -- it should be well rinsed!

Pictures to follow soon!

Some friends