Mambo Italiano

Pasta! Fettuccini! Café! Super Mario!

Let me back up. One of the unexpected gifts of this international adventure has been the exposure to the greater international community, namely the Italians. Italian missionaries came to Sierra Leone during the 1950s, evangelizing to the locals here in the Makeni region and establishing numerous schools. Many campuses, including the university, have either pictures in the classrooms or painted portraits on the outside walls of the Italian priests and missionaries. The Diocese of Albano, Italy, has also contributed great funds to the local hospital.

I’ve also become friends with two young adults from Italy who are working with the Caritas organization. Enrico and Elisa will be staying in the country for one year, predominately working with children but also the Justice and Peace Commission, a local association dedicated to peace-keeping talks and evaluating the progress the country has made in recovering from the civil war. Their English is very good, but I have to talk slowly, again because of my silly accent. Elisa enjoys my flashy displays of Italian goodbyes, currently limited to arrivederci and ciao. Enrico rags on me because of the silly things America apparently does—I have given Enrico the affectionate nickname ‘Mussolini.’

Bishop Biguzzi recently had Fr. Francis and me over to work on some projects. I wasn’t expecting to stay for lunch, but it would just be rude to refuse the invitation, right? My jaw actually dropped when I pulled the lid from the pan and saw it—there, soaked in red sauce and covered with cheesy delight, was pasta. I resisted the urge to drop to my knees right there and thank the Almighty, but I couldn’t play the poker face once the Bishop asked if I wanted some Italian coffee. It’s been four weeks since I’ve had coffee. He saw the smile explode across my face.

Here is a picture of me after eating Italian pasta and drinking Italian coffee with an Italian bishop. I was just a little excited.

-Bobino
written 06/22/11