Kenya was beyond any words that could attempt to do it justice. John of the Cross said that God “leaves some trace of Who He is” in nature and I witnessed such holy fingerprints in the Serengeti. The greatest joy was reuniting with my brother. I remember telling an inquiring Sierra Leonean that, for brothers, Dan and I “get along better than we should.” He is the Luigi to my Mario, the Robin to my Batman, the Michelangelo to my Leonardo (Ninja Turtles, not Renaissance painters). It was a joy to spend the time with him on that holy landscape.
Thank you to Bishop Lynch, Catholic Relief Services, and the people of the Diocese of St. Petersburg for making this trip possible. Thank you to Bishop Biguzzi, Fr. Francis, and all the people who pierced my heart in Africa—in God’s time, I just may be back. Thank you to the second season of House for getting me through many dreary afternoons. Thanks especially to YOU, the readers, for your support in prayer and encouraging emails. You all helped me to hold on. Special thanks of course to my family, especially to Mom for bearing with the emotional trauma of seeing her two sons leave for Africa—she’ll be seeking restitution. Dan: two weeks to go; you’re in charge of the blog now—hang in there, Samwise. And of course, all glory to the Trinity and Mama Mary.
I will miss Fr. Francis and Bishop Biguzzi, as well as all the parishioners and people I got to know during my stay. I suppose I will also miss the solitude. It was refreshing to get away from cell phones, Facebook, and 24-hour news stations; it forced me to listen better to God and give him the attention He deserves. It's something I have to prioritize now that I am back in the States. But it’s so good to be home.
Well, I’ll be signing off now. I hope to catch my breath and pass back into some kind of anonymity, until at least God calls me out again.
See you next time.
-Bob
written 07/28/11
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