Travels: Africa

In the summer of 2004, a delegation from the Diocese St. Cloud, Minnesota traveled to visit with their sister Diocese of Homa Bay, Kenya, as part of a partnership program that has developed during the last few years. Bishop Kinney asked if I would join the delegation as a seminarian represetative of St. Cloud. It was a pleasure to live and be with the people of Homa Bay for three weeks. They were generous with their time, food, and wisdom, making sure each of us came to experience the love their culture has to offer.

The people of Kenya are joyful, spirit-filled, and grateful for the many gifts that the Lord has brought to them in their lives. Despite the many hardships we in the West do not face on a regular basis (HIV/AIDS, poverty, starvation, corruption, lack of medical treatment, deprivation of basic human needs), these people had a great hope for a future without suffering.

As much as they might ever hope to learn from us, all the more, we could learn from them.