Succulents I have known

Found in the friary garden but very
prevalent in the area. I am told this plant
is an import from colonial times.

This is my last day the Rift Valley, Lower Subukia. I return to Nairobi tomorrow to prepare for a move to Uganda. This will be my permanent location until June and probably thereafter. So... I have been taken by the flora of the Rift Valley, because of the cyclical nature of rain and aridity there is a profusion of succulents  ans I thought I would share them with you.  Hope your New Year is blessed. Pax et Bonum  ODE  tim

Also found in our friary garden tended well by Br. Florentius

Found growing wild along the fence line
just outside the friary.

This is called a Pencil Plant.  It is used commonly as fencing but
here is growing wild. Oh by the way, it poisonous.

Aloes growing along side the road. You see one in bloom on the
left.  This to is an import to Kenya. This species originated in Mexico
and parts of the US

Christmas Reflection

The following is a reflection offered at Christmas morning Mass at St. Jude Church in Lower Subukia, Kenya.

Today we celebrate! We celebrate the very special gift that God give us, His only son. All that we have is gift. God has given us good things like the air we breathed this morning as we woke or the warmth of the sun on our faces, or the food we will eat today. All of these are gifts from God and they are good. Yes we suffer. Life is hard and sometimes life gets harder and not easier only harder. Is suffering from God? No. God suffers when we suffer. I suffer because I do not trust God.

This Christmas – once again – we are reminded that God gave us his only son, Jesus. God became flesh and lived as one of us. Because of Jesus, God knows our suffering and pain Jesus knew suffering and pain AND joy and happiness. God knows it all and is waiting. Waiting for us to turn to him for help. God is ever ready to turn our sorrows to joy and pain into happiness. But we have to ask.

This is a season of gift giving. Some are big gifts and some maybe small. Some may not get any gifts at all this Christmas. God is always ready to give of himself – this day and every day. His love is abundant and his mercy sweet. His over-flowing love continues when we love in return. God needs our love. We love in return by giving God thanks and by loving all those we see everyday – even those who do not love us. God's gift of love is multiplied by loving in return by being generous, forgiving, helpful, and thoughtful of others. Today is a celebration of God's love. Let us love one another. Amen

Here is a picture of me with a parishioner St Jude church. Her name is Elizabeth.

Christmas Blessing to all who read this.  OED  tim

Views From the Laundry Line

I hope these pictures capture the immense beauty that is around me even doing the most mundane things, like putting laundry out to dry.

Have a blessed Christmas. ODE   tim

Subukia

I arrived here from Nairobi on Wednesday by car.  Sabukia is just under 200 km north from Nairobi. Several firsts occurred on the way.  I had my first sighting of a zebra in the wild, first sighting of a baboon (they are bid don't mess with them), The first time I saw the grandeur of the Rift Valley and finally the first time I crossed the equator. A lot for an old man in one day!  Sabukia is a rural village in the Rift Valley so there are mountains and hills all around. I was told that I would experience what real life in Kenya is all about.  So far so good.  The friary is comfortable despite the frequent power losses. (The friary has only had electricity for the past year.) The house is backed up by solar power so essentials are still available.  I will be here through Christmas.  Here are some photos I took of the place.

This is the friary chapel. The hut-like design is very typical.

This is the friary. The picture is a bit fuzzy due to all the rain we have been having.  I am assured that the dry season is coming soon. My guess its a combination of global warming (blame everything on global warming) and El Nino.

This is a picture of a landscape feature that can be seen around the friary.  I was curious about what they were called. Obviously they are cacti. So I went on line (not always easy to do here) and discovered they are called poisonous cactus trees. Much to everyone's surprise.  The sap of the cactus can blind a person or cause caustic like burns on the skin. Nice to be seen from a distance.

Peace from the Rift Valley.  OED

Prayer Requests

I just heard that civil war has begun in Burundi and that genocide may occur.  This is part of the territory of this province (Province of St. Francis of East Africa...).  I am told that there is one of the younger friar of the province there, alone and the border has been closed. Please pray for this friar and for the people of Burundi, that peace may prevail. Pray for the leaders of Burundi that they may consider the lives of the people more important than any civil or tribal dispute. This truly a right to life request.  Please spread the word and let us all storm heaven together with our prayers.  People have been dying and will continue to die as leaders vie for supremacy.  Let God's peace reign in Burundi and the whole world, Amen.

On a lighter note:  This is our protector from snakes and rats but not monkeys, alas.

As far as I can tell she has no name per se. I call her cat.  She greets me every morning as I go to chapel. The door of which can be seen in the background. 

I caught cat napping, unusual right?  Here she is fighting a yawn.

Well, she gives in and yawns.  Fierce huh?  Snakes beware of the fangs.

May God bless you do this day.  Peace   tim  ODE

AS PROMISED...

My new neighbor:

Well, I have arrived in Nairobi.  The flight and the custom (PS: I wanted to send you pictures of our neighbors who drop around every now and then - a troop of monkeys.  So far they are proving to be elusive but I will keep trying to capture a photo)

Video

Here is a YouTube link about the Inter Franciscan Missionary Program. I hope you enjoy it. OED

https://youtu.be/Wf8GDCKSGXU

A Week in Rome

Just returned from Assisi after a week long retreat. It was a refreshing and renewing experience. I left Brussels before all the tension.  I understand that the metro system (rail and bus) were shut down.  I was shocked to see armed military personnel at both the lower, upper Basilica of St. Francis and at Our Lady of Angels. While I was shocked to see armed solders in the "City of Peace" others in my group were relieved. It all depends upon your perspective, I guess.

I will spend a week in Rome catching my breath after a long three months. I hope to spend a day at the Vatican Museum. The US State Department has advised US citizens to avoid St. Peter Square. The friars reported to me today that the numbers are as large as the always are but the lines into the Basilica move slowly.  I may venture there tomorrow.   Pace y Bene   OED

Laudato Si'

This is a Tag Cloud (also known as as Word Cloud) of Laudato Si', Pope Francis' recent encyclical. (A Tag Cloud is a visual representation of a text where the importance of each word is shown with a change is font size and color.) This week we have been studying this document as it applies to our mission.  Frequently, developing nations are subjected to extreme assaults on the environment by multi-national companies as they rape the land of its natural resources.  Only to take to wealth and leave nothing for the people who live live there. We were led by Bernd Beerman, a German Capuchin friar from Munster.  He is a chemist who gave us great insight into both the theological aspect of environmental protection but also the practical application of wise use of God's creation.

This is the last week of the program here in Belgium.  On the 17th we head to Italy!
Peace and All Good.  tim  ODE

Fall is here in Brussels.  Peace tim      OED

Mission Is...

Came across this while taking a seminar in Bonn, Germany.  I think this speaks to everyone.

Mission means setting out

Taking the road

Leaving everything behind

To come out of one's shell

To smash the crust of egoism

Which locks our self in our own Ego.

Mission means putting an end

To thinking oneself to be the pivot

Around everything turns

As if we were the very center

Of the universe and of life.

Mission means not limiting our self

To the problems of the tiny sphere

To which we belong.

The people are much greater.

Mission means always setting out

But not counting the miles.

Mission means above all else

Being available to others

Brothers and sisters

Seeking them out

And meeting them.

And if necessary

To cross seas and fly through the air

To find them and to love them,

Mission

is setting out

To go the farthest ends of the Earth.

Don Helder Camara

1909-1999

I want to share with you a quote from Pope Francis' closing statement at the Synod of the Family.  He stated:
And – apart from dogmatic questions clearly defined by the Church’s Magisterium – we have also seen that what seems normal for a bishop on one continent, is considered strange and almost scandalous – almost! – for a bishop from another; what is considered a violation of a right in one society is an evident and inviolable rule in another; what for some is freedom of conscience is for others simply confusion. Cultures are in fact quite diverse, and every general principle – as I said, dogmatic questions clearly defined by the Church’s magisterium – every general principle needs to be inculturated, if it is to be respected and applied.[2] The 1985 Synod, which celebrated the twentieth anniversary of the conclusion of the Second Vatican Council, spoke of inculturation as “the intimate transformation of authentic cultural values through their integration in Christianity, and the taking root of Christianity in the various human cultures”.[3] Inculturation does not weaken true values, but demonstrates their true strength and authenticity, since they adapt without changing; indeed they quietly and gradually transform the different cultures.

The Pope has summed up what I have been learning here at the Inter Franciscan Mission Program.  Inculturation is the task of every missionary;  Integration of the culture with the teachings of the church.  The result may look different from culture to culture but the message and the implementation of the message is still faithful to the Church.  

Sorry about the delay of this post. I usually try to submit new material on Thursday.  We have been busy here in Brussels with travel and classes.  Last week we received more input on the Mission Theology.  More on that later. Peace  ODE 

Money: Power and Mission

As a main part of the Inter-Franciscan Mission program we have input from missionaries and others in important issues related to mission. Near the beginning of the program Fr. Damian Isabell, OFM spoke to us on Franciscan Missionary Methods Throughout History. He has been a missionary in West Africa for the past 37 years. He introduced us to the writings of Joseph Mattam, and Indian Jesuit and specifically to his article Efficiency and Effectiveness in Mission. (I will put a link for this article at the end.)The first part of this article I used for the title for this installment of the blog. He discusses the use of money to aid the people to whom we are sent in mission. He states that such care can create dependency, a sense of quid pro quo between the people and the missionaries. “I come to church so you should pay to build my house”, “I give you food when you need it so you should come to church”. This “donor-model” kind of mission could lead to a lack of full conversion and lead to a paternalistic style of pastoral care more akin to a feudalistic relationship between the church and the people.

Yesterday, the program was truly blessed with the visit of Michael A. Perry, OFM the General Minister of the Order of Friars Minor. He told us that we are not going on mission. He extorted us to be mission. In this regard I must eschew the whole money and power dynamic. Be with the people in their struggle and difficulties. We have so many advantages today. Many vehicles, internet access, blogs (yes, even this one), cell phone connections that link us to seemingly unlimited information and to the world. They are tools and should be considered as only tools. All these things are good but do they foster faith? I think not. Faith in Jesus grows from physical contact with Jesus. Person to person, face to face. Mattam in his article mentions that older Christians in India would comment to him that they wished for the days when the missionaries would “walk to the villages, stay with the people for a few days at a time, share their meager meal, teach them the Gospel and celebrate the sacraments.” They decry the fact that today they are “Jeep missionaries”. They may see more people in their day but the relationship is poorer because of it. A real lesson and warning. Pay attention to the outcome of the work (It's not about numbers it's about people), stay close to Jesus (Take nothing for the journey.), take my time and be mission.

I promised a close friar friend just before I left the US that I would update him on what is being said today about Mission. So promised kept. Peace ODE

Here is the link I mentioned:

http://www.sedosmission.org/web/en/?option=com_docman&task=doc_details&gid=659&Itemid=34&lang=en

Taste of the USA

Here in the Inter-Franciscan Missionary program, every Wednesday is “Taste of ___” night. So far we have had Taste of India and Taste of the Philippines. The representatives from that country are responsible for preparing a meal. The evening also includes a small presentation of the country. It was my turn last night.

I really could not come up with food that was singularly from the United States so I opted for Cincinnati Chili. I also served Caprese Salad and Apple pie for dessert. For snacks before the meal I served corn chips and salsa, cheese and crackers and Fruit juice with Tequila. I explained that the US is a melting pot and that our food not only is regional but also reflects many countries of our origin since as Pope Francis said so well – we are nation of immigrants.

Have you ever tried cooking a meal in a foreign country? Let me tell you it is an adventure that tested not only my patience but the patience of many shop keepers in and around Belgium. Shredded cheddar cheese- no problem, spaghetti - no problem, hot dogs – problem. Belgians do eat sausages they call “hot dogs” but they are not really what I was looking for. After standing at the counter for twenty minutes, picking up everything that looked like a hot dog only to reject one after the other because there were too small, or too red, or weirder yet coiled. (My record was thirty minutes at the dairy case looking for heavy cream. Don't ask.) Finally found a package that said there were Frankfurters. Yea! In the cart they went. Oh by the way the stores do not offer any bags with your purchases. One must bring your own. Nice idea but I learned a very hard lesson. Luckily, I had enough pockets and hands to carry the things I bought. And the dogs were great, tasted like a hot dog. Imagine that. They were a hit with all the friars. Served of course with Cincinnati chili.

Guess what? Pie as we know it is not made in Brussels so pie pans are not available, at least not in grocery stores. So I had to settle for a spring pan like you would use for making cheese cake. A little weird, imagine a pie with very tall sides. Brussels and the rest of the world is metric. So recipes have to be translated from cups to grams and there was no scale available. So I used equivalencies. I found a small bowl that looked like one cup and made my own measurements. It worked. So after all the improvising and adapting the meal came off well. The chili too was a hit. I warned everyone that it was spicy and was told many times that Indians (There are seven friars from India in the program) like spicy food so there is no need for a warning. I responded that in the US if you don't warn your guests about spicy food some become irate. Welcome to the US.

By the way Belgium waffles here in Brussels are just waffles, but it seems Brussels sprouts are Brussels sprouts every where. Go figure.

Peace.  ODE

Today we heard from Franciscan International. They talked to us about their work. This video was presented and I share it with you in hopes to continue to keep the plight of refugees in you mind and prayers as they are in mine. Peace, Tim. ODE

Yesterday, we traveled to Banneaux, Belgium to the site of the 1933 apparition of Our Lady of the Poor.  It is today a pilgrimage site and national shrine in Belgium. This is a picture of the spring that the Blessed Mother told Marietta Baco to immerse her hands into.  It was a beautiful day full of fraternity and pray.  Our Lady of the Poor, pray for us. ODE

Missionary Effectiveness

We are forming fraternity here is Brussels. We are sharing tasks and getting to know each other. We are strangers in a strange land together which has aided our bonding. Today is the end of my second full week at the Interfranciscan Mission Program in Brussels. This picture was taken at the end of the class on Franciscan Missionary Methods Throughout History given by Damien Isabell, OFM. Damien has been in DR Congo for 32 years! He was a member of the Sacred Heart Province before joining the OFM province in the Congo.

I am learning about missionary effectiveness. The historical missionary concept of building churches and baptizing babies is no longer viable. The job of today's missionary is to try to understand and respond to the heart of the people. In this way the Gospel can be realized. This missionary (that means me) has a lot of things to learn about to whom God is sending me. I must be open to learning more from the people then what they may learn from me. This will take time and effort. From what I am hearing I will have to learn Swahili. Language learning is not my strong suit but I will do my very best. My assignment to the Province in East Africa is for six years. I will be spending a major portion of that time acclimating to the culture before I can ever begin to be effective.

I feel so privileged being in this program and getting the input I am receiving. The men I am studying with come from all over the world. The diversity is great and is in itself a part of the learning for me. One thing that I am learning is that culture is not static, it is dynamic. There may be similarities within a culture but each person in the culture may or may not follow all cultural norms or behaviors. Practically, then, my job is to take each person individually. What a challenge! Certainly one that I am excited to about. Peace Tim

Oh! Please continue to pray for the refugees in Europe. They are finding no welcome and are increasingly finding no place to go. This is a shameful crisis with no remedy in sight. ODE

Aylan Kurdi Pray for Us!

Maybe you have see this photo, maybe not. Aylan Kurdi was a three year old Syrian boy who washed up on the beach in Turkey after the boat he and his family was traveling in capsized, They were fleeing the increasing violence in Syria.   His five year old brother and mother died in the accident as well.  As of September 3, they are just three of the 2,600 people who have died at sea escaping Syria.  This picture has galvanized Europe into action.  Not all of the action is in favor of the refugees. Many refugees hit road blocks in Hungary and other places. Those fortunate enough to make it to Austria and Germany are warmly welcomed.  European leaders are struggling to work out a equitable solution to deal with the 350,000 people already on the continent.  More are coming every day.

Pray for refugees and migrants through out the world, especially the children.  Truly these innocents deserve safety and the freedom to grow up in a world free of fear.  By our action may his death not be in vain.  Peace.  tim

Below is a picture of the participants of the Interfranciscan Missionary Program in Belgium.  We are standing in front of the church attached to the friary. The name of the church is Notre Dame des Graces.  Have a peaceful week and please pray for the thousands of migrants flooding Europe at this time.

A Season of Lasts

I have been keenly aware of a particular emotion as I prepare to leave for Belgium and Africa beyond. I have encountered feelings of loss and the recognition that this will be last time I shop at this grocery store, watch this television show, see this dear friend, or worship in this church. As I am moving on so will these people and places move on. When I return all will be changed. I will be changed. I have concentrated on say goodbye well. Not something I was good at in the past. Part of saying goodbye, for me, was to realize the moment. I grasp the reality of what I am about to do and the impact it will have on me and those around me. In our last moments together, a very good friend asked me, “What haven't we said to each other?” Great question. I paused, not wanting to “get into it all” and more than ready just to let the moment pass. I did take the time to air some final worries and concerns that were not really problems but more manifestations of my anxiety. It was good to talk about them and gain some very needed perspective. I realize now that I maybe saying goodbye to a person but not to the friendship. That will endure.

Here's the good news. The Season of Lasts will quickly be followed by the Season of Firsts. This fills me with joy and excitement and anticipation. So please continue to follow my travels and experiences as I experience new people, customs, places, food, languages, ideas, challenges, defeats, and successes. I hope to show through all of this that whether the experience is my last experience or my first, it is all gift!

Most journeys begin in very mundane ways. Everyday life really is plain. My life is truly unexceptional even though I am preparing for an exceptional experience. There is not much more to say about how my life is going today. My days are filled with prayer and preparation. Not so very different from before except the preparation is not for some presentation or seminar. It is for leaving the country for life and work in Africa. My days are filled with anticipation. Sometimes that is a pleasant experience tinged with excitement and other times, I must admit, I am overwhelmed with the immensity of what I am about to undertake. I am leaving everything behind; all that I know and love, all that is familiar. For what? In fact that answer is unknown. That's okay. I know that God has brought me thus far and will not abandon me. Many years ago, when I inquired into becoming a Franciscan Friar I was unsure if I would qualify. I was older when I entered at age forty. I was told I was not too old. At that point I was done with excuses and said to myself and to God, “Okay, If this is what you want, let it be. Make the way clear for me and I will follow.” That is exactly what happened and continues to happen today. The image I use is that God closed a big door in my life (lost a job) but opened and continues to open doors for me today. My current door is leading me to Africa. I would never have thought God would lead me to where I am today. I suppose that is the risk of beginning a journey, you never know and can never predict where it will take you.

Every journey begins with a single step so it is with a blog, I suppose. It begins with a single word. Now this blog begins with the word EVERY. It is a good word, very inclusive. I like that. My hope that the choice of this word will color, effect, influence somehow manifest itself into my journey and affect how I act and present myself. I get ahead of myself. As in all journeys I am anticipating the end of the journey, (how it will be, how I will be) before I have even taken my first step. That is not really true. I have been on this journey all my life. My choices, my action have brought me to this point today. By the grace of God, and the providence of his holy guidance I am where I am and who I am today.

So, where am I going? Beginning August 30 I leave the US for Brussels, Belgium. There I will participate in a program designed to prepare Franciscan Friars for work in the Missions. More on all this in later blogs. This will be a three month program. After that I will travel to Nairobi, Kenya to begin a six year commitment to work in East Africa. I do not have much information about what I will be doing there except that my background in counseling and my experience working with people recovering from trauma will be useful. I may be working with people still struggling with the after-effects of civil war, displacement and returning home, in places like South Sudan. I go with no agenda and remain open to the Spirit to send me to where I an needed. I go in service.

A word on the title of the blog; Omnes Donum Est. It is a Latin phrase that means “All Is Gift”. It has been a personal motto of mine since 2000, the date of my solemn profession as a Franciscan Friar. The phrase reflects my personal theology of pain and suffering. I believe that my God does not wish pain and suffering on me. The pain I have experienced in life is from other sources. God, I have learned, is present to help me make the pain transform into life. I have just to ask. Suffering is the choice I make to live in the past, the past of pain. I have mourned losses in the past and felt pain but my way through that loss and hurt was through a trust in a loving God who gives me joy if I but ask. Who I am today is the direct result of resigned suffering. I surrender to the loss only to be caught up in the loving arms and tender care of my God. Easy to do? No. Does it take practice and patience? Yes. Do I still get stuck in the past and suffer? Yes. Can I do this by myself? No, I need help. Remembering, however, that there is a gift waiting for me on the other side pain, moves me to break from the chains of suffering, walk away from the enmeshment of ghosts, and walk free into the gift of joy.

I look forward to journeying with you. Please feel free to comment. I will read and respond to your comments to the best of my abilities given the limitations of time, distance and availability of internet connection.

Who am I?

My name is Br. Tim Lamb and I am a Franciscan Friar from St. John the Baptist Province in Cincinnati, Ohio. Please join me as I begin my new Mission in East Africa.  Peace and all good.