Ellie & Maria--The Best of USA & Uganda

Let’s see, there is so much to cover. First the most awaited update on the precious Ms. Ellie Lambert and her generous offer to help the children of Uganda. Ellie has chosen to pay for all the items “Emmanuel” will need to start boarding school I picked up some basic things like tooth paste and tooth brush, soap, a towel, 2 sheets and a trunk (small) to keep his personal belongings. But I bet you never had to bring your own mattress(roll up), one dish, one spoon, one cup and a basin to wash yourself and your clothes in. We also picked up some flip flop rubber sandals, as once you are over 12 yrs., you are required to wear shoes in school. Now he has a nice shirt, sweater and pair of pants and very spiffy black sport type shoes..
I am not sure why we haven’t taken Emmanuel and his items to the school, but I am sure Justine will let me know when we are to make the big move. I am a bit concerned because even though Emmanuel attended the AIDS Orphan Day the last two weeks, I did not see him there today.. I am not sure what that means, so say a prayer all goes well with getting him started in school.
Then with the remainder of Ellie’s money ( and her mom added another $50.00 to the pot) we will have a party for the children. Ellie is to send some party favors and the money for the cake and sodas etc, which will be purchased at this end. I can’t wait to see their faces when they see the “sweets” and festive celebration.---all for them!
Today, I had a “movie time”, by showing the children the photos I have taken of them on my laptop , over the last couple of months, as well as the mini videos Was that ever a mad house,, but O, how they enjoyed it. .
Thank you Ms. Ellie for your generous heart, the children will all benefit from your kindness. and we, adults needed the jolt back to the reality of how much we have and how very much we think it our due.

Last Sunday was Pentecost Sunday and Fr. John quoted from my blog about Becky see blog entitled ( “Amen Amen, Again I Say Amen”). In general he spoke of my experience with Becky, and the bird at Mass, but specifically my quote about hearing a foreign language yet understanding I said“ It reminded me of the scripture where the apostles spoke in many languages yet all understood” Guess it did fit in with Pentecost, but I was still surprised that my Newsletter was the source of his homily. Then when I saw him the next day he ask if he might say a Mass for my friend Becky and her husband and friends. I told him”of course” and that I was honored by his thoughtfulness. He thanked me for coming to St. Francis and said he had been moved by my stories, particularly about Becky.
Tomorrow, is not only Trinity Sunday but the remembrance of the Ugandian Martyrs
I don’t know the whole story but I know there were many of them, some very young who died for their Faith I remember as a child in catholic school how ready and willing I was to face the lions in the amphitheater, torture from boiling hot to freezing cold water, almost anything for my Faith except , of course, a snake-smile. Not much has changed except now I complain incessantly about the shower water being too hot or too cold.(ha)

Last, but not in any way the least, I want to tell you about my first home visit patient. Maria a lovely woman who was diagnosed with HIV in 1994 when she escaped from Rwanda, to return to her homeland Kisoro, Uganda She is too sick to come to the hospital for visits, so I will be checking in on her twice a month. I need to admit that it is not easy to enter the home of a very poor country person. After the driver dropped us off, there was still a mile or so walk thru a rocky terrain just to arrive at Maria’s humble home. We entered into a very small area that had two small benches in it. Maria greeted us warmly and disappeared only to return with a small straw mat which she chose to sit on, while we took the benches. Following the formalities of greeting , we spoke of her health, and I told her I wanted to add my two cents to encourage her to start on the ARV’s. I know others have tried and she refuses to take them, but I asked for the opportunity to share the experience of my friends who are doing well, as the meds have been available for 10 years in the United States, as compared to only one year here in Uganda. . I am not sure how well my words were translated, but I know we read each others hearts and a bond was formed with the glue being far stronger than our shared name..
Her B/P was very high and she did accept the medicine sent by the Clinician and promised she would take it. She decided that if her dizziness went away with these pills, she would come to the hospital for a thorough examination. She did not accept my pleas to start on the ARV’s but promised to take the decision to God in prayer..
At what I thought was the end of our visit, she had us follow her thru a doorless doorway , thru a pitch dark room(I believe it is her bedroom) into a larger room aglow with sunlight streaming thru the opened shutters. This was the largest room in the home and contained two longer benches and, a small table The reason we were led into this room was because the walls were covered with unframed photos of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. . As my eyes adjusted to the light, I noticed yet another photo, torn, and faded,yet could see that it was a print of a profile of a young girl, with long reddish hair in waves around her face. A stream of sunlight landed atop her head and showed an even more faded aura outlined in gold .While my mind raced back some 50 years to a similar photo that hung in my bedroom, I recognized the painting as being that of St. Maria Goretti , a saint because she fought off the sexual advances of a man much older than her 12 years, being stabbed many times and soon dying in the process. Maria let it be known that she forgave her killer and would pray for his repentance and conversion. Following many years in jail, he was released and converted and then became Maria’s biggest proponent toward her sainthood, which happened in 1956
Yes, Maria and I shared more than a name, we shared a patron saint::St. Maria Goretti. More often the name Maria/Marie is assumed to be in honor of Our Blessed Mother, Mary, but sometimes, as in the case of Maria and myself, we chose the road less traveled by having a 12 year old girl from a country neither of us have ever been in or known as our patron saint Maria, more than I, as her full name is MariaGoretti Nyirabucayungura.. I, a continent away, was baptized Marie Catherine McGee
While these thoughts and, memories ruminated in my head, Maria ask(no demanded smile) that I pray for her and with her . I ask Grace, my helper and translator if she were going to translate my prayer. She said”no Maria says that God understands all languages”. Well, that must have been a relief for me as it is not always easy for we cradle Catholics to pray spontaneously from our heart. In Arkansas I always left that pleasure to my Baptist friend Bonnie, to whom it seems to come quite naturally.(Miss you Bon-Bon)
Somehow I prayed easily for Maria, her family, her health and that, if it were the right thing for her journey, she might start on the Antiretroviral Therapy.. I must have done ok, as Grace ,who could understand me, seemed moved by my plea to God for Maria and her family. As I was leaving Maria entered her bedroom and returned with a book, entitled “Tears Of Hope” which is a compilation of short stories of Ugandan woman Maria’s story was included in this book and she lent it to me to read and return at a later date. I decided that I should share it with you as well, and have included a small portion today and will include a page each blog should you care to read along with me.
Imana ibanenawe ( God be with you)
Marie