------------ ------ MAGNIFICAT

------- Christmas 2007

My Dad and Mom and me------I was 35 years old-they were my age smileLay Mission Helpers Picture of me weighing a baby--------------------------------------------- World AIDS Day--kids drawing pictures


AIDS
Orphans
Saturday

Me and
Josephine

Remembering 2007- St. Francis Mutolere

Maria and Marie: First Nurse and patient-----now friends November 2007July 2007
-------------------------------------------My First Ugandan Christmas Tree

My Dancing Angels: Juliet Suzy and Robina -----------
------------------------------------------Walking to the car following an "Outreach"


HIV Testing

"Outreach"

--- Sunday- A Family Kind of Day

Dear Friends

Michael and I are overwhelmed by your generosity. Lots of things arrived for Michael last week and friend Bill, from Nashville, beat the pack with his earliest package of a 5 pk of onesies the week before.

Special Thanks to my Heather for a surprise box of formula, a few items for me and even a stuffed little monkey as Michaels first and only toy.

Thank you Rebecca and Carol for all the mini clothes for Michael, including booties, receiving blankets hats, bibs, formula and even some preemie outfits

Yesterday, Sunday, Michael spent the afternoon at my home. What fun!! Bert, who arrived from China on Thur. evening and Emmanuel , my local friend from Kisoro, made four for a really nice day of sharing stories and a good fish dinner (photos included). Feeding Michael while Bert gave Emmanuel a photo tour of his last 2 + months in China, gave me a sense of “family” that I haven’t felt for a long time.

I have been thinking a lot about “family” and what that means to me: As a child and young woman, it all came so naturally, with kind generous and o, so funny parents. We pretty much took for each other for granted the “specialness: of being together on holidays. Today with my parents and Coleen in the heavens and the distance from Theresa, Heather and Jolie, I need to create an environment which allows friends (old and new) to fill that space.

Bert Self, will be here thru Christmas as we attempt to create a Ugandan American experience that will make the Holiday Season of 2007 a memorable one. We started with a photo session of Michael and Mamma Michael (me ).adorned in festive holiday attire. It was quite successful and the prize photo will head my Christmas blog, hopefully next week. I am feeling and looking good these days and it shows in these photos. Thirty pounds certainly makes a difference but it is caring for a baby, with beautiful brown globes in contrast to my own blue eyes , that adds that unique glow .

Special thoughts and prayers to my dear friend Bonnie Walker and son Jay as they bury their husband and father Dennis, this week.

And birthday love to my friend Br. Bob Smith who is celebrating his day in Bethlehem where he has been called to serve for the next several years by the “Christian Brothers”, serving as Vice President for Academic Affairs, at Bethlehem University.

I don’t want to mislead anyone that the threats of Ebola are not a concern, but for now my area is unaffected and I believe we will remain so. Hopefully things will be quieted soon and no others will need to die from this plague.

Blessings of renewed faith and the anticipation only Advent can bring as we await His Presence bursting into our World as a new born babe.

------------------------MARIE

My three "guys" hang out together
Baby Michael in Berts arms while Emmanuel views Berts China photos.------- Marie and Bert enjoy a Fish Dinner and each others company

--------------------AIDS KILLS-------

Dear Larry and Carolyn

Thanks so very much for forwarding the John Kerry letter, It felt so personal, as if he were writing it just for me, for you, for each of the many people that received it.

He, apparently, is not running this term, but do you think he would be considered Vice Presidential by Hillary or Barack?. I would love to see both John Kerry and Al Gore in the white house, in any decision making capacity.

It is interesting, but living so far away I really give little thought to politics, not even knowing much about the political arena here in this country, except that the President. has been President forever and want to be until he dies. It seems most Ugandans are quite content with that idea because even with upper government corruption etc. He still seems to be running the country well.

As you know Uganda has the best rate of decline in HIV-AIDS of any African country, primarily because President Museveni, unlike the leaders of South Africa, was willing to face the problem head on in the early nineties. Education about AIDS , as well as Education in general, is a big thing here and most schools, whether Faith based or not, are government assisted..

Yesterday, World AIDS Day, was initially a bit of a disappointment for me as the only people wearing red ribbons were the ones I had made and given (literally pinned to them). But, by the grace of God, sheer determination and stubbornness, I made it something special for the children from the AIDS Orphans Program. I dug up a few colored pencils, crayons and paints, bought a huge package of cheap paper and after a co-worker translated a short talk I gave about World AIDS Day, emphasizing World every bit as much as AIDS, we set them in circles of varying age group and they set about drawing pictures. I rummaged my home for anything they could use (found small bottles of paint and colored paper Mary Johns had sent, all the stick pins and tiny nails you folks had sent, and some colored pens that I had bought in Kisoro. It was a great success but now I need more stick pins, tiny nails and someday in a Care pk. all the crayons, colored pencils and paints you can find on sale at Walmart (for future projects)..

It was interesting to watch; as in the beginning they didn’t know what to do except grab a colored pencil or two or three and horde them. Following several lessons in what

“ Sharing “ is; they simply do not understand the concept. It is not as if they are being mean, they just have so little, that a colored pencil has so much more value if it is in their hand then being used.

Well they finally got the idea that if there are 10 children using 6 crayons--- sharing becomes not only necessary but optimal, for a colorful outcome-smile. I’ll take some photos and “share” them with you.

Godfrey, Ellie’s friend, is quite talented and insisted he make two, one to be displayed and one to send to Ellie. The primary lessons they learn in school and shared in their art work is” AIDS kills” and don’t discriminate against anyone because they have AIDS or have lost family members from it.

..I had to hold back a smirk when a 6 year olds response to the question ”How do we prevent ourselves and others from getting AIDS was “Be faithful to your Partner”.

Outside all the schools there are many signs that are year round messages, which read” “Do not allow bad touches” “Virginity is healthy” “Do not accept gifts for sex” “AIDS kills, be educated about it.” As well as “Education is the key to success”.

I am not sure if it was in the translation or the general thinking but my message of how important it is to “Remember, those we have lost from the disease, seemed to go unheard. That will be my goal for next year, to get tea light candles, music and teach the children how to “Remember” their parents, aunts, uncles, brothers and sisters they have lost from this disease.

Year three I’ll move onto teaching them how to “Celebrate Their Lives” which I and many others learned so well at” Heartsong” Retreats from Trudy James, Gerry Lane, Patti Briseston ,Eric Camp, Sonny Mosley and most especially Sue Bradley (Our “Madame”)

”... Well I have gone off on a tangent, which considering the time of year and the flood of memories I am having, is understandable. So this letter to Larry and Carolyn Williams has turned into a Blog, possible entitled “AIDS Kills” or “Celebrate Their Lives” Hum what a choice.

I Celebrate the Lives of everyone who is reading this Blog and thank you for caring about me and all those infected and affected by HIV-AIDS

----------------------------Marie------------------------------------

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