Missionary
Come to Uganda and share your talents. Here are the stories of some who have come or are planning to come.
June 2008
Group to Visit Ugana July 30th - August 17th
By: Pete Truax
On July 29th five of us will depart Minneapolis for
Uganda. Wendy Ivins (wife of Dr. Gary Ivins) and their
18-year-old son, Zachary will join Pete, his youngest
daughter, Susan Truax, who lives in Portland, OR and
granddaughter, Denise Williams, also, 18 who lives in
Minneapolis. Wendy told me last year that the next time I
went to Uganda she wanted to come. She and her husband,
Gary, have know Msgr. Matthew for a number of
years and have been very supportive of his work. My
daughter and granddaughter are very excited to be
going. The purpose of the trip for Wendy, Zack, Susan
and Denise is just to have the experience. We will be
moving around to many parishes in northern Uganda,
attending the ordination of a priest, visiting Archbishop
Flynn Secondary School, an IDP camp, two hospitals,
two Ugandan Martyr’s shrines and a Game Park.
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December 2006
YOU ARE ABOUT TO EMBARK ON AN ADVENTURE…
By: Marcia Farniok - Teacher at Epiphany Catholic School
Packed with little more than good intentions, I departed from Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport on July 7th.
When I heard of Epiphany Catholic School’s relationship with Msgr. Matthew Odong, I leapt, heart first, at the opportunity
to visit Uganda. I am not a lifetime activist, or a professional good-deed do-er. However, I felt called to go,
even though I knew little about Ugandan history, Gulu and
never heard of the LRA.
I kept a journal during my 30 days in Northern Uganda, and
want to share some of that with you. Now that I have
returned, how do I best communicate all my learning and
experiences? I concluded my journal with top five lists to
summarize and organize my over hundred pages of writing.
You can read elsewhere what the conflict is about, and
ways that you can help these people. What I hope to
portray to you is an average person’s experience.
There was no way I could be prepared for the adventure on
which I was about to embark. My Ugandan itinerary was little
more than teaching English at Mother Angioletta’s
Kindergarten and attending an ordination in Kalongo.
However, I had no fear that my days and nights would be
consumed with activities that would fill my time and heart.
Top 5 Things I Never Thought I would get Used To in
Uganda…But I Did!
1. Cold water showers and baths in my laundry tub with
three liters of water.
2. Lack of electricity – In one 48-hour period we had a
total of 4 hours of electricity.
3. The mosquito net around my bed.
4. The new smells – There is no trash collection so it is all
burned. With the lack of electricity there are numerous
fires to provide light. Then there are the new foods,
animals, flora and fauna.
5. Getting up early, attending Mass everyday and the
lengthy services – the music is AMAZING!
Top 5 Things I Never Did Get Used To…
1. The Abundance of Large Flying Termites.
2. Lack of Sanitation – It is an absolutely atrocity the living
conditions of those in the camps.
3. New Bacteria – My skin reacted in a rash from the tap
water and I ended up in the hospital due to food
poisoning from under-refrigerated food (see #2 above).
4. Uganda Time – Nothing, except Mass, was ever on
time.
5. The sight of all the internally displaced people and lack
of freedom in the North versus the apathy and fear to
help in those of the South.
Top 5 Favorite Things I Did…
1. Being Inquisitive – I learned so much by giving up the
fear of curiosity.
2. Beginning to learn the Acholi language and customs.
3. Holding the baby in Adilang while singing and talking
with the children from the camp.
4. Being allowed the opportunity to become a part of the
seminary community.
5. Kalongo – The entire trip to and from Kalongo was an
adventure. I was able to meet and speak with Bishop
Franzelli, attend an ordination, travel on treacherous roads,
see and visit remnants/places of atrocities against Acholi by
the LRA and gather together with priests, deacons, sisters
and other lay people.
Top 5 Things I Will Miss…
1. Climate.
2. Abundance of Fresh Fruit.
3. Prayer – I will miss the natural integration of prayer into
my life each day.
4. Meal Times with all Priests and Deacons.
5. An easier and calmer approach to life – although doing
anything took more work and time compared to
activities in America, everyone in northern Uganda was
happy, hopeful and full of faith.
As my days came to an end, I wanted nothing more than to
stay in Northern Uganda. Perhaps it was the legumes, millet
or ground nuts that enticed me or maybe it was the tug
I felt inside, that feeling of doing more for the people who had given me so much. My last journal entry: “You know,
when I was leaving I would say to people, ‘It is only for a
month.’ On the inside I was thinking, ‘But it is a whole
month, in a new place, by myself,’ but on the outside I was
trying to pretend it was no big deal. Looking back, it really
was only a month – no big deal.
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