Answering Hate with Love, Answering Intolerance with Education.

This morning 2 bombs were set off in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. I am in a remote village, 6 hours away, and all the teachers are safe and will continue to be safe. The gentleness and kindness we have received from the people in Anaka and Pope Paul VI school has been amazing. 64 people were killed in these bombings...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/11/AR2010071102834.html

Included in the deceased was a young man, Nate Henn, who I do not believe I had the pleasure of meeting. He was a dedicated roadie for Invisible Children. The roadies are amazing people who put their lives on hold for 3 months, 6 months, or sometimes more than a year to spread the word about how Americans and American high school students can help the students of northern Uganda. Becky Dale, Nerinx Hall alum, is one of those amazing people. I found out later today that Becky had known Nathan and they were friends and believers in the same dream.

Nate had made such good friends with Ugandans that he had met while touring America that he had come to Uganda early to reconnect with those friends. It was doing what friends do, watching the World Cup, that put Nate in the wrong place at the wrong time. It is also tragically ironic that Nate who worked hard to end the violence and hate in Northern Uganda was killed by a different group of violence and hate. If you want to read who Nate was....here is a link to the Invisible children site.

http://blog.invisiblechildren.com/2010/07/in-loving-memory-of-nate-oteka-henn/

I also ask your prayers for the other 60 plus people who died in this senseless act of violence. It may be easy when we see such destruction and mayhem that we give up or become pessimistic about our world.

I also ask your prayers for all those inside the Invisible Children organization, this is a tightly knit community, and my fellow teacher, Colleen Dougherty, knew Nate, and was close friends with his sister, and many of his friends. I have nicknamed Colleen, Sunshine and Smiles, because that is exactly who she is Sunshine and Smiles---she is a wonderful teacher that brings energy and love to everyone she encounters. I cannot tell you how many times she has made me smile or laugh. It is literally over 100 in a short two weeks. It saddens me that one so giving and loving is sad today.

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But today my day begin entirely different than the violence and mayhem of the city of Kampala. My day began with 8 villagers of Anaka in a small, beautiful church at 630 am Mass. The Mass was concelebrated by Father Leonsyo and Father Martin, my 2 new friends, and they were joined on the altar by Deacon James who will be ordained the day we leave Anaka. The Mass started a little late, as the World Cup did not end until after midnight here, and even the Priests are fans. LOL! A few minutes into the Mass, a small boy of about 6 came into church by himself. He dutifully blessed himself with Holy Water and found a space in the church. He, like most under the age of 13, had no shoes, and was clad in a simple shirt and shorts, his primary school uniform.

Mass was in Lwo, so it is sometimes hard to follow, but Father Leonsyo's voice, his peace, his calm, and his LOVE come out loud in any language. The other night, his cell phone rang as he was with Kelley Moneymaker and myself. "Can I Love this one he asked?", to Kelley and I. "To answer, and to listen is to LOVE, is it not?" He said.

Today, I will pray some more and pray a lot. And I will pray that the world will see the future in the 3 generations I saw today. I do not know who each of you will identify with the small boy, Colleen who so much wants to give good to the world, or the gentle Love of a Parish priest. But one or maybe all of those three will continue the work of Nate Henn, and I remain convinced that LOVE in the end will triumph.

How can it not?

John

p.s. Do not worry about me, I will see you all in August. and know that I love each of you so, so much. I am a teacher, and I am here teaching.....