3 A.M. in Anaka

Got back to Anaka after a return trip to St. Jude's, made great time and the roads were not as bad as I thought they were going to be after a lot of rain. Early this morning, Colleen and I walked about 40 minutes to get to Mass with the students at Gulu High. Each step had to be chosen wisely, as the roads were really muddy. We reached a few impasses, but kind of walked on the graas a bit. When we arrived at Gulu High, the front gate was locked and we had to wait another 7 minutes or so to get in. By the time we got to Mass, it was over. We were both disappointed as what used to be 10 am Mass was not an 830 one. Oh well, another 20 minute walk through the mud, caught a boda, and back to Kope Cafe for breakfast.

Accomplished a few more errands, and then we hoped in the IC Land Rover for a trip back to Anaka, but first a stop at St. Jude's. I really wanted the first year teachers to get a chance to get back there. It really is a place of hope, and smiles, and snot (many babies...LOL). The kids did not disappoint, the young ones came to be picked up or bounced around or just to hang on my hands as long as I could support their weight. I started purposely walking over the little ones, as my legs are taller than they are high. Anything to see the laughter and the smiles that I knew St. Jude's was about. There was another white woman there I did not recognize, and maybe it was her that brought the kite. But the kite was great, (I was thinking it was not going to fly with no wind), but by just running as fast as they could, the boys got the kite moderately high. It was neat the way they would run as fast as they could, and then when they got tired, handed off to a friend.

I walked to the end of the buildings and greeted Filda. We both had so many memories of our last meeting. She thanked me (I accepted the thanks, but felt weird) and we talked a bit. She told me that she was broken hearted because that one, Samuel was one of her favorite little ones. I told her that many were praying for Samuel, and Father Tom Poth had actually said a Mass from Nicaragua. Many of the mothers were sitting on a porch, and Filda introduced me as "the one who helped us" and I needed to do something. So I looked on the roof and saw a stuffed bear that must have been thrown up there....first I tried to fish it off with a jump rope, but was unsuccessful and then found a stick with a perpendicular flat piece of board nailed to it. Exactly the tool I needed to get down a dirty stuffed bear..... but it worked....

Still thinking so I snuck alone to the edge of the buildings taking pictures of children. I ducked into their small, but beautiful chapel and felt confident that God was here for the children. I then walked around the back, being careful not to let others watch my actions, from about 25 feet away, I saw a new concrete lid to a hole in the ground....today that was good enough...and I felt guilty checking on the progress of many who cared daily for the young unwanted children, but I had to check ....25 feet was close enough. I turned circled back and saw many children.....how many more smiles and laughter could I squeeze into my brain in the next 4 minutes before it would be time for the Pope Paul VI crew to get back into the vehicle....how many....


John