Today is my 26th birthday! Kind of weird to think about...26 lol. Before I left for Botswana, I was having an ongoing discussion with my friend Jackie about whether or not 26 is mid-20s or late-20s. Of course she said it was mid and I said it was late lol. For some reason, turning 26 made me feel old. After this past weekend, it doesn't matter anymore.
I spent the weekend in Kasane. It is in the north of Botswan, near the Zimbabwe border and is the tourist hot spot. People from all over the world come to Kasane to see the wildlife. It has the highest concentrations of zebra and elephants in the world...it also has the higest concentration of people with AIDS in the world.
I stayed at the mission of St. Francis of Assisi with Fr. Marek from Poland. He is quite a character. Very politically incorrect and very intelligent. He also has a great sense of humor and is probably one of the most gentle and humble pastors I've met in a long time. The mission is very small and run down, but they are in the midst of completing a renovation project. He has also created a recording studio in the church for the kids choir he has created to record CDs. I can't remember the name of the group in seTswana, but in English it means "Children of the Elephants" because there are more elephants than people in Kasane. I'll talk more about these kids in a bit.
On Saturday, we left the thatched-roof house and drove to Chobe National Park. We took a loaf of bread, butter, marmelade, cheese spread, and juice. It was the most incredible experience. I have seen all of these animals before...it was nothing new in that sense. But what was incredible was to see them just grazing on the side of the dirt road...giraffes, elephants, buffalo, zebras, crocodiles (HUGE crocodiles), all kinds of birds, baboons, mongooses (or is that mongeese?), antelope, hippos, and even some honey badgers. I can't even describe what it was like to just see them walking around, being themselves. It was truly awesome. And to see so much land that has VERY little human interference...the roads are all dirt and there were only a few structures (bathrooms). Otherwise there was no sign of humanity. It was breathtaking. We spent almost 12-hours on the safari...I didn't get sick of the animals once. They were so beautiful and majestic. It was incredible. The only thing I didn't see were the lions...I've decided to take that as a sign that I am meant to come back to see them next time.
The next day was Mass. The people were wonderful, as I expected them to be, and very welcoming. You'll never believe it, but I met a woman who comes to Reno every year for the Safari convention at the Convention Center. When I told her I was from Reno, she said "Oh I know Reno! I go to Little Flower on Plumb Lane each time I visit." Now what in the hell were the chances that in Kasane, Botswana, I would meet a lady who knows Plumb Lane by name? I was dumbfounded lol but we exchanged information, and I'm hoping we can connect when she comes up to town. Anyhoo, after Mass, there were many young children hanging around. Fr. Marek explained that this is their main outreach. These children, the Children of the Elephants, are not Catholic, but spend almost all their time at the church because they have nowhere else to go. Not because they don't have families (although a couple are orphans) but their families don't care for them. Many of the young girls I met are regularly sexually abused by the men who hang around the mothers. Some of the young boys were thieves and sniffing glue. Some of the children have HIV from their parents. But all of them have found a home at the mission. The mission has started a program to provide them with food...for many, the only food they receive. They take the kids to the library twice a week and they also try to do workshops to empower them for future careers. They also just spend time with the kids and play sports with them. It was truly one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever seen and heard.
We took the kids to fish and play dodgeball (man did my body feel old and out of shape doing that! LOL). Some of the kids seemed kind of sluggish. When Fr. Marek asked them if they were ok, they said they hadn't eaten since Friday afternoon...this was now Sunday afternoon. These kids were between 8 and 11. I have seen hungry children before, but this seemed different. I think it seemed different because these kids weren't hungry or in need because of a lack of resources necessarily, but because of a lack of care from their parents. The parents simply don't care or are too interested in their own affairs (such as promiscuity, drugs, alcohol and dealing with AIDS). The church is all these children have. Fr. Marek even told me that some of the children were breaking into the church and sleeping on the pews because the parents were locking the kids out (God only knows what as happening inside).
When we returned to the mission, Fr. Marek gave the kids 4 loaves of bread, which they divided among themselves, and they ran off into the night...hopefully to beds. I had to go into my room and cry.
During our time together, the children sang two songs for me...both of which I never have really liked, but now find a great beauty in:
"You Raise Me Up"
When I am down and, oh my soul, so weary;
When troubles come and my heart burdened be;
Then, I am still and wait here in the silence,
Until you come and sit awhile with me.
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains;
You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas;
I am strong, when I am on your shoulders;
You raise me up... To more than I can be.
"We Are the World"
We are the world, we are the children
We are the ones who make a brighter day
So lets start giving
There's a choice we're making
We're saving our own lives
Its true we'll make a better day
Just you and me.
How many children, even in the US, need us? How many children even in Reno would be singing these songs if someone cared enough to reach out?
Turning 26? Not terribly important. Playing dodgeball with abused and neglected children? Oh Happy Day!
