LAST DAY

As we end our last day in Lukulu we can't thank everyone enough for one, the incredible donars who made this trip possible and secondly the amazing locals of Lukulu, Zambia providing such great hospitality and ability to make all of us feel so at home. For lack of a better cliche.. I can't put into words how life altering and eye opening this mission trip was. The people of Zambia have truly touched our hearts in a way that only can be done with such great faith. Even though we came here with plenty of supplies, donations, and visions, we leave here with so much more spiritually. Which was the response to today's gospel, in life we have to let go of all of the things that weigh us down and find inner peace within our faith. In the words of Father Chibesa "Great faith without good works is dead although good works without great faith is also dead" Speaking for all of the missionaries I truly believe we all have a stronger faith as well as confidence in our faith due to this trip. It was such a bittersweet goodbye as we shared our last meal and presented gifts to each other but we wouldn't have asked for a better night to end our mission trip. Again, we thank everyone for making this possible, its such a blessing to have the opportunity to do such great works of God. Please pray for us to have a safe journey home and for the people of Lukulu. God Bless!

Day 10

To all of our family and friends, at 7am we as usual celebrated mass together. Father Chibesa stressed the importance of listening in response to the readings. Whether that be to God or to our peers listening is key. Throughout the day we split into 3 groups and went to the market within Lukulu with Sister Liz. It was such a great experience and afterward we all decided that you really haven't experienced all of Zambia until you have been to a market! As the ladies went to the market the men: John, Mike, Johnathon, and Trent stayed and patched up the court with cement.When everyone came back to the mission we were so grateful to have the young adults 16-18 years old dedicate 2 different dances to us. It was so great to soak in all of the culture that they offered. Also throughout the day the kids again played volleyball this time with Alisha, Michelle, and Alexis. All of the kids no matter what age are all great competition it was really a lot of fun.  We are so excited for all of the festivities tomorrow holds! Thank you once again to all of our donars, family, and friends for making this mission trip possible! God has truly blessed us with such generous and kind-hearted people to help do God's work here in Lukulu, Zambia. God Bless!

Day 9

Good afternoon everyone, today we split up into 2 groups. Group one: Dave, Alisha, Trent, Lisa, Judy, Mike, and Michelle had an early morning to leave for their outreach mission at 8:00am. They celebrated mass together in their very compact church. one thing that was very shocking to our missionaries was to see so many young teens pregnant while in Mbanga. After having mass the people of Mbanga prepared a meal for all of them and had presents awaiting. The meal consisted of shima (cornmeal and boiled water churned to a solid) chicken, and cabbage. Each person received a present from the village of Mbanga to show their gratitude towards the Sancta Maria mission, Dave: rooster and a broom [to sweep away anything in the way of evangelism] Lisa, Alisha, Michelle, and Judy: carved wooden spoon [they will never go hungry while spending time in Mbanga] Mike: welcome mat [symbolizing always having comfort and somewhere to stay] Trent: hand woven basket. Everyone was so touched by their incredible hospitality and inspiring faith. Back in the mission the rest of the group: Jonathon, Alexis, Liz, Brandon, Annette, John, and Audrey, had fun interacting with the kids. Liz as usual was seen under the shade teaching the kids various dances that brought infinite smiles and giggles, something she will always have to cherish when we leave Lukulu. Alexis got a volleyball tournament going which is a very popular sport here. It was a great success and I must admit even after loosing i can still say I had a great time with the older kids. they are all very welcoming and kind hearted which will be one of the reasons that leaving will be a a lot more difficult than expected. Most of the young adults went to talk to Sister Pat and Sister Liz about the history and background of the many things she contributes to the Sancta Maria mission. It was very insightful and really gave a great perspective on the day to day life of a religous leader. After dinner again the young adults went to talk to Father Kapya about the problems teens face in the society of Zambia. Comparing to the United States most of the topics are prevalent but the severity level is much lower. We gave great advice to Father on ways to help the teens as he takes on the title of the youth leader in the Diocese of Mongu. Thank you again for all your thoughts and prayers God Bless!

Letters From Lukulu!

August 5^th, 2012

Dear Friends,

                On July 25^th, 2012, fourteen of us left Saginaw, Michigan, USA, to begin a journey entitled Love for Lukulu Mission 2012. Our group consisted of eight females and six males. Nine of the missionaries were our younger folk, and five were the adult chaperones.

                Our group was in formation for nearly one year, with at least monthly meetings and fundraisers. We were determined to raise enough money to pay the air fare and lodging of our fourteen missionaries as well as collect funds to give to the Mother’s Milk and HEPS programs. Our group also collected a variety of supplies to bring to Lukulu, many of which were donated to the hospital.

                We’ve had three major activities to work on since we arrived. The first is part of an on-going project. In previous years, (this is the fourth Diocese of Saginaw mission trip to Lukulu) a basketball court was built just outside of town. For the 2012 mission “Coach Dave” and five young people offered a basketball camp to more than 100 youth and young adults from Lukulu. What a joy it was to watch the players as they completed this week of training. Some of the players have great talent. Everyone had a good time.

                A total of four sessions were held each day for both males and females. One session was for coaches. Our dream is that the newly trained coaches will continue teaching the game to the village people after we depart.

                The smiles on the faces of the “basketball campers” were so gratifying. Back in the USA, people asked, “Why build a basketball court or offer a basketball camp when there are so many people starving in Lukulu and so many other projects the need to be done?”

                We respond to these questions by explaining how exciting it is to watch a young person partaking in a structured activity. Learning to play basketball is also about building self esteem in the players and entertainment and excitement among the children who came to watch.

                Our second project was installing plywood ceilings in the Saint Columbas Girls’ Dorm. This facility can house up to 40 girls. Unfortunately, when it rains, the sound is very loud on the metal roof.  The project will make the rooms much more attractive and quiet, especially during the rainy season. “Mighty Mike” and his crew members have finished their ceiling project throughout the building. The missionaries cleaned the dorm in preparation for the girls return.

                The third missionary crew had the privilege of working with the children through the bible camp. Annette and her team learned how bright the children are and how much they love to chant, to sing, to play games, and offer praise to God. Several simple projects were completed with the children. However, it was a challenge to play and interact with the children because often there were 200  - 300 children gathered around our house, eager to learn what we would do with them.

               

We don’t want to make it sound as though we have only spent our time working. We have had many opportunities to explore Lukulu such as tours to the hospital, to the Mother’s Milk program, and a wonderful mass each day. We also visited two outpost worship centers for mass- at Mitete and Mbanga where we experienced the beautiful singing and dancing that were part of the Liturgy. We also made two trips to the other side of the Zambezi River. The ride was challenging but the beauty of the country was breath taking.

                Our missionaries offer the following reflections about their experience in Africa:

                LIZ: Liz has been especially touched by the hospitality shown to us by the people of the parish. “When we first arrived, the welcoming committee offered each of us a hug and a warm greeting.”

                ALEXIS: Alexis comments that “The people are the happiest I have ever seen. But it you take some time to get to know the people, they will tell their hard, sad stories. Yet, they are so happy… They smile so big when I take pictures.”

                JONATHON: Jonathon has discovered “a genuine joy from these people who have so little. In the U.S., we take so much for granted and often aren’t grateful for all that is being done for us. Here people are grateful for everything. You can see it in the expressions on their faces.”

                BRANDON:  Brandon, a member of the basketball team, has been touched by “how much the children appreciate the basketball camps. They really take to it. It is more than just a game to them. The kids do anything we ask. They look up to us, and respect us. They follow us everywhere we go. They are so grateful. Little things mean a lot to them.”

                DAVE:  This is his third trip to Lukulu. He continues to be impressed by the welcoming spirit of the people… “and how safe it is here. People in the US were worried about our safety. But these are the most peaceful people I have ever met. People are quick to offer their help. They help us keep the basketball equipment together, retrieving balls if they roll away. These are very respectful young people”.

                AUDREY: Audrey says that “experiencing the culture has been very dear to my heart. I treasure every experience. They are so valuable to me. These are God’s people and I fully love and respect them.”

                JOHN: John comments that his favorite parts of this trip have included “ the trip to Mitete, the liturgy, the vision of the children running behind our vehicle as we left, waving and yelling ‘bye’; the children asking their polite questions; ‘how are you?’ or ‘ what is your name?’ I hear these questions as I walked to the basketball court each day. The kids must learn those social questions in school.”

                ANNETTE: Annette says that “ I love the liturgies and all of the people I have met. I am totally captivated by the land. The Zambezi River is amazing, the villages intrigue me, and the trees and grasses captured my attention. But it is the beautiful singing of the people that I will always remember.”

               

MIKE: Mike has also been to Lukulu three times. People remember Mike from his two previous trips. “ When I first came to Lukulu, the children were very well behaved and amazed to meet us. Now they are more accustomed to the ‘white folk’. They look forward to what we are going to give them. Folks want to be on the work committees. However, the people’s friendliness and desire to help are genuine year after year. These people care about each other. They are a content culture that consists of a patriarchal society. They are genuine.”

TRENT: This is Trent’s second trip to Lukulu. His first trip was in 2010. He is amazed by the fact that “people live on so little, and are okay with it. These are very smart people and very hard working. Everyone is happy!”

LISA: Lisa states that the most touching part of the trip came on our first Thursday here when a young child we were visiting needed to be transported to the hospital. “How impressive it was to see Sr. Pat go into action to get care for the child. I have also enjoyed interacting with the children, even though the numbers were sometimes overwhelming. The older kids in the basketball camp were fun. They learned the skills a lot more quickly than I thought they would.”

ALISHA: Alisha first came to Lukulu in 2010. She was surprised to see that almost everything is still the same. However, she comments that “the work we are doing this year creates a different atmosphere. It’s a more exciting mission trip. I have been impressed with how quickly the children have been learning and how good they are at accepting direction.”

JUDY: Judy says “ I’m surprised how much better off the children at school seem to be in comparison to the children from the village. They come so far to school. The children are so excited to be around us, even when we can’t spend time with them.”

MICHELLE: Michelle stated that even though it took many hours to get here, “when I’m in Lukulu, it doesn’t feel like I’m half way around the world. I have been impressed by the small, self-sustaining village and culture. They say it takes a whole village to raise a child, I can see that. The kids are always together when we are here, sometimes several hundred at a time. They have a lot of exposure to their peers. Everyone works together to make sure things get done.”

The fourteen missionaries from the Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan, USA will be forever grateful to Fr. Chibesa and his fine parish and staff and to Sr. Pat and Sr. Elizabeth for all they have taught us.

We will leave here to begin our trip home on Wednesday, August 8^th. To the people of Lukulu, we fondly say ; “ Thanks for the Memories!”

With love,

Love for Lukulu + Beyond Missionaries

Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan, USA

Day 8

Hello everyone, this morning we attended mass at 7:30am with Father K presiding. following mass we all had breakfast together then continued to disperse into our separate groups for the last time! The girls dormitory is finally FINISHED!! Such an accomplishment for the men who have been working on them and putting so much effort into this project. The girls have once again shown their utmost gratitude towards the renovations. The basketball coaches are so proud of their players and their scrimmages throughout the day. All of the kids have come such a long way and its such an awesome experience to see it all be put into play. Even the bystanders show off their skills once in a while. Furthermore, Annette, Alexis, and Liz attended mass for the second time today for the woman of Lukulu and their Thanksgiving holiday. Here in Lukulu this day celebrates the existence of woman and they thank God for giving women to the world. It was such an empowering opportunity and having the ladies pull us into the isle to dance was the greatest mass experience we have had yet. As for tomorrow half of us will be going to Mbanga and the other half will be staying here and going to mass. Thank you again for the prayers and support God Bless!

Day 7

Hi everyone, this morning we again had a prayer service with the focus of children. We offered up our prayer service to all the the little children whom we hold dear to our hearts. Afterward we split up into our project groups as usual. The basketball coaches gave out tshirts and took pictures with another 2 groups that participated in the basketball camp. It was officially the last day of the camp and the competition is completed with awards being given out Tuesday morning at the parish center. The looks of accomplishment on both the coaches and players faces really does make all of the work the mission has done worthwhile. Also today John, Mike, and Alexis (along with a few players) painted the lines on the court today right before mass. Although it looks like we wore more paint than the court did it looks awesome. A select few: Michelle, Judy, Lisa, and Brandon got to tour the hospital and in turn have a great picture to take back to the states and really see what a privilege it is the live in such a wealthy country. As for the girls dormitory Annette, Alexis, and Liz joined the crew and cleaned up the boy's mess and organized all of the rooms. the rooms look tremendously different and we can't wait until the girls can see their new home. Alisha had a great birthday with the help of the parish, our great cooks, and the family of, one of our own, Nyambe. They made her a cake and presented her with handmade gifts. "It's not always about the gifts your friends bring you but about the friends that bring the gifts... so remember that when you open your present" -Vincent (parish chairperson) We shared great laughs and conversations around the fire and was great to strengthen our relationship with the people of Lukulu. Lastly, today our mission coordinated mass with Father Chibesa as the celebrant. Alexis read the reading from Jeremiah, Alisha read the petitions, and Judy coordinated the songs with her angelic voice ;) It was great to bring our traditions to Lukulu after experiencing the people of Lukulu's. Thank you for all of your prayers and support God Bless!

Day 6

Mousa hili (hello in lozi) and HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALISHA!! Due to later mass we had a prayer service again this morning at 7:30am lead and coordinated by Annette. She once again did a excellent job as usual. After the service we divided into our project groups for just half of the day. Basketball camp ended their eventful week with incredible improvement, giving out tshirts, and taking team pictures. The kids and coaches were so grateful for all the work the basketball crew put into the camp. Their hardwork and dedication truly did make a difference in the youth of Lukulu. The dormitory boys finished all 16 out of 16 rooms! The guys really put their heart and soul into the woodwork of the building. All thats left is the hallway ceiling and ther molding of the doors. The afternoon consisted of our two main groups. Group one: Annette, Audrey, Alexis, Lisa, Judy, Brandon, Liz, Sister Pat, and Crispen. They all went the village of Simakumba which is another center for the Mothers Milk Program. We got the chance to see a number of the babies who are currently on the program recieving milk and heps. We also saw a number of toddlers who have been discharched from the program who are very healthy. As we were leaving today there was a severely dehydrated and malnourished child who was in need (and God Bless her) Sister Pat took the initiative to seek help for the baby. The hospital was an hour away and we transported the child to medical care right away. It's the people like sister that our world needs more of. She truly touched our hearts today and really put a lot into perspective. Group 2: John, Dave, Trent, Michelle, Jonathon, Alisha, and Father K. They got to take a relaxing boat ride down the Zambezi river to view all of the wonderful scenery god has so graciously blessed us with. Overall it was a very sucessful day and we thank God for another safe a secure day in Lukulu, Zambia. Thank you again for all of your prayers and support! God Bless!

Day 5

Hi everyone! Instead of mass this morning we had an early morning prayer service coordinated by our wonderful Annette at 7:30am. She did a teriffic job with the readings and songs selection. (Due to Father Chibesa being needed in other villages) Then we all had breakfast together at 8:30am consisting of dinner rolls with either, marmalade, butter, or peanut butter and eggs. After breakfast we split into our separate groups. The basketball coaches took on the third day of camp. The kids are really starting to catch on to the game and improving on their skills each and every day. The camp really strikes curiosity throughout the village and always has an audience observing the court. The bible camp leaders went to the court today to help tame the crowd and sat in circles with at least 150-200 kids at a time singing songs such as: "Silent Night" "Joy to the World" and "Spongebob Squarepants" to keep them entertained. The girls dormitory crew completed 12 of the 16 rooms as of today. Objectives left to do: molding the doorways, putting a ceiling up in the main hallway, and patching up the holes in the walls. The people of Lukulu are very appreciative of everyones work we are doing here in the 100 degree weather with lack of shade anywhere... what so ever. For tomorrow we are splitting up into 2 groups of 7 one going fishing in the Zambezi river and the other going to a village in the outskirts of Lukulu with Sister Pat. Thank you for all of your prayers and support yet again! God Bless!

Day 4

Good afternoon everyone, we started out the day with mass at 7am again, its really great to celebrate the Eucharist as a mission and be reminded of how much of a blessing it is to have this oppurtunity to do God's work. The individual groups continued their projects throught the whole day. The girls dormitory crew finished 5 and half rooms and got the chance to meet two of the very appreciative girls who will be living in the dorms while in school. It was so great to see the excitement on the girls' faces and really helps the day go by. The basketball crew accomplished yet another day of successful training for the youth of lukulu. Bible camp went awesome and 300 of the children received "Love For Lukulu" and "Orange For Aubree" brecelets. They were so excited to see such little gestures of kindness. A select few: Alexis, Liz, Audrey, and Annette got to tour the hospital in the town of lukulu. It was such a great experience and really makes one appreciate what we have in the states. So many things are really taken for granted everyday and this trip has really opened all of our eyes. Jonathon Foldie has the oppurtunity to sit in on 3 surgries later on this week to give him a broader perspective of medicine and other parts of the world. Lastly the same group got to observe while Sister Pat managed to help over 200 babies and give the mothers, grandmothers, and/or foster parents tins of milk and a protein supplement. These babies are either malnourished or very underweight due to problems in the pregnancies. This was a very eventful day and we thank God each and every minute for this oppurtunity! Thank you for spreading the word about our blog and all of the prayers! God Bless

Day 3

hi again, the Sancta Maria mission group accomplished many great projects today! To start off the day we all went and celebrated the Eucharist as a mission group at the early hours of 7 am. Right after we split up into our groups consisting of the girls dormitory construction crew, the basketball coaches, and the bible camp leaders. For the girls dormitory crew: Trent, Mike, Jonathon, and the local helpers, put up ceilings in 2 and half of the 16 rooms. Its quite the project and is going very smoothly. The girls will love their new dorms once everything is put together! As far as the basketball coaches: Lisa, Dave, Alisha, Brandon, Judy, and Michelle, set up shop at the basketball court from 8am-5:30pm. the players consisted of 4 groups of 10 year olds- 30 year olds boys and girls. They had a great time sharing their love for the game. The bible camp leaders: Alexis, Annette, Liz, and Audrey, tamed 200 kids all under the age of 12 with nail painting, coloring, soccer games, and volleyball games. it was so great to bring endless smiles to their faces and was the biggest reward we could ask for. thank you for all your prayers they are definitely working!! We will keep everyone posted on the updates!

P.s. Happy Birthday Mary! :)

Day 2

Hello again everyone, today was a very sucessful and busy day for the Sancta Maria Mission group. We all split into two groups to accomplish more projects overall. Group One: Brandon, Liz, Jonathon, Alexis, Audrey, Annette, John, Vincent, and Father Chibesa, went across the Zambezi River to an outreach parish to celebrate the Eucharist and show our appreciation to the people of Mitete by bringing gifts. They received kazoos, bubbles, beads, rosaries, soccer balls and, handmade dresses. the smiles we brought to the people were priceless. To them its really the little things that count. It just goes to show that matieralistic things really don't matter when it comes to happiness. Group 2: Coach Dave, Michelle, Alisha, Judy, Lisa, Mike, Trent, and the children of Lukulu worked together to patch up the cracks and divets in the basketball court.  The children were so eager to be of help to the missionaries and would be pleased to do anything they needed. It was a long day for all of us and we all feel the presence of the Holy Spirit amongst us. Tomorrow the beginning of basketball camp, Bible camp, and renovations of the girls dorms will take place. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers so that everything goes as planned and the people of Sancta Maria Mission stay safe. God Bless

Arrival

Hello everyone, we made it to Lukulu in the Sancta Maria mission. On our first full day here we met the parish council through Father Chibesa and Vincent. We got a tour of the whole mission and saw all of the projects we have ahead of us. In the girls dormitory John, Mike, Trent, and Johnathon are putting up new ceilings, fixingup the bunkbed frames, fixing all of the doors, and repairing some of the walls. Coach Dave and his other coaches: Brandon, Alisha, Michelle, Judy, and Lisa, went to the basketball court and received a list of all the basketball applicants that will be attending camp.  He plans to begin working on the court tomorrow and starting camp Monday morning.  Annette, Audrey, and Michelle worked hard to sort all of our donated supplies and Liz, Alexis, and Annette gave several girls their dresses.  For the remainder of the day we had to pleasure of meeting and playing with many of the children from the Sancta Maria mission and plan to see most of them for the remainder of our time here. Monday the Bible camp crew Annette, Alexis, Liz, Audrey will designate the "playtime" to bring christ into their daily lives and be able to share our faith with all of the kids. Tomorrow morning half our our missionaries will be attending mass on the mission while the other half are excited to cross the Zambezi river to attend mass at the outreach parish.  Our stay so far has been very welcoming with great hospitality.  We are looking forward to what the remainder of the trip will bring!