A Dominican Walk Through Kenya (Part 11)

By Their Fruits You Will Know Them: Portrait of a People

“By their fruits you will know them.” Matthew 7:16

To conclude, I want to leave you with my best effort to describe the Dominican brothers and the people here. How better to illustrate some of the wonderful people we met here than to describe how the fruits of the Holy Spirit are present in their lives?

Love - Fr. Gideon, the recently elected Vicar Provincial of the East African Vicariate, experienced the loss of his father in June. I want to highlight how the witness of the other friars at the funeral in response was a powerful display of love for a brother. On the day of the funeral, we packed into three cars, and we set out on the 4-hour journey toward Mt. Kenya through markets, tea fields, and the sometimes quite steep and rocky slopes of the village where Gideon’s father was from.

When we walked into the church for Mass we found the Dominicans who had traveled eastward from Kisumu, other religious priests and sisters who knew the family, and a large congregation of people gathered in the pews and in tents to accommodate the overflow. The mass, celebrated in the Kikuyu language, affirmed the power of Christ’s victory over death, even as you could see how the large extended family felt the loss deeply. After the final blessing, the casket was carried by the friars and driven up to the family plot in the hills. We followed in procession on foot through the mud up the trail, weaving in between fields and small farm houses, many of us in dress shoes and our now less white habits. As the casket was lowered at the spot, with a large group of the villagers assembled and the friars around Fr. Gideon, the people took turns tossing shovels of dirt back in the hole to be covered with flowers and a simple cross marker. Being present here affirmed the dignity of a Christian burial, and the love expressed in acts of sacrifice from the Dominican community. 

Joy - Angelina is a mother who works at the Priory, cleaning and drying whatever needs a good wash. Every time I encountered her during the day (which was often because the laundry room was right near the kitchen) she had a big smile on her face. We laughed about things like learning how to tie a Kenyan headband or the adventures of matatu rides or the topic at hand. Her joy was simple and genuine and noticed.

Peace - During my novitiate in Irving, Texas, I loved hearing stories about Africa from Fr. Bert Ebben, O.P., who has lived and ministered there the majority of his Dominican life. A year after sitting around the breakfast table in Irving, I found myself around the breakfast table in Kisumu, where Fr. Bert lived as he helped lay the groundwork for the present Vicariate. It was there that I asked to visit the place I had heard so much about called Care for the Earth. This center, located in the beautiful countryside outside of Kisumu, is a self-sustaining farm that serves as an education and retreat center.

Talking over the phone, trying to find the compound on dusty back roads, we arrived and met a man named Cassim, who had begun this initiative with Fr. Bert more than 25 years ago. A seasoned farmer and dynamic resource on useful practices driven by his own experience, Cassim gave us a tour that any agricultural student in a university would be interested in. After the tour through the animal pens, the fields, eucalyptus forest (grown for timber and fragrance) and the peaceful clearing called Ebben’s Park, we sat and shared stories. How can I describe him, but to say that he was a peaceful man, and that was not lost on me. He was doing important work by teaching farmers how to tend their land, and there was peace knowing that the work begun by one of our friars around the time I was born, was still bearing fruit.

“The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace for those who cultivate peace.” James 3:18

Patience - I saw patience in Fr. Tesha as he continued to take on the responsibility of being Student Master. As our own Fr. Don Goergen, O.P. would know, it is a job that requires a double portion of this fruit to be successful. And he demonstrated it well, often sacrificing his time and effort for the good of us his students and other brothers in the Vicariate. 

Kindness - We experienced a generous offer of kindness when we went to visit the Novitiate community in Kisumu. There, Fr. Greg Maturi, Fr. Kevin Kraft, Fr. John Baptist, Fr. Charles, Fr. Fred, and the novices, Don, Lawrence, and John Bosco made us feel part of the community. 

Goodness - During our time at the Missionaries of Charity Orphanage, we met Catherine and Moses, who became our friends and companions for chopping many varieties of vegetables around that lopsided table in the back of the kitchen. Due to the tedious nature of jobs like peeling potatoes and sorting out small rocks from lentils, we had a lot of time to talk. Mini Swahili lessons were often inserted in between stories from our countries. Catherine is from Denmark, in the midst of an international service exchange program, and Moses is from the surrounding area, both with a tangible desire to serve. Their consistency, their positive attitudes in the midst of many sheets to fold and many beans to chop was uplifting. Their friendship was a gift.

Faithfulness -  I saw great faithfulness in my two brothers, Peter and Augustine, here on this trip. They love the Lord, and I am thankful for their witness and companionship during this adventure. I also experienced the fruit of faithfulness by knowing that Joseph Paul was making his solemn vows, Michael Mary was rocking ministry back in New Orleans, and that Carl Joseph and Nicholas were in Houston being ordained to the priesthood and diaconate, respectively. I also experienced the gift of faithfulness by knowing that my cousin Andrew was getting married to a wonderful girl named Julia. It was challenging for me to be away from my whole extended family gathered for the occasion for sure. But the thought of them celebrating together was a big consolation.

Gentleness - As we were helping with the feeding out in the courtyard on a nice day at the Missionaries of Charity, I caught sight of one of the mamas in the corner across the way helping to do the same. I don’t think she knew anyone was watching as she gave the girl she was feeding a gentle acknowledgment and pat on the head. I’m glad such people work there at the orphanage. It was encouraging to see her display that fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Self-Control - One of the other Shamba farmers at the Priory named Waweru graciously invited us to meet him at his home. His wife, herself a cook by profession, made us a meal of chapati, rice, and soup. After acknowledging that she was in the right line of work, we talked about life with all its joys and struggles. That was the day my family was at home celebrating my cousin’s wedding in Indiana. At the same time, being able to meet such good people, giving thanks to God while living in pretty humble circumstances, gave me encouragement.

Waweru, himself a knowledgeable farmer, talked about wanting to open the doors of education to his two children, in 5th and 7th grade, who were also there with us. He was sacrificing to allow them to go to a good school. When I saw him later that week pulling out weeds and milking the cows with dedication, I couldn’t help but think of the sacrifices made by this man. And he did it willingly, wanting to offer his children the gift of education that he did not have access to by his humble acts of self-control. Waweru became a good friend over the summer, and I am thankful for that witness.

Corpus Christi Monastery

A huge blessing we experienced as Dominicans here was the chance to meet the monastery of contemplative Dominican nuns. Br. Augustine, Br. Peter, and I were able to visit the monastery a few times for both daily and Sunday Mass. Right from the start, their faithfulness to prayer affirmed the value of spending intentional time with the Lord. Their refreshingly youthful average age gave hope for the monastery. Their hospitality certainly showed me that they considered us to be their brothers. They celebrated a wholehearted liturgy, which even included percussion instruments. You could tell that they loved being Dominicans, which gave me a sense of gratitude for the Order as a whole, with all its branches.

One of the mornings, after sharing a breakfast of eggs, chai tea, and glucose biscuits in the parlor, I asked them to pray for my friend Chris, his wife Jordan, and their baby named Maddox James as they anticipated the birth and planned heart surgery for Maddox. (If you are reading this, please pray for them as well.) Their wholehearted response of prayer to such a request showed me the value they place on intercession and the encouragement they wanted to offer to my good friend. The nuns are a vital part of the Dominican Order, and I am thankful that we had the chance to spend quality time with them here.

Well, this reminder from the nuns seems like a good place to conclude these reflections because of the gift of the prayers of so many of my family and friends over the course of the summer. I hope you have enjoyed reading this African story.

I am very grateful for the benefactors who have helped make this trip possible through their generous support and prayers. I am thankful to my Dominican brothers for their hospitality and fraternity this summer. What more can I say, for now, except that God is good. All the time.

“From the rising of the sun to its setting let the name of the Lord be praised.” Psalm 113:3