Without a doubt, the days after the tragic destructions on the east coast were devastating.  The ramifications were far reaching.  Not only were thousands of lives instantaneously ended or changed, but our country and our world was altered in a way that none of us will ever forget.  As far as I know, I didn’t even have the classic, “six degrees of separation” connection to anyone involved in those disasters.  And my little inconveniences were mere dust by comparison to the suffering and loss of so many others.

Sure, my plans were changed.  I had intended to begin my trip to Africa that very day.  Suddenly, no planes were flying anywhere in the entire United States.  I consider myself very lucky that my only loss was a few extra days of travelling and I’m still able to begin my journal writings from Africa.

I started the trip from Seattle, Washington on Sunday evening, September 16th.  The SeaTac airport was still operating under strict security conditions and I must have gone through two or three very thorough inspections.  The 6 PM departure was further delayed as people were randomly put through yet one more check just before going on to the plane.  It was an overnight flight to London and we arrived in typical English weather conditions - cloudy overcast and drizzly - or as the Irish would say, “it’s a soft day.”

My plan to stay with the Dominicans in Oxford was changed due to the delays in arrival and further complicated because I didn’t have my phone book and wasn’t able to get my computer to work so I didn’t even contact my hosts until the next morning.  That’s when I found out that Fr. Kieran Healy had telephoned the Oxford Dominicans wondering why I wasn’t on the plane from London on the day he thought I should be arriving (he was off by one day).  Of course the Oxford Dominicans didn’t know where I was and wouldn’t have know that I was comfy and snug in a 15th floor room at a London hotel.  In the end, we all connected and I made my way back to Heathrow for my flight to Kenya on Tuesday evening, September 18th.

Our flight took us over France, down the west coast of Italy, across the Mediterranean and straight down the center of Africa to Kenya which is circled on the map.

My arrival into Nairobi was just as the sun was rising over the flat landscape.  I wish I had my camera at the ready so that I could have photographed the giraffes, elephants and zebras as they scurried out of the way of the landing plane.  Oh, I forgot.  That was in a movie I saw!

At the present time I am staying with the Dominicans in Nairobi at their House of Studies.  There are about 15 Student Brothers and three or four priests. 

Nairobi is down in the southern part of Kenya (see the center circle on the Kenya map) and I will use this house as my base of operations.  I will also be doing some workshops in Kisuma (the circle on the left) and in Arusha (below Nairobi in Tanzania).  Fr. Kieran is arranging for me to get over to the ocean at Mombasa and also to visit some of the national parks and game preserves.

All of the Dominicans welcomed me warmly, “Karibu,” and I have a lovely room looking out onto the garden. The very next day, I went with Fr. Kieran who was celebrating Mass for the cloistered Dominican Nuns not far from here.  There convent chapel is fairly new and it was surprisingly delightful to hear them sing in Swalie the hymns accompanied by drums, tambourines and clapping and swaying hands.  The music is refreshingly beautiful to my ear.

Later on that Thursday morning we all drove about an hour away to attend the funeral of the brother of one of the newly ordained Dominicans.  The Mass was conducted in the yard around the family house.  I am sure there were more than 500 people who stood in the hot sun for almost 5 hours for this funeral of a young man (26) who was killed in a car accident while working is Saudi Arabia.  The burial took place right there in the front yard where the coffin was lowered into a grave that must have been ten feet deep. 

Funeral Mass & Graveside]
I was also surprised to find that the services were not conducted in Swahili but in Kikuyu one of the many other languages that exist only miles apart from one another.

I found it curious that the beginnings of my travels in Africa should start with a funeral but, after reflecting on it throughout the services, I realized that death is the ONE most certain thing that we will all experience in our lives. It’s no different if we
are on the hundred and first floor of a skyscraper or standing in the dust and dirt of a little African village. 

Afterwards I noticed the small children looking at me strangely.  I wasn’t sure what they found interesting: was my ‘broad brimmed hat’ so unusual?  Did my bare feet and sandals intrigue them?  Or was it, as Fr. Kieran later told me, my  arms?  Most Africans do not sport much body hair and the little children just stood there staring at me.  I finally asked one of the boys, James, if he wanted his picture taken with us.  I don’t know what he thought when he saw it instantaneously on the screen of the digital camera.

Bro. Daniel with James and Ugandan Dominican Student Brother Samuel Onegi

I think there will be many, many new experiences for me during this time in Africa.  I have already met so many people from so many different cultures.  I am becoming very familiar with the red dirt and dust of Africa and you wouldn’t believe the roads we have travelled over already.  It’s like we were in a commercial for land rovers and the local Dominicans think nothing of it. They just bounce along, swerving right and left over rocks and ruts in order to avoid oncoming cars (on the wrong side of the road to my liking) and pedestrians and cyclists.  I have a lot to learn from these people who live in situations and circumstances that most of us would never tolerate.  I’m finding that the world is indeed larger that the United States of America and our concepts are not always the absolutely correct ones.  *Speaking of the truth: the photo above which shows “the wild animals outside my window” was actually taken at the Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle!