Celebrating Christmas in RUBARE

One of the first things that grasped my attention at the Mass in Rubare the weekend after Christmas was the presence of this fantastic artwork in the paintings of the "Stations of the Cross." In Catholic churches here I am amazed at the beautiful artwork in many of the "Stations of the Cross." This one I have titled, "DOWN FROM THE CROSS." Notice the helping hands...helping hands.

Ironically this photo is an EASTER remembrance, but I was in RUBARE to celebrate some Christmas Holiday with Bahati's family. Rosette had returned home the week before Christmas, but Marie Jeanne had classes on through Christmas and she remained behind in GOMA.

And of course I also remained behind in GOMA, unable to return home to the States for Christmas. Marie Jeanne and I decided to travel home to RUBARE for the weekend to share some fun, laughter, good food, and HOLIDAY TIME with family.

We were so excited to have time to spend together and to just relax without having to rush away for work. TWO DAYS OF JUST BEING WITH FAMILY AND RELAXING...
...IT WAS HEAVENLY!!!!

TITO brought out the dried ears of corn and starting preparing a place to work...and I could not help but to join in!!! Oh the joy of joining hands together, voices in conversation, neighbors coming to join and visit and move on...it was an afternoon of blissful work, unhurried, uncomplicated...relaxing.

Ray, Loretta, Lester, Rita, Deanna, Gene and all you corn and soy bean farmers out there in Royal, ILLINOIS... hope this brings a smile of nostalgia to your hearts!!! These are also two big crops grown here in Eastern DRC...corn and soy beans, which are then both ground into flour and used for cooking of UGALI and UJI, which are staples of the diet here.

We spent the afternoon breaking the dried kernels from the ear. My thumbs were sore by the end of the day...I am getting soft in my old age!!!

The kernels will be dried some more in the sun and finally run through a frinding mill powered by a gas powered motor, to grind it into corn meal. This corn meal is then cooked with water to make a very firm mash which is served in a large round ball shape on a large dinner plate. This corn meal is so firm you can pull pieces of it away with your fingers and dip it into meat and vegetable stew to eat. It is called UGALI, a very bland, starchy food and you count on a very flavorfull stew to give it a good taste.

While we were working TITO had the great idea of getting a picture of all of us working together...and of a photo showing just our hands as we worked.

So guess who was sitting on the other side of the porch doing her work as well...it was ROSETTE who took the photos of us at work. And she did such a fantastic job with these photos...I see she has talent already. I immediately thought she should take up photography as her future work...who knows...

So this blog is becoming a blog about helping hands, hands have such meaning; how we speak, how we work, how we embrace those we love, and how we welcome the children as Jesus instructs us in this Sundays Gospel.


Helping Hands....

Baba Bea, Mama Bea, and I couldn't pass up our opportunity to capture our holiday on digital media as well...helping hands.

To the right are Eme, Rosette, and Baba Bea.

Eme is the nephew of Bahati, Marie Jeanne, & Rosette; he is the the first born son of Bea, Bahati's sister, the oldest child of Mama Bea & Baba Bea. It is the custom to call the parents by the name of their first child, hence my name is Mama Joshua!!!

This was a photo after Mass back at the house when Bahati's Aunt and Uncle stopped by for a visit. Notice the hands, so meaningfully Bahati's Uncle reached out his hands, to grasp my hand for this photo...Helping Hands...

The youth were disappointed that I went to Mass with Mama Bea instead of with them...guess I will return for another Sunday so I can partake in the youth Mass, which of course they say is much better than the first Mass for the elders!!!! I love the youth and find it so exciting to see them building their faith and participating so fully!!!

These photos show Rosette, Tito, Marie Jeanne, Eme and another I cannot name as they were preparing to leave for the midday youth Mass.

At one point during the weekend I was sitting on the back porch helping Mama Bea prepare some food. As we sat in the evening light, a neighbor child sat next to her house crying and crying. Not a soul in sight...then all of a sudden a woman came out of the house and picking up a strap started hitting the child, who then REALLY started crying all over again. Mama Bea called out to the woman to stop beating the child and she stopped, returning to her house. After some minutes I asked Mama Bea if she had ever beat her children in such a way...she said she never had it in her, for her heart was always with the sorrows of the child. This is the woman I have observed cleaning and caring for her grandchildren with the most loving hands, the woman who so gently instructs me and guides me in the ways of cooking at her house...above is the lovely face of Mama Bea.

Our weekend ended and we returned on Monday morning to return to work and to school and to our lives in Goma...oh how I miss the life of Rubare.

Then on New Year's Day in Goma I received three most delightful guests to my room. Marie Jeanne, Aline (a younger sister of Eme), and Innocent, a youth who Baba Bea has asked to come and help out with pushing the wheelchair for Rosette as she goes to and from school.

These three helped me to start the New Year with joy and celebration. We visited, laughed, drank much tea, ate fruit and bread, read the internet, and spent the whole afternoon in joy. Thank God for such a blessing.

One last look at some of the beautiful artwork in the Roman Catholic Church at RUBARE VILLAGE,

NORTH KIVU PROVINCE,

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO...

...another world away from USA, but filled with the kind of helping hands we all know and love.

Peace,

Jackie