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Weekly Photo Challenge: One

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A lone tree on the banks of the Arkansas River at sunset.

A lone tree on the banks of the Arkansas River at sunset.

The holidays have really put a damper on my blogging activities, but I’m back with this week’s photo challenge from the folks at dailypost.wordpress.com.  Here’s this week’s assignment:

This week, we want to see photos that focus on one thing. Maybe you’ve got a stark photo of a single tree silhouetted against the setting sun, […]

OK, we’ll stop right there …  single tree, setting sun, right up my alley.  I’ll throw in a river and a hill too for this shot.

A lone tree on the banks of the Arkansas River in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Turkey Mountain in the background.   I think it’s an OK shot, not bad for a cold afternoon as winter sinks its claws into the midst of America.

 

 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Unexpected

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wall of cameras

I’m back with another entry in the Weekly Photo Challenge from dailypost.wordpress.com .  This week it’s all about the “unexpected” things that we encounter as we’re out and about in the world.

The photo above was taken in the small vestibule of Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant, a new place on Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza.  The small entry to the restaurant, a transition zone between the outer and inner doors of the restaurant, was decorated with hundreds of old cameras.  Mostly Kodak Instamatic cameras from the 70’s, it was completely unexpected, not to mention just a little bit spooky.

Stepping inside from the frigid air of a cold November morning, I’m suddenly faced by all these silent witnesses of times past.  I thought it a fitting entry for this week’s challenge.

Moreover, it gave me pause.  Like the abandoned toys from a “Toy Story” movie, these old gadgets could certainly tell stories of their former lives as recorders of events from decades ago.

Alas, there’s no way to recover the glory or the usefulness of their former time, relegated now to curious decorations, hardly noticed except by one caught in the lens of the unexpected.

 

 

Pope Francis Scares Me

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(source: Catholic News Agency)

Yes, I said it.  Pope Francis scares me – but in a good and challenging way.

You’ve probably seen the photo of Pope Francis embracing the man with neurofibromatosis, and you may have read some of the articles written about that truly touching moment.  You may have even read some of the critical commentary that implies that this has all been overblown, over sentimentalized, over emotionalized.

Those are all good discussions.

For me, it’s all been about the internal dialogue that has been occurring inside me.

When I see some act like that of Pope Francis, I can’t help but try to put myself into the shoes of those involved.

The nameless man with the disease put himself forward to meet Pope Francis.  I have no knowledge of why he did this.  I don’t know what he was hoping for, but it took guts to do it.   I don’t want to make any assumptions about that.  It’s a bit of a stretch, but his act reminds me of the story of Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) which we heard recently in Mass.

Zacchaeus was a tax collector – an outcast in his society because of it.  He was “short in stature”, that is, different when compared with those around him.  When Jesus was passing through Jericho, Zacchaeus wanted to see him, so he climbed a sycamore tree – essentially “going out on a limb” for a better view.  Jesus, noticing Zacchaeus’ efforts to be closer to him, reaches out to him and treats him as a normal member of the community.

I see some parallels between this story in the Gospel and what Pope Francis did.

In his time, Pope Francis has constantly shown me in visible and humble ways how much higher the “love your neighbor as yourself”  bar is than I usually think.

I know I shouldn’t look for affirmations about my own faith and conduct only from the people I’m around.  It’s too easy to be complacent.   That’s why the examples of the saints and the saintly behavior of people like Pope Francis are important to consider and reflect upon.

Why does Pope Francis scare me?  Because in his simple actions, he shows me just how far off the mark I am.  How much more I could do.

How much more is being expected of us.  Of me.

Pope Francis makes it look so simple, but I struggle with the question:  “Can I do {THAT THING} that Pope Francis just showed us?”

When I try to put myself into his shoes, would I have been able to show love to that man, or would my instinctual fear, and yes, revulsion, have won the day?

And the next time I’m faced with a chance to show true love and charity, will I be brave enough to answer the call placed before me???

+++++

I was going to leave this post like that.  A hanging question in the ethereal air.

But then, providentially, this new article pops up on www.news.va as I’m editing this post and shows me what I was missing.  A marvelous story, called “An act of love for Noemi” , really should be read in its entirety.

But here’s the part that got to me.  Here Pope Francis is talking about a “communion of charisms”, which reminds me that the gifts I need to carry out what I’m called to do, what I will face each day, are freely given by the Holy Spirit and I needed not worry too much if I’m up to the task:

“

A second aspect of communion in holy things is the communion of charisms. The Holy Spirit distributes to the faithful a multitude of spiritual gifts and graces; the “imaginative” wealth, let us say, of gifts of the Holy Spirit is ordered to the building up the Church. The charisms — that world is a little difficult — are gifts that the Holy Spirit gives us, talents, possibilities…. Gifts given not to be hidden but to be shared with others. They are not given for the benefit of the one who receives them, but for the use of the People of God. If a charism, one of these gifts, serves instead as self-affermation [sic], then it is doubtful that we are dealing with an authentic charism or one faithfully lived out. The charisms are special graces, given to some for the good of many others. They are attitudes, inspirations and interior promptings that are born in the consciences and experiences of certain people, who are called to put themselves at the service of the community. In particular, these spiritual gifts further the sanctity of the Church and her mission. We are all called to respect them in ourselves and in others, to receive them as serving the Church’s fruitful presence and work. St Paul warns: “Do not quench the Holy Spirit” (1 Thess 5:19). Let us not quench the Spirit who gives us these gifts, these abilities, these very beautiful virtues that make the Church grow.  (source: www.news.va)

“

Pope Francis also reminds me that none of us is alone.  The Church as a community itself receives charisms from the Holy Spirit and if we work together, we can accomplish all those saintly acts, which we see in others, and more.

 

UPDATE:  I recently learned about the awesome cartoons of Jason Bach.  This one  is just right for this post:

http://www.jasonbachcartoons.com/catholic-11.html 

Weekly Photo Challenge: Eerie

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This week’s photo challenge from The Daily Post @ WordPress.com is all about being “eerie.”    Obviously, this is in keeping with the now-passed Halloween holiday.

This weekend I was visiting the Raleigh/Durham area of North Carolina for a wedding.  The railroad crossing from which this photo was taken is very close to the hotel in which I was staying. North Carolina is resplendent in its fall colors, but this shot converted to black and white, becomes particularly eerie.

What I  like is that the far distance of the shot leaves a lot to the imagination.  Just what is it that is seemingly coming towards you from the shadows?

I’ll give you a hint – it’s not the Waffle House restaurant that is just to my left as I take this shot!

 

Eerie tracks in the middle of Durham, NC

Eerie tracks in the middle of Durham, NC

Weekly Photo Challenge: Horizon

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This week’s photo challenge is right in my bailiwick.  I just love to take photos of the sky, especially when you can see all the way to the horizon.

In keeping with my goal to shoot new photos for the current challenge, rather than use something that I took previously, I was happy to take this shot today.

This is an over-the-wing view of the cloud deck, somewhere over the US between DFW and RDU airports.

An infinite world of possibilities. (And I’m a bit proud that I actually found a way to use the word bailiwick.)

 

DFW - RDU

DFW – RDU

Weekly Photo Challenge: Infinite – Under A Western Sky

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The latest photo challenge from the folks at dailypost.wordpress.com is right up my alley.

You see, I have a problem.  There’s not much else that will cause me to stop whatever I’m doing and pull out my camera than an awesome sky.  I’ve spent most of my life somewhere on the Central Plains of the US and if I spent too much time away, I feel claustrophobic.  Views like this one take me away from the daily grind to the contemplation of infinite possibilities.

There a peacefulness I find in the infinite vistas of the open prairie.  A freedom that comes from seeing to the horizon in every direction.

When I was living on the coast of Papua New Guinea, there were times when I had to flee to from the school grounds where I worked, surrounded by the immense beauty of the tropics, to a place where I could see the open sea – just so I could see enough of the open sky.

I recently spent a week in New Mexico, north of Santa Fe, where I took this shot of this open, cloud-filled sky, keeping company with one lonely tree.   When I saw this, I had to pull my car over on a muddy forest road.  Tramping up an incline to clear a power line, it was worth the mess I made of my floor mats to capture it.

 

New Mexico Sky

 

 

The Monarchs Are Here

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The Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) have arrived once again in Tulsa.  They are on their annual migration south to Mexico for the winter.

I discovered these in Tulsa’s River Parks this morning.  They were reluctant to pose for photos, intent on the nectar found on these wildflowers (goldenrod?).

Buen viaje a Mexico! Nos vemos en la primavera!

Weekly Photo Challenge: From Lines to Patterns

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I’m back with another try at the Weekly Photo Challenge from dailypost.wordpress.com.  This week the challenge is “From Lines to Patterns.”

From lines to patterns. We see lines and patterns in the world around us, in nature and things man-made. Sometimes we don’t realize they’re there: on the street, across the walls, up in the sky, and along the ground on which we walk.

Today’s challenge is inspired by Evan Zelermyer‘s stunning urban, abstract, and architectural images from his “Shape, Line, Texture, Pattern” post published earlier this week. I’d love to see your interpretations of these elements, so grab your camera, get outside, and snap a great shot of shapes or lines that you stumble upon, or a cool texture or pattern that catches your eye.

 

The photo you see above, attached to this post, was taken at last weekend’s Redman Triathlon, held in Oklahoma City. What you see is part of the corridor that lead from the biking transition area onto the marathon course.  I thought the shadows through the plastic fencing, as the setting sun cast shadows through it, was an interesting pattern.

I was in OKC with my friend Mark Steichen to encourage my godson Jon Mills as he competed in his first “iron-distance” (I hope I used the term correctly) triathlon, a crazy 2.4 mile swim, SONY DSCfollowed by a 112 mile bike ride, followed by a full 26.2 mile marathon.  It was terrific to be there with Jon’s family and friends to cheer him on, on a beautiful late summer day.

Jon has been such an inspiration to me.  I met him during my first years as a campus minister at the University of Tulsa, where he was a student.  Over the years it’s been my privilege to see Jon grow in so many ways, including tackling the rigors of medical school, getting married and starting a wonderful family.   Jon was my volunteer swim coach for a few years as I tried to improve my skills (i.e. not drown), and he allowed me the honor of being his sponsor when he joined the Church.

So even though the photo of the shadow lines is really nothing special, it symbolizes for me how the lines and lives of people crisscross over time.

Weekly Photo Challenge: An Unusual POV

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I’ve been vacationing in New Mexico this week, in the areas of Santa Fe, Taos, and Abiquiu.  I was born in New Mexico and next to Oklahoma, it’s my favorite state.

This was the perfect place to try this week’s photo challenge from the folks over at The Daily Post @ WordPress.com.  This week the challenge is “An Unusual POV“, (point of view, that is):

Challenge yourself to rethink your ideas about what subjects are appropriate, and then challenge yourself again to find an unusual perspective on your subject.

Go out and take photos and share a shot that reveals a new and different POV.

 

Part of my time was spent in Santa Fe, thanks to a free place to stay courtesy of my good friends Matthew and Tracy Pepper.  A free place here is not an insignificant thing, especially since my visit coincided with Las Fiestas, a 300+ year old annual event that celebrates the peaceful return of the Spanish after the Pueblo Revolt of 1680.   I’ll write about that in another post, but let’s just say that it added to the iconic opportunities to take photos for this challenge.

I also spent a few days at Christ in the Desert Monastery, deep in a canyon near Abiquiu.  The area, famous as the home of painter Georgia O’Keefe, is absolutely stunning in its natural beauty, solitude, and spirituality.

I took a lot of photos during my week here, trying to keep an eye out for “unusual points of view.”  The photos you’ll see on this post are the best that I could come up with.  I have to say that this really did challenge me.  What I saw in my head was in many cases not realized by the photo.  I still have much to learn.

The one that I think is the best is the one at the top of this post.  I gave it the title “Take My Hand.”  You can also see it in the gallery below.  It is the statue of St. Francis of Assisi that stands just outside the Cathedral Basilica, just off the main plaza in Santa Fe.

Vote for the Runner-up!

The shots in the gallery below are some of my other attempts at unusual points of view.  I encourage you to pick your favorite as the “runner up” by leaving a comment on this post.  Be sure to let me know what in particular you like about it.  I think it will help me improve my technique for these types of shots.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Sea

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I’m a newbie to the Weekly Photo Challenge, thanks to my friend Maria who clued me into the idea.  You can see her posts here. This week’s challenge:

Sea. What kind of emotions does the sea or ocean make you feel? Do you remember the first time you went in the water? Had a wave crash on you? Felt the sand burn your feet? Do you feel more peaceful around water? Do you hate the beach? What’s the most interesting thing about the sea for you?

I took this theme as a challenge to go out and shoot some new shots that reflect “sea”.  Being far from the ocean here in Oklahoma, our “seas” are the wide open plains and grasslands.  I call this shot “Haybergs,” hopefully suggesting a little bit of the feeling of openness and solitude one feels when standing on a secluded beach.  

Yeah, that’s a bit of stretch for any real ocean/beach lovers who might be reading this.  Work with me folks!

As you may know, I just returned from eight months of living/teaching on the north coast of Papua New Guinea.  The ocean was literally less than 75 yards from my room at the school.  However, I have to confess that the ocean has never touched me the way it does others.  It’s too lonely for me, although there are times when a sense of solitude and oblivion can only be had when standing on a beach with the waves rolling in.

I much prefer the mountains which always seem full of life, full of potential, and the awesome touch of God.   I like being able to totally immerse myself in it.  Without always getting wet, that is! I do like taking photos of the ocean, though.  

Here’s a montage of some of my shots from Papua New Guinea and New Zealand.

 

esteban bai i go long as graun bilong em

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Ahem, I have an announcement!

We wrapped up the second term here at St. Fidelis Seminary and, after a great deal of prayer and discernment, I have decided to return to Oklahoma.

At least for the next 6 months, perhaps permanently.  If you’ve read some of my early posts, you’ll understand why it’s been heavy on my heart to return to Tulsa and my responsibilities there.

It was a hard decision, and now that I’m just a couple of days away from leaving, I’m both filled with excitement of returning home, and feeling sad about leaving the friars and students of St. Fidelis.

It’s quite hard to put this all into words, but I know that I’m going where I’m being led.

The Capuchins, especially the friars at St. Fidelis, have become like an extended family.  They also could not be more understanding and supportive of my decision.  I’m welcome to come back to PNG and St. Fidelis next year if the situation at home is such.

I have no idea what the next few months will bring.  It’s time to start looking for work again and to see what doors God will open for me.  So, if you have any ideas ….  🙂

A consolation for me these last couple of weeks has been Thomas Merton’s “Prayer of the Unknowing”.  Perhaps you’ve read it:

 

My Lord God,

I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so.

But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please You. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that, if I do this, You will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it.

Therefore I will trust You always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death, I will not fear, for You are ever with me, and You will never leave me to face my perils alone.

 

 

OK, time for a lesson in Tok Pisin (i.e. Pidgin) before you go.  Parsing out the title of this post:

esteban bai i go long as graun bilong em

esteban (that’s me)

“i go” = goes

“bai” = future tense marker, so “bai i go” becomes “will go”, supposedly bai come from “by and by”

“long” = universal preposition the meaning of which comes from context.

“as graun” = we can thank the Australians for this one, literally meaning “ass ground” or “homeland”.  “home” would be written as “haus” (home or house).

“bilong em” = “that belongs to him/her/them”

So you can read this as “esteban will go to his homeland”

Thus endeth the lesson.

Coconut Conundrum

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It’s pretty much an undisputed fact around here that coconut trees have a single, generally straight, trunk without any branches.

And yet, we found this specimen on our recent hike to Halopa.  Looking something like a saguaro cactus from Arizona, this has become a local tourist attraction with everyone around asking to show it to you.

Now, you’ve seen it too.

Hiking to Halopa – Vianney Day

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Last Sunday, August 4th, was quite the adventure for everyone at St. Fidelis!

The village of Halopa, south of the seminary and up in the nearby mountains, joins with the seminary each year to honor the memory of St. Jean Vianney – the patron saint of priests.  The village plays an important role in the life of the Archdiocese of Madang because it has the most active group of villagers who work and pray for priestly vocations.

Like the Serra Club in the US, the Immaculate Conception Parish in Halopa has a hard working group called “The Benefactors”.  They meet year-round to pray for vocations and raise funds to support the seminary.

Usually on Vianney Day, villagers will come to the seminary for Mass, a celebratory meal, and some “dramas” (i.e. skits) that portray vocations and the life of St. Jean Vianney in a good light.

This year, however, it was decided that the seminarians would hike to the village along a country road, a distance of about 7 miles each direction.

We set off at 6am Sunday morning to be sure we would reach the village in time for a 9am Mass.  For the students from the Highlands areas of PNG, this was no problem.  Flatlanders, like me, and people from the coastal areas of PNG are not as accustomed to this type of strenuous hike, one that gains several thousand feet in elevation.

We all made it, although a few like me, hitched a ride about halfway up.  I won’t lie, it was a blessing to ride the last thousand feet of elevation!

The village received us as honored guests, adorning us with flowers and greeting us in the traditional manner of their people – with a “singsing” procession of singers in traditional garb.

Mass was held in an outdoor shelter they constructed for the day, overlooking the sea coast below.  The seminarians provided the music for the Mass and led the entrance, Book of the Gospel, and Offertory Processions, also dressed in a semblance of their traditional garb.

The weather was perfect, the people could not have been more welcoming, and we all joined together for a feast of pork, smoked fish, local sausages, and loads of fruits and vegetables.

The hardest part of the day actually came at the end.  Hiking down the mountain to the coast and the seminary came during the hottest part of the day and there was little water to be found during the 3 hour descent.

Luckily, just in the nick of time, we passed the diocesan vocational school at Danip where we were able to fill our water bottles and down at least a liter of water each before hiking the last 2 miles to the school.

It was a great experience, a bonding time for both the students and the staff and a fine opportunity to experience village life.

The pictures attached to this post give a hint of the day.  I have some video that I will post when I next have access to reliable and high speed internet.

Enjoy!

7 Quick Takes – July Wrap Up

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July is ending!?!  Where did it all go?

Here’s a 7 Quick Takes Wrap Up of the month.

 

John and matthew

1.  John and Matthew head back to the US from their visit to PNG by putting their fates into the hands of Air Niugini.  Prayers were said and they ultimately made it home with my deep gratitude.

 

Gecko

2.  This is a gecko.  They are everywhere. They bark.  That’s the closest word that I have to describe the “tsk, tsk, tsk” sound that they make when they call to each other during the wee hours of the night.  They are so spry and furtive that’s been difficult to get a decent photo.  This one was between the layered fabrics of a window curtain.   It was really confused when I tickled its belly.

 

Computer lab

3.  This is the computer lab that time forgot.  This was a hopping place 10+ years ago when St. Fidelis also offered high school grades 11 and 12.  Now, it’s a fascinating archive of a dozen PCs that last had software updates in 2001.  Still chugging along, these machines run either Windows XP or Windows 2000.   And they still have working diskette drives.   And they have the most interesting collection of decade old computer viruses.

I’ve been doing maintenance on these machines, such as I can, but it’s impressive that they still power up.  These days, the Spiritual Year students get some basic lessons on how to use Microsoft Word, but most of the time they collect dust and slowly corrode in the sea air.  Most of the seminarians have never used a computer before coming to St. Fidelis, so we try to give them a little leg up for the work they’ll need to do when they move on to their philosophy studies.  It’s not much, but there’s little else we can do with these machines.  (Did I mention that we still don’t have internet?)

 

Kava cognac

4.  This is local “cognac” made from the root of the kava plant.  The parish at Alexishafen (St. Michael’s Church) had a 10 Kina/plate luncheon last Sunday to raise funds for some church renovations.  Being good neighbors, all the Capuchins came for the feast.

This “cognac” seems to be a drink made mainly for celebrations, so I was gifted with this cup of muddy looking stuff and reluctantly partook to avoid offending anyone.

What can I say?  It tastes a bit like dirt and celery mixed together.  It’s not alcoholic but is rather more anesthetic, making your mouth feel like you’ve just spritzed with Chloraseptic throat spray. I was queasy for the rest of the day wondering what other effects it might produce.

 

Moon shot

5.  Did you notice the full moon last week?  It was fantastic here as it rose over the water near Sek Island, just down the coast from the seminary.   This is the best of the shots I was able to make.  Really missing having a proper tripod, but I was happy with this effort.

 

Kulau

6.  This Sunday morning I took a walk down the road that connects the seminary to the North Coast Highway and discovered a number of the students climbing coconut trees to collect “kulau” – the young coconuts that have the clear coconut water inside.  A great thing to eat on a hot day.

Some visitors (former students of St. Fidelis from the late 90’s) had stopped by on their way home to Wabag and asked for the kulau for their journey.

The coastal students are quite adept at scaling the coconut trees and it’s always fun to watch as they peel and open the fruit with very little effort.

It’s also fun to watch American visitors try to open them and have to rely on the locals to do it right.

 

Student dinner

7.  Say hi to some of the seminarians.  Each Wednesday night I eat dinner with the seminarians in the student dining hall.  It is invariably rice with a mixture of tinned fish (marlin or tuna), Maggi noodles (the same as Ramen in the US), tinned corned beef, bananas, cabbage, and/or green beans from the garden.  It’s not very appetizing but the students still turn to with gusto.

 

That’s about it as July comes to a close.  The next big event on campus will be a day-long hike to the town of Halopa to celebrate the Feast of St. Jean Vianney – the patron saint of priests.  After that the term will come to a quick end with the last round of exams.

Oh yeah, you can find other “7 Quick Takes” here.

John and Matthew on the Bismarck Sea

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Last week I had the really great honor to welcome two of my very good friends to PNG for a visit.  Matthew Pepper and John White were two of the first students I met when I was introduced to the St. Philip Neri Newman Center at the University of Tulsa in August 1998.  They had a great impact on my decision to leave the corporate world and begin working as the campus minister there for the next 8 years.

During their time at the Newman Center and the volunteering they each did after college, we’ve had several opportunities to travel together over the years.  Now that they are both married and have children, those opportunities are more limited, but they were both eager to visit me in PNG and support my missionary effort here at St. Fidelis Seminary in Madang, PNG.

We can now add Papua New Guinea to the list of countries that we’ve seen together, which includes Italy, Austria, Switzerland, France,  Czech Republic, Guatemala, and Peru.  John and I also visited Greece and Turkey.

Their trip here started off in true PNG fashion – they were delayed overnight in Port Moresby when their flight to Madang was canceled for “operational necessity.”  Nonetheless, they arrived first thing on June 28th.

The highlight of their visit was the 2 1/2 days we spent on Karkar Island, a fairly large island off the north coast of PNG in the Bismarck Sea, across from the village of Megiar about an hour north of St. Fidelis.

The local parish priest is a diocesan missionary priest from Poland, Fr. Bogdan.  Another Polish priest, Fr. Adrian, pastor of the Holy Spirit Parish in nearby Alexishafen, suggested that I call Fr. Bogdan and invite ourselves over for a visit.  It seemed brazen to me, but I’ve learned that it’s the thing that expats do when they need a break.  Everyone loves visitors it seems.

Fr. Bogdan picked us up early Saturday morning, June 29th for what was one of the most harrowing road trips I’ve ever taken.  Flying up the North Coast Highway at breakneck speeds, barely braking for ravenous potholes and meandering villagers, somehow we made it to Megiar without any accidents.

There we met Fr. Bogdan’s boat for the 1 hour open sea trip over to Karkar.  It was a rainy day and the island was obscured by heavy clouds.  Taking off from the shoreline, it seemed like we were heading off to Jurassic Park, barely glimpsing the top of the island’s huge volcanic cone.

Fr. Bogdan’s parish, near the village of Tumel, is just a few yards from black sand beaches on the islands western side. Nestled amidst coconut groves and cocoa tree farms, the island is peaceful and idyllic.   Originally colonized by German Lutheran missionaries, there are now a fair amount of Catholics on the island for whom Fr. Bogdan is the only priest.

Although Fr. Bogdan’s living quarters are sparse, he did his best to host us, showing us around the island, taking us snorkeling, and spent time with us in the midst of his busy Sunday Mass schedule (three Masses in different parts of the island).

Fr. Bogdan introduced us to Paul and Barbara Goodyear, owners of several coconut and cocoa plantations on the island’s west side.  They very graciously welcomed us to their home, spent quite a bit of time showing us the plantations, the processing facilities for copra and cocoa, showed us great places for snorkeling, and fed us a scrumptious German dinner.  Barbara came to PNG from Germany as a volunteer, where she met Paul, a local who was educated in Australia.

I never thought I would travel to Karkar and be feasted with roast pork with mango chutney, sauerkraut, German dumplings, and several wonderful desserts including cherry cheesecake.

Paul and Barbara could not have been better hosts and it gave all of us a wonderful experience.

Returning to St. Fidelis on Monday afternoon, July 1st, Matthew and John were able to see some of the life at St. Fidelis.  Unfortunately, my winning streak during our nightly games of Hearts came to a crushing end that night.

John and Matthew felt so bad at beating me that they insisted in helping out with the never-ending grass cutting chore at the school.  I think they learned quickly how tough the grass is here and how the turf is fiercely defended by “the Formics.”    (Somehow they managed to avoid being bitted even once while in PNG.  I really don’t understand it).

That evening, their last night at St. Fidelis, we celebrated John’s 36th birthday with cake, mint chocolate ice cream, and a little “something” that they had picked up at the duty free shop on the way through Australia.

The last day of their adventure was spent at the Madang Lodge.  Matthew and John wanted to treat me to a night in a luxury resort (with air conditioning!) and relaxing with a wonderful ocean view.   We had a great time there, swimming in the fresh water pool, eating pizza for dinner, etc.   Earlier in the day, we met Fr. Adrian, another Polish priest, who is the pastor of the parish in Megiar.  He gave us a ride back to St. Fidelis after the return boat ride from Karkar.  Definitely not the usual life of a missionary, but I’ll take it!

John and Matthew have left PNG now and are working their way home today after a stopover in Melbourne.  It’s hard to express how lucky I feel to have friends that would travel more than 16,000 miles roundtrip to visit.    I can’t wait to return the favor someday.

I know that some people get bored looking at vacation photos, but here they are if you choose to view them.

 

Formic Wars

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I understand that an “Ender’s Game” movie is coming out, or perhaps has already come out (Entertainment news is a bit slow to reach us!).  Over the years, I’ve enjoyed reading the various Ender books, written by Orson Scott Card.  There’s been a string of them.

When I was home in May, I discovered that several prequel books to Ender’s Game were also in the works.   These stories deal with the history of the “First and Second Formic Wars,” which are alluded to but never fully explained in “Ender’s Game.”

I picked up the first one new book in this series, “Earth Unaware” for my trip back to PNG and since I’ve been a science fiction fan since the days of the original Star Trek TV series, I was captivated by the story and the imaginative lives of deep space mining families – the first to encounter the alien species known as the Formics.

“Earth Afire” continues the story of man’s first encounters with the Formics and the First Formic War.  (Ender’s Game is about the Third Formic War, so you know there’s a lot to tell in these prequel books)

I wish I knew what the next books in the Formic War series will be but I haven’t been able to find that information.  It would be just my luck if I have to wait years for the next episodes to be published.

 

The alien race in the Ender stories are called “Formics”, a derivation of the Latin word for ants, which the aliens resemble.

You may have read in earlier posts that I’m fighting my own “Formic War” here at St. Fidelis.  The yellowish critters, sometimes called coconut tree ants, are quite formidable opponents.   During my latest invasion of their demesne to cut grass, I was bitten not less than 17 times.

I know that some of you are squeamish about the bug photos I post here, but you should see these suckers up close!  Have a look at the pinschers these mighty little creatures have and be thankful they are not four feet tall like they are in the Ender stories.

Oklahoma

/ esteban / 7 Comments

 

Home

I didn’t mention it here on the blog, but you might have picked up on the fact that I spent most of the month of May back home in Oklahoma.

St. Fidelis Seminary had a break between school terms and because of some family issues, I decided to spend that time in Tulsa.

My aunt, the only member of the older generation left in my immediate family, suffered a fall during Easter and has been recovering at a rehabilitation facility ever since.  My sister Stacey is currently the closest relative (100 miles away) and has been managing her care and financial issues pretty much by herself.

I decided to use my break time to come home and help out as much as I could.  I’m not sure how much good I really did, but I was able to visit with my aunt on a daily basis which I hope was a comfort to her.

My brother Kevin and his wife Maureen came to town one weekend too, which was awesome.  We don’t all three get together that often and it was unlikely to happen at all while I’m working in PNG.

 

Friends

My friends in Tulsa really took care of me while I was home.  It seemed like someone was always willing to have dinner,  go to a baseball game, throw the frisbee around, see a movie, or just hang out in a coffee shop for awhile.

I thought I might suffer from some reverse culture shock when I came home, but I don’t think I experienced anything of the sort.  Dropping into my home city, driving the familiar roads and visiting the familiar faces was just like putting on a glove.  Of course, I really hadn’t been gone all that long anyway.

What surprised me was how much bigger my friends’ children had grown in the past 5 months.  I should have expected it, I guess, but they’ve all grown up so much.  Cuter and more precocious too!

 

Storms

If you’ve read much of my blog, you won’t be surprised when I say that I have a strong attachment to my home state of Oklahoma.  I’m sure others feel the same way about their states, but as far as I’m concerned, there’s just something special about the people there.

I left Tulsa to return to PNG just after the terrible tornadoes struck Moore, Oklahoma.  It brought back memories of the devastating 1999 storms and actually surpassed them in destruction.  I knew people who lost their homes in 1999, and once again I learned that a college friend and his family lost their home this time.

Oklahoma, for all of its good attributes, does seem to attract more than its fair share of tragedy.  Storms, earthquakes, domestic terrorism, economic depressions, droughts, dust storms, wild fires, and flooding seem to happen with some regularity.

What I find interesting is that the people always seem to rise to the challenge.  It would be hard to find a more giving or more generous people, united by both the blessings and challenges of living there.

Sometimes so many people want to help their neighbors in need that organizers don’t know what to do with all of them. As I was heading to the airport, I heard a story on the radio about a Moore area church asking for volunteers to help clean up their property so they could have a memorial service.  Over a thousand people showed up to help on a Tuesday afternoon.  Incredible.

SinceI left Tulsa, there have been even more devastating storms.  One in Broken Arrow, a neighboring city to Tulsa, was only about 5 miles from my home.  The one in El Reno, west of Oklahoma City, killed 20 people, caused massive flooding after 11 inches of rain, and at one point was making a beeline for Stacey’s house in Edmond.

You would think that many people would be making a run for the border after so many storms in such a short time.  I’ve learned though that this only seems to endear Oklahoma to the people and just makes them roll up their sleeves and work all that much harder to repair the damage, try to learn something from the storms, and be just that much better prepared for the next one.

I know it sounds crazy, but being away from the mayhem is hard.  I’d rather be there in the thick of it, ready to help if I can.  I know there would be people to help me if I was the one needing it.

(Note:  the photo slideshow on this post is just some pasture shots that I took in Craig County near Grand Lake.  Nothing special but they do remind me of home and its wide open spaces.)

Eleven Days An Ordained Man

/ esteban

I just have to share this, it’s too good not to.

My friend Bryan Ketterer, a student of the St. Philip Neri Newman Center at the University of Tulsa while I was campus minster there, was recently ordained to the transitional diaconate.  He’s currently studying at St. John Vianney Seminary in Denver and is expected to be ordained to the priesthood next year.

During much of his time in the seminary, now-Deacon Bryan sent out almost weekly emails to his friends with updates about his studies and what seminary life is like.  Almost all of them began with a pretty cheesy limerick, but knowing Bryan you would agree they fit perfectly with his personality.

Although I missed his ordination while I was traveling back to PNG, I read with great interest all the accounts of his ordination, along with the priesthood ordination of Tulsa’s newest priest, Fr. Todd Nance.

This morning, I received the following email from Deacon Bryan and knew that I would have to share it with you.  I know he won’t mind.  He’s said I could post his missives before.  It is wonderful to see such a joy of vocation!

Eleven days an ordained man,
This feels so right; I trust God’s plan.
I’ve much to learn,
And yet I yearn
That God complete what He began!

I’m still trying to make heads and tails of this whole deacon thing, but it has been really profound as much as it has sunk in so far. I really see and think about things in a different way knowing I have been consecrated specifically for carrying out Christ’s mission on earth. It seems odd that this is the case having been a seminarian for six years and basically always thinking in this way, but it’s a significantly noticeable difference. It still feels a little foreign when I act as a deacon liturgically or give blessings, but it also just feels so right. Preaching has been a crazy experience too, knowing that in some way the Holy Spirit is moving through my gift of self in preaching and changing hearts and lives. And at this point preaching really feels like I’m just throwing myself out there and hoping the Holy Spirit’s got me covered.

It’s actually been a little hard appreciating the order I received since now I can’t stop looking ahead in excitement. Priesthood seemed so far off two weeks ago, and almost a distant hope at times, but now my heart has a little taste of what’s to come and I just can’t stop longing for it. I feel so limited in how I can serve God’s people and the world for that matter as a deacon, even though a whole new world has just been opened up to me. I think I have a beginning sense of the insane restlessness Fr. Todd Nance was going through in the few days before his priestly ordination on May 25.

 I know I have more musings rumbling around in my head and heart, but I’ll save them for another day and another limerick 😉

 Blessings!

-Deacon Bryan

 

(Photo credit:  David Crenshaw – Eastern Oklahoma Catholic)

A Trip to Rempi

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A couple of weeks ago, the Catholic Bishops Conference of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands was having its annual meeting just down the road from St. Fidelis.

One Sunday morning, Nate Johnson and I were asked to drive Archbishop Douglas Young and Bishop Bill Fey to the village church at Rempi for Sunday Mass.

The villagers really turned out for the event!  A group of villagers was decked out in their traditional attire (“bilas”) and escorted the bishops in procession into the church.  The church itself was bilas’d as well, decorated with all manner of flowers and greenery.

As you can see from the photos, it was a great Mass to attend as both a spiritual and cultural event.  I’m so glad that I was able to experience this unique part of PNG culture.

Following Mass, a gathering on the nearby school parade grounds gave the parishioners a chance to formally welcome the bishops to their village and to give them some input on the challenges facing their community, families and youth.