Dear Friends,

Greetings from St. Peter parish, Nkololo, on a hot and somewhat humid Thursday afternoon, 01 October 2009. I arrived back home on Saturday afternoon the 26th of September having left my Prairie du Chien home the previous Tuesday afternoon. I stayed with my cousin in Janesville, WI, where I dropped off my beautiful Impala at the Fagan Chevrolet Cadillac dealership. I will probably see a lot of impalas here but they won’t be gray and have rubber tires!

I traveled with two 50 lb. canvas suitcases. One of them had 30 lbs. of very valuable John Deere spare parts for our 302A with a front end loader. That beautiful yellow tractor is an essential part of our equipment for road building and putting up buildings. I also had 50 lbs. of useful items, 5 feet high and 40 inches wide, plus a large painting of the Immaculate Conception. With those paintings here plus a large picture of St. Faustina we will be able to build our Divine Mercy Shrine in our St. Peter parish church. I expect to build it near the tabernacle just to the left of the altar as you face it.

There were 14 of us at my large dining room table the Saturday I arrived. It was great to be back home and catch up on news. Sunday we had a long spirit/song-filled Mass. I was tired from standing during Mass and then for a long period greeting people after Mass. I usually go to Small Christian Community meetings on a Sunday afternoon but decided to unpack instead.

Monday afternoon the parish council leaders from Nkololo center hosted a welcome back celebration. The get-together gave me a chance to talk about my plans for the year. Tuesday the workers put on another welcome back celebration. There was a lot of talking as we ate together in the shade of my house and under the veranda of our guest house.

Now it is getting time to get back to work. I hope to get to some of the farther out outstations next week before it rains, and of course we pray that it will rain!

I just want all of you to know that I had a very enjoyable stay and travels in Wisconsin as well as a long-overdue trip to Carbondale, IL and Paducah, KY. However, it was time for me to get out before I got used to good roads, easily available food and many of the creature comforts that are taken for granted. One could get spoiled!

We have yet to update our website roadstolifetanzania.org but hope to do so soon. Perhaps I will be able to put my news notes on it and hopefully my Christmas news letter.

Please drop a note when you have a minute.

Love and prayers,

Fr. Paul

pefagan@gmail.com