by Sr. Margaret Anne Meyer MMM                    USA                           18.06.2025

“Be sure to be at the airport by 10:30 AM. “These words were said to me by a Holy Ghost Father, whom I had visited the day before. He had been in the Biafran War in Nigeria and was now helping refugees in Ethiopia. I was transporting some letters for his brother, Fr Doheny, who was also a Holy Ghost Father, in Arusha, Tanzania. Because the US Congress had stopped the coffee trade with Uganda, I was asked to leave. The border between Kenya and Tanzania was closed and I had to fly from Addis Ababa to Mount Kilimanjaro. It was a very upsetting time for me. I felt sad to leave my beloved Uganda and the people to whom I had become close. Yet I knew from the Bishop’s concern for me, and my community’s supporting the decision of the US Government for me to leave, was the one to follow, no matter what the cost.

At 10:45 AM, the Comboni Sister with whom I was staying was kissing all her Sisters goodbye before getting into the car. At last, we were on our way, but the Sister driver decided it would be nice to see the sights of Addis before getting onto the plane. Finally, an hour later we arrived at the airport. Sister’s luggage and mine together were 100 lbs. I was about 2 pounds over the limit. All her tapes were confiscated, and she had to pay for the extra weight. Sister was going to establish a novitiate for a congregation in Tanzania and had many books. By this time, the plane was revved up and ready to take off. At the last minute, the Holy Ghost Father showed up in his Volkswagen, flashing all his official badges, and drove us out onto the runway. The gangplank was about to be removed. I had told Sister his instructions but as the previous plane was five hours late, she did not think it was necessary to be on time for this one. The sweat was pouring down my back. How could anyone think like that?