At Thanksgiving time, two American Lutheran Missionaries invited us three American MMMs to join their celebrations.  Singida was a good place for expatriates to meet and share some time together.  We loved eating some American food and watching the video of “Oklahoma”.  At that time, we did not have a video player or TV in Makiungu.  It was a short car ride between the two places.

Sometimes we were unable to buy flour to make bread.  Brother Regis from Wisconsin sent us large containers of medical supplies and often some food supplies.  Well, we were fortunate to receive ten cartons of Mrs. Wrights hot roll mix. With a little help multiplying the recipe to include five cups of water, our cook, Thomas, provided delicious rolls to eat.

After Christmas, Sr. Maureen Mc Dermott went on local leave. The hospital now had about 160 patients, and we all were kept terribly busy.  While Sr. Maureen was away, we had six ectopic pregnancies, two caesarean sections and a busy outpatient clinic to contend.  Thank God, no mothers died during that time. Sometimes I felt overwhelmed and began to diagnose a male patient with an ectopic pregnancy because he has appendix-like symptoms!  Thank God all went well and when Sr. Maureen returned it was my time to go on local leave.  Sr. Anne Marie Hubbard was on visitation and Sister Shirley Smith, and I joined her for an exciting and restful holiday at the Tanzanite hotel.  A small game park was adjacent, and we enjoyed seeing the animals as well as swimming in the pool.  It was a very enjoyable week for all of us.

A Blessed Sacrament Father, Leo Bourke, was requesting to do a retreat in Makiungu.  For one reason or another he kept putting it off.  Unfortunately, the sad news came that he died of complications of malaria.  Sr. Vincent Pallotti nursed him in KCMC Hospital.  He had six units of blood.  Father told her in all his 24 years of priesthood he had only missed celebrating Mass a few days.  I went to his funeral in Mtu wa Mbuu.  Many greatly loved him.  I cried my heart out at his funeral. It is the Ugandan custom to bury someone with bark cloth so I asked the Bishop if I could put a piece of bark cloth in his coffin.   The Bishop agreed. He also asked me to review Father Leo’s death certificate, and I explained the complications of resistant malaria and its effects on the bodily systems.  Bishop Durnin seemed relieved that everything had been done to save Fr. Leo’s life.  I was too.  A great man had gone to God.   I wrote about Fr. Leo’s death to a Blessed Sacrament Father living in Central African Republic. Father Edward had been with Father Leo in Masaka.  Father Edward said he sent my letter around the world to the congregational houses as an obituary notice.  I was grateful that I could contribute it some small way to tell them how good a priest Father Leo was to the people.