By Sr. Margaret Anne Meyer, MMM                                      USA             10.12.2025

In October 1979, my mother Agatha, retired from school teaching, came to Tanzania to visit with me. We had a very enjoyable time together. Dr. Rijken’s mother-in-law also came, so I could not leave until they returned from Arusha. Mom had a chance to rest for a few days. She knew I was unable to meet her. She told me how glad she had been to see four MMM’s in Amsterdam, waiting for the same plane. She was not alone. She did not have a visa to enter Tanzania. Sr. Theresia Samati obtained a visa for her. She was incredibly grateful.

There was great rejoicing when Mom arrived. I was still working in the hospital until Dr. Rijken returned. Fr. John Mc Donagh took Mom on his village visits to say Mass. She enjoyed meeting the people. The nurses also came to a reception to meet my mother in our house. At first no one came at the appointed time, and I was worried. About a half hour later, they all came, decked out in their best attire. Mom was pleased to meet them.

Mom enjoyed meeting all our visitors. Many people appeared at mealtimes. One was Pastor Hoops. I asked him to come late to the OPD and then join us for dinner. My mother asked him were he a priest or a brother and he said neither, “I am Pastor Hoops. I am not a Catholic, but I like Catholic food.” My mother was extremely impressed.

Sister Doctor Marian Scena arrived around this time. We were glad to see her.

The following week, Mom and I went to Makiungu for a week and enjoyed visiting people there and seeing the sites. She loved meeting Sr. Christina and later shared a letter with me in which Sr. Christina told her about the terrible famine the people experienced in 1984 in the Singida region. The crops had failed from lack of rain and then at the last downfall the crops were flooded. My mother and Aunt Clare Twomey Torre used to send care packages of clothes and some food. Sr. Christina used the boxes of macaroni to thicken the soup for the hungry people. The food was distributed under the direction of the Pallotine Fathers. It was exceedingly difficult for the Sisters to cope with all the medical work and the feeding. The Sisters used to admit whole families to the hospital to care for them. I was not there at the time. I was on Sabbatical in the USA for 2 years and returned in 1985.

But now I am getting away from telling you about the exciting time I shared with my mother. Upon returning from Makiungu, we went to the game parks with Charles, a medical student who had come to Dareda for some medical experience. We enjoyed Lake Manyara where our hotel room overlooked the game park. We searched for lions who rested in tree limbs in the evening. It was delightful to be there with her.
In a few days we traveled to Ngorongoro Crater where we met a German couple and together, we shared the hiring of a land rover to travel down the escarpment to forty square miles of a game reserve. The lions were resting as we drove by. No one wanted to get out of the land rover. It was spectacular to see the wildebeest, hippos, deer, and giraffe. All were busy in their natural habitat. We stayed in a lodge that night and the next day prepared to return to Arusha. On our way to the main road, three soldiers stopped us for a lift. I told them we had a small car and could take only one. My mother was afraid they would harm us, but they understood our position and let us go on. I do not recall being afraid, just worried that the car would break down on the bad roads.

n Arusha, Olivio, a friend of the Sisters, offered to take my mother and me to the local hotel for a roast goat dinner dance. I had asked my mother to bring her evening dress, and she really enjoyed dancing with Olivio. Sr. Veronica Keaney came with us. We all enjoyed the evening. At midnight, Olivio said it was time to leave as he had to take his two children to the game park in the morning. My mother showed no signs of being tired of dancing.

Soon it was time for Mom to leave. She had stayed for three weeks and had put in her will that if she died in Tanzania, she would be buried there. I was extremely grateful that no harm came to her. What would my brothers and sister say? This time I could see Mom off and accompany her to the airport. It was difficult to say goodbye but we both shared a lot of happy memories of our time together.