Happy
Easter! The second term flew by. The third term starts on Monday April 8, but
the TTC will be back for mock exams on April 1.
Besides
the usual busy-ness of the second term, the school secretary "put to
bed" (gave birth) at the beginning of March, so I was helping in the
office especially with entering the end of term marks (grades) so the report
cards could be completed. Also in the first week of March, the mother of the
dean of TTC and the mother of the school chaplain both died. I went with the
school staff to both funerals - one in Njinikom (about an hour from Bamenda)
and one in Sop (about 40 minutes from Kumbo). The roads were pretty bad with
the start of the rainy season again. Happily, the government has started to
work on the road so it's getting better a little at a time.
Palm Sunday weekend was the diocesan world
youth day celebration, which was held in Jakiri (about an hour from Kumbo) at
the new Cardinal Tume Comprehesive College (secondary school) with more than 3,000
youths. While there, I stayed with some sisters at a convent near the parish
church. There is another set of sisters who are working at the school, one of
whom is Brazilian. The bishop came on Saturday evening to join the celebration
and stayed until after mass on Sunday morning. Bishop George is very good with
the young people and they love him.
I
spent the beginning of Holy Week in Kumbo, relaxing and typing term papers for
TTC students. After the Chrism Mass on Wednesday, I got a ride with Fr. Anthony
at St. Albert's in Bafut, where I spent Holy Thursday and Good Friday with the
Marist Brothers. Then, it was back to Kumbo on Saturday (via public
transportation - a small bus). On the way back, the bus got a flat tire in
Babessi (about the halfway point). While we were waiting for the new tire, the
clouds decided to let loose and there was a good downpour with lots of wind. I
took shelter with the other passengers in a bar by the road. Between the tire
and the rain, we were stuck there for about 45 minutes before the driver
gathered us up to continue on. I was sitting by a window and got a little bit
of a sunburn on my shoulder which I didn't notice until Sunday morning (it was
sunny most of the way).
Holy
Saturday Easter vigil was in Kikaikelaki where I was greeted by some students
from St. Pius and TTC. In the morning, I watched the Easter Sunday mass in Rome
on EWTN at the fathers' house in SAC.
And
that pretty much brings everything up to date.
