Besides all the happiness that we encountered at Bakhita Village, there is the reality of some difficult situations. We had one particularly sad afternoon while we were there. As you all know, wonderful friends and parishioners put together gift bags of items for each girl at Bakhita Village. Each bag was for a particular girl. Upon arrival, we discovered that 2 of the girls who were living at Bakhita had left to return to their home villages to live with extended family m

We said good-bye to our wonderful friends at Bakhita Village and St. Brendan's School. Sr. Helene and Sr. Nancy organized a dinner for us with all of the Sisters the night before our departure. They feted us with a delicious dinner that included two roses they said represented their love for us and ours for all of them. We were also honored at Bakhita Village with songs from the girls, gifts of African clothing arranged by the sisters, and a lovely wall hanging signed by al

We traveled to St. John Vianney Seminary in Pretoria to pay a visit to our friend, Fr. Masilo John Selemela. When we first came to South Africa in 2000, Masilo was a young parish priest and later was chaplain at St. Brendan's School. In 2008 he visited our home in Oxford; met family and friends in Michigan, Indiana, and New York City; and concelebrated mass at our church with Fr. Joe. After five years study in Rome, Masilo is now Vice Rector at the seminary, which educates a

The girls at Bakhita start their weekdays quite early. They make their beds, dress for school and eat a bowl of soft porridge with bread or fruit. By 6:50 they are leaving for school. We love to see them in their school uniforms each morning. Their backpacks are full with finished (usually) homework and books for the day's classes. After school is always homework time. The house mothers often help out with the homework and try to make sure that everyone finishes. One day