Dinner with Philip

As I write, I am safely tucked into "my room" at the St. Anna's Guest House in Kisumu. I've made my preference for the little single room in the 4-room house at the back of the property so well known that Regina and Moses, the desk staff, know to hold that space for me when I come. It's nice to have a home-away-from-home and it's nice that they cater to my idiosyncrasies!

When I arrived at the Kisumu airport late this afternoon, Philip Owegi was there to greet me. Philip is the Head Catechist for a Legio Maria congregation, a regional religious group that, in my observation, appears to be a blend of Roman Catholic structure and traditional African religious practices. Mention Legio Maria to a Kenyan and you almost certainly will get a snicker and roll of the eyes in response -- as a group, Legio Maria is the clear outsider among the many Christian denominations found here. I don't know the exact reasons for the lack of respect --although their unorthodox beliefs, colorful practices and extreme poverty probably all are contributing factors. So, it is no small accomplishment for Philip and Legio Maria to be part of the partnership of congregations here -- everyone is to be commended for their efforts to overcome boundaries.

I met Philip on my first trip to Chulaimbo in 2006 and he immediately caught my attention. I visited him at his church and it was obvious the community has very limited resources. There were lots of people milling around the compound; I found out later that these were destitute members of the church who had no other place to live so the church had taken them in. When we asked Philip about the needs of the children, he simply said, "You can see we have very little. However, our faith requires us to respond to the needs of the orphans and widows, so we do whatever we can." As we ate dinner together tonight, he reiterated, "How can I say I love God if I just talk about caring for the children but don't actually do something?" He went on to outline his ideas for how we foster long-lasting change and cultivate hope in the lives of the young people we've come to know through Umoja.

As he talked, I listened and marveled at Philip's courage, resilience, and vision. His ideas aren't so different from many others, but the fact that he feels welcomed enough to share them is remarkable. What a great first evening!