A Saturday retreat, more of the market, and a dessert called "Floating Oysters"

Sunday February 1, 2009

The last two days have been pretty relaxing, although we did travel a bit. Saturday was an early day because we had to make it to Serrekunda for mass at 7:30. Every month the sisters have a community retreat, and every second month they come together for it. So this month the retreat was held at the convent in Serrekunda. So we arrived late for mass since the truck wasn’t starting but they had waited for us to start mass. We had mass and then everyone helped to get breakfast together and then dinner ready before the retreat started. They had a whole day planned of talks and silent prayer time and I was basically just tagging along so that I wasn’t at the house by myself all day. I wouldn’t have minded but it gave me a great opportunity to see a little bit more of Serrekunda. I sat in during adoration and also during a presentation that was given. During the afternoon Sr. Odile had to go to the market to go and get groceries so she asked if I wanted to go with her. I also had to go and try to fax something so I thought it would be a good opportunity to go. I guess one thing I didn’t realize was that they actually do buy things from supermarkets here. I thought that everyone bought everything from the market. That’s why I thought I would never want to go buy groceries, but it turns out they buy most of their groceries from the supermarket and they buy veggies, fruit and fish at the market. I always have fun with Sr. Odile. We always end up laughing at something that’s hilarious, whether it’s something we did or something that someone else did, so we always have a good time. It was nice to go with her because she told me some of the prices that were good and some that weren’t good. For the most part, in the supermarket the prices are pretty good since you don’t have to barter with anyone. I’m definitely a lot more used to that than the market.
By the time we got back to the convent for the rest of the retreat it was still hot out and everyone was having their own silent prayer time so I decided to go outside and read a bit. I’ve been trying to go through the Sunday gospel a week ahead of time just to prepare my own heart for the Liturgy. I really am grateful that I have the time to do this because I think that in some way, I see the mass differently. I try to read the gospel and then there are a few books that the sisters have that have commentaries or homilies for catechists that give you a good idea about what the gospel is about. I enjoy it because when I was in school we were always studying about the period in time when the gospel or the reading was written. And it’s easier to know what the writer meant when you can understand the history of the time when the gospel was written. This has given me a really good opportunity to relate it to my own life for the whole week and then on Sunday I feel like I’m not just AT mass, but that I can enter into it because I have related my own life to the gospel reading. I’m not sure if I’m making any sense to any one but myself so I apologize for that. Anyway, so I took my books and sat outside in the sun. Later on the sisters had a meeting and some of the younger ones were preparing supper. I guess that Sr. Sarian is quite the comedian and she LOVES to give people a hard time about things. Usually when a community function goes on someone get to be the butt end of her jokes and the funny thing is that she doesn’t let up. It’s really quite hilarious to hear about. This time though, SHE was the one who got all the grief. The sisters are all in charge of bringing something and I guess she was in charge of brining oysters for supper. In their bridge in Banjul she just grabbed what she thought was the plastic container for the oysters and brought it but it turned out to be a container full of fruit salad. She was in the meeting with all of the superiors and the younger sisters had been plotting as to how they were going to get her back since she is ALWAYS giving them a hard time about everything. All of a sudden they all started singing (in their African way) “Floating Oysters, floating Oysters…” Over and over and over since the fruit was floating in orange juice. All the young sisters started singing this so loudly and marching outside to give it to Sr. Sarian. AND! They even had a pail that they started to use for a drum…it was honestly one of the most hilarious things I’ve ever seen. First of all because Sr. Sarian was getting how they put it, “what she deserved”…haha, and secondly to see all these sisters dancing around and singing. It was hilarious! I even got it on camera! We were laughing SO hard and just to let you know, it didn’t stop until we left. They made so much fun of her for bringing the wrong container that I feel bad for the next person who brings the wrong thing. She’ll be sure to give things back 10 times worse. I am so grateful for being a part of their community in some small way because I get to see these women in their element. I don’t just see them at mass, or at school or on the street, I actually get to live with them and experience their joy for life. That’s what I experienced last night when they were all singing and dancing and laughing. It was all in good fun and Sr. Sarian is sure to get back at someone – again…all in good fun. I just hope that it’s not me, who’s the next person. 
We all piled in the truck and made it home pretty late. Everyone went to bed and in the morning I woke up early to see if Sr. Cecile wanted me to come for outstations but she told me to go back to bed. I really enjoy going to outstations because Its something that not a lot of people get to experience BUT I was SO excited to go back to bed. I’m sure the only gift the Lord has given me is to be a good sleeper. Haha…so I went back to bed and I woke up in time to get ready for mass at10am. Sr. Bernadette and I took a taxi and I was excited because this was the first time I was going to get to see the entire mass. Usually when we go on outstations we’re a few minutes late for mass so I never get to see the procession or the first part of mass so I was excited. If I can explain the feeling I got it would be the same feeling when we have pilgrimage masses at the Shrine – our Lady of Lourdes. There is incense and music and it’s almost overwhelming. I enjoy it so much. Fr. Gabisi was saying mass and I can’t even explain how great of a priest he is. I enjoy his homilies and you can tell how much he appreciates his vocation. I like that he loves to joke around and be sarcastic because that’s my type of humor. We always joke around after mass. I was able to go to confession to him on Thursday and he gave me some of the best advice that I’ve ever been given in confession. He said this, “ God gives us free will so that if we sin that we have the opportunity to come back to Him in humility AND so that we can relate to someone else that may go through it also. This is all done so that everything can be given back to the Lord for HIS greater glory.” I loved his advice because honestly it was exactly what I had been thinking about and it’s so true. If we were perfect how could we relate to the imperfect?! We are here to allow the Lord to work in our lives and when we think we’re perfect and have no sin then we have no reason for the Lord. Then there would be no reason for Him coming to earth to save us from our sins. Confession is SO important and it frees us from ourselves, allows the Lord to change our hearts to become more and more like Him, and to be able to unite our own hearts to each other because we’ve all been through similar things.
Mass was beautiful and I honestly love going. We came back to the house and had dinner and then it was a pretty relaxing rest of the day. Everyone took naps and just enjoyed the day. I sat outside for a bit reading and it was really hot. I keep forgetting to check the temperature but I’m guessing that it must have been close to 30 degrees (or for all of you Americans…it was close to 90).

In Jesus and Mary,

Jen