On August 1, Bishop Gray commissioned a team of nine to “go and see, come and tell” as they embarked upon an informational trip to Kasese, Uganda to learn more about the Bishop Masareka Christian Foundation (BMCF).
The team included parishioners from St. Peter’s, Oxford: Laura Gettys, Whitney Moore, Neil White, Debbie Bell, Jennifer Mizenko, Wanda Dean and Mike Stanton. Also traveling was the rector of All Saints’ Episcopal Church, Jackson and the Rev. William Ndishibandi; representing St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Jackson was Leanna Owens. The team, now known as the U-Team, embarked upon a 12-day trip designed to explore the inner workings of the BMCF.
Bishop Masereka is a retired bishop of the South Renzori Diocese in Kasese. His vision for the BMCF is to assist patients and orphans affected by HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and other diseases that ravage the area. In addition, there is a maternity ward for patients who are also affected. Bishop Masereka and his staff are committed to providing quality healthcare to the people in the South Renzori region of Kasese.
The team visited the BMCF Medical Centre, participated in the ground breaking of the new BMCF Medical Centre and toured a local hospital to compare and contrast services. One of the highlights of the visit was a trip to the Kamaiba Primary School. The children greeted the team with traditional song and dance; and an impressive rendition of the Star Spangled Banner was enjoyed by all.
The scheduled home visits were quite humbling and eyeopening for the team. Everyone’s heart was touched by families who were trying to earn income for food and school fees. Although the children did not have much in the way of clothing and monies, their hearts were full of gladness and joy as they played with each other and sang for their guests.
No trip to West Africa would be complete without asafari. The team enjoyed seeing elephants, rhinos, lions and a plethora of birds as they toured the Queen Victoria National Park.
Although Mississippi is known for its hospitality, the hospitality shown to the team members was second to none. Stella Masareka (Mama Stella) was the perfect host, preparing delicious meals and donning her guests in traditional African wear as they said goodbye to their Mississippi family.
Saturday, November 14, the team will gather in Grenada to share their findings with Bishop Gray. Additionally, the team will make recommendations outlining ways the Diocese of Mississippi can share in the BCFM ministry.
More information about opportunities supporting BMCF will be available at Annual Council in Tupelo this February.
For more information on the Bishop Masareka Christian Foundation, log on to their website at: www.bmcf.org.
Leanna Owens is the principal of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Lower School and a communicant of St. Mark’s in Jackson.
(This article, along with photographs, is from the November 2009 issue of The Mississippi Episcopalian newspaper.)
