USA, My First Home

I arrived back in the United States on August 7. It's pretty strange to have Taco Bell, dishwashers, Best Buy and a gigantic wardrobe again. In fact, it's not as awesome as I remember to have all of these conveniences. Well, having a dishwasher definitely lives up to expectations, but for example, I keep finding myself frustrated because I have so many clothes that I can't find the ones I'm looking for! It was kind of nice to have only the clothes that would fit in one duffel bag. I thought that I was going to die when I had to go without electricity and running water for two weeks in Swaziland, but now that I'm back in the Land of Plenty, I don't know what to do with myself!
While driving or walking or hanging out with friends, I often find myself really struck by the differences between life in Swaziland and life here. When I first got to Swaziland, it felt so unreal to be in Africa, but now that I'm back home, Swaziland seems like my real life and the US feels strange. I can't believe I'm going back to University and getting a job. I still wake up disoriented, thinking I'm late for teaching English at Baha'i High.
I am, however, ecstatic to be back with my family and friends, especially my grandparents. It's good to just sit with them and talk as if we were never apart at all. But I really miss my Swazi brothers and sisters. I really miss Emmanuel. I know I'll eventually get back to Swaziland to visit them, and even though it's hard to adjust to life here, I'm excited to finish my degree so that I'm free to go where I want.
When I first arrived in Swaziland, I was feeling lonely and isolated in a completely new place with a new culture. But I stayed strong and positive through prayer and by remembering that I had a mission and a purpose to serve humanity, to serve God and to teach the Faith. Now that I'm no longer doing a 'year of service,' I don't want to let go of that mission. My Faith is important to me and I will do my best to 'fuse and unify the contending peoples and kindreds of the earth.' Even though my year of service is over, my life of service is just barely started. My year of service really changed my outlook on life and spirituality and I'm really grateful to God for bringing me through these seven months so that I'm better prepared for the rest of my life. I think I grew more in this time than in the last 5 years together! After reading about my experiences doing service, I hope that all of you will also look into new ways to serve, whether it's long term, short term like mine, or just a small random act of kindness. Everything makes a difference for you as well as the community and even the whole world. When we all arise to serve as one united human family, that's when the worlds' problems that seem impossible will be solved.

'The betterment of the world can be achieved through pure and goodly deeds, through commendable and seemly conduct.'

Swaziland, Ekhaya Lami (My Home)

Sorry for the long absence, but things have been pretty busy! I’m even exhausted now because yesterday I was running (literally and figuratively) around town trying to get my immigration papers straightened out (which I did, thank God). Then last night we had Ruhi study circles at my house and afterward people hung around drinking tea and enjoying our tiny little space heater until about 9:45, and then I got up early this morning for school. School is going well! The teacher I was substituting for is better and came back so now I have six different classes. There is one class that makes me crazy sometimes because they talk so much, but out of six classes I think I’m pretty lucky to have only one that is difficult. I’m teaching English as a second language now - basically a remedial English class. Since most Swazis speak English as a second or even third language, some syntax, etc. gives them trouble. We do vocabulary, study sentence structure, reading techniques, idioms, and we’re about to start on noun-verb agreement. I enjoy the classes and the kids (grades 8 and 9).

The youth in my community are planning a youth conference to encourage the youth to take a more active role in the community- especially in teaching the Faith. This culture in general teaches children to ‘be seen and not heard,’ which presents a problem when they become youth and are shy to speak out in the presence of adults - for example, during consultation at Feast, or in Sunday devotions, or even when teaching friends about the Faith. I’m really excited about the conference!

Some more good news - I trained some youth from around the country in Book 5 and three of the guys from my community have started their own junior youth group! They invited the neighborhood kids and 28 came to the first meeting! We’ve had three meetings now and it seems as though we’ve settled on 10 members, which is a perfect number. The junior youth are really excited to come, and they have some great ideas for community service projects. Interestingly, when asked what they hope for their community, they almost all replied that they want enough food and water for the whole community! It kind of gives you an idea of the state of things when some of the kids don’t even have proper shoes or clothes without holes in them, but they still want to help their communities to have enough to eat. I wish I could find a way to help them get shoes, clothes, school fees and supplies, food and water, but I’m only one person. I’m wondering if there’s a charity that I can help out from back in the states. Or maybe I can just send some books and shoes and clothes to them periodically. As it is, I plan to at least leave behind the majority of the clothing I brought from home when I return. They’re not new, but at least they’re something. I have a whole closet full of clothes at home; I can definitely spare a few articles for these kids. I just hope that I can do more for them in the future.

One of the volunteers, Margit, went back to Canada on June 1st. We were sad to see her go because she has such a kind and loving spirit, but she emailed us from Canada and it seems like she’s really happy to be home again with her grown daughter and friends. I’m next to go (August 6th) and I’ll also be happy to see my family and friends but I’m going to miss this place sorely. The people are kind and friendly (sometimes the guys are a little too friendly! I’ve had to turn down many, many marriage proposals) and I feel like I now have a huge family here- I have so many ‘sisi’s (sisters), ‘bhutti’s (brothers), ‘make’s (mothers), and ‘babe’s (fathers)! I love the way that people use family terms like that instead of ‘mrs.’, ‘miss,’ ‘mr.,’ or if they don’t know your name. It feels good when people say ‘Hello, Sisi!’ I feel like I really am a part of the family! And of course, my roommate has become my honorary sister. Thobile and I like to tell people that we were separated from birth because of a mistake in the hospital. We joke about it, but I really feel that close to her. Definitely, though, the person I’ll miss the most is Emmanuel, the third volunteer. My consolation is that the sooner I go back to the States, the sooner I can finish University and come back to Africa as a real teacher.

When I think about going home, I wonder if home will be the same for me. I’ve been greatly changed by my experience in Swaziland, seeing so much poverty and disease and the strength with which the communities most badly affected band together and carry on with their lives. I’ve met too many families headed by girls or boys under the age of 18 because they were orphaned by AIDS or some other disease or accident; I’ve seen too many cows wandering the street just skin and bones; I’ve seen too many children selling candy or fruit on the side of the road instead of going to school because they can’t afford the fees; I’ve seen too many children eating a small amount of corn porridge because there’s nothing else available; I’ve seen too many one room, stick-and-mud houses with luxurious mansions enclosed in barbed wire fences just down the street. I’ve seen too much to go home unaffected. I wonder if anything will seem right to me when I go back to ‘the land of plenty,’ but also the land of individualism, of materialism. I just wish there was more that I could do to help my Swazi family.

"O Brethren! Be forbearing one with another and set not your affections on things below. Pride not yourselves in your glory, and be not ashamed of abasement. By My Beauty! I have created all things from dust, and to dust will I return them again."

"O Children of Dust! Tell the rich of the midnight sighing of the poor, left heedlessness may lead them into the path of destruction, and deprive them of the Tree of Wealth. To give and to be generous are attributes of Mine; well is it with him that adorneth himself with My virtues."

"O Son of My Handmaid! Be not troubled in poverty now confident in riches, for poverty is followed by riches, and riches are followed by poverty. Yet to be poor in all save God is a wondrous gift, belittle not the value thereof, for in the end it will make thee rich in God, and thus thou shalt know the meaning of the utterance, ‘In truth ye are the poor,’ and the holy words: ‘God is the all-possessing,’ shall even as the true morn break forth gloriously resplendent upon the horizon of the lover’s heart, and abide secure on the throne of wealth."

-The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah (48, 49, 51 from the Persian)

On School Break

I've been so busy lately, but things have been very exciting! I went to Mlilwane game park on Monday with Cynthia, a pioneer from Canada who is also the high school principal's wife. We saw Impala, Inyala, wildebeast, warthogs, zebras, blesbok, etc. It was very exciting! I took a lot of pictures, and hope to get some posted soon. I even have a picture standing about a foot from an Inyala!

Yesterday the boys (Emmanuel, Ndumiso, Mbuso, Njabulo, and Sabelo) took me mountain climbing to the highest point in Swaziland. We took six hours there and back because we stopped a lot to rest and take pictures and eat peanut butter sandwiches. I thought I would die on the way down because it was so steep. We scooted on our butts for about an hour on and off and jumped across rocks at a waterfall. It was very exciting! Now my legs are very sore, though.

One of the boys, Sabelo, only just declared his faith in Baha'u'llah on April 4! We were all happy. He's been studying with Emmanuel for some time and he's already so knowledgable that he's teaching other receptive souls about the Baha'i Faith! We had a youth day for the neighborhood last Saturday which was very successful and we had a couple of people ask to study more with us. One of them is a girl that sings in a band with my roommate, Thobile, and her sister Nomsa. They sing Baha'i music, so I guess this girl has been listening to the lyrics and wants to know more about what inspired them! Their guitar players, Nick and Musa, are also studying Ruhi book 1 now.

In the Ridvan election of the Local Spiritual Assembly, Emmanuel was elected! He was shocked! He's very suprised but of course it's an honor to serve the Faith in this way, or in any way. I know he'll be a good addition to the assembly because he's very intelligent and knowledgable about the Faith, and he's very devoted to service. He's going to be extremely busy now because he's a full time Master's student, a full-time volunteer at the high school teaching Human Development and helping to develop legal contracts, and now an LSA member!

We were supposed to start an intensive Ruhi book 5, but we postponed it until next week so this week I have a lot of free time. Since I have the time, I'm going to attempt to make fried chicken tonight. I've become addicted to KFC and Kowloon Chinese Take-away because they're the only fast foods available! I get lazy during the school days because there's a lot of other work to do besides cooking.

Since one of the high school teachers became very ill (some sort of swelling in her optic nerve) they asked me to substitute for her four English classes. Some of the kids are older than me in Form 4! But they are good and I'm trying to do my best since I'm the only teacher available to them. I appreciate my high school teachers so much better now. How did they manage to fit so much material into such a short time? And how did Mr. Nerf mark a hundred or so 4 page essays in one weekend? I struggle to mark 65 one and a half page essays in a week! But grades are all done for term 1 and now I just need to do some plans for term 2. Hopefully the teacher will be better by term 2, but no one's holding their breath, and she didn't leave any plans for her classes so I'm on my own for the most part. But like I said, I'm trying to do my best. I'm actually finding that I quite enjoy secondary education and now I'm thinking of changing my major to English so I can teach at the secondary level.

I'm finding that doing service in Swaziland has been an eye-opening experience for me, giving me insights into world affairs (like the AIDS epidemic and widespread poverty), as well as my own capabilities, desires, and needs. I'm glad I'm finding all this out now when I still have time to change the course of my life and career!

Umsebenti (Work)

I have some good news- they found a real teacher for the 4th grade! That takes so much stress off of me- and what's best is that I'll still be teaching religious education- my favorite subject! So I don't have to leave my kids completely, but I have a lot less work to do. The rest of the time I'll be doing reception in the office. I'm very happy with this arrangement - I'll have a lot more time to focus on Baha'i activities like my junior youth group.

I really love it here! The people are great, expecially my fellow volunteers. I've become very close to them. Emmanuel, Thobile, Nomsa and Margaret have become my adopted family - I don't know if I could survive without them!

People here are incredibly hospitable and polite. In fact, there are a lot of things I have had to learn in order to be socially acceptable. When shaking hands, you have to offer your right hand and grab your right elbow with your left hand. When offering something, you have to do the same, and it's better to use both hands than just your right hand alone. It's very rude to eat in front of someone else, but before you give food to others, you have to taste it yourself. There are a lot of little rituals like that, but I'm catching on. My SiSwati is also slowly coming along. Very slowly. I can catch a few words here and there and sometimes I can vaguely understand a conversation between my limited vocabulary and their scattered English phrases. It's always interesting when someone calls the reception desk and speaks SiSwati and I have to kind of guess what they need. If I'm really lost then I can always ask for English.

The Baha'i community is relatively big (1000 Baha'is out of 1 million people) but most are scattered throughout the countryside and don't have transport for feast, Sunday school, Ruhi study circles, etc. It's unfortunate because it makes community-building difficult, but despite this the Baha'is have a visible effect on the country. Thanks to the schools and individual Baha'is who help the country, most people at least know the name "Baha'i" even if they know nothing else.

My primary activities here deal with junior youth and youth. I'm helping a junior youth group in my cluster to get going, but it's a bit difficult. The group of 6 is very quiet and shy to put forward ideas for service and activities. I think this might be a result of the Swazi culture which constantly tells children to be "seen and not heard." My roommate Thobile and I have had some ideas to get the youth in our cluster excited about service, but we have to present them to the Youth Committee before we can pursue any action. We're hoping to have a weekend retreat to study the Writings and start some service projects which can then be sustained by a weekly youth group. There are a lot of Baha'i youth and youth who are friends of the Faith, but it seems like their activities have fallen off recently, so Thobile and I are excited to get them started again.

The fast started 2 March, like it does every year for Baha'is. Until 20 March, all Baha'is who are over 15, under 70, healthy, not pregnant or nursing, not traveling or doing heavy labor are supposed to fast from all food and drink from sunrise to sunset each day. I really enjoy fasting because it's a time of spiritual renewal, when I can remind myself that I am dependent on none other but God. Because I'm abstaining from bodily desires I'm able to concentrate on my spiritual needs, like prayer. In the Baha'i Writings it is said that while fasting, one's prayers are endowed with a special potency. Every morning I pray with my roommates, every day at break time I pray with my co-workers, and every evening I pray with all of the volunteers. We cook together and eat together before sunrise and after sunset. I feel like having that support system makes fasting much easier and intensifies the spiritual atmosphere.

Here is part of a beautiful prayer which I love:

O Lord, brighten Thou my face with the lights of Thy bestowals, light Thou mine eyes with beholding the signs of Thine all-subduing might; delight my heart with the glory of Thy knowledge that encompasseth all things, gladden Thou my soul with Thy soul-reviving tidings of great joy, O Thou King of this world and the Kingdom above, O Thou Lord of dominion and might, that I may spread abroad Thy signs and tokens, and proclaim Thy Cause, and promote Thy Teachings, and serve Thy Law, and exalt Thy Word.
-`Abdu'l-Baha`

Valentine's Day

I apologize for my long absence from the blog! I returned home from Piggs Peak to a very busy schedule, but I finally have a few moments to write.Our first week was spent in a rural area called Nkinamadolo. I can’t wait to post pictures because I know that if people only knew that this beautiful place existed, Swaziland would have more tourism than it could handle! We spent most of our time visiting homesteads of families who are interested in the Baha’i Faith to directly teach them, so we spent a lot of time hiking around in the mountains. For the first time in my life I actually climbed over a mountain! I literally went up a mountain, looked around at the surrounding valleys, and then climbed down the other side! Wow! And more excitingly, I didn’t feel sore or tired at all for the entire week. The only reason I can think of is that I was aided by God, because trust me, I am not a fit person. The people in Nkinamadolo were kind, loving, hospitable, and very receptive to the teachings of the Baha’i Faith. It was a great weekend! 6 people decided to join a study circle based on the Baha’i Writings, and one person even declared his faith in Baha’u’llah! All in all, it was a great experience. I didn’t even mind the lack of electricity and running water (although it was quite an adventure). It was a bit like camping, only I don’t actually remember ever being at a campground without running water, flushing toilets, and an electrical hook-up. I feel like I can do anything now! ;)

The second week we moved into the Baha'i center at Piggs Peak so we could teach in town. Even though the Baha'i center had modern conveniences, I liked the countryside better. Town was not great. I haven't had this experience in Mbabane, where I live, but in Piggs Peak people were very racist! They call whites "umlungu" which means "amazing," but the connotation is more like "rich person." Everywhere we went, people wanted to meet umlungu. In some places, a white person had never visited the neighborhood before, so they were very excited. It was troublesome because no one would listen to the Baha'i teachings, they just wanted to meet me. Some houses just shut doors in our faces or wouldn't let us in the gate. One man blamed me, personally, for the missionaries who corrupted Christianity in Swaziland. I was just shocked. It was very backward to me that the rural areas were so kind when in town I felt like I was either hated or like an animal in the zoo, with everyone staring. Where I live in Mbabane, people are more used to diversity, I think, so they don't really care. I prefer that- I don't want to be the center of attention because of my skin.

Despite the bad experience in town, in Nkinamadolo it was wonderful. I'm very happy to be back though, and have my own bed and my own kitchen and my own house. My friends here are glad to see me again and the male volunteer, Emmanuel is very eager for more of my cookies! I told him that I'll bake whatever he wants if he brings me the ingredients! Haha.

We got home on Sunday, and on Monday I was supposed to start work at the Primary School, but no one had told me what my job would be! So, 7:30 on Monday I went to the principal’s office and she told me that I was going to be teaching 4th grade. So at 8:15 I started teaching! I literally had 45 minutes prep time. There is a government standard curriculum, but I still have to plan a timetable and assessments, etc. Needless to say, I’m swamped with work and haven’t been sleeping much. My class is absolutely wonderful though! They’re well behaved, respectful, and I think they like me! Today, one of the girls gave me an apple! Haha

I’m living my dream. There are two fourth grade classes (68 kids total) and two teachers. I teach math and science to both classes, and the other teacher does English and social studies. I also teach religious education and practical arts (home economics) to one of the classes. I’m really enjoying my class, especially religious education. We have to teach the government curriculum, but I can add whatever I want, so when the curriculum only gives us Bible quotes, I’m adding quotes from all the religions. Other than the quotes, the curriculum is very general. We talk about gifts from God, ways to serve the community, etc. It’s a wonderful example of the agreement of all the religions. Every topic in the book is based directly on the Christian Bible, but for each topic I can find matching quotes from every religion because all religions share basic spiritual teachings (i.e. one God who created us, civic responsibility). It’s only the social laws that change from religion to religion based on the time and culture in which the religion began (i.e. Christians are not forbidden to drink alcohol, but Muslims and Baha’is are forbidden because alcoholism has become a huge problem in the modern age).

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching! My friends Nomsa and Emmanuel and I are going to bake cookies for our friends, my class, and of course for ourselves. They’re pink and heart-shaped! I know my class will love them, and I can’t wait! What I love most about Valentine’s Day is that it’s not just a day for lovers. It’s a day to tell everyone (friends, family) how much you love them. And of course, all love comes from the Source of our being, God, so it’s also a day to show our love to God through prayer and service to His people. I’ll leave you with some quotes on the theme of love.

3. O Friend! In the garden of thy heart, plant naught but the rose of love.

4. O Son of Justice! Whither can a lover go but to the land of his beloved? And what seeker findeth rest away from his heart’s desire? To the true lover reunion is life, and separation is death. His breast is void of patience and his heart hath no peace. A myriad lives he would forsake to hasten to the abode of his beloved.

20. O Ye That Are Lying As Dead On the Couch of Heedlessness!Ages have passed and your precious lives are well-nigh ended yet not a single breath of purity hath reached Our court of holiness from you. Though immersed in the ocean of misbelief, yet with your lips ye profess the one true faith of God. Him whom I abhor ye have loved, and of My foe ye have made a friend. Notwithstanding, ye walk on My earth complacent and self-satisfied, heedless that My earth is weary of you and everything within it shunneth you. Were ye but to open your eyes, ye would, in truth, prefer a myriad griefs unto this joy, and would count death itself better than this life.

(from The Hidden Words of Baha’u’llah)

Ngiya E Piggs Peak (I'm going to Piggs Peak)

Unexpectedly, I received word that I and two other Baha'is are being sent to a small town near Piggs Peak for a two-week long intensive teaching campaign. Our roles will be guides to accompany and encourage Baha'is to carry out the four core activities (devotional gatherings, children's classes, junior youth groups, and study circles about spiritual themes) which are performed by Baha'is everywhere in a collective effort to help our communities socially and economically develop, as well as spiritually develop. We will also help them to teach receptive people about the Baha'i Faith directly. I think that many Baha'is are shy to share the teachings of our Faith because we are forbidden to proselytize, but they fail to realize that every day, every hour even, people become interested in the Baha'i Faith, and should be given the opportunity to learn about it. If we are so shy to share our Faith, it will never grow and we will not be able to achieve our goal - in sum, to unite the world. Our trip is only one of many such trips to help local Baha'is become empowered to help their communities and teach the Faith effectively. I leave Tuesday and will come back in two weeks. I'll be sure to post an entry about my exciting new experiences when I return.

This trip will certainly be eye-opening for me. We will be in a very rural area, in a house with no electricity or running water. Surprisingly, many Swazis live this way, although much of the country is quite developed. It humbles me when I think of how difficult it is for me to even give up a dishwasher, much more so electricity in general.

I feel like even in my short time here, I have already developed spiritually much more so than I did in the entire previous year. I pray and read the Sacred Writings more than ever before, mostly because I'm realizing how powerless I really am, and how much I need that communion with and assistance from God in order to survive spiritual tests, to follow the laws of Baha'u'llah, and to help the Cause of God. I'm realizing how incredibly blessed I am to be a Baha'i in this crucial time in human history, when spiritual depravity, unchecked prejudice, and gross materialism have threatened to destroy civilization (ex. the atomic bomb), and how I am even more blessed to be a part of this world-wide community that is working to break down the crumbling old-world ideas and build a new civilization in its place, in which unity and peace are inevitable. I was sad when I first arrived because I was lost, culturally and otherwise, and I felt that I couldn't do much to help change the world. Now I know that it is impossible for me to feel sad knowing that Baha'u'llah has come to build the Kingdom of God on Earth, and I am a part of that process! I feel on fire with the love of God and I'm ready to serve His people in whatever capacity I can. Opportunity has been practically breaking down my door and now I feel strong enough to answer it and jump into service.I hope that all of you, no matter where you are or what religion you follow, if any, can also feel this power that I do and know that that every act of service, no matter how small, if done with the utmost selflessness, does change the world for the better.

"The betterment of the world can be achieved through pure and goodly deeds, commendable and seemly conduct." -The Baha'i Writings

I still miss home, but I'm so excited about service that I don't feel sad about it anymore. Like I said, how can I feel sad when I'm changing the world?

FOG (Feet On Ground)

I arrived safely in Swaziland on Sunday, January 6th. Dale Allen, the son of the Knights of Baha'u'llah who opened Swaziland (meaning the first Baha'is to pioneer to this country) picked me up from the airport, and he and his wife, Irma, had me over for dinner before taking me to my new home at the school.

My bag arrived safely, albeit 2 days late, with nothing missing or broken (except one headband broke) so I am very happy. I have made friends with the other volunteers; Emmanuel is a young Ugandan who stays in the Hospitality House next door, and Thobile is a 26-year-old Swazi girl who lives in the Caretaker's House with me and the last volunteer, Margaret, who is an older Hungarian woman. Margaret is very motherly and always makes sure I am eating enough. Thobile and the other Swazi Baha'is are helpful with my study of Siswati and Margaret loaned me her Siswati dictionary. I'm learning Siswati slowly, but surely. I can say "I am an American": "Ngiya li Melika."

Although most people are very friendly and everyone is kind, some of the young Swazis keep their distance, out of shyness maybe. That makes me feel lonely, but I when I am with the friends I have made I feel very joyful because they are always laughing and talking.

The two hardest things to get used to are language barriers and the lack of cleanliness. Language barriers, because while everyone speaks enough English, they often choose to speak in Siswati, even if I am involved in the conversation. I have to remind them that I don't understand, and then they translate for me, but they still switch to Siswati often. At those times I feel left out and lonely. Cleanliness is also an issue, because I'm very afraid of getting sick, so I like everything to be super-clean. They bathe daily, but do not wash their hands regularly. They don't mind bugs in the house, or using dirty towels to dry clean dishes. The biggest problem for me is that illness is common here, but nobody bothers to take precautions against it. The Caretaker's House where I live is a center of activity for the community, so people are always around and many eat with us. Because so many people visit, I am very cautious to clean dishes and my things and my hands very carefully because I don't know who is ill that has been at my house.

Ironically, it is the middle of summer here, and the last three days have been rainy and cold. It feels like winter! Apparently this is unusual weather, but it is hard because the house has no heater and I get cold during the day, though at night I can cover myself with wool blankets. It seems like the weather is getting warmer (the fog is lifting some) but I hope that it will be hot again soon!

On January 29th I will start working at the Baha'i Primary School, but for now I am helping to tutor a Ruhi Institute course called "Releasing the Powers of Junior Youth." I am also going to help start children's classes and junior youth groups in the neighborhood because currently there is only one children's class on Sundays. Other than these Baha'i activities, my only other adventure has been to take the combi (a small bus) to town to shop. The town is very small, but "The Mall" is nice and as big as the Oaks Mall near my university in the USA. The only thing that would make it better would be a Taco Bell, but I think I can sacrifice cheap tacos in order to do service for God and for humanity. ;)

The Internet service is spotty and goes out during storms (which happen often), and I can't access this blog or other social sites (like facebook) from the school where I live because they are blocked. When I can, I will go to the Internet Cafe in town to add entries, but not as often as I would like. Regardless, I hope to get responses from all of you to hear how you are doing. You can leave me comments here, or write me emails at this address: maiamily@ufl.edu.

I'll leave you with the short prayer I have been dwelling on the most in the past few days:

"O Lord! Make me a hollow reed from which the pith of self hath been blown, that I may become a clear channel through which Thy love may flow unto others."