Cold Rice, Hot Soda
Cold Rice, Hot Soda
By Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
For the missionary in Africa Holy Week is the busiest time of the year and the peak of the church’s liturgical season. When Father Joe Reinhart scheduled weddings and baptisms on Easter Monday in Musoma, Tanzania he didn’t bargain for the many celebrations and feasts to follow. After a long liturgy of over three hours on a hot day he started making the rounds of parties and meals. Rice is served on special feasts and everyone waits for the first cold soft drinks. Joe wanted to stop in at every celebration, but always was a little bit late. Try as he could he always ended up at homes when the nicely cooked rice had cooled down and without refrigerators the cold soda had gotten warm. But he had been waiting for years for some of these people to be married in church so this particular day he didn’t mind cold rice and hot soda.
Rev. Joseph G. Healey, M.M.
Nairobi, Kenya
JGHealey@aol.com