I was sitting in my office at the Maryknoll Language
School in Makoko, Tanzania. The watchman came to the door to say that I had a
visitor — a woman named Veronica from Iramba Parish. "Veronica," I said to
myself. "Could it really be Veronica, the crippled woman from Kemugongo
Outstation in my former parish?" With donations from my 25th Anniversary of
Missionary Priesthood celebrations, I had given her a tricycle (a three-wheel
bicycle with regular-size bike tires). After crawling on her hands and knees for
20 years she now operated the tricycle by pedaling with her hands. "It’s a brand
new life for her," a friend said.

    Now Veronica had come to visit me. She traveled 40 miles
by local bus — putting the tricycle on the top. Then with help from a friend
she pedaled the two miles out to Makoko. She gave me a colorful African woven
basket that she made. What a precious gift! Veronica had evangelized me.
Whenever I feel too tired to tackle a project, I get energy just by looking at
that basket.