Finding Inspiration in Africa
Photo Credit: photo by Grace Armstrong
Ms. Foley and Ms. Russo with new friends from their trip
September 15, 2009
Grace Armstrong, Staff Reporter
Filed under Features
This summer, 12 Pres girls went to Zambia, a small, peaceful country in South-Central Africa. The first week of the service trip was spent in Livingstone with a group of six Presentation Sisters. The second, we stayed in Pemba with two sisters. While working at the schools and orphanages, I was able to learn from numerous colorful people, old and young.
In Livingstone, I met the most remarkable people the day I worked with caretakers at the Saint Francis Care Center. I went to a house in the community where they hold a clinic once a month for people the in neighborhood that are sick with diseases like AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and malaria. After I did warm-up exercises with the patients, we went to see the four patients that were bedridden. First, I saw a woman who was young and had many children running around her house. Her eyes were extremely sad and she did not speak. Just standing in her presence, I could feel death. It was the first time during trip that just seeing someone made me cry; I was so overwhelmed with compassion that I didn’t know how to deal with it. After I left her house, I met Martin, a 38-year-old man with a warm smile. When I first met him, I was not sure how sick he was because he looked relatively athletic and I could tell he was extremely tall despite the fact he was sitting down. He told me that he had four kids and was taking care of them while his wife was gone. Martin was extremely friendly and quick to make conversation. While we were talking, the caregiver told me that he could not walk because he had some sores on his legs; she asked him to show them to me and he did. Martin lifted the blanket that was covering his legs and exposed the sores on his legs. All of a sudden, the wind was knocked out of me; I was so shocked to see such big, open wounds on a living person. Neither words nor pictures can describe the enormous, grotesque sores. I was so impressed with Martin’s uplifting and optimistic attitude despite his unbelievable circumstance. He has made a lasting impression on my outlook on life. It was so inspiring to see someone whose positive attitude enabled him to see past his illness. The stark comparison between the sick woman and the sick man is only seen when looking at their attitudes. Because of Martin’s hopeful outlook on life, he seemed much more able to live his life to the fullest. From this I saw that attitude determines everything and a positive attitude can help bring you through the hardest times.
After the time we spent in Livingstone, the group traveled to a small, rural town called Pemba. In Pemba, we stayed with two extraordinarily inspiring Sisters: Mary Lucey and Bernadette, both retired Irish schoolteachers. They moved to Pemba 14 years ago to bring more world knowledge to the small village; the sisters were the first white people most of the town had ever seen. My favorite memory from Pemba was a talk we had with Sister Mary Lucey one night by the fire. We were all sitting around after dinner and she told us of some of her encounters while being in Africa. The stories were very interesting but the best part was at the end, when she told us, “You know, you do what you can.” After she explained her heroic efforts and the tremendous amount of work she has done in Pemba, she simply said that she tries her hardest to do what she can and in the end of the day, that pays off the most. This quote has stayed with me since the trip because it is such a good way to view our abilities here on Earth. Her insight on life has given me new hope in the endeavors I take. It doesn’t matter how much you do but the intensity and how much of yourself you give to it.
The sisters serve as inspiration to all Pres girls because of how much of their lives they have given to the people of Pemba. There are sisters just like Mary Lucey and Bernadette all over the world; the Presentation community is truly international!
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How well written and what a life changing experience for you, Grace. So glad you had this amazing opportunity!
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