Posted on: 01 December 2022

Author:Sister Joan Kerley

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A Journey to the Unknown
Sister Maureen Murphy, FMSJ

I am currently in Kenya. On Monday, after Mass and breakfast, Sisters Annjentrix, Medrine and I travelled to Molo. Since I last visited, we have bought some land for future use. We drove from Nairobi to Nakuru where we met with our lawyer who helped us obtain the Title Deeds for the land. After lunch and a one hour journey from Nakuru to Molo,  Brother Tony, a Franciscan Brother and Superior General of their Congregation, welcomed us to their Generalate which has moved there from Ireland. He insisted on us having tea with homemade Irish Soda bread and rhubarb jam.

We then met Brother Fred, our safari driver, who drove us to view our land which was about three kilometres from the Brothers. Sr Medrine  advised us to take the smoother low road. As I bounced up and down in the back seat I thanked God we had not taken the rougher road! Although the road was narrow, it had not rained. No mud was a bonus! We drove right to the far end of our twenty one acres and what a remarkable sight it was.A local man who rents our land planted potatoes on all of it. The strong, healthy plants will be harvested in January. All you could see everywhere was like a sea of light purple flowers wafting in the breeze.

As we looked we realised we were being watched by our neighbours and went over to greet them. An old lady shook hands with me and told us the many Catholics there are delighted that the Sisters are coming. She said with the Sisters arrival, the road will be improved and they will soon be able to buy water and electricity from us as the Sisters will have necessary connections installed. She asked us to come back as soon as we possibly can. After we took some photos, Brother Fred drove us to the top of the hill where we saw a large area of flat land. This, I was told, is where the Jesuits are going to build their new university. We could see for miles around. The sudden appearance of a most beautiful rainbow right over the edge of our field seemed to me that the Lord was confirming our decision to buy this land and was saying “I am here and all will be well.”

We returned by the less smooth higher road. As we descended,we passed many people on the road returning to their home from work. Our very safe driver, Brother Fred, negotiated the tougher, narrower road. As a good tour guide, he pointed out where other religious had schools, novitiates, and the minor seminary. They are all looking forward to us coming and starting to build on our land.On the way back we visited the family of the man who sold us the land. Although Jimmy was not at home, we met his  wonderful mother, Sophia, a retired red cross worker who used to run groups for disabled children. She wants us to help her set up something for disabled children on a small piece of land near her home. The Sisters will try to put her in touch with the proper organisations to help her. Although she had had a sad life with a son's disappearing, a daughter injured in a car accident, an autistic grandson now living with her and a recent fall which left her walking with crutches, she bid us farewell saying: “God is so good.”

By now it was evening and getting dark as we returned to the Brothers where where we were made welcome for our overnight stay. A full day but a very worthwhile one and the words of Mother Foundress echoed in my heart “Blessed be God, how wonderful are His ways”