In Kenya and Tanzania, all are welcomed with the Swahili greeting karibu.  Soon after my initial arrival in Tanzania in September of 1976, I was struck by how children, women and men in their everyday lives were “the Gospel coming alive” before my very eyes. Most Kenyans and Tanzanians have no choice but to live very much in the present day, and their palpable joy with every moment of life demonstrates that all is received and welcomed as a gift and blessing from God. Hospitality, living the present moment to its fullest, and acknowledging God as the source and center of one’s life are cornerstone values in East African societies.

Everyday conversations in Swahili among Kenyans and Tanzanians, no matter what the topic, are often interspersed with the exclamation, Mungu yupo, meaning “God is here with us.” At a deeper level, these two simple words are an emotionally charged faith statement, implying that the speaker feels assured of God’s presence in life and ultimately dependent upon God for the divine care Jesus has promised. The speaker reassures himself/herself of this truth while at the same time humbly witnessing his/her faith to others.

As we continue celebrating our Centennial, we focus in this issue on our missionary work in Africa. You will read how our Fathers and Brothers have moved from helping to physically establish the local Church to accompanying its people as the Church grows. Read how Vietnamese Father Hung Minh Dinh proclaims the Good News in a Sukuma village of Tanzania’s Shinyanga District; and how Brother Frank TenHoopen ministers to youth in Mombasa, Kenya. Meet Maryknoll Sister Kathleen Barbee, who helped establish a learning center for aids orphans in Zimbabwe; and walk with Maryknoll Lay Missioners George and Michele Otte as they serve the people of Mwanza, Tanzania.

Perhaps the greatest gift I have received from the Kenyans and Tanzanians with whom I’ve lived in East Africa is the invitation and privilege to simply accompany them in their daily lives and struggles.  In our journeying together, I have been blessed with a greater appreciation of my own poverty and powerlessness. How often I have heard, Ujisikie nyumbani! —feel at home here; you are with family!