Molly’s First Blog Article

Oh to know God and to be grateful, for wherever we find ourselves…… Just know God is enough.” Solanus Casey

My husband used to say that I have a PhD in relationships, which always made me laugh, but in some ways it’s true.  Whether I’m directing a play, or spending time with my kids, meeting with a donor, or traveling to Africa, my greatest concern is for people and their wellbeing. That is why I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the place that the Lord has taken me this year. Our new Board of Directors is made up of talented, energetic people with a mind for the business side of our Non-profit. This gives me time to focus on what I love most, the relationships. Our two talented interns have made it possible for me to connect with donors in a very focused way, showing them how important donors are to our Catholic Mission to improve healthcare, education, and family life in Tanzania. And, our new  Marketing Director knows stuff about technology, websites, and data base programs that I’d never dream of understanding. I feel surrounded by gifts from God! 

Just this past week, I spent an hour on the phone with a medical student who received a tuition scholarship from P4HT five years running. He has just received his MD and wanted to express his thanks.  I thought back at the first time I met Moses. His parents were some of my first friends in Bwambo Village. They were the family that broke the granite rocks in the side of the mountain into tiny pieces  with a sledge hammer in order to create gravel for our many building projects on the mission. They spent their entire days from sunup to sundown breaking rocks in order tp raise the money they needed to put their seven children through Catholic grade school. Moses expressed interest in medicine at a very young age, and followed our medical director, Fr. Dr. Beda around the hospital observing his every move. Fr. Beda allowed him to scrub into surgeries with him, visit patients, and learn about ultra sound and X-ray. So by the time Moses applied to medical school, he knew more than most 2nd year med students. Moses also became close friends with my husband, also a medical doctor, When we are in Tanzania on mission (2-4 months per year), Mark and Moses spend hours a day together talking over difficult medical cases, reviewing new treatments, and discussing ways in which Moses can improve his learning. 

Whenever we see Moses and his parents after daily Mass they rush over to us to give us updates on all of their children, but especially about Moses. I have a difficult time not shedding tears, as they hold my hands in theirs, all rough and cut from the chopping sharp granite rocks. I will never be able to stand in their shoes and understand what it’s like to live in such poverty. Their home is made of worn bricks, with a thatch roof. The two rooms, where the family of eight sleep, are crumbling and dark. No electricity and no running water (until we granted the family a new water tank this year) was the reason Moses” siblings often stayed at the mission house with volunteers to study in the afternoons. It’s a life I’ll never truly understand.

Moses has studied hard, followed his dreams, and worked to reach his goals amidst dire poverty. But it was the community of supporters, who I like to call our “Partners for Hope”  and the staff and board of directors that made it possible for Moses not only to strive, but thrive in his new profession. 

In East Africa, education is the key to freedom and success. In Moses” family, a tuition grant given to Moses, provided by our generous donors, is the conduit that will provide support and education for many of his future generations to come! 

To know God is everything. To know and love God through our relationships is bliss!