Monday AM

Today is Monday June 2. The kids are still asleep and Faye, Lina, and Malcolm have gone to wash our shirts for the trip home. Yesterday we spent the day with the BANA Fellows of Massachusetts. We began in Lynn , MA at St Stephen's. Lynn is a working class, traditionally immigrant city with multiple drug and gang problems. St Stephen's has a long history of being a diverse parish with a commitment to youth and to building community. Interacting with the young people there gave our kids and opportunity to hear the stories of what life is like in the intercity. Brother Ruffin and I vested and participated in the service and the kids all went to Sunday School Episcopal style. That means doughnuts and orange juice for all. We sang at the offertory and everyone was amazed. I even tried to clap and sway at the same time. LaShonda said that I did well. She is my choir buddy.

After the service we all went upstairs to another service. This one was in Kiswahili. The preaching was a whole lot more animated, but we did not understand much of what was said. Dorothy figured out that we he said "Alleluia", we were supposed to say "Amen" so we were able to join in! We learned to say "Jambo", which means Good morning and "Amani" which means "Peace". After the service we had a meal prepared by the Kiswahili congregation. It was everything from meat pies to mashed up black-eyed peas, to white sweet potatoes, to goat meat. The kids and adults chowed down and thoroughly enjoyed it. No kidding the kids really did not only eat it but thought it was very good. A change from pizza!

After dinner we went to another church in wealthy, mostly white Marblehead, MA. There we helped the BANA Mass kids set up for a fund raiser. They had planned an art shoe (for sale) and a talent shoe for entertainment. Let me just say that they were amazing. Our kids got into the music and dance and had a wonderful time. We were there until about 6 and than drove some of the BANA Mass kids back to Lynn. The laughter from the back of the bus filled the air with the joy of kids getting to know one another and sharing dreams for what America can be without prejudice, privilege, and misuse of power. Jason Cruz, the leader of BANA Mass said it all when he called out Who are we? And the kids, black , white, and brown – Episcopal, Baptist, and whatever, northern and southern, girls and boys - thundered back in one voice across two thousand miles of difference "We are BANA"

Now I have filks upstairs who are wondering where I am and who want to head out to meet Bishop Bud and go to the Museum of Science. I apologize for not having more entries from then kids but internet access is spotty. I am in the Clinical Lab where I used to work right now and kids are not allowed in here. On the way home we will get them to write and I will post it upon our return.

Thanks for journeying with us. God's Peace be with you.
Jane+