From: ljh655@cscgpo.anu.edu.au (Lubosh)
Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian
Subject: Kingdom of God #5
Date: 15 Dec 92 09:27:52 GMT
Organization: ANU

And Zaire again...
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The last excerpt from a letter with messages from Fr Stefan :
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+!																																								Kolwezi,27-10-92
My dear sister,
	haven't we made ourselves busy with this ? I have already received 120
letters in October. I'm getting a headache when I think about to write
just a few lines to everyone. You know, Helen, I might also think
wouldn't all your expenses with the postage get your house mortgaged ? I
hope not.
There has been a lot of unrests here recently. Since I came 10 years ago
the situation is only getting worse, and the poverty too. There were some
ethnic clashes  here - that's horrible. People are divided into two
camps. The native tribe Katange against the newcomers' tribe Kasaje. They
are burning each others' houses, and it only deepens their poverty. Not
long ago they were living together peacefully. And then about 20 km from
Kolwezi whole village was burned down. Those people from the Kasaje tribe
moved into the church, about 1,000 of them, and those from Katange moved
into the school building. The situation is so critical that it's not
allowed to get out of the house after 6 PM until 6 AM. There is one woman
who moved into the corridor of our presbytery, sleeping just on the
floor, we gave her at least some blankets... There is also an 80 years
old widow whose house was burned. She only could take a few things in
their hands, and even those were taken from her and thrown into the
flames. The poor woman had to go and beg other people for shelter...
--------------------------
Now from the messages to other people:
... dear sister Ann, don't send us parcels anymore. It just doesn't pay.
You probably paid a lot for postage, and I had to pay a lot to the
customs. Also the parcels used to come open, and a half of the contents
is missing - anyway the custom duties have to be apid in full! Do pray
for us all and for our mission instead !
... dear sister Maria, pray for the poor and hungry. I can see some help
coming to the country from the Red Cross, but it's far less then is
needed.
... Dear Mirka, the school children here have school uniforms. The girls
have black skirts and white shirts, the boys come in black shorts and
white shirts. Those who can't pay for the uniforms and pencils can't
attend the school. Away from the city, on the outskirts are many poor
people, and their children don't go to schools. They have no education,
no food, the only thing they learn is stealing. In other places in the
country the kids have to take a long distance to their school. There is a
village, from which the children have to walk 20 km to school early every
morning, it takes them at least 3 hours. Then they have to walk back,
they come late, and have to go to school in the morning again. There is
also a school with accommodation, but it's only for those who can afford
it, whose parents are rich. One of the men in the village told me that
once when he was a child he asked the teacher if he can come to school.
And the teacher said "Okay, just bring a note book and a pencil." But he
couldn't get a paper and pencil, so he never learned to read and write.
This is why many people here are iliterate.
... What to say in the end? A lot of correspondence is very difficult for
us, but the postcards are causing such an incredible joy for children
that they even forget that they haven't had anything to eat. So I hope
even when the postage went up, we'll get some mail from you. 
...
In the Lord, thankfully yours,
Stefan Gazdik, SDB
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PS: As some of you have enquired about sending postcards to Fr Stefan
here's the address again.
Fr Stefan Gazdik, SDB
Mariapolis B.P.1121
Kolwezi
Zaire
Africa
 Send a postcard, or just a nice picture to him for the children at his
school, put it into an envelope, and seal it well for the long journey.
There's no need to write any letter, but as we all know a prayer always
helps... And he probably would never be able to reply to you... But you
might make a difference for the day of one poor hungry child very far
away.
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"You did not choose me; I chose you and appointed you to go and bear much
fruit, the kind of fruit that endures." (John 15,16 a)