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The sisters enjoying traditional African dancing in Zambia.  | In response to one of the DSA goals, to facilitate communication and networking
among Dominicans at the international level, five Dominican sisters from
the United States visited Zambia to get to know the lives of their sisters
in another continent. It was a wonderful encounter between sisters who
share so much yet seldom have a chance to encounter each other. The Americans
were members of the congregations participating in the Dominican Alliance
and they were led by Margaret Ormond, Coordinator of Dominican
Sisters International.
The Americans try a traditional African dish for the first time... roasted caterpillars!  | The sisters from the United States visited many of the ministries of the Dominican Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Zambia - an interreligious hospice for people sufferring from AIDS, a school made from discarded shipping containers especially for kids who have dropped out, a boarding school for girls, and a transient home for children who have no other home. What touched me most was the deep respect the sisters had for the people they encountered. They came not as tourists or experts, but as sisters wanting to walk in our footsteps, smell our smells, and hear our sounds. For themselves, they got to see the many ways that the sisters are preaching the gospel in Zambia. Together we had an opportunity to reflect on the different ways of living Dominican life in Africa and the United States and we shared ways we might collaborate as Dominican sisters more in the future. Perhaps the best part of the encounter was getting to know Dominican relatives from far away, and committing ourselves to getting to know one another more in the future. It was a wonderful encounter in the spirit of: If you have come to help, go back home.
But if you have come because you realize
that your liberty is entwined with mine,
then let's join hands!
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