BIRTHDAY

Kindly join me in celebrating my 35th birthday with lots of prayers, today is the day.

now you heard it

You heard it yourselves and probably also saw it on TV, the leading mobile service provider Safaricom, broke its own profit record to post 19.945 billion in earnings before tax. this is the highest in the region and this was in the face of all those challenges in the beginning of the year. With revenues crossing 61 billion Kshs, Safaricom is arguably the only billion dollar company according to the CEO MJ.

Now think about it, this is the same company someone wanted you to boycott! hey we need to be a bit smarter. I am happy for those who made a good decision and partook of this huge pie. from the momentum the only way is up.

John Oduor Onyang'

Dear Bros and Sis,
I was reading some article where one of you Mentioned John Oduor and I have remembered that I was informed that John Oduor is in the hospital. He was Hospitalized on Friday at AGA Kgan Kisumu said to be suffering from Leukemia. Dear Brother and Sisters This is a very rear Kind of desease lets all Pray fro John and His family. for those in Kisumu Kindly visit him and pray with him.

Martin Opondo

People are unreasonable, illogical and self centered-

Love them any way!

If you do well, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives—

Do good any way!

If you are successful you will win false friends and true enemies-

Succeed anyway!

The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow-

Do good anyway!

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable-

Be honest and frank anyway!

The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the

Smallest people with the smallest minds- think big anyway!

People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs

Fight for some Underdog anyway!

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight-

Build anyway!

Give the world the best you’ve got and you’ll get kicked in the teeth-give the world the best you’ve got anyway!

Let them, it........ GO!

Brenda Sent me tis and Iam touched by it. Please just read.

Martin

This is beautiful. Read it to the end...the message is awesome!!!

Let it go for 2008..



By T. D. Jakes

There are people who can walk away from you.

And hear me when I tell you this! When people can walk away from you: let them walk.
I don't want you to try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for
us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you can't make them stay.

Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got
to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead.
You've got to know when it's dead.

You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something. I've got the gift of good-bye. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay.

Let them go!!

If you are holding on to something that doesn't belong to you and was never intended for your life,

then you need to......

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to past hurts and pains ......

LET IT GO!!!

If someone can't treat you right, love you back, and
see your worth.....

LET IT GO!!!

If someone has angered you .

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to some thoughts of evil and revenge......

LET IT GO!!!

If you are involved in a wrong relationship or addiction......

LET IT GO!!!

If you are holding on to a job that no longer meets your needs or talents

LET IT GO!!!

If you! u have a bad attitude.......

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep judging others to make yourself feel better......

LET IT GO!!!

If you're stuck in the past and God is trying to take you to a new level in Him........

LET IT GO!!!

If you are struggling with the healing of a broken relationship.......

LET IT GO!!!

If you keep trying to help someone who won't even try to help themselves......

LET IT GO!!!

If you're feeling depressed and stressed ..........

LET IT GO!!!

If there is a particular situation that you are so used to handling yourself and God is saying 'take your hands off of it,' then you need to......

LET IT GO!!!

Let the past be the past. Forget the former things. GOD is doing a new thing for 2008!!!


LET IT GO!!!

Get Right or Get Left .. think about it, and then .

LET IT GO!!!

'The Battle is the Lord's!'

During the next 60 seconds, Stop whatever you are doing, and take this opportunity.

(Literally it is only ONE minute!)

All you have to do is the following:

You simply say 'The Lords Prayer' for the person that sent you this message:

The Lords Prayer

Our Father, who are in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name, Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day, our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.

For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever.

Amen.

Next, send this message to everyone you know. In a while, more people will have prayed for you and you would have obtained a lot of people praying for others!

Next, stop and think and appreciate God's power in your life, for doing what you know is pleasing to Him.


If you are not ashamed to do this, follow the instructions!

Jesus said, If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before My Father'

If you are not ashamed, send this message... only if you believe.

'Yes, I love my God. He is my fountain of Life and My Savior.

He Keeps me going day and night. Without Him, I am no one. But with Him, I can do everything,

Christ is my strength.' This is a simple test.

If you love God and you are not ashamed of all the great things that He has done for you, send this to everyone you know, and the person that sent it to you!

God loves you and watches over you everyday.

Misrule and tyranny to blame

Shalom Brothers/Sisters,
It is quite absurd to see the direction our continent is taking. We cannot stop pointing fingers coz some people are really to blame. We must stop the African leaders from looting and mismanaging our economies. These actions we see today are clear manifestations of a frustrated lot of Africans who would wish to vent their anger somewhere but cannot reach the right people. Our brothers in South Africa must be told that the people they are killing are innocent Africans who did not in any way deny them their survival life lines.
These out bursts just like the kenyan situation, if not handled with care would not achieve much but indeed just legitimise the wayward actions of the political elites. My take on this wave of South African violence against other Africans is, let it be treated as a wake up call for the whole continent to unite against bad laedership, build an economic block that would rival the U.S.A,the eastern block and even allow people to start building their own countries so the opportunities would be everywhere. I quite agree that HOME IS BEST but also the plight of the native southerners MUST be given a hearing. Let the Emminent African leaders take charge so that we take our rightful position in global setup. Best of luck to Barrack Obama as struggles with the intricates of racism!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

HOME IS EVER BEST

Dear Gordon,

Its a shame to us Africans, where shall we go?

Just a minute, yes I do agree with you, racism is bad in spain. Which part of spain are you? I was once there and I experienced part of it. There is a hotel in this city i have forgoten the name, the city of swords the one you cross the rock bridge as you enter..Toledo...the owner of the hotel refused me to use the hotel toilet because I was black. Then in a supermarket in Madrid a child was crying to his dad having seen a negro that is me at the supermarket. In Avila they thought since I am kenyan I should be tall black with a tail and running in the olympics. In Madrid in one of the restaurants one guy walked out when I ordered for a choritho, the equivalent of mutura in Kenya simply because I was black.

At the barajas airport I was delayed for one hour more than the rest for my bag to be searched since I was african. Africans we have a lot to prove to the world, in running business, in academia, as missionaries, as authors, in engineering others do not have to prove anything but africans have. With all these in our hands Africans must love each other and move forward to prove to the world that we were created in God's own image just like others.

Thank you,
Emmanuel Okwach

Yes Emmanuel,
Sorry for this experience. Many negros (blacks) suffer it everyday... Once Eto'o, the Senegal player at Barcelona Football club was asked in a TV interview how he feels to be black and famous among the whites and he said, what is sad for him is that people like him for what he is doing and not for what he is, a human being... He said many people stop him just for a signature wherever he goes and when he enter a shop he is treated with respect and dignity, a thing that can't be done to any other black man, perhaps they would block him or her from entering such enterprises thinking he/she might loot or something of the sort (while spaniards themselves do the looting...).

Your experience is not unique. I always like going without any distinction as a priest. This is normally to make myself be treated as a person and not because I am a priest or so. Once I was studying in Colombia and one of the professors said, a black priest, a black taxi driver is not the same as any black... That was so true. It was terrible to see people not ready to sit next to you in a bus simply because you are black... A thing they don't do with blacks of "class". I hate this!

It has happened to me several times the same things you have said. Many think all kenyans are Maasai-Samburu type and we must be in Akala and the coloured shukas etc. That all Kenyans must be great athletes, thin and tall. Anyway, it is lack of knowledge in their education system which ignores Africa totally. By the way, Africa is conceived as a country thus one (an African) should know it like his own palm. The desert in Africa is famous....

I have these cases to share perhaps to show you that what you lived is a common daily life challenges here. Once I went to Madrid from Alicante beach where I live with a high speed train. When we reached Atocha Station (where there was the Alcaida blast attack to Spain that killed many), we were getting out hundreds and thousands of people. Three policemen just gathered courage to approach me and tell me "Senyor, permitenos un minuto... ie Sir, allow us one minute...". I felt bad. How could these people stop me in the middle of so many people rushing out of the train to search my bag??? I refused and I said, sorry sir, do I wear a face of a terrorist or something of the kind? I'm in a hurry and I have no time. They told me the law forces them to search whoever. I insisted they can't seach me unless it is a common routine and there must be others undergoing the same routine and not only I unless I'm having a face of a criminal they were suspecting. So they stopped another guy (white) and they searched us. They asked my documents and I produced not the ID but rather the Religious Document showing I'm a priest. Oops, they really apologised for searching a priest, put my bag in order and escorted me out begging me to forgive them... That was a case not to be forgotten.

In the same Madrid, around puerta del Sol, the Centre of Madrid, we had gone with another Kenyan Consolata collegue for an evening walk after a meeting we had in Madrid. We decided to go into a bar and have some bite. We met with a rude shock, no senyore, solo socios... that is: Not sirs, members only. It is a private club. We then decided to go away knowing what it was all about: Blacks not allowed in.... Fortunately or unfortunately, we met a Spanish friend who told us, hey guys let's go to such and such place to have some jamon (pork) and a drink. We looked at each other and told him, that bar is only for members and we are not. He insisted that it was not. And took us back there. When we went, he entered first and the waiter tried to stop us (the two blacks). He came back and said, they are with me. We were allowed in... Gosh, what is it to be black. We could not stay there. We told the man that we move to another place where we can be treated equally but not give even a single cent to racists.... We moved.

In Valencia, the capital of our Community (call it province - Kenyan system), two times I have clashed with police. Once they were chasing the black street sellers and I was just passing by. Seeing I was not running away, one came to me and said, what are you carrying in that hand bag? CDs? DVDs? or Drugs? I got mad.... "Do you think Valencia is heaven? Do you think any black carrying a handbag is an illegal seller/hawker? or what a hell is this?". The other police detected I was not the ordinary type of inmigrants and told the other, let's go... They never cheked my bag... But that was not all. I went to see the Cathedral of Valencia where they have the Chalice believed to be the same Chalice our Lord used in the Last Supper. Then I was touring the old town when a patrol police car cameby and asked, hola negrito, que vendes ie, hey blacky, what are you selling? I could not swallow it. I vomitted everything to them. So one came out and told me, catch the wall, police search. I refused. Then he became violent and told me, your documents? I produced the priestly ID and he shouted with shock to his comrade "es cura - he is a priest" the other said "Que - What?". He is a priest... Vamonos - Let's go...

So you can see how things are. I'm sure if I would be going with my roman collar on or cassock, the treat would be different and people would be leaving the seats in buses for me to sit. I refuse such kind of treats simply because of what I do (a priest) and not because of what I am, a human being.

Peace to Africa.

Fr. Gordon, IMC.

FOREIGNERS OUT - FUERA INMIGRANTES...

Dear Friends,

Just the other day Kenyans were busy killing one another because of elections, then followed the Zimbabweans, now South Africans are chasing away fellow africans who hosted them when they were fighting apatheid. The kenyans who were forced to contribute a portion of their salaries during Moi era to support our brothers in the south are now being targeted by the south africans. Where are we heading my friends? Does it mean the sudanesse, the congolese, ugandans, ethiopians and somalis whom we are currently hosting shall turn against us soon?
Already the citizens of the New Sudan whose capital is Juba are grumbling, many of them say its the cowards and foreigners who are enjoying their independence. What should be done to avoid a confrontation similar to the one in south africa?

Your Brother,
Emmanuel Okwach


Hi Emanuel,
Thanks for this. The truth is that I have suffered this in my own skin... The fact is that I have been criticising radically the way the African immigrants were being treated here in Spain. Now I have an a shaming reality, Africans chasing away fellow africans in a terribly violent way. Many come to me to tell me; Father, did you see the news last time??? Just to tell me in other words, what do you say about AFRICANS agains AFRICANS? Or rather, can you see it is not only us but also you people... It is a shame and I have no words. I'm still working my head out.... Peace to Mama Africa.
Fr. Gordon Okoth,
Consolata Missionaries - Spain.

IT IS REVIVAL TIME!!!!!!!!

It is quite interesting reading all the contributions and exchanges that goes on in the emails.
One thing that is so apparent is the fact that "ONCE A FISH MEMBER ALWAYS A FISH MEMBER"When I go through those mails,I get so nostalgic and relive the good old times when many Fish members would visit the city for the first time and take only milk and mala.I miss too the hot meetings of akina Veve,Joshua Ogango,Ignatius of Nyalenda and John Oduor with his 'famous' quote of We are not cows to eat grass.
Our young members are missing out on this kind of interaction and nolonger enjoy being Fish members.It is time to give back and revive that spirit of youthfullness.Where is the Sadamic fever dance,the chini kwa chini jigs,the sibuor stories,sports days,cultural days,FLTPs,vocations days,etc
My own judgement is that we stopped producing/formating youth leaders to organise these events.My main appeal to everyone is that we can become the guardians now and sponsor those numerous trainings and events, YES!! WE CAN!
As we plan to get together to celebrate our history,let us also take the challenge to share the future with our young ones who might miss out completely.GOD BLESS YOU ALL!!!!

Is another Fish Group existing without our knowlege ladies and gentlemen

Hi. I was trying to access our fyblog but missed the spelling and instead wrote the website as fishgroup.blogspot.com and I was surprised at the contents. Listen I am running late but please could you try and access this website and find out if there is clash of interest here…………..Jere am directing this to you Omin. look at this website: fishgroup.blogspot.com

changes changes

As you will notice, our blog has acquired a brand new look. this is to take care of the growing readership and many other items we would like to post like our vision , mission etc. By the way, can you remember the fish aims, objectives and the like? i want to include them in the blog. Please update.

and Steve Owiti wrote wondering why i had gone silent. truth is, am not silent only that i seldom reply to the group emails since i put all my thoughts in the blog. i love it, its fun. i invite more people to blog their thoughts as well. we are still waiting for the blog on FLTP to be done by Lwanga and Martin Opondo.

I hope it comes soon

interesting stats

So far our blog has received 1700 hits since its 'launch' late April. Kenya still leads in the hits but USA is following very closely.

of the posts that have been made so far the preference is as follows:

1. A post on the university Lecturer who lives in a slum - posted by Fr. Gordon
2. a Post on Leo Akwany - by odegle
3. a post Hey Wonderful people - posted by Lwanga


As you can see , Leo Akwany seems to be a very popular Fish member. hits on that link shot up immediately and is rising. On may 8 we got the highest number of hits at 201. May 4 we got only 4 hits. i wonder why. Nigeria is now number 3 and Netherlands has overtaken Italy on the hits.

on another note visit odegle's blog and read this post

Fish strategy and presentation

Martin has sent me this presentation. I will place it here and also provide a link in the interesting links place for your reference any time you feel like:

Leo Akwany

I got hold of Leonard Akwany. Formerly of Nyalenda 1 group. He was also son of Gaurdian like our own Vincent 'San gadi' Leo is currently finishing his masters in the UK . am not sure if its masters or PhD. He sounded very excited at our Blog. Leo Karibu sana tena sana! his email is ecofinder@yahoo.com. i have also invited him to be an author in the blog. Other open invitations are 52. only 11 people have accepted the invites and out of those 11 , 3 have posted at least one article!

CDF and Obunga-Kisumu

This is a responce to Boniface Oriaro's e-mail telling me how he has tried in vein to receive help from the CDF. It is just unfortunate. Wish people could be sensitive to true situations where help should go and promote the work of God given guys like Boniface... Read:
---------------------------
Dear fr Gordon thank you very much for reply about the work am doing in the community but let me assure you that the cdf has not helped us since 2003 to date so am very sorry to tell you that i have really filled forms for the cdf but no response has been made. all that i have done is through well wishers from asian community some i go for their help and friends. my friends all you have seen sometimes come from my pocket. that is why if there are friends who are willing to help, the door is open for him or her. God bless u asante fr.
Bonface, kisumu kenya.
----------------------------
Dear Boniface,
Don't worry. Don't be afraid. Continue insisting because that cdf money is for the poor needy children of God. And I repeat, continue insisting without getting tired. The Lord will see you succeed. We are with you.

Listen to this true story:

Once Mother Teresa of Calcuta went to a very rich man to beg for the needy poor people and it is said that when Mother Teresa extended her hand to beg, that man spat on her hand and Mother Teresa simply with a smile on her face closed her hand, put it into her pocket, wiped it there and extended it again saying: THANK YOU SIR, THAT WAS MINE. NOW GIVE ME SOMETHING FOR MY CHILDREN.... and the man was perplexed, donated what he could and is said to have become one of the best benefactors of the work of Mother Teresa and even one of her great friends...

This is great, this is extraordinary, this is a Saint; Mother Teresa. That's what you are called to be. Work tirelessly knowing that it is not for you but for these people God has put on your way. It is your vocation, it is your call. Do not fear. All will be ok. Do what you can and leave the rest to Him.

We are united and just know you are not alone.
Blessings.
Fr. Gordon - Consolata Missionaries.

Happy Pentecost!

These 50 days after the 'dum' I wish you all the great blessings of the LORD and the sanctification of the Holy Spirit. May He fill the earth , bring it to birth and blow where He wills. Just like we sung for those many years.

In other news , our blog is being actively accessed in these following countries. Kenya of course has the most hits followed by USA and Nigeria! I will try and see if i can get more details. Happy blogging.

Kenya
United States
Nigeria
Spain
United Kingdom
Colombia
Egypt
Lithuania
Netherlands
Indonesia
Tanzania
Philippines
Norway
Switzerland
Malaysia
Austria
Romania
Turkey

A Response to Fr. Hans Burgman MHM, Phd

I was reading Fr. Hans Burgman's article here in response to an earlier article on the violence in Kenya early this year penned by another Mill Hill missionary called Dr. Mark Faulkner. i found it quite interesting in the beginning. Fr. Hans MHM, PhD is very well known to many fish members having been a key financier of the health program which collapsed the other year. but another thing I knew him about him was his peculiar choices when it came to appointing leaders and managers in his projects. in fact he quotes one of them whom he calls his old friend , Mr. Paul Olaka.

Fr. Hans has been in Kisumu or around Kisumu for over 50 years and so one supposes that he understands the plight and struggles of the people of the region fairly well. He has heard our confessions, married our couples, buried our dead, baptized our children and so on.

Its therefore with utter shock and disappointment that i read his comments on the violence which i quote verbatim here below:


"... the church can be a good nation builder. Our parish of St. Joseph is an example. Every Sunday morning we have three Masses: the first in dholuo, the second in English, the third in Kiswahili. All of them are full, in all of them the Luo, the Luya, the Teso, the Kisii, the Nandi, the Kikuyu and the Kamba mix, singing each others’ songs, and having their children dance together in the processions. Or, that is how it was. Now the “strangers” have been chased away with extreme violence. Not because of a pernicious colonial legacy, but because the strangers were better traders, or because they occupied “our” land..."



to say i find that statement unfortunate is to understate my utter disgust. Fr. Hans by my estimation has grossly trivialized the issues at hand. terming them simply as mere jealousy of a people inferior to others in trade. he ignores the glaring anomalies in the vote counting. the historical injustices of land occupation, the tribalism in places of work and even in the church itself. I feel bad that a man who has aged gracefully among the people has failed to grasp such simple and direct issues. in fact its disturbing that the priest feels that tribal cohesion can be brought about by simply singing and dancing in church. he does not take into consideration what those choir members feel when they see their bright sons and daughters who fail to get employment due to their tribe. does Fr. Hans think we dont see it when people who were academic dwarfs pass us by ,get the jobs and the strategic courses just because of their tribe or does he think we are all so blind. But maybe Fr. Hans choice of friends can explain it. maybe he doesn't meet people who tell him the truth or who challenge his ideas. I have missed severally opportunities just because my name suggested i was Luo. some of the people who denied me these chances were my colleagues in that same church that Fr. Hans mentions, i was with them in the church prayer groups, reflections and so on. i also sung and danced with them.

I feel bad about this statement in the MHM website and I wish I could comment on it so that Hans gets to know what i feel about it.

I strongly feel that we all need to live and let live in Kenya but we wont be able to do it if some people feel that they are hard-wired to succeed while others are genetically inferior.

FR. ANTHONY CHANTRY, MHM - Our Founder

You are the people of God. God loved you and chose you. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. And to all these qualities add love which binds all things together in perfect unity. The peace that Christ gives is to guide you in the decisions you make, for it is to this peace that God has called you together in one body. Always be thankful. (Col. 3: 12, 14-15).

Fr. Anthony Chantry, a Mill Hill Missionary (Presntly the Father General Superior of all the Mill Hill Missionaries in the world), was the man inspired and sent by God to start the Fish Youth Group in Kisumu together with Sr. Mary Hellen of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur. Their presence amidst us gave us a big push to leap into life without fear. They continue to inspire us though not present physically since as missionaries, they had planted the "tree" and this tree (Fish Group) must grow taken care of by others while they go to plant other "trees" in other parts. We dedicate these few lines and this space to them...

By Fr. Gordon Okoth, Consolata Missionaries.

Fish Re-Union

A lot has been said (and a lot of water has passed under River Ndhoya bridge he he) about the grand party, grand expense, grand get together or whatever fancy or unfancy name you may want to call it. the suggestions have been varied and I in particular together with Mike Ochieng have been challenged by Charles Lwanga to comment. My friend Mike has commented and here is what i think:

firstly, fish members lets not feel guilty or cause anyone else to feel guilty for any suggestion at all. secondly i feel the get together is a great idea. as you can see from the emails and the blog, fish members are very diverse. we have people in almost every sphere of human life. we have priests (and somehow this is what excites me most) nuns, IT guys, social workers, pick your poison! its so rich. We need to celebrate that diversity . by the way do we have any doctors? i know Eliza margi Edith is a nurse.

further i feel that the suggestion by Silvery is super. we already have a budget, lets sponsor the party according to our ability. I propose Lwanga and Mike to be custodians of the money. (though be warned that one is the god-father of the other!)
Since we will have the party in Kisumu, the guys in kisumu should advice on the best location for this. Midha will perform live so no need for Tony Nyadundo!

I have added 3 more people in the fish album. by the way if you have forgotten the names of the people then you can go to this link and watch the slide show which also has names of the guys . The Fish Album

All in All those cords... those cords bwana ...

May they keep on binding us together!

Am Inspired by "RECH"

Jowadwa reading the East African Standard on line today (eastandard.net) I felt really inspired by another fish member who was supported by Fr. Tony and is currently teaching in Nairobi University Kisumu Campus. Reading "University Lecturer who Lives in the Slum"has made me very proud of our humble begginings and we should not forget where we came from. I have fond memories of the days I used to do Home Visits in Kisumu starting from Obunga, Nyawita, Manyatta Flamingo and Gonda, Nyalenda Kachok, Bungu, Kite, Bala, Pandipieri, Nanga, and Dunga I do not call them Slums they are homes to us. Right now there are fish group members scattered all over the World and I believe we all belive home is best am proud to identify myself with Kisumu and the so called "slums". We should not forget home, in the case of Borniface Otieno Oriaro he says that Obunga is his home and obunga people are his people being a University lecturer does not mean that he abondons where he was brought up. I know most of us remain in our homes and are not afraid to identify with our so called slums.

About the get together am happy that you guys are thinking of these kind of Activities. I can see one of the young Okals has pledged some funds and I'll proud to help in anyway I can I will not make any pledges yet but be assured that I will chip in. Am also honoured to see my descendants or rather my Trainees in the Community Health making changes in the society wherever they are, I will not mention names but you guys know yourselfs. Am proud of you My former Fish Youth Community Health Workers. I pioneered the Fish Youth Community Health workers and was the first Fish Youth Co-ordinator. Nyasaye mondo Ogwedhu duto am proud to be Fish.

James Okal

University lecturer who lives in a slum (Obunga - Kisumu)

Dear brothers and sisters. This article in the Standard today (By Jane Akinyi) struck my attention. Guys like this (Boniface Otieno Oriaro) are rare to get. In fact they are the species in the process of extinction as some would put it. His simplicity is exemplary. Above all, his desire to transform the society where he was brought up without leaving them. Moreover, his face is just so familiar that I wonder whether he was a fish member of Obunga or not? Does anyone know him? He quotes Fr. Tony Chantry as his mentor. His example is worth emulating... Read here for your information: http://eastandard.net/news/?id=1143986094&cid=4
Fr. Gordon, imc.

" POD ANGIMA" - I'M STILL ALIVE

EROKAMANO AHINYA to Rev Tonny & Sr. Omiele for coming up with fish group. alot of thanks alot goes to the founder fish team members for giving much support to Tonny and Omiele mondo rech odhi nyime, again to the present Parish priests ma support fish movement, present team members and jorech kamoro amora magintiere.

Dear brothers and sisters, we've come along way cannot just sit back and watch fish getting out of the water. allow me to say that I'm happy to be who I am because of the fish. {FISH EMA OLOKA MABEDO DHANO. HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR THE FISH DIKORO OBAYO JII GI KITE EKOR NDARA}

The idea of grand party / get together is is very good but how part of it might be challenging. I've been following the proposals from different pple and I think everybody is for the success of the fish.

I respect what has been said by people. When it comes to the get together party I feel that we should talk about minimal contribution to allow " those with" and "those wothout" .

In the movement some people {few individuals} have categorically selected the people whom they can relete well to and it is happening. These " few individuals" can earsily identify "those with" and "those without". It is a negative attitude which has also contributed to the dropping of fish activities at the centre level, groups and spreading some parishes around. Alphoce wuod Omollo in kanye? Akun ka Goro, Denice Okiya, wuod Obwar, Lwanga father, Okal's family, Jerusa Deya, Orido, Rich, Nick T.M + JORECH madongo kod matindo {MBUTNI GI OMENDNI un KURE to fish wang????????????

I'm very much AWARE ni unyalo loso kod chunyu dutotee ka uyudo thuolo kendo ka uhero timo mano, please wachunguru malo and bring the fish back.

Lets not come to pointing fingers, accusation and counter-accusations will lead us nowhere.

JOSEPH ALAKA (GUMBE).