We arrived in Dubai!

After a 12 hour 45 minute flight from JFK we have arrived in Dubai.
Now we have a three hour layover before continuing another five and
one-half hours to Dar es Salaam where we will spend the night before
heading on to Mwanza, Tanzania. It will be nice to have a shower and a
good night's sleep in Dar!

Sent from my iPhone

Our Lady of Africa, Pray for us!

Early Start Tomorrow Morning

Today, June 29, 2010, Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers celebrated their 99th Birthday on the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. At the Anniversary Mass, Daniel and Katherine were given a special blessing and sending ceremony. Fr. Michael Duggan, U.S. Regional Superior, presided the liturgy.

Tomorrow morning, June 30th, we leave Maryknoll, NY at 7:30 am for JFK airport. We will spend the night of July 1st in Dar es Salaam and then we should arrive at our final destination in Mwanza, Tanzania on the afternoon of July 2nd. We hope to be back blogging then.

Thank you for your prayers and support!

Daniel meets Maryknoll Father Peter LeJacq

Explore My Mission Winners speak with Fr. Ed Dougherty, Superior General of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers

Francisco Suarez and Karen Cooper, Maryknoll Media Productions

Katherine Dzida of Costa Mesa, CA is one of the winners of Maryknoll's 2010 Explore My Mission Contest.

Daniel Wozniczka from Chicago, IL is one of the winners of Maryknoll's 2010 Explore My Mission Trip

Maryknoll Museum and Visitor Center

Welcome by Maryknoll Sisters

Interviews at Maryknoll

Safe Arrival at Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Seminary in Ossining, NY!

Fr. Dennis with Daniel and Katherine at Maryknoll Headquarters in NY

Welcome to Maryknoll!

Welcome to Maryknoll Katherine and Daniel!

Both Katherine and Daniel arrived at Maryknoll, NY safely yesterday! Thank you for your prayers for their safe travels! I am getting very excited about our trip to Tanzania tomorrow morning. We will be flying on Emirates Airlines from JFK airport in NYC to Dubai and then from Dubai to Dar es Salaam, where we will spend the night. The next morning we will take another flight with Precision Air to Mwanza, Tanzania where we will meet our Maryknoll hosts. Today we are doing some introductions and orientation with Daniel and Katherine here at Maryknoll. They have already had some interviews from our Media Productions Staff, Karen Cooper and Francisco Suarez. Karen and Francisco will also be traveling with us to help document our experience. I traveled with Francisco and Karen last year on our Explore My Mission trip to Brazil and they are lots of fun to be with, so I am looking forward to the trip with them this year. Please continue to keep us in your prayers that we go to Tanzania with open hearts and minds to encounter the Divine on the Holy Ground of Tanzania! Peace, Fr. Dennis

Maryknoll Father Dennis Moorman

My First Day at Maryknoll

I arrived in New York earlier today, and was greeted by Father Dennis at the airport. We drove over to the world headquarters of Maryknoll, where I shall spend two nights before traveling off to Tanzania.

It took no time at all for me to feel welcomed here at Maryknoll. Everyone has been very kind and welcoming. My pastor back in Chicago had an old friend in Maryknoll, and I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to meet with him before he left the country tomorrow morning. It was perfect timing. I would say that I wish to spend more time here at Maryknoll, but at the same time I cannot wait to go to Tanzania!

Stay tuned......

Done and Left Undone

Yellow fever immunization: check.
Malaria pills: check.
Tanzania Visa: check.
Insect repellent: check.
Long skirts: check.

As I left Los Angeles this morning, I was pleased that everything on my list had been scratched out. I was even more pleased that everything I felt I needed fit in a single duffel, as typically I am not the most efficient packer.

I have to say, the lack of sleep last night was more due to list-making than pondering, more planning than wondering. As a teacher, I am all about efficiency, organization, and plans. Having never been to Tanzania, or any part of Africa for that matter, there were many preparations necessary for this trip.

En route to Tanzania, we are now in New York, where the warm welcome and hospitality here at Maryknoll has allowed me the time and space to step back from the logistical plans. There is still room in my duffel but plenty of room in my heart as well--space to be filled by God's plans, the members of our group, the people of Tanzania. I have no idea what the coming days hold, and although my own list is already crossed-off, the journey is still unwritten.

Cool runnings. Peace be the journey.

How Beautiful Mission is

In a couple of days the Explore My Mission team and I will be leaving for Tanzania... and I can't believe it! There is so much excitement for many reasons.

Personally what makes me look forward to this trip is what the Bible says in Romans 10:15: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" Can't wait to explore the mission in Tanzania and share with those whose lives are different now because the work of a dedicated group of people --our Maryknollers-- has meant good news for them.

Karen

Preparations for Trip

The first day of summer is here and soon we'll be traveling to
Tanzania, East Africa for Maryknoll's Explore My Mission Contest! I'm
psyched especially since I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina
Faso, West Africa from 1985-1987. I love the peoples and cultures from
the continent of Africa and can't wait to experience this from the
point of view of the Maryknoll Missioners!

Fr. Dennis

Please pray for us!

Please pray for us as we prepare our trip to Tanzania for Maryknoll’s 2010 Explore My Mission Trip!

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Maryknoll Father Dennis Moorman

Hi, I am Father Dennis Moorman, a Maryknoll priest working in Vocation Ministry for the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers. I have the privilege to accompany Katherine and Daniel, the 2010 winners of Maryknoll's Explore My Mission contest to Tanzania, East Africa! I am getting excited about the opportunity to visit some of Maryknoll's first missions in East Africa! We will have the opportunity to do some mission service work, but most of all in these two short weeks we will learn from the Tanzanian people about their culture and spirituality. The richness of mission is that it is a two-way street where all parties involved are mutually transformed by the experience of their encounter. Please pray for us that we may open our hearts to the presence of God all around us as we enter into this new culture and experience the power of the Risen Christ in East Africa!

Welcome to Maryknoll!

Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers welcomes Katherine Dzida and Daniel Wozniczka on June 28, 2010 as the winners of the 2010 Maryknoll Explore My Mission Contest!

On the morning of June 30, 2010 we will leave for an exciting mission trip to Tanzania, East Africa to visit some of Maryknoll's first mission sites in Africa in Musoma and Mwanza, Tanzania!

Daniel and Katherine will not only have the opportunity to visit these early Maryknoll mission sites, but they will also have the opportunity to be immersed in the Tanzanian culture and interact with Tanzanians on a daily basis.

Karibuni Sana Katherine and Daniel! Welcome to Tanzania!

Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers Headquarters in Ossining New York