HI, Friends, I am writing to you on a warm Sunday afternoon at 5 PM. The sun is rather quickly moving toward its place in the west and beyond the rolling mountain range that beautifies our southern view. Off to the left, looking southeast is the big city of Nairobi at about 500' below us. I am sure you are aware of the horrible tragedy that has happened here over the last week. A small, violent group of people who call themselves Al Shabaab, an offshoot of Al Quieda, did tremendous damage to a high-end shopping mall on the other side of the city and murdered dozens of people in the process. They sought revenge for the military occupation of Somalia, their country of origin. Two years ago Al Shabaab went public in Somalia and attempted a coup against the government there and terrorized many of the citizenry. The desperate people fled to the west into Kenya, which had to foot the bill for providing emergency care: tents, port-a-johns, food, electricity, etc for these people. With our neighbors to the west, the Ugandans, and those to the north, Ethiopians, this three-nation contingent has gone into Somalia and occupied about a third of it--what is to the immediate east of the Kenyan border. Al Shabaab is bent on setting up a strictly (fundamentalistic) Islamic state. It is most likely being funded from Qatar or Saudi Arabia or another Arabic state that wants to chase out all non-Muslims and establish this part of the world just for Muslims and then those who want to live Sharia Law with a nomadic lifestyle where men are strict chiefs over small tribal groups of young men, women and children, cows, goats, and burros. The mall they targeted was built and funded by an Israeli couple. It is a total loss, looking like some of the buildings in World War II time that were leveled by aerial bombing. At the final stage of the showdown between Al Shabaab and Kenyan military, the army took a shoulder mounted bazooka and shot it into and through the wall where some of these terrorists were hiding. This was done after a terrorist sniper killed two Kenyan troop[s trying to enter the room through the door to it. One wonders whether that wall-piercing shell killed hostages along with terrorists. Right now forensic agents from Kenya, Israel, the US, Britain and one or two other countries are combing the rubble to get DNA samples and check on possible identification of the over 60 people who are still unaccounted for. The newspapers here have been filled with stories about this tragedy: many, many stories of heroism but also charges of incompetence and blame for letting this event happen. It is now public that the Israeli embassy warned the authorities here that a strike was coming between the 13th and the 28th of this month. Security agents even checked the Westgate mall one or two days before the event began. So someone ignored the warnings, maybe one of many before, and was asleep at the switch. I have heard it said that guards can be bribed easily, so poor is this nation, and that guns, grenades and other military related paraphenalia could be brought in the backdoor of the mall and stored until they were to be used. One item that scared me from newspaper stories I read yesterday was the report that Al Shabaab had originally targeted, along with the Westgate Mall, the Catholic church in the city, Holy Family Basilica. Why they did not follow through is anyone's guess at this time. A great story emerged from the shootings about two children, a 5 year old boy and his two year old sister standing next to their mother who was lying on the floor of the mall. She had been shot and was bleeding in front of her children. The man who did this was looking at the children and the boy said to him: "You are a bad man!" With that the terrorist gave to the boy a piece of wrapped candy and walked away, letting them live, perhaps stirred somewhat with feelings of guilt. I think the mother survived. The other news item to mention here is that I am back into gardening. Those who know me from my Manresa years know that it is one of my favorite hobbies and favorite ways to relax (swimming too). The garden here is about the size of two football fields. It is just huge and is the source of much of the food for the Jesuit community but especially for the people coming on retreat here. I asked the caretaker for a portion of it and he gave me a plot about 100 feet long and 30 feet wide. This is two and a half times more space than I had at Manresa. So...I started on Thursday to work the plot. It has to be done entirely by hand; there is no rototiller or such. The soil is a dark red, rusty colored clay. It can be loosened best by an instrument whose blade is wide like that of a hoe but is swung over your right shoulder like a pick or axe. It claws the soil well and loosens it. Right now the soil is very dry and dusty. In the last three days I have finished preparing two rows, 100' long, and planted corn, beets, peas and tomato seedlings. That last item is a roll-of-the-dice gamble. I will see whether I get sprouts that I can plant later as small tomato plants. All of the watering is done by a huge irrigation system; each row has its water tube or soaker hose with pin-holes in them to allow the water to soak into the area where one has planted. Before watering I put by hand compost all along the rows. The most demanding part of this work is the breaking up the soil, and to do this in a strong, direct sun. (I am careful to wear a long-sleeve shirt and hat with a brim over my ears, gloves too and then sun-screen on the part of the neck and face not covered by the clothing.) I do this for about 15 minutes and them puffing and panting walk over to the edge of my plot and sit down under the large leaves of the banana grove. There I can rest and view the beauty of the garden space full of veggies that are growing so well. Again, this plot is as big as two football fields put together, Imagine what it must take to care for a thing this this . There are three men who are full time doing this six days a week, while caring at other times during the day for mowing the grass and taking care of the flower gardens and trees around the retreat buildings. The grounds and surroundings here are remarkably beautiful. They are well cared for. Anyway, I am so glad to have this outlet here. I am expecting corn just before Christmas and peas and beets around American Thanksgiving time. We are moving into spring now and I am told the spring rains should be coming rather soon. I need to move on now. I have to walk up hill to the garden area and turn off the irrigation valve where I have been watering my plantings. Dinner is coming soon, preceded by a 45 minute social. We do this on Sundays, when there will be a gathering of Jesuits and guests around some peanuts, beer, scotch, soft-drinks, etc. Till later. Kwa heri. (Goodbye in Swahili) Uwe na siku jiorni (Have a good evening in Swahili) Bernie Owens