By Jeanne Sager
CALLICOON — April 26, 2005 – Marion Roche wants to take the love of her hometown to Africa.
The longtime Callicoon resident will be leaving this June for the wilds of Kenya, accompanying the Brunswick Presbyterian Church Mission Team from Troy.
Although not a “missionary,” Roche said she’s always wanted to do mission work and she’s always wanted to travel the world.
And now she’s found a way to do both.
Roche’s niece, Lisa Seidel, is a member of the upstate mission team. After a trip to Germany together a few years ago, Seidel suggested it would be fun to travel together again.
And Roche’s background – she’s a retired registered nurse – will make her a vital part of the team of medical practitioners who will be treating the children of the Naivasha Orphanage.
“The reason I’m going is for the medical part . . . to give the children of this orphanage their immunizations,” she explained.
From what Roche has learned, many of the children in the facility are AIDS orphans – their parents died as the disease ravaged their communities.
There’s a school on the premises, but otherwise the children have very little.
Roche is already in the process of collecting donations – from books to pencils, medicines to money – to share the wealth of America with the children.
“It would be so wonderful to bring the love of our area to Africa,” she explained. “You hear so many terrible things about Americans, but Americans do such good things.”
Ironically, Roche was raised a Lutheran and converted to Catholicism when she married husband Rease. Seidel was raised Baptist and is now part of a Presbyterian mission team.
Now the two will be staying in a Methodist home during the trip.
“It’s sort of an ecumenical trip,” Roche noted.
Roche will be accepting donations up until about two weeks before she’s set to leave – so she has time to pack everything up for the trip.
Checks made out to the Brunswick Church, with a memo line stating “Kenya Trip,” can be sent to her at P.O. Box 325, Callicoon, NY 12723.
For information on what’s needed or to donate, folks can also call Roche at 887-5042.
Roche will be flying out on June 25 and returning July 9.
Although there’s a lot of work to be done – from collecting items to purchasing a wardrobe that will be appropriate for the culture and heat of Kenya – Roche said she’s excited.
“Kenya is such a beautiful country, and I just want to see those babies and do what I can.”