In early 2010, I was missioned in Tanzania, East Africa, on my first mission assignment. I worked with orphans and taught secondary students in one region in Tanzania and moved to another region in Mwanza by Lake Victoria after being ravaged by malaria, amoeba and many other different kinds of diseases present in that region.

In August 2013, Fr. Josef, Urs Eisenring and Magi Seitz came to Tanzania with the invitation of one of our sister from Taiwan, Sr. LeKheng Chen for three weeks and gave reflexology workshops on different groups in two different regions. The basics I learned in 2008 came back and was enhanced as I learned more advanced methods of foot reflexology. I then assisted in teaching with Fr. Josef, Urs and Magi as my familiarity and fluency in the local language of Kiswahili became handy.

There were different groups that learned the method: Seminarians, sisters and people from different basic Christian communities.

In Tanzania, people are always enthusiastic when they have the opportunity to learn new things, new techniques and new life skills. They found it useful for themselves and their respective families the things we were teaching them. The method was done mostly in practical sessions so they can at least familiarize themselves with the basics of foot

As I immersed myself with the pain and suffering of the women and children, one of the major struggles they were facing was unaffordable hospital costs as they were burdened with hospital bills. Even just going for a simple test at a clinic or laboratory where they pay as little as 50 cents to a dollar to be tested for malaria, amoeba or typhoid when they are not feeling well was a challenge to these local folks.

Even more challenging was unaffordable prescription medicine. It became a question of "should I buy food for my family so we can eat today?" or "Should I spend the little money I have on prescription drug without which could have devastating effect?"

As I thought about how to serve them in that area of need, Fr. Josef's words stayed in my mind, "Learn reflexology skill to reduce the Health Care Bill." That was when I decided I would impart and share with the different groups what I learned from him: foot reflexology.

Before starting this undertaking, I and another sister, Sr. Jareen, who also learn Reflexology in Tanzania and whom invited to team teach with me requested a little funding to start this ministry. Our Center House in NY was very supportive of this new emerging mission.

The goal/purpose of these workshops are divided into two, namely:

1. For Heath purpose. When the women are trained with the basic knowledge and acquire the necessary mate-rials for foot reflexology, it will have a rewarding way to help the women and the people around them with their health. Having this said training can save money on medical expenses (as most of them cannot afford to go to hospitals). The training is a way to care, prevent and protect themselves and family from getting sick.
2. For future income generating purpose. In the long run, the women can open up a place or affiliate them-selves to centers where they can practice the training and offer services of both relaxing and therapeutic purposes. Having the skills and training could augment the existing income that they have. Most of the women have small businesses (selling vegetables, and other goods), employed as house help for those in town or farming for those in the villages.

Sr. Jareen and I then began to organize workshops. It was not easy as the groups we were teaching only spoke Kiswahili, no English at all. So we prepared educational materials such as a booklet with the explanation of what reflexology is, its benefits and made images of the different steps of foot reflexology with an explanation of the technique in Kiswahili below the image. I also had to look for a wood carver/carpenter who could make out of wood the plastic tools that Fr. Josef left with us. See below. This way, all the participants had their own including a booklet. Each one had his/her own foot reflexology kit including a lotion which we provided.

Our first group were the women, mostly widows and grandmothers of the orphans group.

The second and the third groups were the two groups of HIV/AIDS adults I worked with. Below you see me teaching the method.

Then in the months and the year that followed, we travelled to different villages, the longest would be 4-5 hour drive so we could teach different women's groups.

Since November last year, I started ministry with our elderly sisters at our Center house in NY. Once in a while I offer gentle foot reflexology to some of our sisters and it gives them relief from pain, relaxes them and make them sleep better. These are the usual benefits of foot reflexology that our elderly sisters.

Whenever I see images of feet, I often reflect how many hundreds of feet I have touched in mission and how I owe this to Fr. Josef whose mission continues to bear fruit in those who have learned and are practicing the method in Tanzania.