Breaking Bread in the Desert
Volume 3
Music by Zulu Women's Choir, Kwa-Zulu, Natal, South Afric
Words alone cannot fully describe George's storytelling, for he generally employs found-objects and art-work to involve his audiences. This gift of his cannot be communicated in an audiotape, though these stories are very effective by themselves.
George's manner is straightforward, and -- unlike most storytellers -- he favors stories told in the present tense. His phrases are short and direct. He is very attentive to the physical settings of his stories and describes them in detail. The tales are set in the desert landscapes of South Africa and Namibia. His stories reveal deep emotional connections between himself and the people to whom he ministers.
This release, Breaking Bread in the Desert, Volume 3, is a very honest and engaging storytelling. Highly Recommended.
Side One
Introduction -- These tapes are stories about, and dedications to, the women of South Africa whom missionary George Brownholtz met in his many years of work in those lands.
Story #1 -- Janice and Her Friends. Father George's encounter with a group of young girls on his first missionary assignment to South Africa. The story focuses on one of those girls, Janice, and the scars of suffering she bore in her body.
Story #2 -- Martha and Her Children.* George visits the catechist, Martha, and her four children under the shade of a great willow tree. The picture towel filled with animals, and the folktale Martha tells to her children of the loving and life-giving deeds of the Mother Pelican. (*This is my favorite story on the tape.)
Music from the Zulu Women's choir.
Side Two
Story #3 -- Estella and Her Companion. This is an allegorical story on the Twelve Steps and the Promises of AA. Set in South Africa, it is a story of a personal journey of conversion and recovery.
Story #4 -- Anna and Her Visions. A retelling of the Biblical story of the priestess Anna and the presentation of Jesus at the Temple. Told from the perspective of Anna as the one who remembers, holding stories in her heart.
In the next section, George reads from the teachings of St. Francis de Sales, the founder of George's religious community. These ten techings, well-chosen and rich in imagery, reach across the centuries and speak to modern men and women.
Closing with Music from the Zulu Women's choir
ORDER INFORMATION
Breaking Bread in the Desert, Volume 3 is available directly from Father George Brownholtz, OSFS, Oblate Retreat Centre, 1120 Blue Ball Road, Childs, Maryland 21916 (Phone: 410-398-3040 ext 343, Fax: 410-398-0116) audio-cassette,$8 plus $1 shipping -- in the USA
Copyright©1999 Robert Bela Wilhelm
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