My name is Romanus Maduabuchi and I am from Nigeria. I am an Augustinian student at Washington Theological Union. I am doing two masters in Theology, one is Master of Divinity, which is for those in priesthood, and one is Master of Arts, for those studies which is preparing for scholarly work for a PhD program or teaching that I have completed. My concentration in that was Religious Ethics. This experience has been so inspirational for me primarily, and secondly, the exposure that I have gotten within this week, within these days, has been a real reward. It is one thing to sit a classroom and read books about the Church’s history, Ephesus, Cappadocia, and all other places on pages on books, but it gives me a concrete experience to see and go home and say my classmates that I have been to Ephesus, I have been to Cappadocia, makes it impossible on a different level. For that I am so grateful.
The second piece of this trip was, in terms of relationship to the Muslim world, Islam, in terms of understanding it not on pages of books but on concrete experience with people who live this life. I have done a lot of book work, write papers, submit, get good grades, but I am not doing anything on this trip but this is the most important part. So I appreciate the trip. I appreciate the people and the kids as they made me…., yeah, at least, now I can sense what the celebrities feel like. I can tell you that that is a though life. … It has been very wonderful to move on the street and people look at you, and wave at you, so it has been very wonderful. I will appreciate and recommend other young people from the United States will be able experience what I have experienced especially in terms of relationship the Muslims and Islam. Because whatever information they get that is on TV, and often times they are not positive, so it will give them a different dimension to experience the concrete positive side of Islam. Thank you very much! I appreciate it.
