Dr Raouf Mama, an acclaimed story teller and author, visited the Holy Trinity community on Sunday, December 13, for our Christmas/Nativity party to tell our children, young adults, several wonderful Christian stories, one of which was rooted in the Final Judgement ("Whenever you have done it to the least of my brethren, you have done it to me" (Matthew 25:40). Dr Mama is an Associate Professor of English at Eastern Connecticut State University, and holds an M.A. in English, and a Ph.D. in English and Education from the University of Michigan. He currently is working on translations for a recording project aimed at preserving the wonderful folktale traditions of Benin from permanent loss.
 
Raouf’s areas of specialty include African literature, African folklore, American literature, Translation, and English as a Foreign Language. He is fluent in English, French, Fon, and Yoruba, and currently is involved in a folktale recording translation project seeking to save wonderful Beninese folktale literature from permanent loss. Raouf has published numerous stories that translate tales in magazines such as Storytelling Magazine, Parabola, The Connecticut Review, and Facts and Fiction. Among his published books are Barefoot Book of Tropical Tales, Why Goats Smell Bad and Other Stories from Benin, and Fortune’s Favored Child.
 
Dr Mama had everyone at Holy Trinity fully engaged; his presentations are interactive. It was great fun for our entire community to be together for worship, then a celebration during the Nativity season. Each parishioner or family was asked to prepare their favorite meatless Christmas fare; a veritable feast was enjoyed.
 
At the conclusion of Dr Mama's presentation, parishioners wrapped gifts which were then delivered to our Adopt-a-Family which Holy Trinity has annually participated in, in cooperation with the Windham Area Interfaith Ministry. After the gifts were wrapped, several Holy Trinity members delivered the gifts to our family. It is always an emotional scene with many tears, as our family cannot express their deepest gratitude to us.