Here is the training we conducted for the Comboni Lay Missionaries of America on “Reasons for hope amid uncertainty.”
We are sharing the video recording of this training, which we hope you will find useful. The video is in Spanish.
Formation
Sincerity, honesty, and integrity: aspects of Christ’s character in us
With God’s grace, we have continued our missionary work in the community of León El Manzanillo, which we have been sharing with you in previous posts. On Saturday, August 2, as we do every month, we went door to door in the village, encouraging families to participate in the activity planned for that day and extending an invitation to attend Sunday Mass.
In the afternoon, we shared with those in attendance the theme: “The Love of the Father” and continued with the making of baskets from recycled newspaper. In addition, a special activity was held with the children to teach them the importance of proper hand washing, and we took the opportunity to introduce them to the idea of the Holy Spirit using the idea of Living Water.
On Sunday, August 24, we gathered for our monthly get-together. After participating in the Eucharist and sharing breakfast, we began with training on the topic “Home Visit Guide.” This topic was extremely important, as it will allow us to make improvements to the visits we already make in the “El Manzanillo” Project, as well as in future mission projects. It should be noted that, as part of our call to share the Gospel, we go to meet our brothers and sisters in their homes or wherever they carry out their activities, and it is prudent to follow certain guidelines. After introducing ourselves respectfully, and provided they are willing, we share the Word of God with them.
Home visits are a true pillar of our calling, as they enable direct contact with people who may be going through difficult times, such as hopelessness, poverty, marginalization, etc. Through these visits, we offer them a different path, guided and strengthened by the light of God’s Word.
The second topic we discussed during the gathering was “Sincerity, honesty, and integrity.” Below is a brief description of these values:
- Integrity is a fundamental virtue that invites us to act with righteousness and justice, respecting what belongs to others and approaching our responsibilities with integrity. It is a commitment both to the proper management of goods and resources and to the fair treatment of others, implying not taking advantage of or taking what does not belong to us.
- Sincerity reflects our authenticity in words and actions. It is the ability to interact without hiding our true intentions or resorting to falsehoods. However, this virtue must be accompanied by prudence, which helps us choose the right moment and the right words to express our thoughts. In this way, we not only care for other people’s feelings but also our own, since not everyone reacts well, understands, or appreciates what we want to share with them.
- Finally, honesty is related to living in accordance with truth, justice, and integrity. It is also understood as the virtue of always acting with righteousness in our intentions and decisions.
Each of these values reflects aspects of Christ’s character in us. They not only strengthen our personal and family lives, but also contribute to building a trustworthy, strong church with a good witness before the world.
On Sunday, August 31, we gathered for our first Spirituality Workshop. That day, we used the Lectio Divina guide to share a moment before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. The reading we used was from the Gospel of the day, Luke 4:16-20.
We also meditated on section 1 of the document “Missionary Methodology: Spirituality, Lifestyle, and Model of Intervention LMC,” which emphasizes the importance of spiritual nourishment, since without it, our spirit weakens. We find this nourishment in the sacraments, in the Word, in prayer, in community, in spiritual retreats, etc.
CLM Guatemala
Our Community Experience in Kitelakapel.
Arriving in Kitelakapel on 18 August 2025 to begin our six-month community experience with Mercy, Neema, and Claudina. We are here to experience community life, participate in further formation, and learn languages. From the first day, we felt warmly welcomed, filling us with joy and encouragement.
This journey is about more than study it is about listening, learning, and building community ties. We thank the Kitelakapel community for their open hearts and look forward to growing together in faith, friendship, and hope.
Claudina, Kenian CLM
Greetings from Kitelakapel!
There’s a lot going on here in Kenya. We’ve joined a very close-knit and joyful community. There are three permanent members, three CLMs on the Community Experience, and, of course, we’re on the Mission Experience. Eight people in total.
The community members show us what their daily ministry is like. First, we were able to join them in the chapel for a meeting of boys preparing for confirmation, and we attended Mass with them, where we were introduced and enthusiastically welcomed.
The next day, we attended three lessons at a girls’ boarding school. These lessons were surprisingly professionally prepared and well-run. One of the topics was self-esteem and self-confidence, which can help these young people shape their lives beautifully and in a Godly way.
Today, the third day of our stay, brought even more attractions, and tomorrow promises to be just as interesting.
Today, before lunch, we met in the chapel with the boys preparing for the sacrament of confirmation. They danced and sang, followed by a multimedia presentation and several interesting videos.
In the afternoon, about 90 boys gathered in the chapel for a fantastic meeting. The boys had the opportunity to ask questions, which we were answering for over an hour. A lively conversation ensued about politics, the political system, the differences between our countries, and, of course, polygamy.
Finally, we asked them who would pray for Malwina and Leszek’s Missionary Experience today, and it turned out that most of them agreed!
We feel like we have true friends here.
At the end of the day, we had a very joyful meeting with the younger children. There was coloring, learning a song with pointing, and lots of fun playing with bubbles and playing football.
After the fun was over, we could say with a laugh that something extraordinary had happened. In the village of Kitelakapel in the Pokot tribe, smiling dark-skinned children walk around, joyfully singing: “such big one, such small on can be a saint…” (Polish song).
Malwina and Leszek (CLM Poland)
Experience at the spiritual retreat of the Comboni Lay Missionaries-Peru
It was an experience that touched our hearts with the light of the Gospel, inviting us to recognize Jesus even when our human blindness prevents us from seeing him. He manifests himself in every moment of our lives, offering us the freedom to choose our paths. Inspired by the attitude of the disciples of Emmaus, who chose the path of proclamation and the breaking of bread, we understood the necessity of sharing this experience with our brothers and sisters, thus transforming our lives and our commitment to the mission.
As Comboni Lay Missionaries, we are called to follow this same path: to proclaim with joy and to place ourselves at the service of those most in need. This learning experience was deepened during the retreat held on August 1, 2, and 3 at the Laudato Si’ Center in Lima, Peru, under the guidance of Fr. Gianni Gaiga MCCJ, renewing our commitment to live and transmit the love of Christ in the world.
Teodolinda Chingel Nuñez
CLM-Peru
