Thank you for who you are, what you do and how you do it!
We thank in a special way our Comboni Missionary Sisters and Comboni Secular Missionary for their vocation and witness.
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Prayer Intentions of the Comboni Family February 2022
We pray that our Church may be ever more fraternal, so that all of us can participate in it and be co-responsible for announcing the Kingdom of God. Lord hear us.
Christmas missionary service 2022 in San Lorenzo
Our Christmas missionary service took place in San Lorenzo in the Province of Esmeraldas located in the northeast of Ecuador, very close to the border with Colombia. The group was composed of John, a member of CLM Ecuador, Maria Piedad, a CLM candidate, and Benedicta Cevallos and Jovita Castro, lay friends of the CLM. (See photo)
THE ENVOYS and the VISITED COMMUNITIES
The period we were there was from December 13 to 26, 2021; the communities visited were: San Javier de Cachavi, Chillavi del agua, Nueva Esperanza and Urbina; populations that are part of the mission of the Comboni Province in Ecuador.
Missionary team that visited communities of San Lorenzo, here with local people.
Regarding the economic activity, now many of the inhabitants work in the oil palm plantations, which is not a traditional crop in our country, but has displaced the crops on which the agricultural activity of the province of Esmeraldas was traditionally focused. The labor activity of the people is mainly related to the agro-industry for the elaboration of derivatives and the export of oil.
However, these oil palm crops are one of the deforesting agents of the Ecuadorian forests, in addition to severely affecting biodiversity not only in the area of the aforementioned communities, but throughout the region of this Ecuadorian province. In addition, river contamination caused by both legal and illegal mining has resulted in the use of wells for water supply, as well as the purchase of 20-liter jerry cans for human consumption.
Cachaví River in San Javier. Canton San Lorenzo, Province of Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
San Javier is a picturesque town, its people are very cheerful, pleasant, and in the midst of their limitations and difficulties they try to continue their daily walk, without interruptions that stagnate them.
Street of San Javier de Cachavi
Youth Group in San Javier de Cachavi.
MUSIC, DANCE AND POPULAR RELIGIOSITY
The Afro musical culture, dances, lullaby singing and the execution of their own musical instruments, are a source of energy for the people; and their execution are displays of popular religiosity on behalf of the people, particularly in the days of Advent and Christmas, as the villagers took to the streets to show their dances and music with motifs of the posadas in particular the communities of Chillavi del agua and Nueva Esperanza.
In the communities of San Javier and Urbina, we gathered with the people night after night around the celebration of the novena of the Child, in which we reflected on the Word of God through the reading of life experiences that allow the participants to concretize the Scriptures with the daily life of each one.
Musical and dancing group in Chillavi del Agua
Community of Chillavi del Agua – Catechists and community leaders.
Chillavi del Agua, children’s group at the foot of the river.
The other community visited was Urbina:
Group of children in Urbina – San Lorenzo.
VISIT TO THE HOMES
One of the activities that took place in these communities, is the visit to each of the houses of these villages, a very warm activity by the reception of its inhabitants, even received by those who are not Catholics, showing our hosts joy, attention to our presence. In the talks that took place, they told us their life experiences, anecdotes of other missionary visits, as well as the difficulties both at the family level and in the life of their communities. God and his Word were always present in each visit, but not before emphasizing to them that God the man has come to this world for all and not only for a few.
THANK YOU ……………….
In spite of the difficulties arising from the poverty in which they live, all these communities are places of effort and work on the part of their inhabitants, who received us with much warmth and desire that Christmas does not go unnoticed and/or hidden by mundane social events, but that the arrival of the Son of God is transcendent for each one of their lives.
The CLM in Ecuador thank God for having allowed us to participate in this missionary service, which we lived with great joy and responsibility on the part of all the missionaries who were sent to these Afro-Ecuadorian communities, a sending that had its origin in Fr. Otorino Poletto Provincial in Ecuador MCCJ.
CLM Ecuador
First Days in Mozambique
Good morning! Peace and Goodness to all.
It is with great joy that I am writing this little text to tell you how these first 15 days in the mission in Mozambique are going.
We are in Anchilo and here we will stay until the end of February.
But we had the joy and the privilege to go to Carapira to visit the parish and the technical school where our mission will be located.
We also met the Comboni Lay Missionary couple from Mozambique, dad Martinho and mom Margarida, two wonderful people who, for sure, are going to help us a lot.
We walk a lot among the people, we talk to some people in the neighborhood, in the community.
And we see the joy and the smiles of the people when they know that we will be on mission together with them.
But what really caught my attention was seeing the number of children here, who, at the first good morning, are suspicious and stare at us, but then, when we start to play and talk, they open up a beautiful smile.
We know that the mission here will be a great challenge.
But with everyone’s prayers and the intercession of St. Daniel Comboni, the God of life will strengthen us, enlighten us, and we will have a beautiful and blessed mission here.
Directly from Anchilo, Mozambique.
Tito and Regimar.
“Foxes have dens and birds have nests. But the son of man has nowhere to lay his head. Follow me.”
Dear people of God!
Peace and Good!
Hearing this call of Jesus, I followed him. And it is with great joy that I tell you. I am in Africa. The Africa so loved by Comboni and so dreamed of by us Comboni Missionaries.
The trip was very good. I had some challenges with communication due to the language in the airports and in the aircraft, but nothing that took my breath away.
On the first flight English and Arabic were spoken. And I didn’t understand either language, lolrsrsrs. But God always puts angels in our way. There were many Brazilians on the flight and I had help from a woman and a young man named Bruno, Bruno was an angel from Brazil to Maputo. He helped me a lot, especially in Qatar, he guided me at the airport, to get to the boarding gate which was far away and difficult to find.
On the second flight I was able to communicate with the little Spanish I had learned.
When I arrived to Maputo I felt Comboni’s presence very strong, it was as if he was there, guiding me.
Time for lunch, looking for food. Oops, five meticais were missing… the attendant added, another angel.
At the boarding gate, surprise, the suitcase overweight, as it varies according to the country, weighed 3 kg more. Result: a fine of four thousand meticais that the attendant miraculously gives up charging. Another angel? No doubt about it. And Comboni for sure.
In the aircraft to Nampula, a child starts playing with us, for me the welcome was there.
Finally we land in Nampula. Fr. Massimo was waiting for us at the airport. Two more missionaries, priests, were with us.
We go home, have dinner and rest.
We are at the catechetical missionary center, in Anchilo, dealing with the documents while we wait for the Inculturation course to begin.
We met many priests here, as they are in assembly. We have been very well received by all.
On the first Sunday here, while the priests had mass in the center, I preferred to go to the celebration in the church together with the people. It was very good to see the smile, the joy of the people. The Macua people are very joyful and welcoming.
Little by little I began to get to know, to live with the people, a good morning, a quick conversation, a smile, this is how we build day by day, slowly so as not to scare anyone.
Aware of the mission that I have, of the challenges already known and those that will arise, I arrive in the land of the mission. I bring with me the initial situation. It is already possible to feel that the challenges will be great, but confident in the Lord I will follow, His word is greater, and if the mission is from God, it is holy, it is certain.
My journey is just beginning, and I feel happy to be accomplishing what I always wanted.
Every day I realize that the work of Comboni is becoming more and more concrete. “I die, but my work will not die.
I wanted to share with you a little of what is happening and once again thank you all for your help, affection and prayers. Without you it would not be possible.
Keep praying for the mission and for all the missionaries. From here I follow in prayer for each one of you.
I am very happy and I ask Jesus to bless this new mission.
May Comboni, Our Lady and missionary Jesus bless you all.
Strong hugs, directly from Africa.
Regimar
Comboni Lay Missionary – Brazil/Mozambique
