Missionary Experiences – Page 10 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Missionary experience in the CAR

15 September, 2023 by Alberto de la Portilla

“Enlarge the space of your tent, extend the ropes, strengthen the stakes.” Is 52:2

I have completed my first month in the Central African Republic (CAR), which is located in the heart of Africa! So I can only share my first impressions!

I’m in the capital, Bangui, to improve my French and learn Sango, as these are the official languages of the country. The whole country has approximately 6 million inhabitants! It is facing serious economic problems, in education, health and especially a lack of work and prospects for young people. It’s a period of reconstruction and peace remains very fragile here.

In the first few days I had the opportunity to travel to Mongoumba, where the International CLM Community is located. It’s 160 km away from the capital and we traveled this stretch in about 6 hours due to the rain and the road conditions.

View of the CLM House in Mongoumba – RCA

It was a great gift to be able to take part in the ordination to the diaconate of Ezra, who made his perpetual vows in the Congregation of the Comboni Missionaries and was ordained as a deacon. It was a beautiful, joyful Mass with an offertory that I will never forget. When the community came in dancing and offering gifts to the newly ordained deacon, everything from a goat to a handful of peanuts or some bananas, it was very meaningful. I think it was my first four-hour Mass and I didn’t even notice the time passing.

We haven’t yet defined what we’re going to do, because the community has just come together with the arrival of Elia. The work of the CLM has been in health, as we are responsible for the Da ti Ndoye Center – House of Love, which is a small rehabilitation center and a dispensary; in the area of education, with the accompaniment and coordination of the parish schools, and in pastoral care and support for the Aká people.

Rehabilitation center and care for the Aka people

Cristina Sousa – Portuguese CLM with the Aká children in Mongoumba/RCA

While in Bangui, I would like to highlight two important experiences among many:

– The visit to the Comboni parish of Our Lady of Fatima, located in a very conflictive area. During the intense period of the war, many people were refugees and some died in a clash, including a diocesan priest. People suffered a lot and the consequences are still present. Today there is a Formation Center in Memory of the Martyrs and there is a lot of training in religious tolerance, non-violent communication, accompanying people with war traumas, … The chapel of Casa Comboni keeps a chalice that was in the sacristy at Fatima and was hit by a bullet.

Another highlight is the testimony of the life and donation of Fr Gianantonio Berti, an Italian who arrived here in 1967. It was a gift from God to spend these days with Father Berti – an 86-year-old MCCJ with 46 years of presence in the Central African Republic. He is a very generous person, whom people love and respect. He communicates very well with the people, knows the language very well and is very close to the people of the region.

Cristina and pe Berti who traveled to Italy,

It hasn’t been easy, at this point in my life, to learn another language, in this case two other languages, and the most important thing would be to learn the third, which is Aka. But I’m very inspired by Cristina Souza – CLM who is here and she manages to connect with people. I’m working hard to improve my communication skills and to be with these people who are so welcoming. Despite the difficulties, I’m very happy to be here.

May we have the grace of the disciples on the way to Emmaus to meet the Risen Lord in the sharing of life and bread! Hearts burning and feet on the road! United in prayer!

CLM Community with Monsignor Jesus – Bishop of M’Baiki – Diocese where we are present.

Cristina Paulek, CLM

Pastoral service at Gborxoxome and Fiave-sanyi stations

12 September, 2023 by Alberto de la Portilla

It was a great joy when our Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Steven Avinu assigned me to start a new station at Gborxoxome. The faithful there were already well organized under the Mother Station St. Anthony of Ave-Afiadenyigba. Gborxoxome is some kilometers away from my residence, I moved in with a motor.

The service started with the Celebration of the Word this 6th December, 2020 which I presided. Just after the service, we nominated some leaders to run temporarily the business of the station. With Comboni spirit, it was necessary to engage and prepare some native as catechists with whom I can collaborate. Currently, the catechists are well equipped due to also the training organized at diocesan and parish levels. We share the services and weeks: a team in charge of the sick, projects and Seva (another station) visitation, another team in charge of evangelization and recollection. We carried out an evangelizing activity during which we proclaimed the Good News at Kpota (a nearby village) from house to house.

Other service was to visit the sick and aged brothers and sisters. With God’s grace, the Deacon Godsway Alato (currently priest) helped by taking the Holy Communion to some of the sick. Later, the Acolyte Elikem Akakpo was sent to the station for five weeks pastoral. He continued paying visit to the sick and aged, shared the Word of God with them and distributed the Holy Communion to those who were prepared. On the 28th October 2021, at the Feast of Sts. Jude and Simon, Rev. Fr. Avinu administered the Sacrament of Baptism to 22 faithfuls among which 10 received the First Communion. On the 8th October 2022, Bishop Gabriel Kumordji, SVD (Bishop of the diocese) during his annual pastoral visit to Parishes, paid a visit to our station. On the 9th October, ten (10) of our children were confirmed.

The station has its program of spirituality and liturgical celebrations: Wednesdays and Fridays at 6am, we have celebration of the Word. Second Fridays of the month at 5pm, we meditate on the Way of Cross. During Advent and Lenten seasons, we have recollection which many of the faithfuls attend. Vocational and missionary promotion is carried out sometimes during liturgical celebrations. Three of the catechists (we are five in all at the station), witnessed our promise as CLM on the 10th October last year. I was also selected at the Parish Council Meeting to be a member of Justice and Peace Commission.

Some months ago, the current Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Harry Barawusu asked me to start preparing some faithful at a new station of Fiave-Sanyi, villages located at some kilometers away from me. A catechist of Xevi, Catechist Linsford Atikpo accompanied me to the place to meet some members and plan for the start of the station. The first liturgical celebration took place on the 27th November, 2022 which was attended by about ten people, children and adults included. Catechist John Agbalekpor, collaborator of Catechist Linsford, replaced me at the station during the Assembly in Benin. Back from the Assembly, services on the two stations, St. Michael of Gborxoxome and Fiave -Sanyi, continued.

I must say, the service at Sanyi is a bit challenging. The faithful are currently either old or kids. Some are irregular at gatherings. I must take the readings and tune up the songs alone. I invited an active member of Xevi, Mad. Matilda to assist for a while. Soon, another one will help me, Sarah Gogo. But with all this challenge, the words of our Founder sound again in my ears: “Great works begin and grow at the foot of the Cross” so I will not stop. Also with the help of Catechist John, we are planning some pastoral activities to revive the station. Two faithfuls are mostly in my heart: Mary and Stephen, two blind persons who are always ready to attend gatherings. Sister Mary is even very good at singing. We must accompany them to our gatherings by carrying them on motor or walking with them. Acolyte David Tay went to the station for the Ceremony of the Imposition of ash and Rev. Fr. Harry for the sacramental celebration of Confession this year. Per the pastoral Program of the Parish, the Parish Priest should be at Sanyi on the 3rd September where he could baptize.

Slowly but surely, the two stations which I serve are growing with the help of each other. May the Lord “give us the clear vision of what we should do, the strength and the means to accomplish it“.

Justin, CLM.

Sowing on the African continent.

8 September, 2023 by Alberto de la Portilla

Greetings.

Hello, I’m Tito, a Comboni Lay Missionary from Brazil, on mission in Carapira, northern Mozambique.

Here I work at the Carapira Industrial Technical Institute (ITIC), where I am responsible for agricultural production, producing vegetables so that the students can eat healthier.

I also work in the parish in the various pastoral and ministry roles.

In my spare time, when I’m at home, I grow a small vegetable garden to contribute to our diet.

As you can see, here in the mission I am sowing and reaping good fruit.

But God also calls us, through our Baptism, to be sowers of his word of the Gospel.

As missionaries, we must sow love, peace, justice, sharing, fraternity and hope, etc.

Wherever I go, I always try to sow, sow, sow. One day these seeds will germinate and bear good fruit.

Be a sower yourself, but sow with your neighbor in mind.

Tito, Comboni Lay Missionary.

Be Afrique = Heart of Africa

12 September, 20237 September, 2023 by Alberto de la Portilla

“Where I once left my heart”

After seven years in Portugal, five of which were spent supporting the family and working in elderly people’s homes (at the Missionary Sisters of Charity in Faro and at the Parish Center in Paderne) and another two years on mission in the parish of Camarate, I’m leaving to return to the CAR, where I’ve already been for five years.

It won’t be easy, but I know that this is the path God has for me.

The Central African Republic (CAR) is the place where I feel I have been called to serve God and people with joy, in the hope of bringing the message of the Gospel and helping to build a better and fairer world, together with the poorest and most abandoned according to Comboni’s missionary style.

I will face new challenges and difficulties, but I am confident that, with God’s help and the protection of Our Lady of Hope, I will be able to overcome them.

I thank my family and friends for supporting me in this decision.

I thank my parish of Paderne and the Parish Center for always welcoming me with affection despite my long absences.

I thank my community in Fetais and all those who helped me during my time in Camarate.

Finally, I thank the CLM Movement and the Comboni Family for transmitting to me the essence that inspires me to go.

“If I had a thousand lives, I would give a thousand lives for Africa”

Élia Gomes CLM – Portugal

6 years of Chispuditos

4 September, 2023 by Alberto de la Portilla

With God’s blessing, lots of joy, good cheer, smiles and anticipation, the CLM were contributing ideas, activities and snack suggestions to celebrate the children of Aldea La Salvadora I and II the anniversary…

VI ANNIVERSARY OF THE CHISPUDITOS PROGRAM.

On JUNE 3rd, the anniversary date, with a pleasantly sunny morning and with the attendance of the 50 children that month after month are given preventive monitoring for child malnutrition, we prepared a delicious and fresh fruit salad, which children and parents enjoyed together with a bread with chicken filling and a very cold and refreshing horchata.

There were fun games of rounds, songs and races around chairs; mimes and even races of moms with their babies, presenting each one with an attractive pastel-colored plastic cup. It was such a fun and entertaining atmosphere that children and adults alike had a morning of celebration and fun.

Of course, the grand finale of this celebration was the presentation of a fairy tale play, in which the CLM put all their soul and energy in their performance, leaving all the spectators surprised and amazed, it was the fable of Leo and the mouse. Curiously, several children did not know the fable and we were very impressed by the way in which adults and children were completely introduced in the story.

It was a very enjoyable moment, a moment in which we celebrated life and that, in the midst of suffering, there is light and hope for these villages.

Our deep desire as a community is to grow with this program, so that the word of God can reach more families and comfort them in their sorrows, so that more children can have the opportunity to improve their health and so that mothers can have the necessary tools for their children to grow with greater opportunity.

Sara Ramírez