This time she shares about Christmas spent in the Peruvian Andes.
We invite you to watch.
(with subtitles in Spanish)
Missionary Experiences
Program “Missionaries at Christmas”.
We leave you the intervention of Teresa Monzón (Spanish CLM), from our Mozambique Mission, within this missionary program of her diocese on the occasion of Christmas. (interview in Spanish)
From minute 22:37 to minute 30:00
Missionary path in Mount Sinai – CLM Ecuador
Monte Sinai is a marginal urban settlement located in the northwest of the city of Guayaquil, whose origin and expansion was through the invasion of land in the 90’s of the last century, it is estimated that in this area are living about 133,000 inhabitants in an area of 9,325 ha. on land formerly used for agriculture. Located one hour from the commercial center of the city, “it is the most rural part of Guayaquil” according to one of the city’s newspapers. Its growth has been halted in part because it was declared a reserve and security zone by presidential decree in December 2010, due to its proximity to a water transfer to the neighboring province of Santa Elena.
According to Hogar de Cristo Corporation’s socioeconomic research (2012), 99% have incomes below the basic salary, 54% are poor. The family group is composed of 5 people, of which 48% of families, only one of its members works; 52% have completed primary education and 48% of the houses are made of bamboo (see attached images).
The website “International Alliance of Inhabitans” in December 2017 writes:
“Monte Sinai has 133 000 inhabitants corresponding to 26 000 families that present a housing deficit of 62.65%. This means that more than 83 000 people lack a house that allows a dignified life. This means that more than 83,000 people do not enjoy the fundamental right to have a home that provides shelter, a roof, security and, above all, dignity”.
Monte Sinai does not have basic services, only electricity service to the houses, public lighting is scarce; and the streets are mostly dirt, some streets are covered with asphalt.
Walking along other streets in the sector. On the left is Fr. Joseph MCCJ, originally from Kenya.
The pastoral work of CLM has been located in the parish of the Transfiguration of the Lord, our walk is in the Chapel of St. Francis.
At the present date we are traveling around the place that is quite extensive, introducing ourselves to the villagers, letting them know of the presence of the CLM in the place.
Walking through the streets of Monte Sinai. This graphic shows the following statement: “Monte Sinai is the most rural part of Guayaquil”.
Another of the difficulties that the inhabitants of Monte Sinai have to live with is the lack of road and sanitary infrastructure works that allow them to have a dignified life for them and their families, the images that are presented are eloquent. This is what can be appreciated from the tour of knowledge of the place.
Cine Foro, the first activity with Afro youth, inside the central church.
CLM Ecuador
Kitelakapel, Our New Mission
Over the last few years, we as CLM Kenya have been undergoing formation to become full members of the Comboni Lay Missionaries movement. We are happy to say that very soon, four of us will become full-fledged CLM members. We are delighted to have this progress in our group.
This being the case, we understood the need to establish a mission for CLM in Kenya in which we and other international CLM members could use for missionary work. We are therefore excited to showcase our progress in the construction of a CLM residential house in Kitelakapel, in West Pokot County, here in Kenya. The mission will be within the Catholic Parish of Kacheliba. The construction is being overseen by the MCCJ since we, as CLM Kenya are still in our early stages of growth.
Major strides have been made with regards to the construction. Not only have the floor plans been developed and building bricks made, but also actual construction of the house has already began. Moreover, a borehole has been drilled to ensure continuous availability of water for the residence. We already have two members from Kenya who will be heading to Kitelakapel for missionary work once all works are completed. In addition to this, we have our first international CLM member, Linda, joining us from Italy. We are excited to welcome her and officially start missionary work as an international community. We hope to see this project come to completion and have our very first CLM Mission!
CLM Kenya
America Your Life Is Mission!
It is with great joy that we write again, with a heavy heart for leaving Brazil, a beautiful community and generous people, but with enthusiasm and hope for returning to Guatemala.
Through reunions with family, friends and friends of our communities and parish we feel welcomed and loved, through long distance calls and messages with our dear friends “mineiros”, we began our process of reinsertion; despite being our country of origin we have been resettling, recognizing places and people, being amazed by the changes in the children and young people and they also by ours.
Today we return with a heart full of many learnings, of moments lived full of love and mercy of God, but especially with a personal purification that we know still continues. We come with much strength and energy to work for the Kingdom of God, to tell everyone what we have seen and heard, all that God has taught us.
In that joy our CLM community of Guatemala organized a mass and a welcome meeting for us, they “threw the house out the window” as the good Guatemalan would say. It was a very comforting welcome and the most important thing to recognize is that we have a community that has been supporting us at all times, with its difficulties and challenges, but it is a certainty that this work of God is nothing more than a work done in community with the hands and knees of many.
Today, as we begin our life again as a family, with a different way of seeing things and realities, with a heart that asks for justice and peace. We entrust ourselves to your prayers, we also unite ourselves in prayer to all those who are about to leave or who are on mission, so that all together in this unity, we may meet the true face of Christ and have the same feelings.
May St. Daniel Comboni continue to intercede for the needs of all missionaries and continue to be so active at the Lord’s side that more religious and lay vocations may be rediscovered and directed.
Long live the mission, long live the family, long live St. Daniel Comboni!
Camey Figueroa Family, CLM Guatemala
