Missionary Experiences – Page 78 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Conclusions of the 2nd Meeting of the CLM in Africa

2 September, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

The 2^nd Continental Meeting of the Comboni Lay Missionaries took place in Kinshasa, DRC on July 21-25, 2014. The participants included five priests, two sisters and 18 lay people, among them the six coordinators of the French-speaking and English-speaking African provinces. They were joined by representatives of the Central Committee.

The objective of the Assembly of Kinshasa was to establish a concrete plan of action based on the resolutions of previous gatherings – the Continental Assembly of Layibi in 2001 and the International Assembly of Maia in 2012 – having as a theme: “Beginning with what we have starting from our reality.”

Keeping in mind the current challenges of our African reality, where God calls us to live our vocation as witnesses of his love, according to the charism of St. Daniel Comboni, at the service of mission, which is a gift from God, and after having reflected together, we have come to some conclusions that will allow each province to set up a plan of action. These are the conclusions:

1. Vocation

We want to encourage each CLM to live one’s vocation as it was defined at Layibi; to overcome life’s difficulties and to keep the commitments we have as fathers, workers and Christians, thus giving witness to our vocation.

As it was said in Maia, the CLM communities need to formulate processes that will allow the full development of the personal vocation of their members during their entire lifetime. This means setting up a program of prayer, retreats, sacramental life and revision of community life.

In order to facilitate a joint journey in our vocation as an International Family of CLM, we encourage the new groups to keep in touch regularly with the Continental and Central Committees, in order to get help from those responsible for the coordination. We believe that it is necessary to follow the common lines of the international organization.

2. Relations among the CLM

The movement holds one single vision. All must cooperate and work together at living a harmonious community life.

In order to facilitate the integration of new CLM in the local CLM groups, we must strengthen communications and networking between the sending group and the receiving group, the Central and Continental Committees and the MCCJ provincials.

In order to reach full integration, we invite the new CLM to take part in the group’s activities: ongoing formation, assemblies, retreats, administrative practices and financial contributions…

We encourage CLM working in countries where we have no local members to promote our vocation and form a local group.

3. Formation

As a movement of CLM in Africa, we are committed to make our formation journey together, in order to follow Christ according to the charism of Comboni who calls us to make common cause with the people to whom we are sent.

The decisions taken in earlier Assemblies guide us on this journey of formation, where we should keep in mind the following aspects:

The provinces must cooperate in the preparation of the various programs and materials for formation;
We must share programs and topics of formation between the provinces and with the Central Committee;
We must translate in all languages the formation documents.

4. Economy

We want to include the economy in our spiritual life, in order to live a life based on Providence. In this context, we ask the groups to include the topic of our relations with money in their formation programs, placing our stability and confidence in God.

In the process of our financial autonomy, we invite the various groups to form their members in the various aspects of finances, such as: development projects based on the local needs, the search for funds, compatibility…

Knowing that we all belong to this family of CLM, we are called to be responsible for and to support the group. In this sense, all the CLM must contribute to the fund of the local group. From this fund, the group in turn should contribute to the international common fund, managed by the Central Committee. We are also called to inspire the local Church and all people of good will to support our missionary activity.

In order to reach our financial autonomy, we invite the groups to start fund-generating activities such as in the field of agriculture, animal husbandry, pharmacies, movies, internet and photo-copying centers, production of local artifacts, talks, formation, dialogue and promotion of events…

It is not enough to engage in projects, but we are also called to give financial reports with great transparency (ledgers, bank accounts with more than one signature…).

5. Organization

5.1 Each Province must have:

A Coordinating Team made up of : a coordinator, a secretary and a treasurer. This team must send its reports to the African and to the General Committees.
A person in charge of communications (blog, Facebook, Twitter).
A Formation Team which must: plan and prepare the topics of formation; ensure the follow-up and the evaluation of the formation given.
Each group must have someone from those in charge of formation who will be networking with those responsible at the national level.

5.2 African Committee:

The Central Coordinating Team is made up of: a coordinator, a secretary a treasurer.
Its duties are:

Ensure communications with the Central Committee.
Call and organize continental meetings.
Provide for communications between the provinces.
Take care that the decisions taken at the various assemblies be implemented.

Just two tiny hands

13 July, 2014 by Maggie and Mark Banga

In today’s Gospel reading (Matthew 18:1-5,10,12-14), in response to the question “Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”, Jesus calls a little child over to him. He presents the child as a model of how we should approach and trust God.

A story from Rafael Gonzalez, a Comboni Missionary who worked in Kenya, came quickly to my mind after listening to the scripture reading:

“There were 120 starving, poor children in the mission nursery school in the semi-desert of Northern Kenya where I used to live. They received their only food each day from the school. At noon daily, the youngsters lined up to receive their dinner. Old tin cans, wooden bowls, or just two tiny hands, received a modest amount of porridge made from roughly ground maize flour boiled in water.

One girl, named Namoe, who walked very, very far each day to attend school, filled her little baked bean tin daily. Then, unlike the rest of the children (who consumed their food on the spot), Namoe left the mission property with her full container.

One day I followed her at a distance. On and on she walked, porridge in hand. A few kilometers away from the school, she met her mother and her younger sister, sitting alongside the road in the shade.

Namoe sat down. She placed the little tin of porridge on the ground in the middle of the group. And she shared her only food for the day with her mother and sister.”

What a rare moment of beautiful love Rafael witnessed that day. It speaks to me, in a special way, of Jesus’ words today: “Unless you change and become like little children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

– Maggie, Mark, Emebet, Isayas and Therese Banga, Comboni Lay Missionaries, Awassa, Ethiopia

Walking with Comboni

10 July, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

Hello fellow travelers, peace be with you!

These days was held the MCCJ Assembly in the Province of Mozambique. As Comboni Family, the Comboni Sisters and the CLM, we were invited to attend the first two days. This allowed us to better meet our Province and the Comboni Missionaries who are working here.

Being celebrating this jubilee year of the 150th anniversary of the Plan of Comboni, we start with a reflection presented by Father Vitor Dias, former in the novitiate of Santarém, Portugal. How to dream, to experience, to announce: Christ, Comboni and the joy of the Gospel today, in our daily lives, in our actions?

Among us, we were sharing our feelings, our experiences of Christ in the mission, and so, as craftspeople made a mat, we were sharing this reflection. I leave here, knowing that many things remain to be said, a few points:

We are invited, as Comboni, to encounter God, without letting our own tasks to bind us, so that with Him, remain in this attitude: “I am here for whatever you want me”, so let ourselves, therefore, every day, inspire, love, excite, challenge, by the Lord of the Mission.

A meeting methodology, that allows us to live the Pastoral of Meeting with the people in an attitude of listening and dialogue. Daring to live the mission as a “salute”, a beginning to “walk” with the communities, so that in the informal meetings, we announce Christ and allow ourselves to be evangelized by the people who welcome us.

Will you remember the attitude of Pope Francisco that leaving the car went to the old woman? Will it not result of greater impact, greater proclamation of Christ, than a thousand words spoken into a microphone?

For that, we also must leave our “car”, strip us of what we are and have (training, lifestyle, personal experiences), to find one another, our community and the people that welcomed us, from the essence of what the people are. It is an invitation to an attitude of humility; find the other starting from him. A major challenge, isn´t it?

Plan of Comboni, reproduction or upgrade? We would say that the two attitudes. An attitude of reproduction in relation to the Plan of Comboni in what is its highest expression: the freedom of the human person. On the other hand one of the fundamental aspects of the Plan is the dimension of Today. A plan that it is not just paper, but actions that generate life, a life that we want in abundance. For this it is essential starting from what is already built and contextualize our reality today, where we are. We try to leave the “old” to start the “new” from a continuous attitude of discernment.

Which is the new attitude? What we bet? Building structures or build with people? Stone buildings or human constructions?

The challenge is released: Let us not become mere administrators of created structures but seek, invent new possibilities, without fear, with hope and confidence, not in an attitude of “who comes to give”, but who “comes to learn and walk together”.

Seize the wealth of diversity, so that we can set the pace for a mission in increased collaboration and mutual assistance with the people we work, so they are increasingly the protagonists of the mission and their lives.

We leave you with the question: “How do we incarnate the Gospel today?”

With the knowledge that none of us has it all and that no culture drains the Gospel, we walk with the fear of walker and the heart full of trust in the Lord of the mission, which calls us to face the challenges with confidence and optimism.

“Peace be with you” and “Do not be afraid!”

I wait for you in Mozambique 😉

Márcia Costa. CLM in Mozambique.

Greetings from Africa!!!

23 June, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

kampala1

Finally our dreams have come true. We are in Africa again. We’ve lived at the Provincial House in Kampala since Saturday. We’ll spend here about 2 weeks. Our time is filled mostly by visiting different places and meeting new people. Little by little we enter in the atmosphere and culture of Uganda. Everything is new, everything delights us, there are so many things to see, to get to know that sometimes it is impossible to remember everything, especially names. But slowly, slowly we’re learning everything.

We’re very happy that we can be here. At every step we feel like at home. People always surprise us with their openness, hospitality, help and kindness.

kampala3

In the first week we were able to visit several communities and see some of the projects implemented by the Comboni not only in Kampala. And we also met the CLM who live and work in Kampala. They have their own house where their meetings are held and in which some of them also live. Some have their own families, so they live in another place, but every day they come to the CLM house. At the beginning they told us about themselves, about the CLM in Uganda, in which places they work, what they do and how is their formation. Immediately we felt like at home, we feel that we are one community, which has the same goal and the same motivation. Thanks to them, we also have the opportunity to learn about the life and culture in Uganda because they offered us a series of meetings on various topics. Thanks to this we get to know the atmosphere in Kampala, in Uganda.

We are also waiting for brother Elio, who returns from holiday and with him we’ll go to Gulu, the place where we spend the next two years. We cannot wait to see our mission…, but we have to be patient. At the moment we are trying to take advantage of the time we spend in Kampala. We are getting to know the fathers, but also the Comboni sisters who live here. Of course, everyone knows Gulu, so from them also we receive information about our new home – St. Jude orphanage. We got to know the history, but also the most important problems which we’ll meet for sure. Such meetings are very fruitful, because each person gives their advices; thanks to this we are getting more knowledgeable about St. Jude, but also a variety of initiatives in which we can get involved.

Greetings and big hugs for all the CLM

Asia and Ewa

[Central African Republic] My first day in the mission

19 June, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

After 3 days in Bangui, capital of the Central African Republic, to address the problems of documentation for obtaining a letter of residence in the country and also to accompany Élia and Teresa, my colleagues in the Mission, who had to buy food supplies, medicines, fuel, etc., we depart on the 24/05 at 6:00 am, to Mongoumba place of my destiny. On the road we came across the MISCA soldiers who were there to control the inputs and outputs, and still other groups of “popular militias” hitchhiking to collect “tolls”, money for their livelihood. We made several stops to visit some communities of sisters who are on their way, and especially to greet the Bishop of this Diocese M’Baiki, primarily responsible for this portion of the flock of Christ, the Church. I had a warm welcome and he gave me some advice, especially to be available to “serve” the people. We arrived to Mongoumba about 17:30, where the Comboni Fathers were waiting for us, responsible for this mission, which embraced with love and joy, and that night offered me a “welcome dinner “.

My first day in the mission

I left my parish, where I receive the “missionary mandate” in the Good Shepherd Day (May 11, 2014), and it was the motto: “That all may have life in abundance.” That He (Good Shepherd) sends his collaborators around the world. And so I went from Portugal to Central African Republic with this eco vibrating in my soul. Give life, give joy, give love. “But the Lord, never outdone in generosity, wanted to give me a good gift in my first day in the Mission: “To live with these people the full joy, the true “life in abundance”. With Élia and father Jesus we went to a Christian community in which was held, during the Eucharist, the baptism of 11 young, 6 boys and 5 girls, the result of “life” that others surrender to generate these Sons of God and the Church. I felt at home, in the country of my dreams and my soul vibrating with joy, to live the Party, the real “Party of Life”. Who said or thought I came to deal with the bullets, or death? Here, life is breathed through every pore of the body and soul!

The Mass began with a procession to the beat of a song with hundreds of vibrant vocals, drums and dance. It was the party started. At the appropriate time were called the catechumens, with decisive and powerful voice answered the priest: “I want the baptism of the Church”. They were then baptized, one after another, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Then all leave the church and leave aside their old clothes and now dressed all in white, come back in procession to the altar of the church, singing and dancing, feeling the true joy of the children of God and the Church. Of the hands of their parents, received the lighted candle from the Paschal Candle to continue singing and dancing around the altar, holding, not the sword of death but the candlelight of life that was given to them from the Altar of Christ they surround with enthusiasm. It really touched me and I let a few tears roll. I looked at my watch and it was 10.15 hours, then remembered that it was celebrating Mass, also in my parish, Torredeita, with the difference that here had started at 9:00 am! I felt in tune with who I left, but deeply rooted in the people that the Lord provides me with such tenderness and benevolence.

At the time of consecration, were not the parents, but that the newly baptized that lit their own candles at Easter candle and make a crown around the altar, symbol of the guests for the wedding of the Lamb (Jesus Christ), who blew himself up to give them life. The Mass ended around noon; 3 hours party where everyone showed their smiling faces, a sign that they still wanted to continue.

Father Jesus took the opportunity to introduce me to the population as a well reinforces the community of missionaries, the servants of the People.

Élia was the photographer of the day, and at the end everyone were approaching her asking for a picture. Back home still Élia has to be “bad” and leave part of the passage of all those who want to return in the car, but they were so many that it was impossible. We got home three hours later. Élia asked: “Are you tired?” And I answered: “no, I’m very happy”. Maria Teresa was out with another priest and came later. However, it also came with an air of satisfaction.

And so began my first day of mission in the Central African Republic. A missionary hug to you all.

By Palmira Pinheiro