Hello!
I am very well here at Matany in Uganda only the time runs fast and soon August is coming.
Now at Easter we enjoy some days off, which is good from time to time.
One is away from work and has more time for oneself.
My passport is still at Kampala but I was promissed soon everything will be ok!
In a few days time I will meet Elena here at Matany.
I wish you all a HAPPY EASTER!!!
Many greetings from Matany,
Franz.
Dear friends,
What a joy to celebrate Easter with the people in struggle!
This year the community of Villa Ecológica feels more mature and grown up, and we participate in the celebrations with more calm less responsibility and a certain distance.
It happens that the Lord touches the hearts when he wants and the way he wants. Yesterday I feel touched in front of the monument hearing the song “My confidence is You, Lord”. I lay contemplating my future in peace, in confidence. Even on the night of Holy Thursday, Jesus is Lord. His smile calm storms. Like when Carmen is afraid at night and my presence beside her causes her to sleep in peace. So I felt last night in front of the Blessed Sacrament.
We do not know what lies ahead of us and fear wants to grasp me, but I rest in Jesus. During these months I give thanks all the time for being alive and being healthy. I can walk, I can get dressed by myself, I can take a car to go downtown, I can load my kids… The Lord has allowed me to continue here. I wish it never pass the clarity of such certainty.
After the prayer before the Monument, a neighbor who is being abused by her husband for too many years kneels before the Lord, and I knelt with her. I felt clearly how she was sharing Jesus’ struggle, unfair victim. She and Jesus, Jesus and she. She shows me Jesus and Jesus pointed me to her. I had to be like her kneeling before the Lord. Worshiping, resting in Him, the only one who has words of life. Begging that passes the bitter cup represented by her husband from her. What a privilege, to be able to share in the distance, the path with these women protagonists of faith!
What a joy I felt for being able to share these six years with these people! The Lord has given me many lessons and has worked on me.
Yesterday morning came another neighbor carrying piggyback eighteen years of abuse. It is so heavy this burden on her that the poor goes hunched, skinny, almost unable to look at your eyes. I cannot imagine the burden of pain that carry over even to see her daughter trying to kill herself. She came to my house on Holy Thursday to ask about the progress of her last complaint. But the judiciary is on strike. On Holy Thursday, Jesus himself with his cross came to my house. Why Jesus wanted to manifest so clearly to me? I was able to hold her, try to strengthen and increase her hope for justice. I am very happy for it. I suffer with her and I feel happy at the same time. What if one of these nights this neighbor commits suicide? What will I do then?
Isabel and I had past uncomfortable weeks because of Mr. Juan, my neighbor across the street, sick for six months that has passed through two operations and no heals, but it is getting worse. It is a sigh of the strong man who was. Why God put us this in front of us? How could I passed by his door every morning without being moved? Together we realized that the Lord called us to be present with greater intensity. The first thing we thought was of paying a particular doctor to diagnose correctly. But that’s not all he needs. Paulina took the father an afternoon and administered the Anointing. Because Juan is not close to the Church, does not participate in the community. We call Bety and Domingo, from the team of the Father Jaime, to pray for him. They came right away to evangelize him. And Juan and Yanet got happy, appreciated that very much and want to get married after twenty years of living together. If it is the God will, Isabel and I are going to prepare them. They went together to Palm Sunday Mass, I do not know how long ago they were not going, and on Holy Thursday the father washed their feet during the celebration. They want to approach the Lord! The Lord is acting, is healing. Bety told us after a Mass of health. The Lord works bodies and hearts.
I felt that Juan is my last teaching. Do I believe or do not believe that Lord can heal him? Will I be able to watch him die slowly doing nothing more than paying a doctor? Juan needs the strength of the Lord Jesus to rise from his prostration. Only Jesus can lift him.
Lord Jesus, save your people, that so much awaits you!
We confess You as the Lord of Life, but my faith is so weak…
Gonzalo Violero. Spanish CLM in Peru
Dear friends, I wish you a Happy Easter, from here in Nova Contagem, Minas Gerais. Easter Sunday is a day of joy, of life, of Liberation. The photos attached describing a moment of our CLM group celebrating Maundy Thursday, washing each other’s feet.
We continue our journey with courage, commitment, service and passion, knowing that life triumphs over death and that love makes it born again, forever.
Happy Easter to all.
A hug.
With love Emma (Italian CLM in Brazil)
The meeting took place in the town of Namitatar, community of Saint John the Baptist, where 130 adolescents and youth participants assist from various areas of the Parish of Mossuril, motivated by the celebration of the “World Youth Day”, with the following schedule: Saturday; welcoming, games, dynamics for integration, Stations of the Cross prayer and a film. Sunday; reflection on topics of JPIC for youth such as “recenseamento” and the law of the land; and a topic about the stage of adolescence with the adolescents. After, animation, culminating with the celebration of Palm Sunday, where young people proclaimed singing and dancing that Jesus is the King of the Universe.
On Saturday the group of CLM of Mozambique organizes the procession of the Cross, as a sign every young wear a cross to their personal reflection within the family and community. On Sunday, we share together the celebration of Palm Sunday, we had a moment to do missionary animation where we invite people who feel called to live this lifestyle to approach our responsible, Father Paulo, pastor of that Parish. I liked so much to have participated in this event and I hope to continue to do it more times in order to prepare myself in my journey to the mission and God bless the youth of Mossuril.
Ancha Luis, candidate of the CLM in Mozambique
Dear friends,
I hope you are all well. Myself I am very fine here. Meanwhile i feel
at home and I am very happy to help the pupils by teaching
computer lessons.
Through help from Germany I got ten laptops. During day time
I am in the classroom and in the evenings I teach the sisters
and the people from the nearby village how to work with a computer.
Every day I am very busy and happy to give the people here
some perspectives for their future.
HAPPY EASTER and many greetings from Alenga in Uganda,
Elena!
