America – Page 37 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Christmas missionary service 2022 in San Lorenzo

25 January, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

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

24 January, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

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.”

21 January, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

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

Greetings to everyone from Anchilo (Nampula-Mozambique)

14 January, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

I am Tito, a Comboni Lay Missionary of the Diocese of Balsas, Maranhão (Brazil).

After a long time of formation and mission and waiting because of Covid, I could finally leave for the mission ad gentes in Mozambique, Africa.

I left Brazil on the 5th and arrived in Mozambique on the 7th at night.

The trip was long and tiring, but nothing stopped me from continuing to reach my final destination where God called and sent me for this mission.

Here I was well received and I am slowly getting to know and adapting to this new reality of life and mission.

Through the intercession of St. Daniel Comboni, may the God of life bless me with a beautiful and blessed mission.

Pray for me, for the Mozambican people and for the mission.

I will be praying for you.

Hugs to all.

Tito, Comboni Lay Missionary.

And as the Macua people say, Salama salama Koxukuru Ampwene Muluku.

Path to mission

5 January, 2022 by Alberto de la Portilla

“Do I thus follow certain of the mission I have to fulfill?” Time is strange, situations, the unexpected, the pandemic and new waves, the non-fulfillment of projections, change, waiting, expectation, joys and sorrows, beginnings and new beginnings populate our human history.

In the dialogue between Jesus, Peter and Andrew, the latter already knew the Lord and had even announced him to his brother, he is delighted and surprised by the Lord’s invitation “I will make you fishers of men”. Thus the mission is being accomplished.

Africa? (Everyone asks) when? The date has arrived, today begins our journey to Mozambique. But the certainty we have is that everything will come the way the Lord wants, or not. It is the true adventure of living according to God’s will. It is not easy, but He is my refuge and strength!

May the Lord give us and renew us each day the hope and the certainty that “when we do what God wants, we are sure to be rewarded at the end of everything”. Here is the logic of being Christian, of believing, of living in God and for God! So let’s live for Him, every day, and be grateful for the life that pulsates in us, for the little miracles of everyday life, and above all for the opportunities that are presented to us to mature humanly and spiritually. It is impossible to listen to the Lord and not give Him an answer. “Leaving the nets immediately, they followed him.”

Mission is to leave, but it doesn’t mean to devour kilometers. As our beloved Dom Elder Câmara used to say. Mission is to let God conduct our life and our history, just as He conducted the life of St. Daniel Comboni and the life of our mother Mary of Nazareth. We ask for their intersection so that our mission is guided by the divine force, we count on your prayers to accomplish this mission together.

And you, which net or nets do you need to leave? Or what do you need to abandon yourself to the Lord?

Let us follow! God bless us and lead us!

Regimar and Tito, CLM Brazil