Europe – Page 55 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Presentation of Monika on her way to Central Africa

28 March, 2019 by Alberto de la Portilla

My name is Monika, I am 24 years old and I am a physiotherapist.

All my interest are generally connected to my studies. I eagerly work in my profession because I feel that I found my faith in it. As young girl I discovered in my heart the need to serve those who need my help and those who are the poorest and the loneliest . In high school I was looking for associations, groups and people who would help me to go for a mission. To Comboni Lay Missionaries Movement I got because of my friend. It was her who recommended me they way in which Comboni fathers prepare young people for missions. After my first year in this formation I had opportunity to get experience on one month mission in Kenya. I had a chance to see how the missions are functioning and how the missionaries work. But more importantly, I could meet the people to whom I could help in the future.

This time has awaken even the bigger love to my responsibilities, to other people and to be with people and to see their sufferings. Motivated by my own needs, one year later I organized for myself and two other friends three months mission in Kenya again. In my first place -Lokichar I was working as a physiotherapist with disabled children. It was extraordinary place for me. On one hand, I saw there a lot of suffering, but on the other hand I felt a lot of love for this children and people who wanted to help them. I cannot find a proper words to describe my feeling and memories from this place. Together with my friend Martha we were helping the children but we also were praying with them, we took part in masses and our free time we devoted for spending time with the children: e.g. by talking with them or just making them smile or simply hold their hands. The second part of my mission I spent in the parish of Amakuriat. We could see there, how the mission parish works, how many kilometer one person needs to walk in order to get to small community and I also saw how they appreciated it.

I would like to work in the area of spiritual life of those who I will be sent to because I believe that it is God who calls us to do so and to spread his words through our side and words too.

On 20 October 2018, I officially became Comboni Lay Missionary and I started my „community experience” – for next 3 months I lived with Comboni Missionaries in Cracow. It was very fruitful time: I started to learn French, I had classes about Bible basis, Daniel Comboni, missiology and international communication. I was also a voluntary worker in the Mother and Child’s house.

On 3 March 2019 in the Saint Jack’s church in Opole, I was officially sent for a mission in Republic of Central Africa by Opole diocesan Andrzej Czaja – and received a missionary Cross.

Now I am waiting for my visa, and hopefully I leave Poland in April. My first stop will be Democratic Republic of Congo where I will have 2 months of French course and then Republic of Central Africa – my new mission.

With prayer

Monika Jamer, Comboni Lay Missionary

New Coordination Team for the CLM in Portugal

26 March, 2019 by Alberto de la Portilla

We are glad to let you know that a new team is taking over the coordination of the CLM in Portugal. The new members were chosen during the General Assembly of the CLM in Portugal celebrated last October to coordinate the activities of the CLM and this weekend of March 17 they took over, embracing their new mission.

In the pictures you will get to know this great team. From right to left: Márcia Costa, President; Élia Gomes, Vice President; Sandra Fagundes, Treasurer; Sr. Carmo Ribeiro; Fr. Francisco Medeiros.

We ask all of the Lord’s blessings, through the intercession of St. Daniel Comboni, on this new team. We pay that they may be enlightened by the Holy Spirit to take the best decisions for the future of the CLM and that we may always be able to support and to answer all the needs: not so much the needs of directing, but even more the need that the CLM and the mission of the Lord require.

We wish the best to all of you, especially for the new team of the CLM in Portugal.

CLM Portugal.

CLM European Community of formation in Granada

20 March, 2019 by Alberto de la Portilla

Last week I was able to spend a good amount of formation time with Carolina, David and Juan Eugenio in Granada. It was a time to get to know one another better, to pray together, converse, walk, cook, eat and to celebrate life and our missionary vocation, coinciding as it was with Comboni’s birthday.

During this week we also had time to delve more deeply in our history as CLM at the international level, to go over the agreements made in the African continental meetings and how could we avoid giving sufficient time to share on the conclusions of our recent general assembly in Rome. We always gave enough time to get to know the international situation of the CLM and especially of the continent where they will be going.

We also spent part of the afternoon looking at videos and pictures from Ethiopia and Mozambique, and from them we moved to discuss and find answers to the realities to be faced.

Then we gave quite some time to work on community life. Our community is always the base of our presence as CLM in mission and the fundamental point of reference in performing our missionary ministry, in feeding and living our faith. It is like the Cenacle of Apostles Comboni wanted in order to spread what we have within us. We spent time to unravel several practical aspects such, organization, community responsibilities, projects, the economy, and other deeper aspects like how to protect our spirituality, how to be a Comboni family, keeping contacts with those who support us and others. We did it calmly in order to really converse, exchange points of view and learn from each other. We ended this part studying the Charter of the international communities approved at the recent international assembly which is and will be the foundation of our presence in international communities.

We also had time to spend with the Comboni family of Granada: one evening with the men and another with the sisters. It was a good time to pray together and talk about mission. It was a good family time dreaming together of how Comboni dreamed of us.

We did not forget to give time to conflict resolution. We know that conflict is natural in our human situation and that conflicts arise in our communities as well. That is why we must be able to face them, resolve them and grow together as persons and as a community.

During these days, we picked an entire morning to go walking, to visit the beautiful surrounding of the Cahorros, with its vertical walls and the beautiful views of the Sierra Nevada. It was also an opportunity to tests our strength and to be aware that we have to be well prepared for the pilgrimage over the Camino de Santiago. We will have to take advantage of the remaining weeks to arrive to it in good shape. It is always nice to go out into nature and have time to converse in a relaxed fashion while walking and thank God for all his gifts.

We ended dealing with the theme of interculturality. It is wonderful to travel to another continent and share other cultures, but it is necessary to be properly prepared to know the people with whom we will live in the coming years, in order to respect their worldview, in order to share our faith making sure not to over stress our own worldview and try even unconsciously to impose it, but rather in a spirit of sharing and grow in our diversities.

We closed the week by spending the weekend with the CLM of the southern region of Spain. It gave us time to share, do some formation, revision of life, to analyze this time of preparation for those who will leave, recharge our energy for the daily grind, etc.

On Sunday we did mission promotion in a parish of Granada. David was able to give a short presentation of his leaving for the mission and we took the opportunity to chat with the parishioners and sell some trinkets to finance mission work.

Their time to leave for Africa is getting nearer. Let us pray that the Lord will be with them, guide them in this time of special formation, a time also of spirituality and prayer to prepare them for departure.

Thanks for this week together.

Greetings

Alberto, coordinator of the CLM Central Committee

Mission Echoes from the Central African Republic

12 March, 2019 by Alberto de la Portilla

“Here I am sending you some tidbits on mission life.” With these words our dear friend María Augusta embraces us and writes on what is going on in the mission of the CAR. Ana [CLM from Poland] had a problem with an elbow. X-rays were taken and then we went with her to the military medical center in Bangui. People there were very kind and helpful. God willing, we will have lunch with them tomorrow. Gratefully, the rest of us is doing well. We had news from Fr. Samuel, who is also doing well, taking advantage of his vacation to rest and to visit family and friends. This week a mother with twin girls came to us. She had already been here other times to ask for milk, because she did not have enough for both babies. They were already undernourished. We took care of them and they had returned home in good shape. Now she came with one of the babies being very skinny, and weighing only 2 Kg at 9 months… I was very stressed by it and immediately I went with the mother to the place where we treat those who are undernourished, to have her admitted. I do not know whether she is going to make it! May the Lord do what is best for her. Little Andrés, the orphan I met in November 2015 and to whom we gave milk, has Pott disease (vertebral tuberculosis). He was taken to the pediatrician in Bangui and now he is being treated for it. Later he will undergo surgery like Gervelais*, who up to this point was not able to walk, but after two months of this TB treatment, has already started to take a few steps and it is clear he has a lot of inner strength to make him want to learn how to walk in a hurry. At the school we have started two remedial classes** of 90 minutes each, twice a week. In the early years we concentrate on reading and writing. And then later we add Mathematics. May the Lord give our students strength and good will so as not to fail, but may improve their chances. By God’s grace we have some students with a lot of will power… this is what gives us the encouragement to continue. We are grateful to the Lord who gives us good health, happiness and the will to keep on with it. I wish all of you a Lent filled with Quiet and Growth in the love of God and our brothers and sisters. Always united in prayer and mission! Thanks for your prayers. María Augusta Pires, CLM in CAR * Gervelais is the name of a “little one” María Augusta referred to earlier on April 13 and June 11, 2018. ** Because the results of the students are not encouraging, as she explained in her last letter.

CLM Meeting in Nurember

7 March, 2019 by Alberto de la Portilla

The richness of the CLM groups is their variety

With still great vigor and enthusiasm Christoph, Fr. Günter and Barbara told us of how they experienced the general assembly of the CLM in Rome. It was great to be present and meet the CLM of the other 19 countries/provinces, to share and to pray together, to discover what is most useful in our future development and what steps are necessary or possible. The difference between the groups is great and it is at one and the same time a challenge and an enrichment. To be able to keep in touch by way of WhatsApp is marvelous. Barbara gave us a first introduction to the proposals of the assembly and then the group started examining the steps/decisions most important to us.

Pilgrimage of the CLM and the MCCJ

Bro. Hans, Fr. Günther and Willi gave us information over the pilgrimage we will have this coming September. Concrete proposals were made and have decided on the main points. There is room for 18 participants, registrations can be placed with Willi (CLM) or with Fr. Günther (MCCJ). After lunch we had enough time to enjoy the sunshine and walk around the lake of Wörther See.

Africa – A continent of Peace Initiatives

We gave a good amount of time to the continuation of our work connected to our peace project. The next step will be Bro. Hans’ conference at the peace center of Lindau. Together we prepared for him the basic idea and the methodology to be followed. The lecture will introduce the valuable experiences of the continent connected to activities of peace and reconciliation. The CLM will contribute a “Network of Places of Peace” (we shared the work for him).

Dynamics connected to Globalization

Christof was our guide in a better understanding the pro-active pedagogy connected to themes such as globalization and peace.

Humans are meant for joy – joy is meant for humans

At the end of the day we reflected on a theme prepared by Franz von Sales on the “joy of our faith.” Joy is our Godly inheritance – the only one that can give us happiness. Joy has such a strong connection with our heart, that it cannot be at peace without it. God created joy for our own wellbeing. With joy, we await our next meeting in May (3-5).

All who are interested, are welcome!

CLM, Germany