Kenya – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Celebrating Easter in Kitelakapel

6 April, 2024 by Alberto de la Portilla

Hello Saints!

Happy Easter! Alleluia! Christ is risen!

Receive warm Easter greetings from Comboni Lay Missionaries – Kenya (CLM-K).

Easter season is the heart and soul of our Catholic Faith. Christ died for us and through Him, we obtain eternal life. Throughout the season of Lent, we are called to mind our sinful nature, repent and believe in the gospel! Our Saviour bears all our sins through His passion and His death on the cross. The Easter season is a new dawn. Christ is risen and in Him we have new hope. St. Paul in his second letter to the Corinthians, chapter 5, verse 17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” We must celebrate! Our Saviour has conquered death! Through Christ, we have new life!

CLM-K celebrated the resurrection of Christ in bravura. We travelled to our mission in Kitelakapel, West Pokot County, to celebrate Easter with the international CLM community working there. We arrived at the mission station on Holy Thursday morning, and we were in West Pokot all through Easter Monday. We were fortunate to have our assessor – Fr. Maciej with us, who celebrated mass for us through Holy Week and the beginning of the Easter Season. On Good Friday, we were joined by a large number of Catholics from the Kitelakapel community and we had the most solemn Way of the Cross, reflecting upon the suffering and death of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. The Easter Vigil on Saturday night was so beautiful. As we were gathered around the bonfire, I couldn’t help but stare at the stars, so beautifully aligned, gleaming with hope. From then on, all we could say was Alleluia! Christ is risen! We will rejoice and be glad! When Jesus appeared to His eleven disciples after resurrection, he said to them “…surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Mathew 28:20. In the same way, we must live out our lives in confidence knowing that Christ is ever-present.

We are grateful to the international CLM community based in Kitelakapel, Maya (Poland) and Pius (Uganda), for being gracious hosts. Thank You for everything and for the work that you continue to do in West Pokot. All for the glory of God!

In a special way, we would like to thank our assessor, Fr. Maciej. Thank You for your selfless nature and thank You for guiding us in our journey of faith. We are grateful for your warm demeanour and your patience as we each discern our vocation. May you be added many more years and experience the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. (Psalm 27:13)

Remember the words of Miss Clara Williams? Miss Clara Williams is a character in the award-winning book and 2015 movie, War Room. She is a powerful woman of God, who goes to ‘war’ (prayer) for the sake of her family. There is something she says that I absolutely love and that has stuck with me. She says, “My God is Faithful, my God is powerful, my God is in charge. You can’t fire him and he’ll never retire! Glory Alleluia!” This is true. He is all this and more. He is our light and salvation. He has given us new life. We must live it for his glory. Alleluia! He is Risen!

May this Easter season renew your faith, strengthen your spirit, and fill your heart with profound joy. Happy Easter to you and all your beloved!

Warm regards,

Cecilia Nyamu

Comboni Lay Missionary – Kenya

Staying true to our nature

14 March, 2024 by Alberto de la Portilla

Hello Saints!

The month is still fairly new, so please allow me to begin by saying happy new month!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all the women out there, especially in and around the Comboni Family, a happy women’s day, celebrated internationally this past Friday, the 8th of March. Did you know that our patron St. Daniel Comboni was a great champion for women? All through his mission work, he was insistent on the importance of including women in evangelisation. On May 5th 1878 (W5117) he wrote: “…My secret, based on my long experience of 21 years, is this: in a mission station in which there are six or seven sisters, I only need to put two missionary priests. Two priests and six sisters in a mission in Central Africa will do more good than a Mission with twelve priests and no sisters. This is a fact.” (Pg. 24, Daniel Comboni, Witness of Holiness and Master of Mission.) ‘Without women missionaries, men would achieve nothing in Africa.’ (Pg. 186, The Spirituality of Daniel Comboni by John Manuel Lozano.) To every female, I hope you feel seen, loved and appreciated. You are wonderfully and fearfully made and you deserve to be celebrated every day!

This past weekend, beginning Friday 8th to Sunday 10th March, we, the Comboni Lay Missionaries – Kenya had our monthly formation meeting. We had a guided recollection at Uganda Martyrs Scholasticate with Fr. Sylvester Hategek’Imana MCCJ. We delved a little more into what our identity is as CLM – adding to what Fr. Maciek taught us last month. My identity and my call/vocation to be a CLM should never be in conflict. My values and my work must always reflect my identity as a CLM. We have been called to be the salt and the light of the world. We must let our light shine before men that they may see our good deeds and praise our Father in heaven. Mathew 5:13-16.

Fr. Sylvester shared this beautiful story with us. Once there was a holy old man who loved to meditate every morning under a large tree on the banks of a river. One morning, after he had finished his meditation, he noticed a large scorpion stuck, fighting helplessly against the strong current of the river. He reached out his hand to help free the Scorpion and immediately the Scorpion stung him. And again, he reached out his hand to help free the scorpion. A young man who was passing by saw this. He asked the old man, “Why risk your life to save such an ugly useless creature?” The holy old man was in much pain having been stung violently, severally. In his pain, he said to the young man, “Friend, because it is in the nature of a scorpion to sting why should I give up my own nature to save?” The world is consumed with different shades of darkness. Our nature as CLM is rooted in Christ. We have been called to be kind, loving, empathetic, selfless, forgiving and so much more. In our daily lives, we get stung – by friends, family, employers etc. We can only find solace in Christ. At no point must we allow it to alter our nature.

We also learnt that love and forgiveness go hand in hand. The greatest commandment is love. Christ is the embodiment of love. That a man should give up his life for the sake of his friends. There is no greater love. And while Jesus was stretched out on the cross, he showed mercy to his persecutors and asked the Lord to ‘forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ Jesus set a great example for us. He expects much of us. Every day we must love more and forgive more. Christ will give us the grace to love the unlovable and forgive those who show no remorse.

This weekend was more special as we had a chance to hear from Fr. Gregor MCCJ, the Provincial of the Comboni Community in South Sudan. He was pleased to learn of our formation program for CLM-K. In Juba, they only have Friends of Comboni. They are yet to have Comboni Lay Missionaries. Christianity is very young in South Sudan. So young that the first generation of Christians in Nuer are still alive. The country is also young. Infrastructure is almost non-existent and illiteracy levels are as high as 70%. It was very grounding to hear of the work the missionaries are doing in South Sudan. Being a missionary there requires that you truly give up everything and offer up your life in service to God. We are very thankful to Fr. Gregor for taking the time to share with us and indulge our curiosity.

We would like to thank the Scholasticate for having us through the weekend. Your environment offers the stillness that one requires when seeking and hearing from our Lord. Thank you for your hospitality that knows no bounds.

We would also like to thank the Comboni priests stationed at Holy Trinity Kariobangi for allowing us to do our apostolate there and at the outstation, on Sunday.

This coming Saturday, March 16th, all Comboni family will gather to commemorate St. Daniel Comboni’s Birthday. St. Daniel Comboni pray for us that we may follow in your footsteps. May we use our time on earth to prepare for heaven.

This fourth week of Lent, let us reflect on what matters most in this life. St. Mother Teresa said, “At the end of life we will not be judged by how many diplomas we have received, how much money we have made, how many great things we have done. We will be judged by ‘I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was naked and you clothed me, I was homeless and you took me in.’”

Remember, the goal is heaven.

Warmly,

Cecilia Nyamu

Comboni Lay Missionary – Kenya

Formation meeting and sharing with Father Tesfaye General of the MCCJ

22 February, 2024 by Alberto de la Portilla

Hello Saints!

Receive the warmest greetings from Comboni Lay Missionaries – Kenya. We hope you all had the best St. Valentine’s Day and a wonderful start to Lent.

We had our monthly CLM-K formation meeting this past weekend from Friday 16th February to Sunday 18th February. This month’s topic was “What is our Identity as Comboni Lay Missionary?” There are three aspects to look at: The spiritual approach, Comboni Charism and the Human aspect.

On the Human aspect, we learnt that Identity grows from discernment. We must all reflect on our values, what matters most, and what we stand for. It matters how you view yourself. Our identity affects the decisions we make. Making decisions without discernment causes strife, unhappiness and discontent with life. We also learnt that our environment affects our identity. In the famous words of Dr. Asfia Qaadir, “Our roots keep us grounded and help us remember what truly matters at the end of the day.”

On the Spiritual approach, we reflected on various scriptures that tell us what God thinks of us. One of my favourites is Proverbs 139:14, “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Another favourite is 1st Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.” If He who created us in His image and likeness thinks so highly of us, how dare we question his judgement? Our identity is in Christ and by his grace and mercy, He has made us worthy.

Lastly, on the Comboni Charism, we reflected on the life of St. Daniel Comboni. St. Daniel Comboni wrote: “We must pray instead that we may save many souls and go to heaven, not alone but with a great crowd of converts.” These and many more words of St. Daniel Comboni speak of his heart and his identity. He made so many sacrifices, travelling back and forth through the desert, the suffering he endured: tropical diseases, hunger, poverty, language barrier, opposition and more. Yet, he did not give up. Ordained as a priest at the young age of 23 years, he went ahead to become a Bishop and later formed the Comboni sisters who helped him with his missionary work in Khartoum, South Sudan. St. Daniel Comboni gave up his life in service to the poor and most abandoned until his death. Every single morning, he lived for the glory of God. This was his identity. As CLM-K, we must fashion our lives to match the great example set for us by our founder. “So, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” 1st Corinthians 10:31.

This weekend was also quite special for us. On Sunday we had a visit and seat down with MCCJ General Fr. Tesfaye and his Assistant Brother Alberto. They were accompanied by Fr. Juanma and Fr. Christopher. It was so lovely sharing further on the topic of identity with them. What made it more special is their experience over the years. Their sharing spoke of the goodness of the Lord. We are so thankful to you General Fr. Tesfaye, Brother Alberto, Fr. Juanma, and Fr. Chris for making the time to meet with us.

On a final note, we wish to thank all Comboni Priests stationed at Holy Trinity Catholic Parish Kariobangi for hosting us for dinner on Saturday evening. We would also like to wish our MCCJ province well during their annual assembly that began Monday 19th February and will run through Friday 23rd February.

1st Peter 1:3-5, St. Peter wrote to the Christians saying: the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, which is kept in heaven for us. This Lenten season, reflect on the suffering of our Lord and be filled with hope knowing that Christ will rise from the dead and in him we have been made new.

Warm regards,

Cecilia Nyamu, Comboni Lay Missionary – Kenya

Happy New Year from Kitelakapel

19 January, 2024 by Alberto de la Portilla

Greetings from Kitelakapel!

We hope you are doing well. We are doing great. We are starting the new school year. Linda and Pius return to schools to teach life skills. I spend more and more time in clinics. I am patiently waiting for my official work permit. Our pastoral work, the Why Blue Sky project supporting teachers, also return to the regular schedule.

Last 3 weeks, the turn of the old and new year, we spent on the road. Just after Christmas, which we spent in Kitelakapel, we went to the Turkana region inhabited by the tribe of the same name. We went there together with Guilia and Hani who visited us again 🙂 . We went to visit two Comboni missions in Lokichar and Lodwar. Built from scratch by the Comboni Missionaries. In the middle of nowhere. In Lokichar there is a church, a school and a center for children with various disabilities. In nearby villages there are further schools built by the Comboni and handed over to the people. Similarly in Lodwar. Schools, chapels, health centers. From people to people. Created with love to serve others.

On Monday we returned from Nairobi. We spent a week there, completing various formalities, but also getting to know numerous projects such as a children’s center in the middle of the largest slums in Africa, run by our friend from the CLM community, or the Kivuli Center street children’s home founded by the diocesan priest Kizito. As an international community, we also participated in the annual meeting of the Kenyan CLM group. Together we summed up 2023 and planned 2024. During the meeting, new leaders were elected and at the solemn Holy Mass, one of the candidates, Mercy, officially became a lay Comboni missionary. It’s amazing how much we feel part of this group.

We have various ideas in our heads and planned workshops. The new year promises to be intense. We will keep you updated on what’s going on with us.

Marzena Gibek

Comboni Lay Missionary –Kitelakapel, Kenya

Happy New Year Saints from Kenya!

17 January, 2024 by Alberto de la Portilla

We from CLM sure hope that your 2024 is going great so far.

We are grateful to God for his grace that saw us through to a new year and that continues to surround us. Our community is growing and we couldn’t be happier! Surely, His love endures forever.

What better way to plan for our new year than to reflect on the year that was? We had our annual CLM meeting this past weekend from Friday 12th January to Sunday 14th January. It is always so joyous being together. Over these three days, we reflected on our activities and brainstormed new ideas for 2024, plus improvements on what we are already doing. We also went through our finances and discussed our income versus expenditure. We are grateful to God for his providence. We are especially grateful for people like you and me whom God has called to support ‘the littlest’ in his Kingdom. In 2024, we pray for more Grace. Grace to give up more of ourselves for the Kingdom, Grace to serve in the most difficult situations and grace to live like Christ did – loving each other without measure.

We also had the commissioning of one of our own. After two (2) years of formation, Mercy Chepoghisho is now a full member of Comboni Lay Missionaries. She has been trained, she is baptised and she is now ready to be sent to do the Lord’s work. We are all so very proud of her. May her faith always light her path.

On Sunday we had the sending of two Comboni Secular for missionary work in Uganda. Lucy and Ruth. We wish them well.

This new year also happened to be CLM election year. As part of CLM constitution, elected leaders are to serve for a renewable two-year term. We are grateful for our leaders who took on their roles very well the past two years. Our new CLM leaders are Fr. Maciej Zielenski – Assessor/ Chaplain, Martin Juma – Coordinator, Maria Ajiambo – Secretary and Mukami Muthee – Treasurer. Martin, Maria and Mukami will be our representatives through January 2026, when we will have the next election. Congratulations to the three.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank the MCCJ, who generously hosted us all through the weekend. Thank you for the hospitality and the resources that you availed to us. Our words are not enough, but may our good Lord remember you for your hospitality.

We’ve had a great start to the year, and we are all very hopeful for 2024.

May the Eucharistic Jesus be our strength always. (St. Daniel Comboni – Writing 6044).

Warmly, Cecilia Nyamu

Comboni Lay Missionary – Kenya.