Mexico – Page 8 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

From Chiapas

16 February, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

Hello friends! Good day to all of you! From this chosen people of God, I greet you with a big hug and joy in my heart. I wish each and every one of you buddies and brothers in Christ and St. Daniel Comboni to be well physically and spiritually and enjoying the life that gives us our Father in heaven every day.

After my training in community experience as CLM, I find myself missioning in Chiapas. Here I am very well, working in the San Carlos Hospital. I am living a new missionary experience and starting this great mission that Christ is entrusting me among these indigenous peoples. The parish have 80 communities, but we attend more than a 100, walking up 15 hours or more to come to our Hospital of San Carlos, because sometimes, in other hospitals or health centers they do not want to attend because they do not understand them. We have six main dialects, Tzeltal, Tojolabal, Tzotzil, Ladino, chol, but the predominant are Tzeltal and Tzotzil.

It is a great missionary work and a great humanitarian work directed by the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Padua for over 30 years. They have a nursing school within the hospital and that is where we train the indigenous people as nurses. Then, they work in the hospital attending their own people. They are who translate us. Here, patients feel at home and family, and although they have to pay recovery fees, they prefer this hospital. By this, is being met what St. Daniel Comboni prophesied in his Plan “Save Indigenous with Indigenous”. My memories and prayer for everyone. We are united in our fellowship with our heart and our missionary spirit, love you all and wish you the best in your missionary life. Greetings and a hug to all.

Your little friend and sister: ISA. 😉

Experience in Mozambique

5 January, 2015 by Alberto de la Portilla

Beloved Missionary Family:

In the joy of receiving the Baby Jesus in our hearts transforming everything that we can not do by ourselves and hurt us, having closed our calendar year in harmony with ourselves and our brothers. I start this new year sharing with you what I’ve lived in this mission until today.

I end this 2014, making community with the Comboni Lay Missionaries, Flávio Schmidt (Brazilian) and Márcia Costa (Portuguese), and joining forces with the Mozambican CLM in formation Francisco and Margarida better known as marriage Martinho, Ancha (all three are teachers) Zeferino (young from the community); working in harmony with the missionary team of the Comboni Missionaries (Fathers and Brothers) and the Comboni Sisters, in the parish of Carapira.

As relates to me, I do what it takes to stay well in the human, spiritual and mental. Even with the care I take, I do not escaped common diseases of this area. I have had my moments of spiritual weariness for neglecting my personal prayer however; I try to take it up again, to achieve inner peace. In relation to the study, the local language for me has been a limiting factor because I cannot take the time and concentration to study, most of the time people speak Portuguese. Personally, I feel blessed by God for allowing me and entrust this mission where by my presence and contributions will give the message that God has for this people leaving in the heart of the people I meet every day.

The community for me has been the home that we are built, we have a community day a week distributed as follows: 1st retreat, 2nd free, 3rd issue of training, 4th evaluation and when there is a 5th free. We recognize that it is not always easy. We are limited in our communication and integration for teamwork; important to work together as entrusted to us. We centralize our gaze on the person of Christ, our engine, our source for announcing “The Joy of Gospel”. Going through times of trial where each of us show our strengths and our limits. Pooling areas for improvement has been a way in which we manage to restore dialogue when we’ve moved away from each other, we’ve managed to walk together in this time, making in the best possible way our work and commitments. We have gone through different stages where we have learned to respect, act in solidarity and support us in what we are required or permitted, in times of illness, home activities, needs work, apostolate in the parish, days off, etc.

The CML in formation have been an important support in putting me on my missionary walk, in tune with the reality of the community that frequently, naked eye, is not seen. It is a challenge for me to be responsible in forming them, following a proposal made by international committee. We developed a training plan that meets the needs of the group and thus get to be in tune with the CLM of the world. With them, we make Morning Prayer Tuesday and Thursday one week in each house. They have participated in our annual meeting enriching the results we achieve because they always made their contributions to decision making. We did some missionary animation in the Comboni parishes and Women’s School of Nacala where the Comboni Sisters work, we find a group of Lay accompanying the sisters in Nampula; in some of the animations we put some religious accessories on sale to raise funds for the realization of our missionary work.

We had a missionary week in the community of Namajuba. We met another reality as it is an area where they are exploiting minerals from the earth and also some of the problems of our community (water, schools, land) are repeated and especially forming a good team with two young students of the ISC who joined the CLM group.

In the school, my work has been in accordance with what it is needed. Mainly in the Secretariat, from there you can do any work: cleaning at different school locations, sales, inventories, operating manuals, counseling and vocational guidance to students, etc. Always in coordination with the management, administration, pedagogical and head of boarding school; with the arrival of two workers, who sends the district, has boosted the tasks.

I am part of the vocational parish team with Brother Luis (Ita), Sister Lily (Mex) and in her absence Sister Maria Pia (Ita) joined. We organize monthly retreats with young people who want to have a vocational guidance to enter the seminary or religious congregations. It has been a missionary space I’ve always liked to work.

It was a jubilee year full of parties, starting with the opening of the 150th anniversary of the Comboni´s plan. We had our bimonthly meetings where we used the method see-judge-act to analyze the reality of our mission. Continuing with the diaconal ordination of MCCJ José Alberto and Abelino Diocesan, and also had their priestly ordination in May and December I participate in both of them. The perpetual vows of Sister Lily, the 50th anniversary of Carapira Parish, the Comboni assembly, the assembly the Comboni Missionary Sisters celebrating its 60 years in Mozambique. Celebrations of the Sacred Heart and St. Daniel Comboni, the 50 years of the School Carapira Industries, farewells, welcome and anniversaries.

In the village of Carapira I always learn something new: their patience and availability committed me every day to give my best in performing any activity. It is not easy because I do not know the language, but training the leaders, in each of the different ministries, has being our main activity. All missionary experiences that I lived in Mexico have served me very much, allowing me to share what I have with respect for what they have, without imposing the way to live the faith, but enriching. We have great challenges as a missionary team in this sharing and receiving.

I sincerely appreciate your help and cooperation. We will keep in touch, united in prayer for the good of the mission, your Sister in Christ Missionary Beatriz CLM

P.D Jesus Missionary, who was born to show us with simplicity to be a Human Being in the Love of God, grant us the graces we need for this 2015.

Children and poor rejoice in my presence

18 December, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

Testimony of Leticia Ordoñez Bañales

Originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, this Comboni Lay Missionary (CLM) decided to accompany the Catholic community of Rondos, a small town located on the heights of the province of Lauricocha, in the department of Huanuco, since November 2011. She ends her commitment this year and now tells us about her experience.

My vocation began when I was 16; I attend a Mass of missionary sending. The parish organized the event to send a Comboni priest who was leaving for Africa. I felt the call of God and in 1988 and I joint the religious Missionaries sisters of Guadalupe. However, I didn´t feel my vocation realizes and in 1999 I retired to participate in the mission fields in Guatemala with the Episcopal Pontifical Mission Societies of Mexico (SSMO) until 2000.

In 2001 I joined the CLM while working in the parish notary of Saints Crispin and Crispiniano of Guadalajara. In 2004, I had to drop everything and travel to Mexico FD to participate in an experience of community formation with other Comboni Lay Missionaries.

I first came to Peru with Rocío Quintero, my Mexican partner, in 2005. We were both sent to Huarin, in the Sierra de Huanuco. Salome Flores, a Peruvian lay, joined us and accompanied us for a year. Rocío had to return to Mexico after the second year. The third year came the Peruvian laities Doris Pereira and Enrique Garcia. I returned to my country and between 2009-2011 participated, along with Mexican CLM Marcela Alanis and Olivia Ayala, of the new mission in Metlatonoc in the state of Guerrero.

Currently, Rondos is the town where I perform my mission since November 2011. When I arrived, I found again Rocío. Together we carry out the work with the “mamitas” and an education program for the children of the town. We give religion classes in primary schools and biblical catechesis for children and youth. We keep the library open during the summer months and organize “useful vacation” workshops for students. Besides, we have training at the School of Mothers and prepare candidates for the sacraments. Especially, we encourage couples to marry in church, but only there was a marriage in 2013. The patron saint fiestas are times of increased demand for sacraments. We always consider on our agenda visiting the sick and helping the poor and vulnerable elderly.

This second experience in Peru has been characterized by the loneliness that many times I have lived. After six months Rocío had to return to Mexico. After a while came Daniel, a Peruvian CLM, with a great desire to work and a great friend of children. But he only remained seven months. The time he was, we make a great teamwork. Last year they sent Sharliman, a Brazilian CLM, who could not get used to the altitude of 3650 m and had to ask to be transferred to Arequipa one month after reaching Rondos. However, the whole time I was alone, God and Mary have been my company.

I confess you that many times I say to God: “What do I do here alone?” And the answer comes from children who knock on the door to ask me something; mamitas who ask me “How are you?”; young people who say, “I have come to visit you”; the sick and abandoned that rejoice in my presence. The school kids exclaim with joy sister Lety! Behold my reason for being present among them! You may wonder why I did not stay? Because I need my blood family and they also need me. In addition Rondos has the right that YOU take my place.

Magazine “Missión Sin Fronteras”

Great Missionary “Kermes”

5 November, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

On October 12 the CLM of Mexico joins the great feast of the Comboni Family celebrating our founder and guide: St. Daniel Comboni. The priests, brothers, sisters, laity and a large number of benefactors and friends live a great missionary kermes. The activities began very early preparing the place with much enthusiasm. Both breakfast and lunch we were able to taste several Mexican dishes and some desserts; there were even international cuisine, represented by sushi and kimbap. In the area of amusement we have the raffle (it’s always fun to know what you’re going to win), inflatable, civil registration and the big auction that were a success. By the way, we were in charge of the chopped fruit.

Amid such missionary environment, could not miss the sacrament of reconciliation, and to celebrate with a flourish, our Holy Eucharist, which was enlivened by Comboni´s and missionaries songs. The most important thing we must remember that it’s all for a great cause: THE MISSIONS. We thank everyone who supported this noble work either selling, consuming or simply by their presence and prayer, as their bit was definitely necessary and essential to accomplish our great event. May God continue to bless us all and with the guidance and strength of St. Daniel Comboni we move on.

José Luis Hernández (CLM, México).

Mission in Guerrero (Mexico)

17 October, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

October 15th, 2014, a month after the departure of Carolina Carreón Martinez to her destination in Mission where she took a commitment to work for 3 years in the mountains of Guerrero. In this community, where there is the presence of the Comboni Fathers, among Mixtec indigenous peoples (NAU SAVIL); place where they missed the presence of Lay Missionaries since previously they had been accompanied by the CLM Marcela Angeles, Olivia, Lety, Rosario and Alma.
Carolina, who said yes to God’s call to present Its Kingdom, revealing His love for humanity, trust and respect for indigenous peoples so that they become the protagonists of their own liberation. She counts on the support and prayer of the Comboni Lay Missionaries Group to where she belongs to.
Regards

Adriana M Salcedo Cabello