Poland – Page 8 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Summer school in Ethiopia

7 September, 2017 by Alberto de la Portilla

What is the best way of spending holiday? This question was not in the mind of children living in the neighborhood of the clinic I work in. They mostly come from poor, large families and their parents cannot afford any holiday activities for them. Time just passes while they get bored. We decided to take them out of this summer idleness.

Using their time, which they have in overabundance and financial means received by the group of Polish Comboni Lay Missionaries, we tried to make for them something pleasant and useful at the same time. We organized the summer school. 80 boys and girls of age from 12 to 18 took part in that. Children were divided into three groups: older boys and girls separately and youngest students –together. Each group attended in 1-week program.

We started each day with a prayer “Our Father”. During the classes they were taught about nutritious food, hygiene, environment protection, family planning method and first aid. They were taught about problems facing teenagers ie. addictions, AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, abortions, female genital mutilation and forced early marriages.

For the purpose of better perceiving of the knowledge many of the lessons were conducted as outdoor activities: practical exercises or games. After the classes about nutritious food children went to do some gardening, when they learnt how to make patches and plant vegetables. At the end of the hygiene lesson toothbrushes and toothpastes were distributed and all children brushed their teeth. Lecture of the first aid, when short “what-to-do” movies were shown, was followed by practical exercises, where young students played roles of fainted, burnt and choked people as well as their lifesavers. During one of the games they learnt how to behave in a good manner – for example when seeing white person better to greet him instead of calling “youyouyou”. What they learnt during all the week they painted during the last lesson.

One of the classes concerned the creation of the world. There were shown pictures proving beauty of the world created by God, ie. wonderful landscapes of Ethiopia, beautiful sunset at the Awassa lake, at the side they live. Just after that there were presented photos of the rubbish scattered in their neighborhood. After this short lecture we went with zeal to pick-up the rubbish from the clinic compound.

During the school break each student received a pack of biscuits. Every child received daily nutritious lunch: injera with different vegetables, what could be consider as a good example of nutritious food they learnt about during their classes. The school has ended with official graduation ceremony, where certificates of attendance were distributed. Every student as a gift received a school set, consisting of exercise books, a pen, a pencil, and a sharpener, what for many families was a significant reduction of the household expenses. Additionally, twelve the most active students received an extra math’s set (compass, ruler, setsquare).

Everyone like the school so much. Teachers were happy that students were interested in all the subjects. Children are already waiting for another summer school next year.

Tobiasz Lemański, CLM Etiophia

New comers course in Ethiopia

25 May, 2017 by Alberto de la Portilla

In the first week of May all our community participated in the new comers’ course. It was organized by Comboni Family but participants were from different congregations. All together we were over 30 people.

First day we had lecture about Christianity in Ethiopia. Ethiopia is one of the first Christian countries in the world, starting from IV century. Also in the Acts of Apostles we can read about converting the Ethiopian.

Second day we focused on the Catholic Church history, which was also very interesting, as e.g. how it happened that Ethiopia has two different rites – Ethiopian Ge’ez one (based very much on the orthodox tradition) and Latin.

Then the next day was about the liturgy, mostly about the one of the orthodox church, which also has a lot in common with the catholic one.

And then following day was about culture and some every-day life issues. These four days were common for all of us. But the last day was only for the Comboni family, we got a lot of information about history of the MCCJ’s missions in Ethiopia (starting from the time of Comboni himself) and CMS, and also some present issues of the Comboni Family’s presence.

It was very enriching time. We got many information, but also many new questions appeared, so we are motivate to continue discovering Ethiopia with its history & culture, to serve better here. Also it was beautiful time to be together and getting to know each other.

CLM Ethiopia

Easter among the Gumuz people

24 April, 2017 by Alberto de la Portilla

This year our community spent Holy Week and Easter at the Comboni missions among the Gumuz tribe. Madzia and I stayed in Gublak most of the time; Adela and Tobiasz stayed in GilgelBelez. However, we all visited both places. I would like to share with you something of this impressive experience.

The journey from Addis Abeba to GilgelBelez was very tiring. We spent 13 hours on a bus packed with people. At times, only the beautiful landscape gave us some relief. We arrived in the evening and, while we were having supper together, the fathers told us a lot of stories about the local people. Many of them sounded incredible. We were very happy to have the opportunity to meet those people and the missionaries during their daily activities.

We spent the next day in GilgelBelez, a town where many different tribes, including the Gumuz, live. The Gumuz face discrimination in their daily life because of the dark colour of their skin. They were even discriminated by the churches until the Catholic Church came. Today the parish community is made up entirely of Gumuz people. In the days before Easter we could observe them working together preparing for the feast. They all worked hard for the good of the community. We also visited a certain boy and his family, whom Madzia helped two years ago. She showed him and his parents some exercises and found crutches for him. Now he is able to walk on his own. It was nice to see the good results of Madzia’s work. We also visited the town and the kindergarten belonging to the parish.

After our short visit to GilgelBelez we moved on to visit Gublak, a mission founded five years ago. Before the Triduum we saw the daily work of the missionaries. They celebrate Mass in the morning and then each one goes about his work. The main job is visiting villages to teach the people about Christ and our faith. We went to some villages together with them. The first thing they do when they arrive in a village is to greet people. Only after the greetings can the meeting begin. The people pray and sing and, then the fathers, the sisters or the catechists give them some instruction. Some of the people are already baptized while others are still catechumens. The catechists act as translators from Amharic into the Gumuz language. There are very few texts in this language and the missionaries speak only Amharic. During a meeting with the women, Adela and Tobiasz gave them testimony about family life. They had prepared it for some days with their Amharic teacher and it was their first speech in Amharic (after a three-month course!). Congratulations to them!

Then we started the Triduum. I went with Father Isayas to bring the catechumens to our compound on Thursday. Starting from the furthest village we brought some of them on the pick-up car. The catechumens who live close to the mission came on foot to the church in the evening. On Holy Thursday evening, I went with Fr. Isayas to a chapel where we celebrated the Last Supper Mass. There were around 50 people (most of them children or teenagers). During his homily the father described what happened at the Last Supper and explained, about the institution of the Eucharist. Then he washed feet of twelve chosen young people. After the Mass, we had a time of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. I must say that the youth behaved properly.

After that we took some of them to our compound where they joined the 130 young people already there. From Thursday till Sunday the youth stayed in the compound. They had prayer, teaching, and group work and participated in the main program: the Stations of the Cross, the Friday Liturgy, the Passover Liturgy and, the Sunday Easter Mass. I was very impressed by the people. They participated very actively. The catechists who are also young boys served all this time, from the morning until night. They did it with joy, without complaining. They translated, they organized the prayers, the services, the meals and, they kept order and discipline. During the Passover Liturgy 102 catechumens were baptized, on Sunday there was a group of 24 adults who also received baptism. Even if the Mass lasted so long, it was great to see the people who became Christians. It was something very meaningful in their lives. Some of them were really moved.

Most of the new Christians are very young, children or teenagers. Most of the adults who received the baptism were the mothers of the children who were baptized in past years. It is amazing how the Catholic Church is growing where there were no Christians at all just a few years ago. Many of those people don’t know how to read or write and do not know Amharic. Nevertheless, they listened to the missionaries and believed. Of course they still need Christian formation and that’s why the missionaries’ work is so important. Saint Daniel Comboni must be very happy to see the fruits of their work.

CLM Ethiopia

Comboni Friends’ meeting in Awassa.

21 April, 201718 April, 2017 by Alberto de la Portilla

The Comboni Lay Missionary of Ethiopia is collaborating with the Comboni´s friends group.

Part of this collaboration is on organization and formation of this group of lay people.

We have celebrated a meeting in Awassa where we talked about Social Teaching of the Church, but also about how St. Daniel Comboni cared for slaves and the most abandoned people.

There was also time for meditation of Bible fragments on which STC is based and some sharing.

It was really good meeting.

Madzia Plekan. CLM Ethiopia

Beyond the time

8 April, 2017 by Alberto de la Portilla

Exactly a year ago I was still in Poland, now I am in St. Jude Children’s Home but not only.
Since my return to Gulu has not passed another year yet but everything looks different than it was before. Just like everyone thinks the return is easier- familiar place, people, culture. Despite this, I am still learning something new. This is also a result of changes in my mission- I’m not only in the orphanage but also in the school running by St. Monica community, in the prison and also in the house for our older boys.

The area of our missionary service has expanded considerably, not only mine but also Asia’s and Carmen’s – each of us has found new places of commitment which enriches our community in sharing and experiencing mission.

As I mentioned above, besides my daily activities with children in St. Jude (the redeemining the level of education, motivational support and self-esteem of children, feeding and caring for children with disabilities, having fun and praying together with young girls) I have engaged in other projects as well.

St. Monica is a place running by one Community of Sisters. They have many different projects-activities like School of Basic Literacy for Adult Women, Tailoring school, Clinic and Kindergarten. At this Kindergarten, twice a week, I have classes with children who have learning difficulties. Our classes take place in the classroom where I try to show the child, within a half hour (classes are held individually) that he is able to write, count or answer questions. However, the most important is to make the child feel accepted and that someone believes in him. Unfortunately, the biggest problem among these children is very low self-esteem, they are timid and they do not feel like special. They come from many families where everyone is the same and if you are slower in learning or writing, it means you are worse, stupid.

The another place is a prison where I’ve already spent two weeks together with a prayer group celebrating Mass or sharing the Gospel with the prisoners – so far this is the beginning, so I am still new in this but I am so glad I can be there. I also hope to go to the prisoners-women but it will start after Easter.
The boys’ home is the part of St. Jude but this is separated house situated about 2 km from the Orphanage. On Saturday afternoons, I go there to read with them the Gospel of coming Sunday, to talk about their problems, help with study. For example, one boy is in P.3 class (Primary School) but still has problem with writing his name, concentration or memorization – but this is not due to his laziness. His difficulty of acquiring the knowledge is caused by the boy’s mother who was drinking alcohol during pregnancy. Unfortunately, alcoholic fetal syndrome (FAS) and AIDS (drugs are very strong and have side effects) have a great impact on their ability and functioning in the life and also in school.
Time goes by very fast, each day is similar but events, faces, other situations are different. Everything teaches something – mainly about myself. I am grateful to God for the gift of this vocation, sometimes difficult but surely full of His love and power. Because no one of us would do anything if it were not His will.

For this extraordinary time of Holy Week I wish all of us moments of silence and desert – that in our organized daily life we find time for Him and on the Day of Resurrection let our souls be filled with Faith, Hope, and Love.

Ewa Maziarz, Polish CLM in Uganda