Spain – Page 18 – Comboni Lay Missionaries

Back to the mission

14 May, 201415 February, 2014 by Isidro y Esther

After a short stay in the land of Peruvian mission I’m back, and I want to thank the CLM Movement that gave me this opportunity.

It was to help one of our families in mission: Isabel and Gonzalo with his two sons, Angel and Carmencita, after an accident. Gonzalo walking along a ravine to attend its work with the people, slipped and rolled about eight meters injuring his shoulder, arms, head … and the worst, a vertebra. This was in November and has been bedridden until mid-January, after a new review, the doctor advised him to start up for short walks.

I had never thought to return to Peru after a missionary period on top of the mountain over 10 years ago… but these are the surprises that the Lord gives us! So, totally open to what I could find there, without knowing exactly what would be my work… I “set off”, rather fly, to the land at Arequipa. There I met my brothers Gonzalo and Isabel.

It has been so good this month that I want to share in this blog what I perceived to be at their side. They welcomed me with affection, making me feel like a member of the family, because from the first moment they show me what they are and what they live from their gut, their vulnerability, fragility and great generosity.

Leaving behind friends, work, family … they came out of themselves to take care of the others, to take to our brothers and sisters the Good News, the certainty that God is in their world of poverty, along with them, He does not forget them, that there is hope despite the harsh conditions in which they live. But these are words and were not sufficient for the truth be convince or be persuasive. So leaving the parish house in which they lived, they settled in Villa Ecológica, a settlement on the outskirts of Arequipa. And what I saw there is how with their lifestyle, imbued among the people as a family, have managed to bring the liberating experience of Jesus to the center of their hearts. Day by day they share poverty and environmental constraints, lack of amenities, serve and welcome each person with respect, patience and love, form groups to fight against violence and injustice, helping to recognize their rights and helping to denounce bad situations; supporting pastoral and organizing youth groups of prayer … on this, sometimes I accompanied Isabel confirming what I somehow knew.

What this has brought me…? a “tune-up” in the meetings with the people relive many things: the joy of meeting, the listening, letting me to be welcome; create, though this little time, a relationship of respect, cordiality, they showed me their simple homes, the “dear God” hope for your life … and the feeling that arose in me was of gratitude and humility. What could I tell them with a return ticket in my pocket?

On the other hand we find three moments to share about their work and lifestyle. We propose the challenges of the mission: the loneliness when a community lack, wear and fatigue times, the need to be physically and mentally strong, the difficulties in the presence of a family with children aged 4 and 7 years; lack, sometimes, to have a “companion” to help discern in times of frustration or dryness, loss of perspective when you go into a routine. Also, in certain moments, certain that you follow the steps of Jesus feeling His instruments…

We prayed together and this was a joy … There have been many frank and open dialogues that have warmed my heart and my missionary vocation was excited like a young girl.

Joining them in some way my life has grown because I had the opportunity to see Isabel and Gonzalo to live honestly the Love of God. May He bless you always.

M ª Carmen Polanco. CLM Spain

New CLM international community in Krakow

31 January, 2014 by Alberto de la Portilla

This is what it means to be a missionary, be able to accept the changes with joy and hope wherever they take us and with the brothers and sister you find. And it’s much easier when I discover with enthusiasm, that also in Krakow I feel at home and like a family member. The community has welcomed me with love, and the meeting of my new companions for adventure has made only increase my desire to get to Africa. An international community, three Polish and one Spanish lady, speaking English and with the intention and desire to learn quickly the Acholi.

We are Monika, Ewa, Asia and Carmen, and despite the cold Polish winter there is a very warm feeling in our hearts and all willingness to walk this path together as a community. We don´t know if it is the desire that we all have but we have connected really good and the atmosphere we breathes is wonderful.

We continue with the training process trying to assimilate and internalize things as necessary as knowing who we are (Comboni Lay Missionaries), our history and what it means to integrate and enter in a different and unfamiliar culture, that we want to approach with the utmost respect.

I think we’re a team that is going to complement quite well, where there is much freshness and the joy of living the Gospel and the Mission, as Pope Francisco is reminding us and that we will try not to forget at any time in our experience in Gulu (Uganda).

It could not have been more positive beginning of this year with my family, the Comboni family, with the Polish laity and the Comboni Fathers in the community of Krakow. Together they manage to transmit the idea, that we all dream, of unity and enthusiasm for a common goal: to follow Jesus next to the last.

Carmen Aranda Arnao. CLM

We are one big family

16 December, 2013 by Alberto de la Portilla

From 6th to 8 December the CLM of Spain met in Madrid to celebrate our annual meeting in December. It has been a joy to get together almost everyone. And, certainly, we are ONE BIG FAMILY. No more papers than the Bible and the desire to let ourselves be challenged by what the Word of God raises. Challenges for us and our lives. We have enjoyed a few days of meeting to share from the heart, to listen to others and to let us be interpellate. Thanks to everyone for having made possible by sharing illusions and dreams and the desire to keep walking and continue backing the mission.

Isidro Jimenez. CLM

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Dear family, I wanted to thank God very much for the days we have been able to celebrate and share together as a CLM family. It’s been beautiful days full of encounters and reencounters fruit of the Spirit that continues to dream of us, of the silent work and good work. These days I have remembered fondly, that appointment with which our community companion in Arequipa received our community, “went up to the mountain, he was calling who he wanted and they went with him. Appointed twelve [whom he called apostles] to coexist with him and send them out to preach and have authority to cast out demons. [So He appointed the Twelve]. Simon that he called Peter, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were called Boanerges, which means Sons of Thunder, Andrew and Philip, Bartholomew and Matthew, Thomas, James of Alphaeus and Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who even betrayed him “Mk 3 13–19”. How Jesus comes to call all to work TOGETHER, a fisherman, a tax collector or a zealot? Would not it have been easier that had all been in the same profession or the same “zone”? And again, I thank God, because He call each and every one of us by our name and dreams of us individually and as a community, there always springs something new, different and better. A hug of Advent

Carmen Martín. CLM

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I give thanks for the “encounter”, a word that was repeated in the dynamics of the balloons and it was refer to our expectations in this time together, it wasn´t my personal word, that sought to “open heart”, because I felt in this previous step to make the event possible. We have to thank Miquel who accompanied us throughout Friday and Saturday to reconnect with our source through the Word of God, in a simple way, stripping us from preconceptions, and permitting to express what it was first suggested and express how it made us feel everything. We had chances to share, express ourselves, to know us, love us, ask us what we needed from each other, be more community and how gladly prays and celebrates after!

We must give thanks to Tere, with whom we spoke and told us in firsthand the reality in Central African Republic, also to Isabel and Gonzalo, the latter trying to recover from his latest misadventure in Peru and she trying to get the job of both, thanks to Xoancar too, though we not talked to him. Thanks to Carmen, Jose and little Pablo, who has become a big boy in Peru, they spoke to us from the heart, sharing with us what they have lived in that land, that will be forever linked. Thanks to Carmen Aranda who leaves in our name but doesn´t know yet where. And to Palmira, her partner at this time. And to all the other CLM around the word that Alberto reminds us that are always with us, and we are with them. Thanks to all of you attended for not giving up, and those you were not, that were few, lots of encouragement. Hugs,

Fátima Verdejo. CLM

Updating the Plan of Comboni

3 December, 2013 by Alberto de la Portilla

Meeting of the Comboni Family in Spain

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Plan for the Regeneration of Africa written by St. Daniel Comboni, the Comboni family in Spain (Comboni Missionaries, Comboni Missionaries Sisters, Secular Comboni Missionaries and Comboni Lay Missionaries) will meet the weekend 5th and 6th of April in Madrid.

It will be a time of reflection, prayer, fellowship and working together around the challenges that arise from Comboni insights to the reality of today.

This meeting will run by way of workshops and will be animated by Fr Joaquim Valente, Head of Comboni Studium.

We want to reflect on the challenges posed by the mission today rereading the Plan of Comboni at family key. Each specific vocation brings nuances that enrich this analysis. Comboni created us as Cenacle of Apostles in Africa, where religious, priests and laity work together to create a synergy that involve the whole Church to deal with the most abandoned continent of the world, Africa.

Currently as Comboni family we are in Africa, America, Asia and Europe. We want to be together faithful and update this missionary call that we receive from Jesus under the charism of Comboni.

In the communion of the same Comboni and missionary vocation, we greet you with affection, the members of the committee: Pedro Miguel Andrés (MCCJ), Carmina Ballesteros (CMS) and Alberto de la Portilla (CLM).

A special training community

22 November, 2013 by Alberto de la Portilla

Last weekend we were in Madrid visiting Palmira and Carmen.

Within our Comboni family is normal for each missionary to prepare thoroughly before departing for mission. We always try to give the best of ourselves and this training is a must.

In this case we have a very unique training experience. Palmira Pinheiro is a Portuguese Secular Comboni Missionary who came to Spain to prepare before heading to the Central African Republic, makes this preparation with Carmen Aranda, Spanish Comboni Lay Missionary, also preparing to leave for the same mission. Without any doubt is a unique experience. It is a community of international training and also between members of different branches of the Comboni Family. This provides a unique wealth of experience and is a challenge for the trainer team accompanying the experience composed of Spanish CLM (Mercedes, Luis and Isidro) and Antonio Guirao Comboni missionary.

There is another peculiarity, this time this lay community include three others (a couple and a bachelor) from another association of Spanish lay missionaries (OCASHA).

This collaboration is the result of the Comboni family interrelationship that we have in the different countries and internationally, as well as the coordination and collaboration work that is performed within the CALM (coordination for the Associations of Lay Missionaries in Spain).All this reminds me of the dream that Comboni already had in the mid-S. XIX claimed the Council Vatican I (following his plan for the Regeneration of Africa): “The responsibility of the mission should be Catholic, not just Spanish or French or German or Italian. All Catholics should help poor black people … with our plan we aim to pave the way for the entry of the Catholic faith among all tribes across the territory inhabited by Africans. And for this, I think, should unite all the l initiatives”.

In a language of his time Comboni encouraged us to leave our limitations and particularism. He encouraged us to put the needs of the most neglected continent and its people, as a top priority. And all together we set to serve “the poorest and most abandoned” (as he said).

This Comboni´s dream of collaboration without interest among all it´s realized in this training community so varied as international .The whole Church in the service of the needy.

The rest of the weekend, Carlos and I continued working some issues of the CLM Central Committee. Happy and excited to see how these companions with availability and illusion are prepared for missionary service in Central Africa.

Once complete the missiology course of three months (where prepared with the other Spanish missionaries going out from this year), they will complete their training and perfecting the language in France. There, they will be living with the Comboni Missionary Sisters (more collaboration within the family) but we keep that story for later and we certainly encourage them to tell about it.

Greetings to all. Alberto