I yearned to go on mission, yes, but had apprehensions in
joining any African teams for although I knew I could rough it (hey I am not as
fragile as I look!), Africa seemed too far off the beaten track that I began to
doubt if I can handle it.
But God's way and timing to fulfill my desire to go on
mission has come and I am grateful for He orchestrated everything and had everything
fall into place.
When I told my parents I am going to Rwanda as part of
the SFC Mission Exchange team, my mom was hesitant, the place was unfamiliar to
her and she was scared for our safety. It was an expected reaction, what was
surprising was my dad's affirmative reply thus I could not help but feel a deep
sense of gratitude for his yes meant not only am I going to Africa but it also
meant he was opening his heart to the SFC community as well and it gave me comfort
in knowing that my family understood my call to serve albeit not being members
of the community themselves (yet).
Excitement kicked in as wanderlust
and the promise of adventure beckoned. Upon attending the MEX training however
the excitement turned to anxiety as I was assigned to give Christian Life Program,
Evangelization Training and Covenant Orientation talks not to mention
spearheading ice breaker activities. Standing in front of large crowd was never
my strong suit and the mental picture of myself standing in front grasping for
words gave me the nerves.
I re-read my SFC teaching journals
and reflected upon what each topic meant to me, praying for God to give me the
wisdom, knowledge and courage to be His mouthpiece. With that thought in me the
days of the week seemed to pass by quickly and before I knew it I was flying
out to Rwanda.
Upon arrival, we were welcomed by the
warm hugs and smiles of team Rwanda’s head - Sister Lala Valencia and Uncle
James Ssemwangu and the short drive from the hotel to our accommodation was all
it took to impress upon us the beauty of this hilly, green and cool city.
It was down to our mission in the
following days as we were sent to support and empower the SFC core leaders and members
in Rwanda, organize the CLP and build the relationship between CFC-SFC and the
parish.
Mornings were faithfully spent
attending the holy mass and though it was conducted in the native language of Kinyarwanda
it was nonetheless awe-inspiring. The graceful movement of the parishioners as
they sang in worship with their eyes closed call to mind the emotional rush we
feel during praise fests and it was yet another loving reminder to praise not
just with our voices but with our whole being – mind, body and soul.
Another noteworthy local practice
was the blessing of the Eucharist. I had my eyes closed in prayer and opened
them when I heard lively drum beatings and clapping in time to see the priest raise
the host. It struck me that indeed it was a moment of celebration for we are
blessed to be able to receive the sacrament of the Eucharist.
After daily masses, we handed out
CLP flyers. I don’t usually go out of my way to talk to people other than those
within my tour group when I travel – unless maybe to ask for information but having
the heart of an emboldened missionary gave me the daring I needed to go up to
people, chat with them and invite them to the CLP. The few minutes we spent handing
out flyers gave us the chance us to immerse ourselves in and get to know the
community.
Another golden opportunity that we
would have missed had we just kept to ourselves was meeting Sister Antoinette. A simple conversation at a local bakery had
us following her down a tree-lined street to the peaceful St. Bernardine Convent
and on to the University Teaching Hospital of Kigaly where she helped us meet
with the concerned persons who would allow us to schedule a visit to the pediatric patients
and organize a simple program for the kids. Truly
God orchestrates everything and we should never hesitate to respond to His
promptings and allow Him to use us as an instrument to answer someone else’s
prayer.
Visiting the children was such a
humbling experience. I could never forget how one mother lifted her hands in
praises to God for the few pieces of sweets that I handed to her. It occurred to me that more than the chocolates
it was Love that they have received and Hope for brighter days to come. Indeed blessings
from heaven come in many forms and not one is too small to appreciate and give
thanks for. We bid the kids good-bye but not after a short prayer and
numerous Hi-5’s.
Feeling childlike gave us the
high-spirited enthusiasm we needed for our CLP team empowerment where we got to
know more about our Rwandan brothers and sisters thru a series of games. After
the fun filled event, we had a moment of quiet and reflection as we had our
HouseHold meeting. The activity allowed us to see their carefree side and gave
us the opportunity to share with each other our own personal faith journeys.
The day of the CLP was a frenzy of
activity. I had previously been part of CLP service team but it was quite a
different experience serving during mission – we truly had to be ‘mission-ready’.
There were no committees responsible for a specific task but the whole team in
itself was the all-in-one committee and everybody had to be quick to act and on
the move – supporting each and everyone in everyway to ensure that whatever
glitches that occured can be immediately resolved without disrupting the talks
and distracting the participants.
When my turn to give the CLP talk
6 came I felt a wave of nervousness wash over me. I remember silently saying “this is it Lord… help me send your message …
wag po sna ako pumiyok at sna marinig nila ako…” My hands were sweaty and my knees felt weak
but I gradually felt the nervousness ebb away and was heartened by the
attentiveness of the participants - they
even laughed at the little joke I said! Thank
You Lord!
By God’s grace the Christian Life
Program was victorious. We were physically exhausted but our spirits were
joyful.
The warm smiles and enthusiasm of
our brothers and sisters in Kigaly despite some of the hurdles they have to
bear just to come to the venue, reminded us of how lucky we are to have our SFC
Family whereas in some parts of the world people hunger to hear more of God’s
word and be a part of a community that can foster their spiritual growth.
Looking back I thought I’d go on
mission to offer my ‘services’, thinking I had a lot to give (my time, effort…)
when in fact it is me who would benefit more by way of new experiences, challenges, realizations and friendships…
Murakoze Kigaly!
For all of this May God be
Praised!
