In this post I intend to share with you the passion of my own heart for the mission as an ordained religious missionary priest. Born within a family of very humble and poor background, this has had a positive impact on this passion. At an early age, I felt called by God to serve in the mission of Christ away from home and indeed I am now all the way from my little village of Rubanda in the south western Uganda to Portland Maine in the United States of America .
Few years after my first assignment in the mission abroad in 1993, with acute and chronic poverty experience, coupled with my own family and community poverty experiences a new sense of mission at home was conceived. At my tender age in grade six ( at age 15), I strongly felt a passion to be a priest and work far away from home. At that age I did not have any clue of what the difference between being a missionary abroad or a diocesan priest at home was. The only thing that was undoubtedly clear was, " If I go to the missionary seminary I will work far away from home and if I go to the diocesan one, I will work at home". This was definitively clear with no reference to anyone's advice. I believe it was not of any human origin, believe me or not. To date, I still remember the drama I went through with the vocation's director, Fr. Levicatus Ndyabakwata from my home diocese who strongly wanted me to join the diocesan calling and I adamantly declined the offer. By the an usual manner I found myself in the missionary seminary of the Apostles of Jesus, a place I put my heart and made my home ever since I set my foot never looked back. I am glad God called me to be a missionary religious priest far beyond my village even before I was born. Filled with the missionary passion, enough to sustain me from all the challenges I encountered along the way of my seminary formation and missionary work to date, I truly believe that its not my making but God's.
Its amazing to notice how ever, that since my first assignment, my mission has always had two dimensions: Abroad and Home mission. For the Abroad, God continues to nourish my adventurous spirit that enables me to keep my heart open and my joy full to serve beyond my interests and hobbies. And at home, God continues to provide for a few miracles to the sick and the needy in my village for a few miracles in the footsteps of Jesus in his own little village. I am glad God has given me this passion and the opportunities to serve him in this manner. He is always on my side and placed the right persons on my way to walk with me along this path. To you my friend, I am grateful and thankful for responding to your inner impulses of compassion and generosity even to the needy far away from home and have never seen with little hope to ever meet. And to those yet to join us, you are most welcome .
For your curiosity, my mission abroad began in 1993 right away from the classroom of my seminary formation and ordination to my first assignment to Ethiopia. And with the experience of that beautiful but impoverished community in the southern parts of Ethiopia, the home mission was born. Officially launched in 2005 after an unpublished research on, "The causes of children dropping out of school and the impact of quality education on Food security and better livelihoods in Rubanda community", Rubanda Solidarity Development Association was born. In the same year, this Association gave birth to its first fruit, the Rubanda Solidarity Nursery/Primary School. It was then first private school in the community to take up the task to look into the needs of vulnerable children.
The Provision of a regular meal and a better place to sleep soon worn the hearts of children. I am proud to share with you today how important this mission has become to these children at home and the whole community. It's an extra mile I choose to walk passionately with the community that I am so compelled by the great need in their lives, their readiness to participate in making life better and their demand for support. I am grateful to God for choosing to make me a channel of his providence and to you, our friend and partner for your generous contribution. There is never anything little to a needy soul on earth.
My belief compels me to say, God provides for a reason beyond the self. I can't recount all his blessings upon me but a few: The opportunity to study through higher education among the nine siblings. Why only me and not some one else? Why a missionary priest not a diocesan? Why in USA and not else where? Such questions keep me a live and going forward no matter how stony, rough and rainy the day may seem. They offer an opportunity to continue to grow in my adventurous missionary spirit, trusting in each and everyday experience to be an opportunity from God through which he continues to speak and use me. They keep my heart warm and open to live up to something higher and appreciate others' cultures and values. And most importantly, they keep me open to the grace of God to love and be loved which is the inner strength we need in order to nurture real and good friendships that matter and benefit others whom God places on my way of life other than the self. For I strongly believe there's never a moment of chance in our life time other than God's lavish providence. You're indeed God's blessing in disguise.
Thank you.
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