Mission in ACTION
Vol. XVII x No. 1
JANUARY 2005
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Reasons
To Stay
by Aldrin Janito, MCCJ
FILIPPINO MISSIONARY GETS TO GRIPS WITH MISSION
Comboni Missionary Fr Aldrin Janito, well-known to our readers, describes the life and times of a rookie missionary in Kenya.
After brushing up my Swahili for two months with the Passionist Community in Tanzania I was excited to go to my new mission place called Sololo. This is a small town located in the Northern Frontier District of Kenya. It’s nearly 800 km. away from the capital Nairobi, covering an area of 9,390 sq. km. and bordering Ethiopia.
Sololo is classified as semi-arid land. The dominating tribe of our area are called Borana, originally from Ethiopia. They are pastoralists whose life is centred on their livestock. Thus their settlement patterns tend to vary according to the availability of water points and grazing grounds, as well as schools and health facilities. Our area has a population of 20,000 inhabitants.
Homesickness
Sololo has not much convenience to offer. Communication is poor. Rain comes to visit us with only a few drops and the rest of the year offers sun’s scorching heat.
I have many reasons to abandon the place, pack my things and go back to my country of origin. But this time I chose to stay. I decided to love in a different way, the way Jesus did. Coming to Kenya again is a blessing in disguise. Why? Some people speak of missionaries being homesick for Africa. Few people can draw out beauty, life, joy, and contentment from this reality. And only missionaries who have been here can really understand what this means. That’s why St. Daniel Comboni was resolute to die ‘with Africa on my lips’. In 1870, he wrote to the guys in Rome, ‘I live only to consecrate my life for the good of these souls, and I wish I had a thousand lives to give for them.’ Sounds utopian? I don’t think so.
Cenacle of Apostles
We are a community of two: Mexican Fr. Jesus Wolfango Lobato and myself. We’re both young and so is the mission we are serving. Fr Jesus is fond of music with a special devotion to those great musical authorities the Beatles, and so have I. We’ve never missed talking to each other every evening, under the beauty of the African nights, all our experiences of the day, and our plans.
Christianity was first preached in Sololo thirty years ago. We’re engaged in first evangelization side by side with human promotion. We maintain eight nursery schools, community initiatives, financial assistance to secondary students prioritizing the girl-child, all because we are motivated by the Gospel. I believe that Christian charity must be accompanied by the spirit of Jesus, the way he helped the less fortunate. You must give humbly and thank him for allowing you to have part in his hunger.
Man of compassion
I had the privilege to stay together with octogenarian missionary Fr. Antonio Santinoli. Few months ago we celebrated his 56th anniversary of priesthood - and 53 good years were spent here in Africa! This old confrere of mine has now left for Italy for medical reasons. He is 83 years old.
He was fond of the sick people in the village. Everyday he went to Sololo Catholic hospital and visited the patients and administered the sacraments to them. Even though Fr. Antonio was schooled by Vatican I, his ideas and virtues are beyond compare. For us young missionaries we need to look up to some figures in the Church to emulate.
Witness not lawyer
Now how am I living my life here everyday? Our community kicks off the day with morning prayer and Mass. Back in Kiamba, my parents taught us how to plant. So I started to have a small garden, planting camote and some other greens. For a few weeks now we’ve sold a few greens to the market. Most importantly my testimony among the Borana people is just the story of how Jesus has made a difference in my life. This is for me the essence of witnessing - simply sharing my faith-filled experience to them. No more, no less.
Everytime I share a my faith-filled stories in my homilies I notice that people lend their two ears to me. Perhaps the laity are tired of listening to us as professional salesmen. They simply need to hear a satisfied customer! We make the message of Jesus more credible and appropriate in their lives. I suppose our shared stories enhance the building of relational bridges that Jesus can walk across from our heart to theirs. Also, shared stories pull down the walls of intellectual defences. The local people don’t care if you have a doctorate degree. All they need is a pinch of humility, a dash of sincerity and lots of humour. Being a Christian should have to be enjoyable, being happy in the company of the Lord. <WM
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