Even though this is now a dry season and despite the set back due to Covid-19, this weekend has been a blessing!

Yesterday we celebrated 16 weddings in Chikowa and it was full of pomp and joy.

Today at Mthasewe we have celebrated 11 baptisms and confirmations. The gospel reading couldn’t have been more appropriate on the invitation to the Kingdom of God as a wedding feast. A kingdom that is open to everyone and a Kindgom where God does not tire in inviting us, to a point of going out of the roadsides to get the good and the bad alike. The newly baptised were all dressed in white, a sign that they have their wedding garment on. May we continue to transmit joy of the feast by purifying our hearts especially on this time of Covid-19 through acceptance of others and generosity.

May you have a blessed week ahead

Fr. Steven Ochieng MCSPA

At times I look at where I am, what I do and ask myself; How did I get here? In my vocation life, the gospel values that I witness among the people of God in the Diocese of Lodwar (Turkana County) is propelled by the motto “For God and Humanity”. It is my maxim, it is the base that holds me and keeps me stronger even in challenging and difficult moments. All that I do, all that I am in my vocation and mission among the people of God is done “For God and Humanity”; that in my mission and works, God’s Kingdom may come to His people and that humanity may enjoy God’s mercy and grace through my little input!
Fr. Wycliffe Ochieng, MCSPA

Nariokotome Parish marked Mission Sunday by celebrating the Silver Jubilee of Catechist George Lokiru. Catechist George Lokiru is a Commissioned Catechist married to Alice Lokiru. He has served in several outstations within Nariokotome Parish. Prior to Nariokotome Parish he served in Loarengak and Lokitaung Parishes. He is renowned for his singing skills and for being a cheerful preacher.

His silver Jubilee was commemorated with people coming from all over Nariokotome Parish and beyond. There were a big number of his fellow catechists from within Nariokotome Parish and other neighbouring Parishes.

The celebration began with Mass where the letter of the Pope on Mission Sunday was elaborated with the theme: ” Here am I, Send me”. The preacher of the day challenged the Christians to support the catechists and invited young people to want to serve the Church as Catechists.

After the Mass there was entertainment by the different Church groups. Afterwards there were speeches whereby George was praised for his dedicated service. Gifts followed. He was showered with an array of gifts. Several Christians also pledged various construction materials to help the Catechist construct a better house.

The guests were served with lunch after the ceremony of the cutting of the silver jubilee cake.

We thank the Lord for the 25 years of service of George Lokiru. We pray that the Church may be blessed with many committed Catechists to carry on the Mission of Christ.

Fr. Denis Odongo MCSPA, parish priest

A few months ago, a group of internally displaced people came to Mizan Town. These people had moved from the nearby rural areas bordering Mizan town. The number of people where about 130, including women with children. They all belonged to the Menit community, one of the minority groups in Ethiopia.

Members of the Missionary Community of Saint Paul the Apostles in Mizan were informed of the problem and we did not hesitate to help. Instead, we moved to see where they were and what had brought them there. We were touched to see many children crying for food spending nights in the cold, young girls with babies that they couldn’t afford to give them the basic needs, young girls forced into marriage unconsciously and families with attacks of epilepsy without medical support!.

These people were forced to leave their homes in search of medical support, food and shelter among other social problems that were not able to cope with. Unfortunately, all of them are epileptic and with traditions in this community once one is discovered that he or she is epileptic, is forced to leave the family and they are not accepted back. Hence, they move to other places continuously looking for help!

The local administration of Mizan-Aman town took them and put them in one of the primary schools since the schools were closed due to Covid 19 pandemic in order to reduce the increase of the pandemic of letting people to move in and out of the town. This was one way to ease the tension and fear of many social problems that are arising and pushing this people to move from one place to another. Though they had a place to sleep their situation was still precarious and needed urgent intervention for their well-being and their dignity.

The joys, hopes and anguish of the people of the time today especially the afflicted ones are the joy, hopes and anguish of the followers of Christ. Seeing the great need of these Menit displaced people, we moved in so as to work together and this made us to ask for help so that we could be able to support them with the basic necessities.

Thanks to so many people from everywhere opened their arms to help, people with desires to make the world a better place by contributing to better the life of others, we were able to support them with blankets that they could cover themselves from cold, mats, clothes, utensils and food.

Also, we counted with doctors from Mizan Aman hospital, whom we invited to visit the Menit. They have given their time and care. It has been an immense gift to experience the collaboration that we have received when trying to assist these people.

After eight months living in the Primary school, and with the start of the reopening of the schools. The local government of Mizan-Aman town, red cross and the administration of West Omo zone have organized that this people to be taken back to their homes. They have constructed houses for them there and we have given them food to start a new living, hoping that things will be better.

We would like this to be a learning experience for many, to learn to help, to learn to serve one another and to love doing something for the people who experience problems in the world today.

Esther Kerubo MCSPA Apprentice

A few months ago, a group of internally displaced people came to Mizan Town. These people had moved from the nearby rural areas bordering Mizan town. The number of people where about 130, including women with children. They all belonged to the Menit community, one of the minority groups in Ethiopia.

Members of the Missionary Community of Saint Paul the Apostles in Mizan were informed of the problem and we did not hesitate to help. Instead, we moved to see where they were and what had brought them there. We were touched to see many children crying for food spending nights in the cold, young girls with babies that they couldn’t afford to give them the basic needs, young girls forced into marriage unconsciously and families with attacks of epilepsy without medical support!.

These people were forced to leave their homes in search of medical support, food and shelter among other social problems that were not able to cope with. Unfortunately, all of them are epileptic and with traditions in this community once one is discovered that he or she is epileptic, is forced to leave the family and they are not accepted back. Hence, they move to other places continuously looking for help!

The local administration of Mizan-Aman town took them and put them in one of the primary schools since the schools were closed due to Covid 19 pandemic in order to reduce the increase of the pandemic of letting people to move in and out of the town. This was one way to ease the tension and fear of many social problems that are arising and pushing this people to move from one place to another. Though they had a place to sleep their situation was still precarious and needed urgent intervention for their well-being and their dignity.

The joys, hopes and anguish of the people of the time today especially the afflicted ones are the joy, hopes and anguish of the followers of Christ. Seeing the great need of these Menit displaced people, we moved in so as to work together and this made us to ask for help so that we could be able to support them with the basic necessities.

Thanks to so many people from everywhere opened their arms to help, people with desires to make the world a better place by contributing to better the life of others, we were able to support them with blankets that they could cover themselves from cold, mats, clothes, utensils and food.

Also, we counted with doctors from Mizan Aman hospital, whom we invited to visit the Menit. They have given their time and care. It has been an immense gift to experience the collaboration that we have received when trying to assist these people.

After eight months living in the Primary school, and with the start of the reopening of the schools. The local government of Mizan-Aman town, red cross and the administration of West Omo zone have organized that this people to be taken back to their homes. They have constructed houses for them there and we have given them food to start a new living, hoping that things will be better.

We would like this to be a learning experience for many, to learn to help, to learn to serve one another and to love doing something for the people who experience problems in the world today.

Esther Kerubo MCSPA Apprentice

It seems like the rainy season has started. In Turkana this means blessings, happiness and good times. This is what we are seeing in the farms of our project Furrows in the Desert.

Our farmers are improving and understanding the good of agriculture. They are able to feed their families, their communities and also to sell the surplus to get income. With that income they can buy the rest of basic needs and even the school fees of their children.

Eight years ago, when the project started, the turkana people didn’t know anything about producing their own food, as they come for a pastoralist culture, now you can see where they have reached. Amazing!!!

Maque Falgás

It seems like the rainy season has started. In Turkana this means blessings, happiness and good times. This is what we are seeing in the farms of our project Furrows in the Desert.

Our farmers are improving and understanding the good of agriculture. They are able to feed their families, their communities and also to sell the surplus to get income. With that income they can buy the rest of basic needs and even the school fees of their children.

Eight years ago, when the project started, the turkana people didn’t know anything about producing their own food, as they come for a pastoralist culture, now you can see where they have reached. Amazing!!!

Maque Falgás

Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle in Muketuri, Ethiopia

At the beginning of 2020, the social reality in Ethiopia was already complicated by the imminent general elections. After almost three decades with the same party in power, Ethiopia is facing an urgent “aggiornamento”.

This responds to the concerns of a society affected by poverty, different ethnic and cultural realities, and a large number of young people who know the world through social media and want a fair job that allows them to live with dignity.

As if preparing democratic elections in a country like Ethiopia, with more than 50 million voters (with a population of 105 million inhabitants) was not enough, in March, as in the rest of the world, we were invaded by the covid-19 pandemic. Ethiopia was one of the fastest countries to react, with measures such as closing schools, universities, offices, regulating transportation.

However, the worst challenge for the ordinary citizens was to face the economic consequences. Around 80% of the jobs in Ethiopia are not regulated by an employment contract: if you don’t work, you don’t get paid. Many get what they need simply to eat daily. The loss of employment that has occurred in all countries is of immense relevance in Ethiopia, where it is impossible to do a confinement, because this would mean facing starvation.

Since March, members of MCSPA wanted to be close to the people, facing the greatest need: a dignified nutrition. The families of the poorest children in the Mother and Child Center and the program for children with malnutrition have been provided with food weekly, such as grain, vegetables, eggs, milk and soap.

The farmers, who see food prices rise daily, have been supported with improved potato seeds for planting and obtaining better harvests.

In addition to this, we have been praying together every week, especially for all those affected by the pandemic in Ethiopia and in the world, especially in the countries where volunteers and visitors who come every year to Muketuri and who are already part of the mission.

Humble people have shown us, once again, their generosity, praying again and again in a very special way for our families and friends; in all their prayers they have incorporated the “foreigners who help us and love us”, as a universal prayer. A good sign of the mission ad gentes – we are united by mutual love, prayer and vulnerability in the face of catastrophes.

We thank God for the possibility of sharing our lives with the Ethiopians, and for having so many supporters, friends, and volunteers who are part of this adventure of announcing the Good News in Ethiopia.

Lourdes Larruy, MCSPA

The Missionary Community of Saint Paul the Apostle and Mary, Mother of the Church (MCSPA) is present in Ethiopia, since 1993, through the invitation of Mons. Fikremariam, Bishop of the Apostolic of Vicariate of Nekemte.

Since then, has been running a public health project including medical and preventive health, environmental health, training of the staff, nutritional rehabilitation, pre-scholar education, agricultural and water resources development, in Angar GutenValley.
This Valley is located in Oromia region, in East Wollega Zone, has an extension of 15,000 km2; the total population is 80,000 people. The valley has different ethnic groups that came different parts of Ethiopia.

The important groups are the Amhara (70%), Oromo (13,8%), Gumuz (9,9%) and Tigray (6,3%). Though now a minority, the Gumuz are the original inhabitants of the valley. They are a Nilo-saharan ethnic speaking group, inhabiting the Benishangul-Gumuz Region and Qwara woreda in Western Ethiopia, as well as the Fazogli region in Sudan.

In Angar Guten we have the Gumuz in a village called Anger Meti and Badessa, most of them are Christians, and among them many are Catholics.

Last week we joined them for Sunday mass celebration. The church was full of men, women, young people and children, there was a group of young people mixed, boys and girls that were singing, drumming, and dancing with joy and happiness, there was a wonderful mixture of colors, sounds, rhythms in the church.

Let us hope that the beautiful experience of the Eucharist be celebrated more widely in our Church.

Lydia Obok, MCSPA.

The mission I carry is not personal but for Christ. When I see the needs of others which are more than mine, I become encouraged.

On the other hand, personal and community prayers are like fuel for my vocation. Love of mission and love for service. Trying to do good to others and being surrounded by people who see my needs at every single moment, helps me to keep moving even in challenging moments.

Fr. Joseph Githinji MCSPA