Happy New Year to you all !!! ?

Hope and Pray that this year will bring you Hope, Joy and be filled with Gods Grace. I pray that you and your family will be protected and have abundant blessings.

As this year is the year of St. Joseph we will continue asking for his blessing and know that from our missions we do remember you.

Greetings from Nariokotome, the Cradle of Mankind.

Lillian Omari MCSPA

On 19th December 10:00 a.m. (EAT) Deacon Victor Owino Otieno will be ordained priest.

For those who are unable to attend because of Covid 19 restrictions, you can follow us via zoom under the following link.

MCSPA IT is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89145277228?pwd=WXg2TEJUVXJUZzE2Q2Nta2cwLzB6QT09

Meeting ID: 891 4527 7228
Passcode: 989665

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them” Mat 18:20

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

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

Dear friends,

I write to you from Ave Maria Mission in Mboko, Tombura-Yambio region in South Sudan. I came here to visit our missionaries and also to discover the possibility for mission work here. We were among the last persons allowed to enter the country just before it went into lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Now there is no turning back, I will be here until the borders are opened again … God knows when!

At the moment there are apparently only 2 suspected cases of infection in South Sudan. I pray for many of you who are now either locked down or have your movements restricted. There are many who have lost their loved ones because of this virus. We pray that during these hard times, we may be strong and united in faith and spirit.

The few weeks that I have spent here in South Sudan have been wonderful and I am learning many things. I arrived with the preconceived idea that this was a poor country because of what I had seen in the media. During the flight from Juba to Yambio I could only see whole forests of mango trees laden with fruit. In Yambio town and later on at Ave Maria Mission, there were again plenty of mangoes even on the ground and no one even bothered to pick them!

As I am living in Turkana, I have the urge to pick the mangoes and carry them with me to the house to make mango juice or dry them and keep them for later. It is not good to let these precious fruits go to waste!

The most striking moments have been these last three days of the Paschal Triduum. We could not celebrate mass in the outstations because of the need for social distance. However many people have been coming to the mission, walking sometimes for 6 to 9 km, to see if perhaps the priest would allow them to attend mass at the mission. Some of the faithful cried when they heard that there would not be masses over Easter.

But we thank God that despite all this, they went back home affirmed in their faith.

Happy Easter of the Resurrection to all!

Lillian Omari, MCSPA

Happy Easter from Ave Maria Parish, South Sudan. As we could not celebrate Easter mass for our Christians, Frs. Albert and Avelino and the rest of us went around walking for some good five hours, to meet Christians at their homes.

We had short prayers and there was blessing of seeds and different stuff that is valuable to them. This is a tradition here in South Sudan. During Easter, everyone brings seeds, tools for planting or hunting, torches, books, logs for harvesting honey, matchboxes, firewood, and just anything you can imagine. So that soon after, when rains will come, their plants will do well and will have plenty of harvest.

We thank God for the privilege of being able to share with such a strong-faith people as these. Any opportunity of a priest visiting them is a big blessing.

While walking to the different homes many passerby stopped us for blessing. Others rushed home to bring their seeds, and along would come the whole family to receive the Easter blessing. It was a great joy seeing how people were singing and dancing after the blessings.

At least the people were able to celebrate Easter in a different way. Indeed, the light of the risen Christ has reached them today in spite of not being able to attend mass.

Lillian Omari MCSPA

One of the best things about being in Turkana after the rains is that all the trees blossom and produce. Since October we have been having rains at least once a month, one of the visible signs of climatic change in the area.

As a result we have been eating mangoes at Nariokotome mission for the last three months.

Let’s join hand and plant more fruit trees in our homes, thus contribute actively to save the environment and at the same time have more food to eat.

Lillian Omari- MCSPA

It has been seven years since Father Paco ( the founder of MCSPA) left us and crossed to the other side of life. Yes, it is seven years ago when we were mourning him! but today the Church in Nariokotome was celebrating life. The church was full, with christians from Nariokotome parish, Todonyang, Kibish. Some Christians came from as far as Lodwar, South Sudan and Ethiopia.

We all danced and sang to celebrate Paco’s life because he brought all of us from different cultures, but all with one common goal: #DoGoodAlways.

Mt 25:35-36: “for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’”

This is what Paco preached and lived.

We are all called to follow the same. Let the legacy that Fr. Paco started in 1987 in Turkana continue becoming a reality. Let’s join hand to provide water, education, food, health and holistic pastoral care to our people, doing all this with LOVE

Lillian Omari – MCSPA

Today, 24th January is International Education Day, lets ensure that our children receive quality education in our institutions.

It was with great joy to have several of our farmers graduate from the furrows in the dessert program at Lobur. They were given certificates, signed by Arava higher Institute of Agriculture – Israel and a set of basic tools for starting their farms back at home.

The Caritas coordinator of Lodwar diocese was the guest of honour, she presented the certificates to the farmers. We would like to thank Mrs. Agnes Mana the chief guest of the day, for her kindness and support.

During the celebration we were blessed by heavy rains. That was a blessing because all the farmers of SITFA who attended the graduation and held their annual General Assembly, planted 700 indigenous trees to combat climate change and improve soil erosion.

Our gratitude goes to all our supporters from Spain, Israel, Germany, U.K. and overall Kenya, the Lobur mission staff, the furrows team and the MCSPA community in Lobur mission. Thank you all for making this programme successful.

Lillian Omari