In the vast semi-arid land of Turkana, where drought is common-place, showers become a pure source of happiness the moment it pours … much like the transformative power of the Word of God in our lives. God’s Word too bears fruit in plenty, as Isaiah points out: “For as the rain and snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” (Is 55:10-11)

Turkana, the northern region of Kenya, has always been known as the “harsh” land … often a desolate expanse, with straggling trees and vegetation. At this time of the year, the sun beats down relentlessly, scorching the earth; the wind whips up the dust devils, which spiral across the dry landscape. It rains once or twice in a year or, on some years, it fails to rain at all.

That is why even light showers will transform the land. Imagine how it would be if this land was receiving rains every day or month, it would be teeming with life!

At the start of this year, we began to experience something peculiar. The rains have indeed been falling albeit sporadically, and this has brought happiness to the people. The landscape has been transformed … an expanse of soft green has pleasantly covered the land; observing this from the top of Lobur Mission especially, the terrain appears amazingly changed. The gentle breeze produces undulating waves on the carpet of grass and flowers. Every tree has fresh buds and newly-formed leaves, while millions of little insects teem in the vegetation. The dust cover is gone, and the livestock have something fresh to feed on.

This transformative power of rain on all living creatures illustrates the power of God’s Word in our daily lives, as the Prophet Isaiah rightly pointed out. We do not find peace, joy and happiness when our hearts are dry like a barren land, with selfish forces, akin to the strong, hot winds, making us harbour intentions that are unhealthy and unkind towards others.

But when God’s Word sinks into us and we interiorise it, we too are transformed. We learn to love … and many others find comfort in us because of the new life gained, very much like the newly-sprouted shoots and branches that host birds and insects.

Thus, those who receive God’s Word have the capacity to make the lives of others better and more noble. Just as rain transforms the barren terrain into a flourishing landscape, the values of the Gospel have the power to bring abundance and fruitfulness into our lives, nurturing the seeds of hope and kindness that is sown in the soil of our existence. The Word of God, like the rains in Turkana, has the potential to turn barren lifelessness into a harvest of virtues, bringing forth the fruits of love, compassion and joy in abundance.

We are much privileged to be receiving His Word every day in our lives. Therefore, like the barren land soaking in the rains that fall from the heavens, may our hearts too thirst and yearn for the Word of God daily and be transformed by it so that we may attain newness of life in and with Christ.

By Louis Mkweza, MCSPA Apprentice.
St. John Evangelist, Lobur Mission, Turkana, Kenya.

We would like to celebrate and give thanks to the families of Colombia who have taken a step towards generosity without measure. They have come together with unconditional love to stand in solidarity with families that are less fortunate and who suffer poverty in Turkana, Kenya.

A few months ago, while we were in the city of Villavicencio we presented the need for scholarships for Turkana children whose families simply cannot afford to put them through school due to extreme poverty. These children however possess enormous potential and we were disheartened at a bleak future for them due to the lack of resources.

Hence, some families did feel called to not only assist with the studies of these children but to also get involved in a closer way with the MCSPA. Today we are creating a network of support between families in Villavicencio and Kokuselei Mission to give a boost to these children’s education. We hope that this network will continue to grow and that both parties can feel that love is concretised in works that lead to common good, where everyone has something to give, and no one is exempt from receiving.

We wish to continue promoting values of solidarity since we firmly believe that we can all give to those who need our helping hands, ideas, service, and financial support, so that we all have the opportunity to live lives in full.

Alexia Moreno, MCSPA

Bogotá, Colombia.

The inhabitants of Nyangatom region in south-west Ethiopia are agro-pastoralists. The biannual rainfall pattern in the area allows them to practice rain-fed agriculture during the two rainy seasons, ranging roughly from April to June and then from September to November. The main crops grown are sorghum, maize and beans. What is not a common agricultural practice is the cultivation of fruit trees and vegetables. Moreover, scarcity of water due to prolonged droughts pose a serious risk to subsistence farming and hence to food security.

In response to this problem of food shortage, members of the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle (MCSPA) at the Prince of Peace Catholic Mission at Nyangatom have come up with pilot farms both at Kakuta and Naturomoe schools so as to help women acquire new skills in farming.

We use the drip system of irrigation at the farms, and despite the scarcity of water in the region, we are now able to produce vegetables and fruits on the farms. The fruit from the farms is enjoyed by many in the area, especially the children at both the schools.

By Kevin Rakara
MCSPA Apprentice
Nyangatom Mission, Ethiopia

Today, March 05, we had a grand celebration at the Children’s Special Education Room at Muketuri. The 9 special-needs children, together with their parents, teachers, volunteers and missionaries, celebrated the birthday of all the children with a huge cake topped with candles, and a large typical Ethiopian bread with presents for all the children and teachers.

This “Special Room” started 12 years ago in order to overcome the tremendous challenge for persons with slower learning capacities who are stigmatised in their society. It all began when we first encountered Workine and Tigist, two children paralysed with leukodystrophy degeneration and hidden inside their homesteads, severely malnourished. It took much effort on our part to convince their parents that their children’s condition was neither a punishment nor a curse. At first, it was difficult to find a person to work with them but we eventually found Aberash, a loving mother who had gone through very much with the sickness of her own child Yohanes.

Soon, more children came and more women were accepted to work at the “Special Room”. Though they had little studies, these women learned a lot from volunteers coming from Chile and Spain: professionals, psychologists, therapists etc.

Today 9 children and 4 teachers are stationed at the Room: children with Down’s Syndrome, autism, hemiparesis … all of them receiving medical care, nutrition and therapy. Last year we built a physiotherapy room, where each child has his or her own PT material to improve his or her capacities.

Recently the parents of the children had the opportunity to meet a Spanish mother of a child with autism; the impact of sharing experiences and feelings proved very supportive and moving.

Now, after all these years, the people of Muketuri know that at the St. Joseph Mother and Child Centre, there are special-needs children who at one time were kept from public view and whom no one wished to talk about. Now all the children at the nursery know and play with these children, some of whom cannot walk or talk, while some make “strange” movements, but they all laugh and play together as children do. These “special-needs children” are considered human beings like everyone else, and while their condition remains a mystery, they are accepted and their families no longer reject them.

It has been a long and difficult journey, and while it continues to be challenging still, these children have grown; some are already teenagers. Their presence forms an integral part of the Mission, making the latter a concrete sign of an option for welcoming the most vulnerable in our midst.

By Lourdes Larruy, MCSPA
Muketuri Mission, Ethiopia

The International Congress of Families, held at Guadalajara, Mexico, came to a close on March 3. Three members of the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle (MCSPA) were invited to participate in the congress so as to make known the missionary work in Africa and to animate and seek support for the nutritional programmes being carried out in the missions there.

Approximately 10,000 persons gathered together for the congress to learn about the different critical themes concerning the role of the family in today’s world.

The MCSPA is grateful to those families who showed an interest in supporting the families at our missions in Africa.

The event concluded with a mass presided by the Apostolic Nuncio to Mexico, Archbishop Joseph Spiteri, the Archbishop of Guadalajar (His Eminence Francisco Cardinal Robles) and the Auxiliary Bishop of the same diocese (Most Rev. Eduardo Muñoz Ochoa), together with about 20 other priests.

By Luz María Mejía, MCSPA
at Guadalajara, México

Lobur Mission marked a memorable day on February 27 when the faithful celebrated the blessing and official opening of St. Irene’s Primary School by Rt. Rev. John Mbinda, Bishop of Lodwar, who arrived a day earlier to performances by pupils from the school. The MCSPA members gave an animated and interesting account of the historical trajectory of this mission.

St. Irene’s Primary School was initiated in 2018 with only a small number of children. It has progressed from nursery to Class 1, and now reaching up to Class 5 and with a total intake of 207 pupils with the support of well-wishers from Spain who generously funded the entire project under the supervision of Maque Falgas, a member of the Secular Branch of the MCSPA. The construction of the new buildings commenced in 2021 involving the participation of the villagers. The school is expected to bring about a significant change in the education sector within the parish and also to act as a peace-building initiative in the Ilemi Triangle, a border region shared by Kenya, Ethiopia and South Sudan.

After the blessing of the school, Bishop Mbinda also conferred the sacrament of Confirmation on 150 candidates from the different out-stations within Sts. Joachim and Anne Parish. This number attests to the vibrant and growing Christian community in the area, serving as an optimistic indicator of a successful endeavour of evangelization. Special thanks go to Fr. Joseph Githinji, the Parish Priest, and Fr. Andrew Yakulula, the Assistant Priest, for dedicating their zeal and energy to the missionary work taking place at Lobur Mission.

The bishop expressed his appreciation for the large number confirmands and for all the initiatives that led to the construction and opening of St. Irene’s Primary School. It is our hope that the faith may continue to grow among the people of this region and that peaceful co-existence may become a reality.

By Louis Mkweza, MCSPA Apprentice
St. John the Evangelist Lobur Mission, Turkana, Kenya.

Monday the 26th of February 2024 was a special day for the Christians of Nariamawoi Outstation under Nariokotome Mission. They waited excitedly for the arrival of Rt. Rev. John Mbinda, Bishop of the Diocese of Lodwar. Very few had seen him in person. Thus expectations were high … what significance would this visit bring? They had been singing and praying for close to 3 hours before the bishop arrived and when his car finally pulled up the dusty tracks, it was all ululations, singing and dancing!

The visit was important as some members of MCSPA at Nariokotome Mission had spent years attending to this desolate community. A water dam had been built, a bore hole dug, a nursery school built and a thriving Christian community established. The Christians however still thirst for more. They thirst for a more permanent presence of pastoral agents in their area, they thirst for more education for their children, they thirst for the Word of God on a more regular basis.

The bishop was happy with the progress made thus far and gave his blessing for the construction of a primary school, the establishment of a sisters’ convent and the building of a permanent church structure. Support will be sought from friends and benefactors to help provide these structure that will help quench the “thirst” of this community. On their part the Christian community of Nariamawoi have provided land for these developments and are very supportive of these initiatives.

A religious sisters’ congregation, the Mensa Domini Sisters from the Philippines, has been approached and they have shown great interest for this mission at Nariamawoi. The sisters are willing to run the future primary school, establish a formation house at Nariamawoi and take care of the pastoral needs in the area.

We pray for the success of this project and look forward to transforming the lives of the people in Nariamawoi, and in so doing help quench their thirst.

By Fr. Denis Odongo, MCSPA
Parish Priest, Nariokotome Mission, Turkana, Kenya

The inauguration of a building housing the new Operating Room took place near the Dispensary of Nariokotome Mission on February 23.

The building was blessed by Frs. Antonio Aguirre and Zacchaeus Okoth and officially opened by Dr. José Luis Gil and his wife Angelina Ruiz de Temiño, and Dr. Paco Galván and his wife Lola, who have been part of this project since its inception and represented all those involved in it but who could not attend the ceremony.

This project consists of an isolated building which boasts two fully-equipped operating rooms for minor outpatient surgeries. In addition, the building also has a patient recovery room for both surgical patients and for pregnant and postpartum women. Likewise, multi-purpose rooms were built for consultations and nutrition-related programs coordinated by Scholastica Wamalwa and the Health Team of Nariokotome Dispensary.

With this news, we would like to thank the efforts of all those who contributed to the development of this project, especially the missionaries at Nariokotome Mission.

We also want to thank the people who in one way or another have been part of this project, such as Jorge, Victoria, Luis Carlos, María Jesús, Begoña, Alfredo, and many other doctors, architects, engineers, and different benefactors who have made this reality possible.

It was through the Founder of the MCSPA, Fr. Francisco “Paco” Andreo who spread his enthusiasm for Turkana in 2006 to his doctor-friend, Dr. Ana Mañas, and together with her husband, Dr. Emilio Cuevas, also a traumatologist, that we created a bond of friendship and collaboration. We thank the dedication of Emilio and Ana, who continue to come to Nariokotome every year, bringing with them relatives, friends and various collaborators.

We end this news report with a saying much quoted by Paco: “Actions speak louder than words”. Today, this has been fulfilled!

By Scholastica Wamalwa, Doctor Ana Mañas and a team of friends and doctors from Spain

On 22 February 2024, we inaugurated the Derma Nariokotome Project which aims to support the local population of Nariokotome by manufacturing soaps and creams that help improve health and control skin diseases.

This initiative is sponsored by Cantabria Labs. The premises of Derma Nariokotome was blessed by Frs. Antonio Aguirre and Zacchaeus Okoth. For the inauguration Patrizia Aniballi, Scholastica Wamalwa, Lenny Jilo, Lydia Imbala and Lucia Blasi were present. We also had a small representation from Cantabria Labs: Antonio Matji, Marta Domínguez, Tere Sanz, Toñi García, and Pepa Sardinero.

Derma Nariokotome has as its patrons Sts. Cosmas and Damian, two physician-pharmacist saints who devoted their lives to helping the sick by providing them with “miraculous remedies”. In return, these saints only asked to speak of Jesus, becoming physicians of both body and soul.

Lenny Jilo will be in charge of the project with Samuel Kapua as director. Samuel is trained to formulate and manufacture everything needed; he was educated at the mission since he was a child, thanks to a sponsorship by Cantabria Labs, which also continues to support us in development and education projects in the Nariokotome area.

By Patrizia Aniballi, Lenny Jilo and representatives from Cantabria Labs.
Nariokotome Mission

“Show love in your apostolates by your presence” is a moving statement from Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of the Catholic Diocese of Cubao during his visit on February 19 to St. Joseph and St. Francis Xavier House of Theology in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. In the company of Fr. Edwin Peter Dionisio, OFM, the Episcopal Vicar for Religious in the Diocese of Cubao, and Sr. Veronica Gungon, SJBP, the Bishop’s Secretary, Bishop Honesto’s pastoral visit is a big blessing to the MCSPA community here and a gesture of good working relations.

Bishop Honesto and team were shown around the house by Frs. Francis Teo and Alex Campon, accompanied by all the other members and apprentices. Introductions were made and the bishop was especially keen to know the origins of everyone and what each was studying. We then sat down for some Ethiopian coffee and Malaysian cake!

The bishop’s awareness of the MCSPA is remarkable for he intimated to having read widely about the community on its website, in addition to the constant contact that Fr. Francis has kept with the Diocese of Cubao. The bishop’s message to us all was to keep serving the people of God with zeal and commitment and in whatever small ways possible. Reaching out to the elderly and conducting English and Mathematics tutorial classes to children from the depressed areas (slums) are two activities that he singled out as particularly important. Thus, Bishop Honesto reminded us to show love in our apostolates by our presence with the children and families.

By Cosmus Onyango,

MCSPA Apprentice

Manila