Yesterday, 25th May, saw the graduation of 18 trainees after 5 months of an intense agriculture course. These trainees are full of enthusiasm as they begin work as farmers.

They have been trained from scratch, from preparation of the compost and the land up to harvesting of watermelons, sweet melons, tomatoes, onions, squash etc. They relied on the support of all the members of SITFA (Saint Isidore’s Turkana Farmers Association) who assisted at the graduation as well as they were holding their semestral workshop. The 18 new graduates have registered as members also of this farmers association of Turkana North, the first of its kind. Also, we had the visit of the chief officer of the Ministry of Agriculture accompanied by other County officials.

We wish all the graduates well.

Maque

On 24th of April 2018, the members of the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle working in Paraíso, Xochimilco in Mexico City, were given 50 free entrance tickets for the cinema through ‘Tiempo para Mejorar’ Civil Association . We accompanied 36 children with 10 parents to the Cinépolis of Cuemanco. This was our second time to take them to the cinema… the most satisfying and impressive thing was seeing the lovely and smiling faces of each one of them especially the children.

Since one year ago every Saturday we have continued teaching them English and Spanish, human values through storytelling and crafts. They also take breakfast together and share little they have among themselves. Together with the children, we have created environment where they feel at home and they have managed to stay together and share everything without prejudices.

We pray and hope that what we have learned and lived together and what we will keep living, will grow and will give fruits in due time… I see these little ones like tiny seeds that have just started to grow!

We would like to thank all those people that have come to help us in Paraíso; the youths and people from different parishes, universities, people of goodwill and friends; and in a very special way the parents of the children in Paraíso for entrusting us their children.

Lots of thanks…

Lydia Imbala

MCSPA

On this vocation Sunday let us pray and encourage vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life.

Rheynell Kadusale is a 9-year-old boy from Parola (Tondo), one of the biggest slums of Metro Manila. We came to know him a few years ago while carrying out our teaching apostolate outreach for children in this marginalized area.

Rheynell does not go to school due to a problem he developed on his right leg just after birth. Rheynell’s mother says that this deformity in his right leg came about due to a failure in completing medical vaccination for polio.

Fr. Francis asked Zacchaeus and I to take charge of assisting this child. It has not been easy at all, knocking from door to door to seek medical advice on his case, one which most of the doctors termed as a rare case and declared that amputation would be the only way forward. We tried hard not to go for that option considering Rheynell’s age.

Through prayers and without stopping to find other solutions, we found, at the University of Santo Tomas Hospital, a good doctor who advised us to carry out proper physiotherapy which would last for 12 weeks, and a well-designed prosthetic fitting that would help in stretching his leg before surgery could be performed so as to join all the undeveloped bones.

So that was precisely what Zacchaeus and I have been doing with Rheynell. Accompanied by his mother, Marisa, we have been with him at intense physiotherapy sessions and meetings with the physicians.

Today, for the first time, Rheynell was fitted with the prosthetic … it was a moving moment to see the child try to walk on his own!

Ambrose Wanyonyi, Philosophy Student in Manila

Leviticus 26:4

“I will send you rain in its season, and the ground will yield its crops and trees their fruits”.

We have been blessed to receive plenty of rain this morning in Turkana. The photos are from Nariokotome Mission (MCSPA).

Lillian Omari, MCSPA

God bless!

In the Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio we use Easter Monday to announce Peace and well-being through a diocesan bycicle-ride. The event was initiated four years ago and it has attracted thousands of followers.
Easter Monday is for announcing the good news which took place on Easter Sunday!

We ride bicycles for good health, peace, and holiness.

Be glad and stay blessed!

Bishop Eduardo Iboro

Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio, South Sudan

Following an ancient custom, all priests, religious and Christians of the Diocese of Lodwar joined together as a family to celebrate the Chrism mass.

Today, Bishop Dominic Kimengich told the Christians of his Diocese to take care, help and pray for the priests in our Diocese and parishes.

This is so, because priests are always with the Christians, especially during the dificult moments in our life. Following the custom, all priests, religious and Christians of the Diocese of Lodwar join together as a family on Holy Wednesday to celebrate the Chrism mass.

Today, Bishop Dominic Kimengich told the Christians of his Diocese to take care, help and pray for the priests in our Diocese and parishes.

This is so, because priests are always with the Christians, especially during the dificult moments in our life. They support the Christians spiritually whenever they need their help.

He also told the priests to keep the “following” in mind, in their day to day apostolates; prayer, obedience, service, availability to our Christians.
Bishop also said that the priests are a gift and they are anointed by the Holy Spirit thus they are anointed to anoint the people God.

“You are a priest for ever, a priest of the order of Melchizedek of old.”

Let us all pray for and support our priests, be at parish level, deneary level or Diocese level, as they are choosen and given as a gift to serve the people of God.

Lillian Omari

MCSPA

Yesterday during the celebration of Palm Sunday, several Christian Communities came together to celebrate it. The celebrations were done in style in the different missions run by the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle. There were processions with palm branches and the singing and proclamation of Hossana was echoed all over the communities. After the celebrations, many children and adults made crosses out of the twigs and palms they were carrying and went home in a festive mood. Happy Palm Sunday to all!

Lillian Omari

MCSPA

Many of those people live in Africa and they have to walk kilometres in search of this precious commodity. According to the World Health Organisation, 3 out of 10 people in the world do not have access to safe drinking water near their homes.

Today as we celebrate the World Water Day we would like to thank all our benefactors who have made it possible for the Missionary Community of St Paul to have drilled more than 300 boreholes and built more than 200 dams in Turkana, Ethiopia, Malawi and South Sudan for more than 30 years now.

Water is an essential necessity for life. It is not only used to quench thirst or protect health; water is vital for creating jobs and supporting economic, social, and human development.

Let us use this scarce resource wisely and sustainably and support all the communities who do not have access to it, acquire clean and drinkable water for their families and their livestock.

Lillian Omari

MCSPA

On 22nd and 23rd of February, twenty six teachers of our St. Joseph, Mother and Child Care & Education Program gathered in Nariokotome Catholic Mission to learn about the new curriculum that the Kenyan goverment has started implementing this year 2018.

The MCSPA wants to thank the facilitators from the Turkana County Government and all the teachers who are working in the Mother and Child Centres in Turkana North.

The new curriculum approach is a very positive improvement for the education of our children. And we believe that the commitment of our teachers plus the new guidelines will continue dignifying the life of all the turkana families covered by our four missions.

Diana Trompetero