As every year at this time in the mission of Nariokotome in the north of Kenya, next to Lake Turkana, we usually pick different fruits, sometimes dates, sometimes custard apples, sometimes papayas or grapes and now it has been the time for oranges.

 They are not oranges of great quality but the children of this area, being the only oranges they have ever tasted in their lives, consider them to be the best in the world.

 We usually pick around 300 kg and apart from making a little marmalade to keep for the year, we give the rest to the schools so that they can taste the oranges that their parents or grandparents helped us plant 25 years ago.

Fr. Antonio Aguirre

Nariokotome Mission

The Apostolic Nuncio to Ethiopia, Archbishop Antonie Camilieri, visited the Apostolic Vicariate of Jima Bonga at the invitation of Rt. Rev. Markos Gebremedhin, the local bishop. The invitation was to officiate at the blessing of St. Paul’s Church in the compound of the Brothers of Charity in the town of Bonga.

Apart from the blessing of St. Paul’s Church, the Apostolic Nuncio also visited several communities in the Kaffa region to learn about the realities of the Catholic Church in this part of the country. At all his visits, we could see his joy in sharing a few days with so many faithful, who, with all their simplicity, offered him their heartfelt joy.

At his visit to Agaro Bushi, Archbishop Camilieri said that he had no words to express what he felt, that it had been the best welcome ever given to him in his life. He said that joy is a characteristic that good Christians should have and seeing them so happy, singing and dancing, left him in no doubt that that is what they are.

Sarai Zavala Acosta

MCSPA

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

The Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle (MCSPA) would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and and Happy New Year.

On Saturday, the Missionary Community of St Paul the Apostle, the family members and friends together with the faithful from the lake deanery of the Diocese of Lodwar, celebrated a very wonderful priestly Ordination of Fr. Victor Otieno. It was presided by Bishop Dominic Kimengich, currently the Bishop of Eldoret Diocese and the Apostolic Administrator of Lodwar Diocese. The celebration was graced and honoured by all those who attended the celebration in spite of the covid-19 restrictions. The Pontifical Missionary Children (PMC) recited beautiful poems of encouragement to celebrate the newly ordained priest.

Lourdes Larruy, representing all the member of the MCSPA, gave her testimony during the ordination about Victor, highlighting of his patience, calmness and humility during his life in the community. She explained how some years back they got a road accident in Ethiopia and despite the trouble, Victor remained calm. In January, right before his departure to the Philippines after the MCSPA General Assembly, he was involved in another accident that left him badly injured. However, we thank God that after 10 months of recovery process, “the broken Victor” can walk once again. In a nutshell, we can be sure that God wanted Fr. Victor to serve Him as a priest. We are grateful for his life and vocation.

Fr. Victor has come from very far, prior to his Ordination. He discovered his vocation through the invitation of Fr. Alex, and he spend some years in Lobur Mission learning missionary life in practice. He then pursued his philosophical studies at the University of South Africa (UNISA), and later joined Loyola School of Theology in Manila Philippines. During that time, he did several pastoral visitations and experiences in different countries which have made him appreciate the universality of the Church. He is prepared for pastoral duty at Sts. Joachim and Ann Catholic Parish Kibish where he has been appointed while residing at Lobur Catholic Mission together with Fr Alex Campón and Fr Joseph Githinji.

Let us rejoice and be glad!

Fr. Joseph Githinji 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

The MCSPA launched in 2018 a Pump Maintenance Unit (PMU) with the aim to secure the access to water in Turkana North.

The project is run by St. John the Evangelist, Lobur Catholic Mission. Three years down the line, the project has established itself in the area, where about 60 boreholes (30% of the total) are regularly checked, serviced and repaired.

The local communities contribute with a symbolic annual fee while at the same time are trained at the village level on how to maintain these essential facilities.

During 2020 Lobur Mission signed an ambitious three-year contract with a consortium of benefactors, to Improve the security of access to water and the environment management for Turkana North and Kibish sub-counties, with a total land of 17.500 sq. km inhabited by about 100.000 pastoralists.

The contract will now allow to equip the PMU to maintain not only the pumping facilities but the boreholes themselves, providing an integral service. Additionally to this main activity, awareness on rain water harvesting, environmental care, food security and sanitation and hygiene have now been included in the PMU Programme via Capacity Building Activities.

During the first week of December 2020 the first awareness activity took place at St. Eirin’s Nursery School where the following topics were addressed: desert agriculture practices, organic compost making and vegetable and fruits nutritional values, targeting a shift to a more varied and rich diet for the local inhabitants.

31 neo-farmers (23 women), coming from 11 different villages actively participated in a very intense workshop, with the collaboration of the Furrows in the Desert Programme and the Health Department of Lobur Catholic Mission.

Pablo Moñino, Lobur Catholic Mission

Partners consortium: Prince Albert the II of Monaco Foundation, Slovak Aid, UNESCO, Irish News and Emalaikat Foundation.

All the event was broadcasted live by Radio Akicha Lodwar.
https://www.facebook.com/101004203273481/videos/373448393754088/
https://www.facebook.com/101004203273481/videos/3570004013067449/
https://www.facebook.com/101004203273481/videos/373448393754088/

Videos:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/vtbg6xl0ng5ilgk/VID_20201202_154157.mp4?dl=0

Audios with a description of the Project:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/npas0i11iwqw3ct/Audio%201.opus?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/n35tc2g7u2tx4iy/Audio%202.opus?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/8vxsdnjz08vso4i/Audio%203.opus?dl=0

Today we celebrated the 14th Graduation of “Furrows in the Desert” in Lobur Catholic Mission. The celebration was a colourful one and took place in the dinning room of Saint Irine Mother and Child Centre, just at the entrance of the Mission.

The students, now farmers, could not hide the joy after completing their training course. They were all awarded certificates because of their good and hard work, after completing six months, doing both class and field or practical farming studies. During the six months they have been able to eat from the produce they planted while learning.

Despite the covid19 pandemic, the trainees have tried to observe the rules and regulations announced by the Ministry of Health of Kenya. That is why they have achieved their goal of graduating and of being declared as one of the best team since Furrows was started in order to fight food insecurity in Turkana.

We have witnessed real agriculture taking place in our region, we have seen and tasted the sweetness of the products. This year, the trainees came from different parts of Turkana County. In addition, a number of trainees came from Marsabit County, proving that Furrows in the Desert is alive and it is still transforming people’s lives.

The achievement has been thanks to team work, especially supported by the Lobur community, establishing a conducive environment where the trainees have been able to accomplish their goals and become skilled farmers who are ready to transform their land, known to be barren, into a garden of Eden.

Fr. Joseph Githinji MCSPA

Dear friends,

Yesterday, on the Feast of St Andrew the Apostle, our friends and contacts at San Miguel Island are distributing canned food to the 900 families on the eastern part of this island off the eastern coast of Luzon. This was happening even as we were writing this update.

After being battered by typhoons Rolly and Ulysses, help is only still trickling in as the people on the island slowly rebuild their lives.

We provided rice a week ago as an emergency Phase 1 step, and now we organised with the local leaders for Phase 2: the provision of canned foodstuff for all the 900 families. We thought it was going to be logistically difficult but thanks to the responsible leaders and good cooperation from volunteers from the community, the foodstuff was purchased in bulk in Tabaco City and shipped over to San Miguel.

There were volunteers from among the families who spent the weekend packing the food bags for distribution.

And nearer to Metro Manila, we continued to distribute food bags last week to families of Marikina City which was badly flooded by Typhoon Ulysses.

In addition, every alternate Sunday, for the past 5 months, we have been giving out cooked meals for 70 children at Ronas Garden near our Formation House. However, this December, we will make it every Sunday instead, thanks to persons of goodwill!

So on this significant feast of the Apostle who brought his brother Peter to meet Jesus, the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle would like to thank you for your part in making possible this encounter between those in need and God’s mercy and love.

Fr. Francis Teo MCSPA

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