As years roll by, I keep asking myself why I am here. Am much stricken by the sentiments of the Apostle Peter in the event of the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ. He discovers the divine mission of Jesus and he quickly admits that, “…it is good that we are here.” Am always convinced that my being here is closely related to this divine revelation.
For the very first time, six years ago, I discovered Turkana-a place that has become my home. More deeply, I have discovered my loving family of the Missionary Community of St. Paul the Apostle (MCSPA). As a third year student at Kenyatta University I, among other four students, was selected for a community outreach program in Todonyang Mission. Little did I know that this would become the start of my vocation journey. All the experiences of a two-months stay in this beautiful Mission at the shores of Lake Turkana were a springboard that would throw me this far into interacting with people who had practically very little and a big heart.
Becoming a missionary in this corner of the world is one of the beautiful things that happen in my life. You get to understand that we don’t actually need much for us to be of help for others. St. Paul the Apostle walked far and wide proclaiming the Good News. He established a number of Christian communities founded on Divine Providence-trusting that He will always provide. This concept of life based on strong faith is something to hold onto. The MCSPA style of life and of doing things revolves around this concept, something I found to be very interesting.
When I concluded my studies at the University, I wanted to be here and I didn’t know how I could be of help. The memories of joy, service, participation, needs among others that I experienced with the Turkana community of Kenya and the Dassanech community of Ethiopia, two groups of people that the Mission of Todonyang serve, were forces of attraction. I finally got to make an arrangement with Fr. Andrew on a possible stay on volunteering basis. More and more I got to know the people and their ways of life. Discovering the needs of others and letting these needs provoke me into action is the final good reason to be here.
I remember vividly concrete cases over the years that are a good reason to travel this path. To begin with, Asibitar, a young girl given up unwillingly for marriage to an old man ran up to us one day as we visited her village and asked to be taken to school. In her I saw the image of my younger sister asking me for help. This girl is at the moment in her final primary level. Aalem, a sick little girl with very bad wound that was almost consuming her up now laughs joyfully. For me this is more or less equivalent to the raising of people from the dead by Jesus Christ. He instructs us all the time to do good things in his memory. This is my mission and it informs my vocation at all times. Ekai, a four year old, was brought to me seriously burnt as a result of hot water accident. He healed and is now in Grade one at Todonyang Integrated Centre and School. It is so beautiful to see the great impact that the school at Todonyang Mission has on this population. More and more, young shepherds leave the parents’ flock and ask to be allowed into the school. In the past two years, I have received up to twelve boys in dire need of education. Their age, a little bit advanced, is a challenge to admit them into the lower levels in the primary at Todonyang Mission with very little children. However, they all got admissions into the government primary schools at Loarengak and Lokitaung. They live with us in the Mission on school vacation days and help with light chores.
My interest in child nutrition has seen the weekly milk and egg distribution program attend to more than 500 children in the school at the Mission and in the three nutrition centres at the villages of Todonyang. We produce up to 6 litres of milk locally each day and have 100 egg laying birds at our farm in the Mission. Nomadic youth animation is one of the very important activities that I do on a daily basis. Engaging youths in sports and in various forums aimed at their growth is one of the practical ways of redirecting their energies from the perennial inter-community conflicts to development agenda. Participation in church activities is too good for their spiritual growth.
Cosmus Onyango (MCSPA-Apprentice)
Todonyang Mission, Turkana-Kenya
(Extraordinary Missionary Month 2019 – for more info contact us on admin@mcspa.org )
