Missionary experience in Congo
VALUING THE WOMEN – MOTHER MARY OF JESUS SOCIAL CENTRE
“The part that is hers is the poor, the worker and his family. She will love this part with a preferential love.” Father Pernet
It is with these words of our dear founding Father that I want to share with you my modest missionary experience with the women of our Mother Mary of Jesus Social Centre. I have been here for almost seven months now. The aim of our centre is to work for the promotion of women, in order to give them the necessary tools that contribute to their integral training and empowerment. Its motto is Love, Work and Empowerment. These three fundamental elements are concretised in the pedagogy of small daily gestures through: mutual attention, mutual respect, fraternal love, awareness of their training and responsibility in society. This will enable them to become independent in the future.
Within the limits of feasibility and visibility of the Centre, it welcomes all women in search of their future life and their fulfilment in daily life. This is the centre’s primary goal. The motivation behind the centre was to open our doors to mothers who had not had the chance to go to school. The reality, however, shows us that it is no longer the mothers who need to take advantage of this opportunity, but rather the young girls; those who have become aware of what their future life will be. For this reason, they have decided to come and receive appropriate training, which can make them autonomous and useful women in society. The eloquent testimony of Charlotte, a second-year woman, in the paragraphs below is enlightening.
“I am Charlotte, in my second year; before I arrived at the centre, I could neither read nor write, but today with my personal conviction and my determination, I am able to stand in front at mass to read. I am very proud of this, and I thank God for having granted me this last chance for intellectual learning by having this centre and our supervisors.”
From listening to them, their first objective is to learn to read and write but above all to learn a trade so as to be autonomous and no longer dependent on their husbands, but rather to be able to work in complete conjugal complementarity.
Every man is a sacred story (read the lyrics of the song Que tes oeuvres sont belles by Didier Rimaud). Yes, each woman at the centre has a story and a reality. For this reason, we accompany them individually and according to our possibilities as a family, so that our presence brings them comfort.
The joy of the harvest.
Currently, we have hired two cutting and sewing teachers – Eureka and Antho. They emanated from our centre and are a source of pride for us. Not only are they employed at the centre but also in our sewing workshop to serve as an example for others. They are the ones who make the uniforms for our kindergarten children. We salute with bravery their talents, their closeness, their availability, the fraternal friendship etc.
” Together we are sent to those who have neither voice nor influence in this world, so that our actions may ‘speak Jesus Christ’, Good News announced to the poor.”
Yes, we always work closely with the elders for the advancement of our centre. An African proverb says, “Alone we go faster, together we go further.” It is from this perspective that we contemplate our dream of seeing further transformation to which the centre invites us today. It is for us a call for gradual change for us to be able to broaden ourmissionary vision so that our centre can take on a new stature. That of transformation.
« L’éternel est miséricordieux et compatissant, lent à la colère et riche en bonté. » Ps 103,8. C’est exactement ce que je suis en train de vivre avec les femmes du centre. Cette expérience m’invite à pratiquer les vertus ci-après : l’écoute, la patience, la passion, la compassion, la ténacité mais surtout l’amour de prédilection envers toutes, afin d’accomplir ma mission en vraie servante du Christ, Serviteur et Sauveur, me mettant au service de toutes pour qu’elles réalisent leur rêve et se sentent réellement responsables. Certes, travailler avec les jeunes adolescentes comme partout ailleurs n’est pas évident, moins encore une chose facile mais le Seigneur nous aide à les supporter, afin de poursuivre la mission qu’il nous a confiée.”The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness.” Ps 103:8. This is exactly what I am experiencing with the women at the centre. This experience invites me to practice the virtues of: listening, patience, passion, compassion, tenacity, but above all, love for all, in order to carry out my mission as a true servant of Christ, the Servant and Saviour, putting myself at the service of all so that they may fulfil their dreams and feel truly responsible. It is true that working with young teenagers, as elsewhere, is not an easy task, but the Lord helps us to put up with them, so that we can continue the mission he has entrusted to us.
” As we share in the aspirations, the values, the joys and sufferings of the poor, we learn with them to let ourselves be converted to the Gospel ” . It is with women that I share these virtues, and they teach me many things. They bring me joy, fulfilment and hope. They are always happy and fulfilled, despite their life situation, but they are also aware of the responsibility that awaits them in the future. That is why, for them, I am a nun and a reference, a person they can trust. Hence the fact that respect and trust are reciprocal.
Together we are sent to those who have neither voice nor influence in this world, so that our actions may ‘speak Jesus Christ’, Good News announced to the poor.”
Yes, we always work closely with the elders for the advancement of our centre. An African proverb says, “Alone we go faster, together we go further.” It is from this perspective that we contemplate our dream of seeing further transformation to which the centre invites us today. It is for us a call for gradual change for us to be able to broaden our missionary vision so that our centre can take on a new stature. That of transformation.
“Let your actions speak of Jesus Christ.” Fr Pernet.
It is at the centre that I try to make this slogan of our dear Founding Father a reality, and it is there that I taste the delights of the Little Sister that I am. At present, I am working at the centre to transmit the charism. Concretely, I give French and arithmetic lessons to those completing their training, but I also play the role of a manager. It is a great joy for me to have this rich missionary experience with my sisters; those who need my humble person, in order to bring about His kingdom in their selves.
Thank you, Lord for having given me this opportunity to travel together with them, in order to reach the promised land together.
Sr Perpétue KIMBULU, LSA
Community of Musengi,