Africa mission trip ‘life changing’

NETCONG  There is transformative power traveling to an unknown land. Sometimes it’s the scenery or the surrounding conditions. Mostly, it is the people of that country who can forever touch a person’s heart. For a group of young adults from St. Michael Parish here, they have returned home to share what they experienced on a life-changing mission trip to the African Great Lakes region.

From May 28 to June 11, Father Michael Lee, pastor of St. Michael’s, and the team of four young adults from Netcong traveled to Kenya and Uganda to serve with the Missionaries of the Poor, a religious order located in some of the poorest regions of the world.

In both countries, the Netcong missionaries assisted in helping some of the most vulnerable and innocent — children, who were in great need. Some were orphans or abandoned. Others had physical disabilities.

“Even in the midst of what seemed like nothing, the great amount of faith was everything,” said Father Lee. “Over and over again, we remember how much of the simple things we take for granted. We visited some of their homes and they were very hospitable to us.”

According to Father Lee, Kenya is definitely more developed than Uganda. Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, has skyscrapers and a central business district and the United Nations has an office located there. In Uganda, the experience was a bit different. Most roads were unpaved and almost all of the residents of the country live in poverty.

The Missionaries of the Poor first created its Uganda mission in Kampala, which includes a feeding program, medical outreach, food distribution, catechesis/pastoral program, home visitation, physiotherapy and rehabilitation programs. In the country, the religious order operates Bethlehem Children’s Home, the Good Shepherd Educational Sponsorship program and The Good Shepherd Medical Dispensary.

In Kenya, located in Ruai-Chokaa about 27 kilometers away from Nairobi, the Missionaries of the Poor created their ministry, which includes a daycare center, a home for disabled and abandoned children and evangelization to the people in the area.

“I experienced a joy and peace with the Missionaries of the Poor in Kenya and Uganda that I had not felt in a while back at home. In many ways, the mission trip was like a retreat for me. I was able to reflect on my faith and focus on my relationship with Jesus,” said Gemma Cho, one of the young adults on the mission trip. “Living out a simple life with the Missionaries of the Poor for two weeks reminded me that strengthening my relationship with Jesus is a start to maintaining that peace and joy that the residents of Africa embodied,” she said.

Another young adult who attended was Nicole Bias, youth minister at St. Michael’s. “In hind sight, what resonated with me the most, is how confident the people were in trusting God and what his plan is for each of them,” she said. “I heard many people use the phrases ‘God’s time,’ and ‘God provides,’ which did not do much for me at the time. However, looking back and remembering those phrases and how they said them, makes me realize that I am lacking in that area of faith. I need to strive for the same unwavering trust that my brothers and sisters in Africa have found.”

The young adults witnessed poverty well beyond what they had ever seen in the U.S. Many of the people they visited didn’t have basic amenities, such as plumbing, heating and cooling and electricity: things Americans take for granted.

“Despite the rough living conditions, their faith was unshakable. One of the neighbors of the Missionaries of the Poor that we met was a single mother of four struggling to go back to school to continue her education,” Cho said. “Despite her hardships, she was a faithful woman who expressed hope in God’s plan for her. She resonated with a peace that was truly inspiring.”

Every day while on the trip, the Netcong team attended daily Mass and participated in prayers along with assisting in day-to-day tasks of the Missionaries of the Poor. One unique experience for some of the team members was participating in the Martyr’s Day celebration in Uganda on June 3. “Millions of people from all over Africa walked in commemoration of the 45 martyrs who were killed because of their faith,” Bias said. “It was amazing to experience this celebration.”

One interesting thing Father Lee pointed out was the clothing worn by the children. “We saw in a small way that the help we give from the U.S. is reaching these children. Almost all of the clothes worn by the children were from donations from the U.S. They wore shirts from a local U.S. parish’s Vacation Bible School or of an American sports team. I even asked if they knew what sports team they were wearing and they would have no idea. It was good to see that the things that get donated in Catholic Charities boxes or other sources come to use,” said Father Lee.

The young adults hope to return to Africa to once again touch the lives of so many children and the people of the continent. Father Lee said he will return to see the progress made on a clinic in the works in Kenya that St. Michael Parish is assisting with financially. A nurse who will serve the clinic will be visiting St. Michael’s sometime next winter or spring to speak about the progress to the parishioners.

Before then, next month, nine teenagers, who are members of St. Michael’s youth ministry, will be heading to Jamaica to serve the Missionaries of the Poor there. Jamaica is where the order was founded.

“There was a certain feeling of peace we all felt at both compounds in Kenya and Uganda,” Bias said. “The Missionaries of the Poor, the residents, the natives and even our own group was filled with positivity, openness and love.”