Community Experience From Youths

 

I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Chris, peace be with you.                                                                                                                                               

  My name is Ernestine Mukamana. I am from Rwamagana parish, Diocese of Kibungo.  I would like to share with you my experience that I lived   in Butare Community.                                                        

I knew this Congregation by listening to the Emission of vocation animation which passes on radio Maria-Rwanda every Friday at 6.00 pm. That emission was given by Sister Agatha and Sister Clementine  of the Missionary Sisters of our Lady of Africa who are in Butare Community. Though I opened the radio at the end of the emission, I got some points, like evangelization in the world, especially in Africa, and collaboration with different religions especially Islam. After being touched by their talk, I took their phone number and I called Sister Amani. After talking to her, she invited me to their community for 4days. Arriving there, they welcomed me very well with joy and love. Sister Amani explained to me the history and the charism of the MSOLA congregation.  Since then, I took a decision to join this Congregation.

 Later on, I was called for a session which was in August 2021 at Butare.  After the session, I felt satisfied with the talk. For instance:   I understood that, vocation is a call one feels within herself which pushes her  to do something. The history of the Congregation which started in Algeria and how its founder Cardinal Lavigerie said that the apostolate was started by missionaries, but it will   continue by the Africans themselves once converted. I was also touched by one of their   apostolic orientation which is about peace and justice. Because I felt touched by these points mentioned I asked to   join this congregation.

Then since 02/04/2022, I was called to start the English short course so I have been in Butare Community for five months learning English. I have been touched by different things in this community, as it was the first time to live with sisters. Such things like loving one another, taking each one a responsibility for liturgy and kitchen, sharing together about our daily activities through conversations.  I have learnt how to pray. I realized that the sisters work with different people without discrimination. They are bearers of hope and social transformers.

 Here I give an example of the witness of the people from Kinteko when they were closing the year. They said: the sisters of our lady of Africa helped us to learn how to collaborate, work together as a group in order to move from  poverty. We learnt to see bigger than remaining in our poverty.  Today each one has a place where to sleep with our families, we are able to pay health insurance (mutuelle) for ourselves   and we have planned from this year to be paying for four other people in need in  our village of Kitenko.   May God bless them!

As I came knowing a bit of French, I struggled with English, but now I am speaking it although it is not yet very good, but I am improving bit. And I hope that as I will start soon the pre-postulancy my English will improve as well as my knowledge about the Congregation, my vocation including my desire to be with Christ and to serving God in religious life.

My God bless you!  

Yours , Ernestine Mukamana.

 

                                                                                              l