By Sister Docilia Pizzaro, FSP
A Filipino Missionary

Pakistan is South Asian nation with over 100 million people. The land has a history of civilization at least 2,300 years old, but Pakistan as a nation is just 42 years old. Catholics comprise about one half of one percent of Pakistanis.

THE DAYS BEFORE TV

In those days when videos were not yet in circulation and film- shows were still in demand, we arranged to visit that ‘basti’ (barrio) of Quetta in Baluchistan with our film, “ Sacrifice of Isaac.

WE SET OUT

The Parish Priest, the catechist and we- the Daughters of St. Paul- boarded our jeep and brought our film projector along. We reached the place in time but no body was there yet. So we started to prepare for our film show. We brought with us along the extension wire because during that time electricity had not reached many villages yet.  We had to go around and see which family can lend us a plug for our film projector.

THEY CAME IN DROVE

Meanwhile, the people started to arrive. They had to walk miles and miles. The catechist had told them that we were coming for thee film show, so they were exited and eager to see something.

UNDER THE SKY

We usually held the film- show in the open air, under the sky, so we had to wait until it was dark. Finally our film projector was ready. The wall was our screen and the people squatted on the ground all ready for the show.

URDO

We started the showing- the film was in Italian, translated to English and then into Urdu (the local language).

ON THE ROOFS

People were everywhere, on the roofs, on the trees, on the poles everybody was quit, attentive and very interested to see something moving in the wall.

ABRAHAM’S SACRIFICES

The part of the film towards the end was when Abrahams was about to sacrifice Isaac, very thrilling. We know what happened: the angel stopped the hand of Abrahams when he was about to strike Isaac dead and, in his place, a lamb was caught an sacrifice instead of his son. Then in the film, we saw the picture of Abrahams embracing his son dearly and crying with joy.

TAKE MY DAUGHTER

When the film show was over, in the wink of an eye, the people all disappeared and went home. The came a mother with her 16- year old daughter. She said, As Abraham offered his son to the Lord, now I’m offering my daughter to you, take her to the Lord.”

DILEMMA

We remained speechless fro a time, we didn’t know what to say. The then priest explained to her that we could not take her daughter with us like that: ”Thank you for your beautiful offer. We will not take your daughter with us. She will return with you, and together you and she and your family well serve the Lord with the same faithfulness as Abraham.