LEO P. DIVINAGRACIA, from Pototan, Iloilo, is a Mill Hill Missionary theology student studying in Tangaza College (www.tangaza.org) in Nairobi, Kenya. You can learn more about Kibera, where the author does pastoral work at www.cuea.edu, atnews.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2297279.stm and aten.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kibera. The main website of the Mill Hill Missionaries, whose official name is St Joseph’s Missionary Society, is www.millhillmissionaries.com

I left the Philippines for my theological studies here in Nairobi, Kenya, on 11 August 2006. To leave our families and friends and stay in a place where we are total strangers is indeed very difficult. This is the life of being a missionary: as we journey we must learn to let go even if it is very difficult.

As I write, almost one year has passed. I finished my first year in theology by God’s grace. I don’t know how I managed to overcome all the difficulties and challenges of that year. I only know and believe that it is by God’s grace that I am here. 

I’d like to share with you a slice of our life here in Kenya as Mill Hill students. We study on weekdays and go for pastoral visits on weekends. I served for a while in St Gabriel Soweto Sub-parish in the slum area of Kibera, a district of Nairobi. I work mainly with the youth in this place, the biggest slum in Africa. Our formation house is located near Kibera.

Shepherd Among The Lost

On my first day in this pastoral area I felt scared because they said I’d encounter ‘different’ kinds of people in this place where robbers and thieves live. After four or five Sundays, I began to feel at home and at ease in this place. People were not as bad as I thought. Actually they are really nice and friendly.

Wisdom Of The Young

I work with the youth every Sunday in an outstation of Christ the King parish, also in Kibera. There are about 20 to 25 youth. Most of them are students. One event that really touched me and somehow still affects my vocation was when we visited the disabled children in the orphanage run by the Missionaries of Charity, the congregation founded by Blessed Mother Teresa. There were ten participating youth from that slum. The orphanage is about 30 minutes walk from the parish. While walking with them, I had the chance to talk with Christopher, the leader of the youth.

Tenacious Dream

As we passed through the mud houses, I could see how difficult life was in this slum. I asked Christopher if he was satisfied with this kind of life. He answered me by saying that even though life was quite difficult, he’d try his very best to find a good job and get out of the slum. He’d prefer to live in a village where there is peace. I was touched by his words. Despite the situation, he still holds in his heart that big hope to leave the slums. For my part, despite the danger of going to the slums, especially with the recent killings of innocent people by the Mungiki, a Kikuyu word meaning ‘a united people’ or ‘a multitude’, a quasi-religious group founded in the 1980s, I still have the courage to go back and to be with that youth group. I don’t want the hope of these youth to end up in nothing. I can’t do great things for them, but I believe that my constant presence with them will help them to achieve their hopes and dreams. I’m there to encourage them to keep on going. I’m sure God will always be my guide and will protect me. One thing that I ask from all of you who read this article, please pray for us missionaries, for our safety and for God’s loving guidance and protection.

As they say in Kiswahili, Kenya’s national language, ASANTE SANA! ‘Thank you very much!’

You may write Leo Divinagracia at Mill Hill Missionaries Formation House Nairobi, PO Box 865, Uhuru Gardens, 00517, NAIROBI, KENYA or email him at leodivine@yahoo.com andleodivinagracia@yahoo.com