By: Sr. Brenda Villarin, D. C.

Missionary in Ethiopia

Throughout the 14 years of my missionary work in Ethiopia our Lord has filled me with “good things.” What good things? The opportunity to minister to His needy people in the re-settlement village, people relocated by the government from the famine stricken area to more verdant farm lands

Famine
I am a Filipino Daughters of Charity working in Ethiopia for the last 14 years. By now everyone knows of the terrible famine affecting millions of people which have hit this land in the last decade. The government has relocated many of these starving people from drought stricken areas of special resettlement sites, are much fertile.

Sheep without Shepherd
In their first year as settlers these people are like sheep without a shepherd.” They landed on virgin lands with almost nothing but little huts made from dry grain and corn stalks for their shelter. Our response as a Church to their need was to provide for their basic needs: food, clothing, shelter, health care. Once they have picked up in health, they work away with great determination not to stay in a state of utter poverty.

Hope
As I journey along with Mary and these needy people, they make me experience their strong sense of HOPE in spite of all their sufferings. They are blest with optimism in life.

Seventh Year
They are now in their seventh year as settler and have bettered their life. I’m now the recipient of their generosity with simple gifts coming from their riches; vegetable, corn eggs, chickens. These are gifts more precious than gold. For these people have come a long way to recapture their dignity as people of God.

Civil war
Ethiopia has yet more tragedies. Tens of thousands of poor farmers have fled from neighboring Sudan because of civil war and religious persecution. These people have crossed over to Ethiopia on foot. Many have walked for 3 to 4 months. Many have died on the journey of sickness and starvation. Presently they number 380,000. It’s a vast number to minister to; among them are an estimated 20,000 Catholics.

Lay Helper
But we were blessed with enthusiastic lay people who assist the Sudaness priest who came along with them. Through their own initiative, they have organized formation programs for catechists. In this way we can reach out to the huge population. A couple of months ago, our Ethiopian Bishops (a Vincentian) administered the Sacrament of Confirmation to 965 people.

Widow’s Mite
I was greatly impressed by the great desire and determination of these Sudanese Christians to keep the Church alive and strong even in difficult and most tying situations.
As refugees, they receive food rations, soap, sugar, and other items. Most of them would set aside a portion of their ration as a Church offering to support their priest and catechist.

Different Languages
Because of the diversity of language, their Eucharistic celebration is often translated into four or five different languages.

Salamat sa Dios
For me it is a privilege to be able to help a little. I could go on enumerating all the good things that the son of Mary has given me and is still giving me but the main thing I would like to share with you is the “boundless goodness” of our God who loves us tremendously.
Together with Mary, I could say....”The Almighty works marvels for me, Holy is his name.

‘These people have come a long way to recapture their dignity as People of God’

‘I was impressed by the desire of these  Sudanese Christians to keep the Church alive.’