Opportunity comes once in a lifetime, and not all of us have the chance to be able to share with others the gifts that God has given to each of us: gifts such as life, our talents and His hope.
I have been living with the family of the local Catechist of the parish in Dogoru Village (Fiji) for more than a year now and carry out all my ministry duties within the same community. Since the main church of the parish where other Columbans reside is quite far from my place, I usually just go there once a week during my rest day, but the majority of my time is spent in my community and neighboring villages.
It’s a privilege for me to stay here in the village even though it’s not as easy as I had expected. Despite the challenges, I have learned a lot from my new family and the people in the community. It has been a happy and enjoyable experience to journey with these people. Although I had struggles adapting to my family’s day to day activities and their lifestyle, I was able to overcome these struggles by allowing myself to become vulnerable and be more accepting of what life may bring.
Sometimes I focus too much on the things I don’t have, instead of on those I do. Slowly, I began to be more grateful for what I have, what I’m capable of doing and the things that only I can do with the gifts God has blessed me with. With persistent prayer and God’s Guidance, I know that everything will fall into place, just as the Bible affirms: If you can believe, all things are possible to him that believes. (Mk. 9:23)
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.