It is now ten years since I first set foot on African soil. I arrived in Zambia with a mixture of joy, fear, curiosity, hope, enthusiasm, and uncertainty.
One of the first things that struck me was the relationship people have with time and the calm with which they do things. The clock doesn’t really matter. If there aren’t enough hours for today’s tasks, they continue tomorrow. On the other hand, I sometimes felt that, in certain situations, people don’t care about the future, as if it didn’t matter. They live in the present. Whether they’ll still be alive tomorrow remains to be seen.
I’m assigned to the community we Comboni missionaries have in the diocese of Mongu, in the Western part of the country. My work with catechists and young people makes me appreciate the mission. The Lozi people, among whom I live, take their time to accept you. They approach you cautiously until they feel they can trust you. Only then do they welcome you into their families and share their stories.
I’ve experienced this with the catechists while visiting parishes. When we share training, food, or simply take a walk together at sunset, I feel they care about me and explain aspects of their culture, like funerals or weddings. They want to help me understand the reasons behind certain behaviours and other useful aspects of daily life.
I’ve learned a lot in my pastoral work with young people. When I meet the families of young missionary animators, some parents call me “my daughter.” They thank me deeply for visiting them. They’ve taught me the value of “dedicating time” to a visit.
By sharing with them the initiatives we carry out with their sons and daughters, they feel a part of it. For this reason, when we invite them to participate, for example, in the missionary sending in October, they respond with enthusiasm. This attitude has allowed us to launch a broader family ministry.
The young Zambians have won my heart. With them, we help other young people, children, and the elderly who need a small straw hut to cook in during the rainy season, a little food or something to wear, or simply a visit. Walking with these young people makes me feel alive. I deeply believe that each of these young people is capable of great things if they feel that someone believes in them and has faith in their ability to take on responsibilities.
