As a community, we have adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for 24 hours, from time-to-time pleading God to have mercy on us. We have water mixed with jik at our doors so that anybody who enters in our community may wash his or hands.
Washing of hands, avoiding going out unnecessary as well as avoiding public transport are means that we took seriously. We use our cars where possible, sanitizer to prevent transmission of the Corona Virus. Each one of us uses a mask when going out. We are also using local medicine such as garlic, ginger, lemon and some leaves like Iyombo and it has been helpful. We boil them and drink or we steam ourselves.
As all we are experiencing the consequences of Covid 19 which surprised us at the time we were not expecting it; and made all plans of schools to challenging time. We thank God for the decisions of different universities to have thought of a plan B at this time of lock down to enable students to continue their studies online.
It is good in deed. It is a time of grace and challenge. However, at this time everybody is at home and need to use internet. This is the reality as some jobs are being done online too. So the network connection becomes weak on the point students cannot manage to follow the classes properly. It is a challenge because some lecturers do not understand us when we log in and after few minutes, we log out. They tend to see us as we are not serious but it is not our wish to follow classes partly.
It is also a time of grace because it is a time to learn to be patient and to accept injustice. Due to some lecturers who refuse the students to log in again when they meet challenges of network connection. It is a time to learn total dependence to God too. Because when you enter in class, you do not know if network connection will allow you to finish or it will be off in the middle. It is also a time to discover the greatness of community life and fraternity lived within. Whereby the sisters try to help one another to be able to have access to network.
It is also a time of discovery. As we meet challenges, they help us to learn new skills with the use of technology. I end by borrowing this word of Saint Marie Eugenie “All is from Jesus Christ, All belongs to Jesus Christ, and All must be for Jesus Christ”. All begin with God and end with God. We continue to pray so that God can have mercy on us and end the disease caused by the corona virus, so that life can return to normal.
By Sr. Claire Marie
Blessings of 2020
“How Can I repay the Lord for his goodness to me…” PS 116. Looking at all the blessings that God has granted to our community, we found ourselves with this psalm as our Echo in contemplating God's work through his people. At the beginning of the year 2019, our community was the smallest in the province, but God’s ways are always full of surprises, we were longing to have a sustainable project that could support the community and also where our sisters could work for God’s Kingdom. In reality, we had small projects, of chicken, rabbit and also weaving projects which had remained so dormant for a certain duration of time due to lack of capital.
In the community, we were four sisters and we could feel the emptiness of the house, being in that number with the size of the house. Little did we know the blessings were knocking at our door, and our hearts could rejoice.
God’s wonders started, in the middle of the year when the province proposed to start a pre-school in the community, In our humble beginnings, the projects started picking the root when we dared to say yes, we were ready to take the risk, and start the school, in our minds we had so many worries, of where to get the capital as well as where to get the children since it was not the beginning of the year. In implementing our ideas, we started, preparing the classes, and having several meetings on the needs of the school. God started responding to our needs through his people. We got our first donor her name Janell who supported us to lay the foundation, she donated money to equip the outdoor games for the children, the leveling of the ground, planting the grass, buying the furniture and some office documents. 2nd September will remain a history to our community when we opened the door and received our first pioneers, Angel Margret and Rosalina.
We had a great joy to testify the Assumption Together with Kiriita group and Kawangware group some making their commitment to follow Christ more closely in Assumption way of life as well as collaborate with us, others renewed their commitment. They were so happy when they were sent to go to proclaim Christ by making Him known, Loved and Served in their society.T
The committed Assumption Together membres are 13 in total.
We also shared the joy of receiving of our three new postulants, who are desiring very deeply to belong to the Service of God’s Kingdom in our congregation. Sr. Vicenta received them. We had also a joy of celebrating the renewal of Vows of our sister Devota. This expanded our joy.
Uniting ourselves with the Holy See, on the call of caring our common Home, ‘The Earth”, our community was not left behind, being in communion with the ecology, we were able to work together in the garden to add more vegetables, to do some planning of improving our garden, as well as re-reading our 3- RS ( Re-use, Reduce, Recycle) It was a very fruitful week, enriched with prayer as our time is marked by the crisis of COVID-19 Pandemic. in which we are living the mystery of ‘stay home’ as a way of prevention.
We rejoice for God’s s work is always marvelous . Nothing can separate us from LOVE OF GOD.
Right after the General chapter orientations The Provincial community (Moshi community Town). Had a long moments of community discussion, reflection and discernment on the orientations of the General Chapter. Our focus was on the peripheries in our community and in our locality. In one of our visits in the Referral Hospital KCMC Sr. Sarah Emmanuel came in contact with a patient who was physically disabled. The name of the young boy is Suleman John whose Sr. Sarah created friendship. The young boy started to open up gradually and in a deeper way. Soon Sr. Sara realized that the boy was not baptized and he desired to be baptized. The boy had a priest friend whom he expressed that he would like to be baptized by him. Sr Sarah had to contact that priest who worked in a distant parish. Sr Sarah shared her experience with community and was encouraged to go ahead to look for the priest. Then when Sarah got the priest, the priest was shocked and said that he did not know the boy. However, the priest was ready to baptize him. At that time the boy was still in the hospital because the mother could not pay the bill after the discharge. But in the community we encouraged one another to continue with the process of baptism. We heartened the boy to be patient because the bill was high to the extent that the mother had to raise funds. Meanwhile the boy was longing for baptism through the help of the sister. Lucky enough the mother was able to raise the fund to pay the bill and the boy was discharged and went his home Parish.
This was another chance that took us to another periphery of his own home. The family was very happy that Sr Sarah had to search and found where they lived. The process of baptism had to start with his home parish priest. The priest was very busy and he was not aware that the boy was not peptized as the culture of the area hide the children who are disabled. For that reason, the boy remained hidden for quiet a long time. Then we had to negotiate with the parish priest and the small Christian community for the boy to be baptized. Finally the day for the baptism was fixed, 2nd August 2019. The community had to sacrifice to buy clothing for him to appear smart on that special day as he was going to be one of God’s children.
The day of baptism Sr. Sarah went to his home to prepare him. We went to the church at Kibosho where he was baptized . He was very happy to be called a child of God and to be received in Church. The community bought the catechism book for Seleman to learning the instruction of Holy communion and confirmation.
Moshi Town Communit
On 25th was a beautiful experience of Singida community having a Christmas meal with the needy people of Singida region, which reminded us of the compassionate and love that Jesus had with the most vulnerable people during His earthly mission. It was a beautiful day coloured by all sort of people, the Albinos, lame, deaf, dumb, disabled, street children and so forth and all were from different dominations including our friends Muslims as we know our Church is a universal one. The day was marked by joyful faces and people could express this joy by dancing and sharing. It was a wonderful experience indeed that made everybody to feel a sense of belonging and part and parcel of God’s family. We ended the day by giving gifts to our needy of which they appreciated a lot.
Ecumenism
It was on 26th Dec a day after Christmas day when we as Singida Community had another beautiful and transforming experience having the unity of Churches in Singida Diocese which was held in our Pastoral and Social training center where some of our sisters are working. The day was also marked by different dominations accompanied by the church leaders including our Bishop Edward Mapunda and many other religious congregations. It was a wonderful experience that was colored by different choirs praising and worshipping our Creator and sharing of the Word of God. This remains unforgettable day that marked our unity as people of God’s one family.
Article from sr. Beatrice. Singida Town Community