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"How beautiful are the footsteps of the messenger on the mountains, the one who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, and comes to say to Zion: "Your God reigns! Hear the voice of the watchers: they lift up their voices, all together they shout for joy, for with their own eyes they see the Lord returning to Zion." Isaiah 52:7-8
On hearing of the General Council's visit to our Province, we set off. But one question was on everyone's lips: would this visit really be face-to-face or by Zoom? Only God knew. The most important thing is to prepare for it. Each community and each work of the Province prepared itself in prayer and openness of heart to give our sisters a welcome worthy of Africa: warm, cordial and full of delicacy. We lived the experience described in Isaiah 52, we saw with our own eyes the presence of the Lord who came to visit us through our sisters of the General Council. Our hearts are full of joy and gratitude. The great symbol that was reserved for them was the "water poured out" which they crossed as a sign of peace. The pictures speak volumes. To show our joy, several dances were performed in their honour!
Our sisters from the General Council braved the health and security crisis that prevails in our sub-region, they endured the fatigue of travelling from one country to another. We thank them for this beautiful gesture of fraternity which made them feel the realities that are ours. Indeed, after the withdrawal of Kissidougou in Guinea, our West African province now has only five countries: Côte d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Benin, Niger and Togo. They experienced the diversity of cultures, the joy of living together, solidarity and African generosity, despite the climatic conditions.
As a Togolese proverb says, "it is the feet that make the brotherhood"! How beautiful are the steps of our sisters who came to comfort and bless us. Their visit gave us new energy and a new breath of life in our "Assumptionist" religious life and in our mission of transforming education. May they be deeply thanked; and may God be blessed and glorified! Amen.
Sr. Marie-Madeleine A. RA