God calls … How do I respond?
I will try to share with you something of God’s call in my life. How I heard God’s call, how I responded and how I continue to respond every day in the daily events of my life. My name is Mia. I am a Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa and I am from Ghent, Belgium. Here are some signs to help discern a call to a religious missionary vocation Listen to testimonials: Since I was very young, in primary school, I loved listening to the testimony of the missionary sisters who came to speak in our classrooms during their home-leave in Belgium. I thought to myself: When I grow up, I want to be like them, go to Africa, especially where people do not yet know God. I also loved watching on TV reports and documentaries about Africa. Listen to the Word of…
Why not Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa?
A double invitation of the Lord resounds in my life: “Follow me” and “Go forth from your country, to the land I will show you.” This call gives me joy and dynamism. I would like to respond to it by joining other young people who like me, choose to give their lives to Christ for his Mission. The call to become a Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa may be heard in many ways. Perhaps a Gospel passage invites me to proclaim Jesus Christ beyond all borders, a deep desire to give my life to Jesus, an attraction for Muslim-Christian dialogue, the desire to fight against all kinds of injustice, a commitment to the poor, immigrants in my own country, I can also be attracted by Africa for a long time. Openness to others is important to me because it enriches my way of seeing…
To carve is to think with the heart and speak with the hands
To carve is to think with the heart and speak with the hands. I admit that it is an exercise resulting in a lot of sweat … But this exercise shows how vital it is to go to the end of life just as the sculptor takes his time to go to the end and give life to his work. I was born in 1934 in Dordogne. In July 1956, I took my first steps in the congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa. I was sent to Africa where I had different activities. Since I am retired, I can practice the art of sculpture. In my missionary life, I was able to fulfill several services, thanks to my self-taught training;it is surely a gift from heaven, the greatest gift. Thus I was able to respond to various calls in my religious family. In Algeria, I…