HABARI NAIROBI – PRIORY JUNE 2016 I want to say thank you to all Sisters of Nairobi Priory for the beautiful welcome when I arrived in Karen. It was good to hear the words: ‘ We are your home’. Once more I heard the Lord telling me: “ Get up, stand and go out.(1Kings 19:15)”. Pope Francis says: “The Christian is standing, so as to welcome God in patient “silence”, in order to hear his voice and “go out” to proclaim Him to others, knowing that faith is always “an encounter”. These three attitudes, encourage and revive the lives of all those who feel overwhelmed by fear in the most difficult moments. We know that faith is neither a theory nor a science: it is an encounter. Faith is “an encounter with the living God, with God who lives, the Creator, the Lord Jesus, with the Holy Spirit, it is an encounter”. I hope that we are standing together to hear and welcome His voice in order to go out to proclaim Him to others. Sr.Rosa Maria WELCOMING SR.ROSA MARIA OSB We Nairobi priory has been looking forward for the arrival of our newly elected Prioress Sr. Rosa Maria OSB since the closer of the election chapter on 13th March. On 3rd May 2016 our dreams were realized, this the day when our new prioress stepped on the Kenyan soil though not for the first time. The plain which Sr. Rosa Maria boarded landed at 3:30 pm at The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. The entire community waited patiently for her arrival at the priory house, Karen. It was not until 5:30pm when we have a glimpse of our new prioress. Her arrival was joy filled and as our tradition, we welcomed her with traditional dances, songs drums and not forgetting tambourines and kayambas. We are grateful to God who granted us a sister, a mother and more so a leader. Thank you Sr. Rosa Maria for your readiness to journey with us as we serve and uphold each other in the Lords vineyard. Karibu Sana hapa Nairobi, Sacred Heart Priory. By Sr. Marie Benedatte OSB MY EXPERIENCE DURING THE FORMATIVE ACTIVITY IN CHESONGOCH I experienced the presence of God from the warm welcome I received from the community of Chesongoch. I was welcomed with a cake and wonderful fresh fruits from the garden. To my surprise this did not end with the community but it was extended to the Parish where I was once again welcomed by the Christians. I wonder how they are able to identify a visitor in their midst. In the Parish I was invited by the priest to greet the Christians and to introduce myself, I was shocked because I didn’t expect such a great honor. I courageously walked in front, and in their language I greeted them, what a surprise because they didn’t expect that I knew anything in their language. I had to try by all means to convince them that I am a missionary and that learning languages is part of the requirements for one to be a Missionary. Later, the youths there had a seminar in which they invited me to be one among their facilitators; I did not hesitate because I knew I was sent there for such souls. I shared with them on matters of prayer, and gave them a story which torched their hearts to the core. This experience open my eyes to understand people’s perception on Sisters, for them once a person joins the religious life you have already become a Sister, they don’t understand why the distinctions and so for them, I was a full religious sister and it challenged me that I had to be alert in what I do because I am the church and not only the church but that so many are counting on me. I was also touched by the communal spirit, living as one family in which things and properties are held communally including land. Their oneness and support for one another in all diversities of living. They imitate the life of the early church unknowingly. Despite the beauty of that region it is spared from challenges, they value so much the Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) so much so that some young girls are forced into it and in case one refuses she is termed as a cursed person and she is given a name that indicates that she is uncircumcised and in case she is lucky and gets married even the husband will be called with the same name and he cannot talk before any gathering. The women are looked down upon generally whether circumcised or not. Please let’s join hands in praying for our community in Chesongoch that our Dear Lord may help them in their service to this community and more so break through the strong believes of the Marakwet people that they may one day understand that some cultural practices need to be integrated with the signs of time. This can be effective if they are able to get educators on such areas. By Nov. Flavia NEWS FROM ENDO COMMUNITY We closed the year 2015 and started 2016 in a very big dilemma since the Marakwet region had an outbreak of malaria. Our Endo Health Centre was the only rescue center. This made the workload to increase until the health county governor chipped in and provided us with medicine, mosquito nets and even personnel (nurses). Sr. Veronica and Sr. Lydia spent sleepless nights in order to rescue lives because the situation was pathetic. Towards February the pandemic subsided and the malaria death rate declined. ST. ABRAHAM MISSION SCHOOL Our Loving Lord with his abundant blessings continuous to shower us with his blessings day by day, this is because the number of the children in the school is increasing day by day and at the moment we have a population of 255 pupils from kindergarten to class seven. This number might seem nothing to some who are used to having hundreds and thousands but for us in this place it is a great improvement being that education is not a priority for these people. We had a group of youths from FOCOLARE movement who came to visit the Parish Priest Fr. David Kimaiyo who is also a member of that group. They helped in painting the Church hall and plastering one of the classrooms and in our health center. We not but to thank God for people like our director Fr. David for his great concern and love for God through his people and creation. IN THE COMMUNITY On 22nd February, we had Sr. Michael Marie, Sr. Christiane, Sr. Mariah Uhl and Dr. Heidi and his wife who came to visit us. We had a colorful mass within them in the morning in our community of which breakfast followed thereafter. Sr. Michael Marie was pleased when she saw our new guest house which is truly smart and well constructed. This has been the work of our superior Sr. Marcella who has been working hard day and night to see to it that nothing goes at a mess. These little but of great developments for this interior part of the country has made Endo into a small paradise come see for yourselves don’t just hear from people. Once it’s through we shall call a big celebration for the opening of the guest house. By, Sr. Consulate YEAR OF THE CONSECRATED LIFE With the theme, ‘Awake and awaken the world’ the year of the consecrated begun as Pope Francis declared it officially. Cardinal John Njue in unity with all the committee called the attentions of all the consecrated men and women to use this precious moment well and to analyze their call as consecrated. On 8th December 2015, Holy Eucharist celebration marked the initiation of the year of the Consecrated at resurrection Garden. Before that, early February 2015 we celebrated another Mass at Holy family basilica which actually was offered in solemn and inspiration way, this was the mass in remembrance of Christ when he was presented in the temple; it is usually meant for the religious. During this mass, our attention was called that we should come out of our enclosures to move out and meet needy people. He added that we should remain in ancient religious tradition because many religious orders have strayed and turned communities into business centers. Indeed whatever Christ has revealed to each one of us is not to benefit the individual but it pleases God the more if we share our generosity and readiness by reaching out to the neighbors’. This is a good gesture as religious who are called to be Christ like. The contemplative nuns from different Congregations confined at our retreat center (Subiaco) in respect of the special year to the consecrated in order that they may learn more about their call and so as to interact with others from other enclosures and also to have a wide perspective of this life. One of their topic of discussion was our fore fathers who begun the contemplative way of life; this was presented by Sr. Jania Osb from Norfolk United States and how to pray through heart by another sister. I was able to interact with them as they were joining us for prayers and Eucharistic celebration that is why I managed to get a glimpse of their seminar. In the context of the year of the consecrated life, 26th November 2015, Pope Francis paid an honorable visit to our Country Kenya which provided further stimulus for prayer and reflection for many circumstances.