The MSOLA WORK WITH THE CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES

Kangemi: small christian communities for a Church-Family
Sr. Elisabeth Villemure

Kangemi is a slum area in the outskirts of Nairobi. Sr. Elisabeth Villemure (Canadian) has worked there with the small christian communities. She shares her experience in this apostolate.

"The small christian communities of Kangemi were born out of a "drama"... The mother of a family with 8 children dies as consequence of hunger.... Her neighbours, "good catholics" had not seen the suffering at their door. Questions arise: What can we do to know the needs around us? to help one another? Then the parish is divided in 14 communities gathering 20 to 30 families. Leaders are chosen... needs come out... and solutions are found inside the communities...

Today the christian community visits the sick, takes care of the poor, the refugees, the liturgy, the catechism of the younger ones, they help the couples living difficulties, the AIDs patients....

Sr. Elisabeth is in charge of the formation to the different ministries... which increase continually... She asks for volunteers and the answer is excellent! Women, mothers, discover they are able to teach and to witness through their life... They feel the need to know the Bible, and they have the courage to spent their Sundays at the Pastoral Center... All the preparation to the sacrements is made in the family. At home is the transmission of faith, the witness of life..

Africans are very close to the Word of God. Thier structures are: life, sharing, meeting the others... The missionaries living with them marvelled at them... They have helped me to live the mission as I desired it: living with them as a family. They are for me Christ's face, the suffering Christ, consoling, loving, Christ taking flesh in the word of the women and men, the youngsters and children.

These small christian communities are the Church of today, and the Churhc of the future, not identified to a building, neither to structures, but a Church living by the people who gather around the Word of God. This Church will live, even when priests will not be there, but it will live as long as there is people committed to follow Christ. Sunday celebration, is this a "celebration" of the life lived all along the week. 98% of their time is consecrated to commitment, to service. They have dared to live the old structures to walk not knowing where the Spirit was leading them... They trusted and their openess has brought them new Life..."