austraLasia #3326
144th Expedition, 3 months on
EAO: 7 December 2013 -- The 144th miisionary expedition headed off in September - or did they? The commissioning in Turin is not the entire story, and some did not even make it for that! Then there is the not-so-simple matter of visas. Below is a brief résumé of where things are at as they affect EAO, for those coming, or going:
Delphin Ndungu Kahemba was on the 144 List but with a note at the time ('no news'!). He is a Practical Trainee from AFC, a Swahili-French-English speaking young Salesian who by today (7 December) should be in Hong Kong, and thus the first African Salesian missionary, at least in recent times, to head in that direction. 'No news' was good news in his case, but not having made it for the combined course, he has spent some time in Rome for a personalised course, and was commissioned formally in the 'African' chapel (St Francis de Sales) at the Pisana on 5 December in the presence of Fr Klement, Fr Basañes (Africa-Madagascar Regional) and Fr Wong. The ceremony was a mixture of Swahili, French, English and Italian! We see him above in the photo being congratulated by Fr Chávez.
Fr Giovanni Mandrella, Rome-born Italian missionary, had less difficulty in arriving in HK. He was part of the group sendoff in September. You can read all about him in the December edition of the Italian Salesian Bulletin. If Italian is not your go, then just run the article through Google translate
Myanmar's very first missionary, Francisco Robewno has arrived in his destination - Juba, South Sudan, and is busy learning something of local and more general African culture. Today, 7 December, finds him, however, in nearby Nairobi for a gathering of Practical Trainees in AFE. Francisco indicates that he has already been 'baptized', as they call it in many parts of Africa: his first bout of malaria.
In another 'first', the first two Vietnamese missionaries have already arrived in Mozambique, where they are living at the Provincial House while they spend their time studying Portuguese, perhaps a bit of local language as well, since they also have the large Salesian Higher Education Institute next door.
But not everyone has received his visa as yet. Fr Andres Belo ITM is still back in Laga awaiting a visa (along with three others, but not from ITM) for Bangladesh. Joseph Nguyen Cao Thai is still waiting for his visa for South Africa, and Fr Ramon Pacada FIS awaits his visa for Pakistan, but is busy with an extended course on Islam in Rome.
144th Expedition, 3 months on
EAO: 7 December 2013 -- The 144th miisionary expedition headed off in September - or did they? The commissioning in Turin is not the entire story, and some did not even make it for that! Then there is the not-so-simple matter of visas. Below is a brief résumé of where things are at as they affect EAO, for those coming, or going:
Delphin Ndungu Kahemba was on the 144 List but with a note at the time ('no news'!). He is a Practical Trainee from AFC, a Swahili-French-English speaking young Salesian who by today (7 December) should be in Hong Kong, and thus the first African Salesian missionary, at least in recent times, to head in that direction. 'No news' was good news in his case, but not having made it for the combined course, he has spent some time in Rome for a personalised course, and was commissioned formally in the 'African' chapel (St Francis de Sales) at the Pisana on 5 December in the presence of Fr Klement, Fr Basañes (Africa-Madagascar Regional) and Fr Wong. The ceremony was a mixture of Swahili, French, English and Italian! We see him above in the photo being congratulated by Fr Chávez.
Fr Giovanni Mandrella, Rome-born Italian missionary, had less difficulty in arriving in HK. He was part of the group sendoff in September. You can read all about him in the December edition of the Italian Salesian Bulletin. If Italian is not your go, then just run the article through Google translate
Myanmar's very first missionary, Francisco Robewno has arrived in his destination - Juba, South Sudan, and is busy learning something of local and more general African culture. Today, 7 December, finds him, however, in nearby Nairobi for a gathering of Practical Trainees in AFE. Francisco indicates that he has already been 'baptized', as they call it in many parts of Africa: his first bout of malaria.
In another 'first', the first two Vietnamese missionaries have already arrived in Mozambique, where they are living at the Provincial House while they spend their time studying Portuguese, perhaps a bit of local language as well, since they also have the large Salesian Higher Education Institute next door.
But not everyone has received his visa as yet. Fr Andres Belo ITM is still back in Laga awaiting a visa (along with three others, but not from ITM) for Bangladesh. Joseph Nguyen Cao Thai is still waiting for his visa for South Africa, and Fr Ramon Pacada FIS awaits his visa for Pakistan, but is busy with an extended course on Islam in Rome.
