The Vocation story of Thomas Warwara

By Asp. Thomas Warwara

Port Moresby, PNG, 3 June 2017 -- Life is a journey, lived with family, friends, neighbours and the environment. One can only plan and live his or her life well with fervent prayer and trust in God.

I am Thomas Warwara, a Salesian Aspirant. I want to share my vocation story in the hope that it will motivate young people, that they may be always aware of their daily inspirations, realise the importance of those inspirations, face the many challenges and make good and matured decisions in life.

I hail from Rabagi No 2, a small village in the Toma area of East New Britain province. In 2000, when I was 7 years old, my family moved to a settlement in the remotest part of the province in the Baining area. I did my primary education in Mandress primary school for 8 years, and attended Utmei secondary school for my four years of secondary education. We are a family of six children, three brothers and two sisters, and I am the third born in the family. My father, a refrigeration mechanic worked for more than 30 years, and resigned on November 2016. He helped sustain the family financially, paying our school fees while my mother a devoted catholic worked as a subsistence farmer. She always made sure that there was food on the table for the entire family. She sold the surplus and used that money for the family.

A religious vocation was never in my mind when I was doing my studies in primary or even in the secondary school. I didn’t have any idea about the Salesians or the work they were doing. In 2012, I met Fr. Roger Miranda SDB, the then Rector of Vunabosco who came to celebrate Mass at the Utmei secondary school. He invited me for the ‘Come and See’ program and I was attracted to the work that the Salesians are doing for the young. After my grade 12 national examination, I was selected to do a four year, (2013-2016) Bachelor program in Education specialising in Electronics Technology at Don Bosco Technological Institute, (DBTI). During those four years, I stayed at Savio Haus, the Salesian Aspirantate, and underwent human and intellectual formation offered by our Formators.

In spite of the difficulties of following two separate schedules, DBTI and Savio Haus, I learned a lot of things especially time management, prioritizing activities and making clear and motivated decisions. Study at DBTI was demanding while on the other hand, Savio Haus also had its own activities and schedule. During the four years, I found it difficult to adapt to the new environment which was different from my previous school. However, as time went by I learned to develop that sense of personal reflection and related my daily motivation and inspiration to real life situations through the formation I received in the aspirantate. I now continue my Salesian formation with the boarding boys at Bosco Haus, Don Bosco Technical School, Gabutu. I pray that the Lord may grant me the wisdom and strength to discern my vocation, to follow the example of St. John Bosco, Father and Friend of the young.

To conclude, if it is God’s will for me to become a Salesian priest one day, I dream that in every Don Bosco Institution there will the Salesian family consisting of SDB Priests, FMA sisters, Salesian co-operators, ADMA and Past Pupils. I also hope and pray that there will be elementary, primary and secondary schools to spread the charism of Don Bosco to more young people, and that the aspirants will be formed right from their early years.

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