Sharing new voices of sisters in Kenya, 2

As Global Sisters Report celebrates our one-year anniversary, we are also celebrating the connections we have made with sisters in Africa, where women have even less of a voice in the global conversation. While in Kenya in January, I ran two writing workshops for more than 100 sisters. During my trips to Nigeria and Uganda, as we began to introduce the concept of our website, sisters were hesitant to write for GSR.

“I don’t know what to write about!” they told me.

But in Kenya, the sisters were thrilled to get the chance to share their stories with the wider world. As I was leaving the last workshop, I overheard one sister say to another, “You know what? We work so hard. It’s about time that somebody started sharing our stories!”

Following are pieces from the Kenya workshops. Click the Writing Workshop tab by the date or here to read work from other writing workshops.

If you’d like to run a writing workshop for your congregation, go to this copy of the lesson plan here or email Melanie (melanie.lidman@gmail.com) for more information.

A piece of theology that inspires me

The theological passage that inspires me is from the Gospel of Matthew 25:14-30, where it speaks about the master giving different talents to his three servants. The one who received five talents brought back more and this gladdened the master. The second one did the same and also brought back more talents. But the third one who received only one talent brought back this talent just exactly as it was when he received it. When the master asked why, he said that he was too afraid to use it so he buried the talent in the ground the whole time. His master was angry with him because even after such a long time there was not any profit made.

This passage challenges me in my own ministry. The vow of obedience has enabled me to step out of my fears, and I have come to realize that God has entrusted me with certain gifts, which I am to use in my ministry. Only when I use these gifts I can enrich the talents inside me, rather than just sitting on them.

- Sr. Marietta Makina, Carmelite Missionaries

Something I have learned from my work as a sister

I joined the Evangelizing Sisters of Mary congregation in 1984 and my first work was with children in the nursery. It was not my choice, but in the name of obedience I took it on joyfully and peacefully. I reported to the school just three days after my first profession. By the end of the first term, I had fallen in love with the work and no longer wanted to change jobs. I worked with children for 15 years before moving on to administration and teaching for early childhood development.

I learned how children are friendly, welcoming, innocent, forgiving, loving, and above all, approachable. Whenever I came to school annoyed, stressed or discouraged, the children would welcome me and it would change. Working with children keeps me young, innocent and energetic.

- Sr. Jane Wanjiru, Evangelizing Sisters of Mary

My most joyful experience as a sister

My most joyful moment was on the day of my Silver Jubilee, when I celebrated 25 years of being a Carmelite Missionary. This day touched me to the depths of my being, and took me back to the time when I was deciding to be a sister. It was a long search for me to find God. Though I grew up with a very good, strong Catholic family, I was always questioning everything that I learned. The questions were hounding me. How do I know who is this God? Does He really care about each person personally? Then why is there suffering? What about poverty and injustice? Why is there war?

On the day of my Silver Jubilee, all the years of my life as a Carmelite missionary were unfolding before my eyes. I could not believe that 25 years had passed. Now instead of the struggles, I saw the way God has been with me, doing wonderful things in my life. Through time, I have experienced this love and my heart has expanded with love and peace. Now the whole world is my family.

- Sr. Dorothy Fernandez (India), Carmelite Missionary in Nairobi

[Melanie Lidman is Middle East and Africa correspondent for Global Sisters Report based in Israel.]