Initial Formation Phase 4
First Small Formation Group
Nairobi South C. Kenya
Project Actualised
A dream come true, a project realised, or a solution to the problem to the
lack of space for the extra students for this year. Maybe both but the reality
of the situation is that the project talked about during the last chapter
has been actualised in the new community now in operation in South 'C'. In
fact the name given by the chapter is Small Formation Group. Whilst the name
is new, I found in some documents that the practice is not new.
But, our time, everything about this kind of formation is new phenomenon. And I would be inclined to ask, as project, are we objects of experiment? Is any serious consideration given to such experimentation, especially when humans are involved? Whatever, it may be we want to a community and not a "group". We have taken the challenge and with God's help we shall bear fruit. Our daily community life is a concrete thermometer!
Anyway, since the second of August the community is composed of nine members - Raphael and Dieudonné from Congo, Charles Kwaku Awotwi from Ghana, Leander from Zambia Joseph from Burkina Faso, Pawel from Poland, Ludwig (collaborator) from Germany, Paul Hannon (collaborator and bursar) from England and François (formator) from Rwanda.
I
was, in fact, one of the last two to arrive and we found the house in order.
It took the dedicated effort and goodwill of Br Lionel, François and
others to make the house inhabitable and now we are making a home out of it.
As part of the measures to make this place a home, we took time for sessions
on orientation during which we set out our goal or project, if you like. It
was with generous hearts that we did this and we are all happy with the outcome
- a written statement of what and how we want our community to be. Having
done this and having been satisfied with our vision, we also talked about
the aspects of practical running and daily life of our new home. Thus we drew
up a daily timetable as well as the distribution of tasks which we prefer
to call service or ministry. Each person gave himself generously in choosing
some of the tasks according to his ability and experience. We also set up
our chapel in the way we want it - a black chapel. We have bought some drums
and we are grateful to the confreres of the German province from whom we received
two guitars.
The
house is big enough to suit a family of three or four. However it is renovated
and some more rooms added and nine of us live here. Our number and activities
make us aware of the limitation of space - a challenge as a community in the
reality of the context in which we find ourselves. Our sitting/dinning room
is carefully arranged without extra chair. Now the question is where do we
receive visitors, having made it enshrined in our common project to be a welcoming
community? As the saying goes, "necessity is the mother of invention".
Consequently the top of our underground water reservoir is creatively turned
into a nice reception area even free and suitable for dance (during the blessing
of the house). Our small library, the size of a bedroom, currently without
the reference books needed, also houses computer and photocopy machine.
In
a residential area like South 'C' a place for sports is another challenge.
The only option for sporting activities is to sign up as corporate members
with one or another of the sports clubs around. Is this foreseen, do we have
the budget for that? Whatever the answer to this question may be, we bear
the consequences as we are currently discerning the best way out at least
for now. Nevertheless, we are trying to make do with what we have. With our
table tennis board we keep fit after supper before news.
In
spite of all that we feel we are up to the challenges of actualising one of
the projects of our beloved society and at the same time bearing up within
the limitations and discomforts of pioneering a community in a context and
circumstance like the one in which we found ourselves. So far all indicators
point to a smooth take-off and our task is to maintain the rhythm without
complacency, being careful with the culture we set in place.
Charles Kwaku Awotwi
Address
Small Formation Community
South C, Oluvimu Rd.
P.O.BOX 27736, 00506 Nairobi KENYA
Tel: 605889 /605931
Email Etudiant : mafrsc@futurekenya.com
Email Rector : bigeziki48@yahoo.co.uk
Blessing
of the House of the Small Formation Community,
South C, Nairobi
This
colourful occasion brought together the Lavigerie family (M.Afr confreres
and MSOLA sisters) in Nairobi as well as some visiting members of this family.
It all 
started
with the arrival of guest in the afternoon of Saturday, September 17th. Handshaking
and hugging was in abundance. For many it was the first time of meeting so
there was much of introductions as well. There were various remarks for different
confreres and sisters ranging from admiration to expression of wonder and
praise of the members of this new community. "It seems like a dream,
a marvel in our eyes" a confrere remarked.
The
occasion finally started after some time of introductions and greetings hugs
usually associated with occasions like this, with a Eucharistic celebration
presided over by Fr Don Anderson, provincial of TANKENSUD. Considering the
limited size of the house and the considerable number of people that gathered
there that day, the entrance song for the occasion should have been "Fill
my house unto the fullest…" Anyhow we managed to contain ourselves
in an open space in the house with the altar erected on a kind of platform
intended for receiving visitors, and surprisingly everybody found a seat.
Before
the introductory rite Raphael welcomed all on our behalf and officially introduced
the purpose of the gathering. During his homily Don reminded us that he had
not forgotten his Arabic. "Peace be to this house and to this household".
With these words spoken in Arabic under the critical eyes of Paul Hannon Fr.
Don began his homily. He spoke briefly about all the work of those who had
planned and brought to fruition the establishing of a new Small Formation
Community in Nairobi. Today's celebration was to bless this new house - this
new home, a community home, a place of study, a place of prayer, a place of
rest - for the many visitors who would come to this house - home. He spoke
of the welcome Abraham and Sara offered to their stranger-guests at the Oak
of Mamre and the promise offered in return to Sara - she would conceive and
bear a child in her great old age. He likened our new home to the situation
of Sara, who laughed at this promise - how could this be? Our community, too,
would be a place of growth and fruitful development - spiritual, physical
and intellectual. The academic year at Tangaza lasts for nine months - the
time of a pregnancy! Like Abraham and Sara, we would welcome strangers - guests
- to our home offering hospitality and service.
The
door of our tent would be the meeting place with God, a place of encounter.
We would hurry to serve, to wait on, to bring food and drink to our guests,
like Martha. But like Mary we would also quietly listen and ponder and wonder
at the presence of our guests. God reveals himself to us in mysterious and
unexpected ways. Don related this through the well-known story of a pious,
devout man whom God spoke to while he was at prayer. God promised to come
to his home and visit him and eat with him. When a beggar knocked at his door
the pious man sent him away… he was expecting an important guest, he
had no time. An abandoned mother with her child came and they received the
same treatment. A hungry street child came… and was sent away. The man
waited but God did not come to his door… or so he thought! God was that
beggar…, that mother and baby…, that hungry child. We are here to
grow, to develop, to bear fruit, open and welcoming to the Lord who comes
to us in the poor, the abandoned, the distressed, the small and the weak.
Don
then led a prayer asking God to bless the new home and he proceeded to sprinkle
all the assembled brothers and sisters with the water he had blessed. He continued
the blessing, aided by the deacon on duty - one of the three newly ordained
confreres - with Francois acting as a tour guide, and made sure showers of
blessing flowed on the new house. The liturgy then continued through to the
end with a solemn blessing which everybody said was well adapted to the occasion.
At
the end of the Eucharist, our attention was directed to a second part of the
celebration - a liturgy of the stomach. The main celebrant at that altar was
Paul Hannon the bursar of the community who, with the assistance of the students,
had made sure food and drink were in abundance. As the brothers and sisters
congregated around that altar they were helped by the rhythm of the music
playing at the background. Some could not resist but shook their body or head
as they went round to get their food. While some tried to indicate their choice
of drink, others chatted to the sound of music and cheers. I wondered how
our neighbors managed to contain the noise produced.
There
was more dancing after the brothers and sisters had had enough. Fortunately
the platform on our water reservoir resisted successfully. At this time 
even
the one or two hobbling on crutches had to forget their pain momentarily and
respond to the music with dancing feet.
Anyhow the evening was nicely spent together. The many comments passed by the brothers and sisters who departed to their various communities all pointed to the fact that the new community was full of promise.
Charles Kwaku Awotwi
Bénédiction de la nouvelle maison
de formation à Nairobi
Le samedi, 17 septembre, la famille Lavigerie (Missionnaires d'Afrique et Sœurs missionnaires de Notre-Dame d'Afrique) et des invités sont venus à Nairobi South C fêter l'heureuse naissance de la Small Formation Community (SFC). 'C'est un rêve, une merveille à nos yeux', a fait remarquer un confrère.
Pour commencer, le P. Don Anderson, Provincial de TanKenSud, préside
la célébration eucharistique. Le P. François Bigeziki,
responsable de la formation, souhaite la bienvenue à chacun, redisant
la raison de notre rencontre. L'homélie du P. Don évoque Abraham
et Sara au chêne de Membré. Il fait la comparaison entre notre
nouvelle maison et la situation de Sara qui, dans son vieil âge, se
met à rire de la promesse d'un enfant. Comment cela se peut-il? De
la même manière, notre communauté est un endroit de croissance
qui portera des fruits spirituels, physiques et intellectuels. L'année
académique à Tangaza ne dure-t-elle pas neuf mois, le temps
d'une grossesse ? Comme Abraham et Sara, nous accueillerons chez nous des
étrangers en qui Dieu se révélera si nous savons être
hospitaliers et leur rendre service.
À la fin de l'Eucharistie, nous rejoignons la salle à manger
pour une deuxième liturgie. Le célébrant principal en
est le P. Paul Hannon, économe de la communauté, assisté
des étudiants qui font le service au rythme d'une musique d'ambiance.
Une soirée dont on se souviendra !
Charles Kwaku Awotwi,
SFC, South C, Nairobi
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