We sat in the courtyard of the Compassionate Home with only the moon and a smoldering wood fire providing us light. Sr. Rachel, Sr. Rosemary, and I peeled the skin off breadfruit as part of food prep for the children’s next day meal. Being good hosts, the sisters sang Nigerian songs to entertain me. Then, Sr. Rachel said, “Show us your missionary spirit, Nick, and sing for us!” Somehow I mustered the courage to sing “Las Mañanitas”, the Mexican birthday song, in Spanish! As they clapped in amazement, I began to feel like I received a small dose of the Missionary Spirit.
Rachel and Rosemary are members of the Messengers of Justice congregation, founded by Leo Okonkwo, VP of HEAL. The MOJ’s are comprised of brothers and sisters who profess vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in close imitation of Jesus the Lord. They are natives of the region, who learned of Leo’s work with the marginalized orphans and widows and were inspired to join him. The MOJ’s are the primary caretakers and educators of our student residents and have dedicated their lives to their integral human development.
An example of their Missionary Spirit struck me on the first day I arrived at the Home when the children performed a welcoming song for me. If I were on the panel of “America’s Got Talent”, I would have given them a ringing endorsement for a record contract! They integrated dance steps with moving lyrics and a beautiful melody, which I can still hear in my mind’s ear. Since the MOJ missionaries skillfully choreographed this performance, I understood that our children’s intellectual and spiritual development was in good hands.
That missionary spirit of the MOJ’s was contagious and, as my weeklong excursion in Nigeria progressed, I knew that I would be able to proudly represent this mission upon returning home. Leo and his collaborators are truly the “missionary disciples” which Pope Francis encourages all Christians to be.