HEAL educates about 300 poor children in our “Mother Enabler” mission schools in the villages of Umuagwu, Mbaise, and Kabba in Southeast Nigeria. Without HEAL, the prospects for a Catholic education for these children would be slim to none. On Ash Wednesday, in Mbaise, Mass was celebrated by a local priest, Father Joe, who has partnered with us through Deacon Leo’s invitation. Fr. Joe has been a great blessing to our children and the MOJ’s.
Teaching children the value and power of prayer is top priority for the MOJ’s. Reliance on God’s providence in circumstances of extreme scarcity and want is a necessity. I remember last Lent, when I was in Cameroon visiting the mission, how the MOJ’s conducted their common prayer in the chapel. I witnessed such great devotion as the sisters and brothers raised their hearts and minds to God in prayerful song and reading of God’s Word.
This priority and love of prayer is being handed onto the poor and marginalized children of our schools. After all, the core of our mission is the SPIRITUAL formation of these children to become “servant leaders” as Jesus teaches us in Matthew 20:28. In Nigeria, servant leaders are needed in the culture at large so that true human development can be achieved. Currently, far too many public officials put their own financial gain ahead of the development of the people.
Please pray for HEAL as we work to instill the way of our Lord into the neglected and forgotten children of Nigeria so that they one day will rise to truly lead their country toward authentic progress.