HEAL Blog
Welcome! Here we will post news and highlight the faces, needs, and services of HEAL.Networking in New York
Being president of a new organization means seizing any opportunity that presents itself. A dear friend of mine, Juliana, an activist on behalf of persecuted Assyrian Christians, invited me to a media event in New York last Thursday. So, I booked a flight for...
Notre Dame Graduates Impress
Graduates at the ceremony in Bafang, Cameroon, June 3. “Really great!” “Whose handiwork is this?” “Could these be our children? These were the comments of the people of the Bafang Diocese in Cameroon at the graduation ceremony of the Notre Dame Primary School students...
Leo Knows the Power of Your Prayers
As President of HEAL, I've learned over the last two years that prayer is primary in our mission. In Leo’s two visits to Chicago, when he stayed with me, I noticed how he got up early each morning for his own meditative prayer. We also attended Mass every day so...
Whose Ministry Was I Following, Anyway?
It’s been almost two years since I took on the role of HEAL president. I have been abundantly blessed to be a part of this mission that God gave to HEAL founder Leo Okonkwo over 30 years ago. I’ve often thought about whether I’m subordinating my own sense of life...
We Need to Enter the Internet World
Communication is critically important to the proper functioning of our mission. Leo and I speak on the phone twice a week to decide what we need to do and how to do it. Since HEAL was founded, this has been our primary means of communication after email. But, we are...
Christ’s Miracles Were Not Appreciated, Either
Given the missionary challenges facing the Messengers of Justice (MOJ), we attended a workshop, “Integration Challenges facing Missionaries in Diocese of Bafang, Cameroon”, on the Tuesday after Easter. It was not just an intellectual harvest, but also a profoundly...
A Journey of Faith into the Mission
My journey into this noble congregation, the Messengers of Justice, started three years ago on May 20, 2013. It was a “journey” of faith because I did not understand many things, initially, especially the teaching of our founder that we had to embrace suffering as...
Progress by Poultry!
Have you ever experienced that sense of relief that comes after you've helped a loved one find their way out of debt, unemployment, or poverty? Maybe you felt it after your son or daughter graduated from college and got employed; finally, you didn't have to worry...
As Jesus Gives, So Do We!
We read in Paul’s letter to the Corinthians, “for whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.” His life becomes our life and we become members of each other. Paul’s question, “…is not the bread that we break a...
A Child Prodigy!
Franklin Dikenta is a 12-year-old boy, born on July 14, 2002. His family lives in deplorable poverty in one of the remotest villages of Imo State. Lacking stable employment, Franklin’s father earned money by transporting people on his motorbike. His mother worked by...