POPE HEAR US

 

As Pope Francis visits the region I would like to share this wonderful booklet produced for the occasion. 12 testimonies of great people who happen to be in exile and carry the label "refugee." I know personally some of them from my time in Kakuma refugee camp before I came to South Sudan. 

I hope you will enjoy their stories:
https://jrsea.org/assets/Publications/File/PUBLIC2-PontifexHearUs-Booklet-web.pdf

JRS - 35 YEARS

Today 14th November 2015 JRS celebrates 35 years. 

 

After having worked with JRS for some years in Liberia, Nogales (USA-México border), Kakuma (Kenya) and now Maban (South Sudan), today I went back to this beautiful prayer attributed to Fr. Pedro Arrupe, the founder of JRS:

"Nothing is more practical than finding God,
than falling in Love in a quite absolute, final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.
It will decide what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekends,
what you read, whom you know,
what breaks your hear,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in Love, stay in love,
and it will decide everything."

And it dawned on me:

Indeed, I have really found God in the forcibly displaced,
I am really in Love with JRS in a quite absolute and final way
in that it helps me to live out my vocation as a follower of Jesus, as a Jesuit.
My imagination is full of faces - both joyful and sad - of displaced people,
I get out of bed because of the displaced,
in the evenings I prepare things to serve them better the following day,
Over the weekends I celebrate mass with them,
I read about them, I know so many of them by their name,
It breaks my heart when I witness once more women and children having to run away from home,
I wonder in amazement at the joy and hope they share with me.

Yes, I think I am madly in love and I shall stay in love with God, a displaced God.
It has decided everything in my life.

 Thank you JRS for making it possible.

Nothing is more practical than
finding God, than
falling in Love
in a quite absolute, final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination, will affect everything.
It will decide
what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekends,
what you read, whom you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in Love, stay in love,
and it will decide everything. - See more at: http://www.ignatianspirituality.com/ignatian-prayer/prayers-by-st-ignatius-and-others/fall-in-love#sthash.rqoXc1kb.dpuf

VICTIMS OF MISRULE AND INDIFFERENCE - VÍCTIMES DEL DESGOVERN I LA INDIFERÈNCIA

ENG

CAS

CAT

EUROPA DESPERTA

CAT
Finalment Europa desperta al drama humà de milions de persones refugiades arreu del món, ara que truquen a la porta amb imatges brutals.

Endavant companys, cal anar més lluny, ara és l'hora favorable ara és el temps de la solidaritat i l'acollida incondicional.(2 Cor 6,2)

Aquí podeu trobar un article que en Santi Torres i jo vàrem escriure al Juliol i surt publicat en el moment oportú.
https://www.cristianismeijusticia.net/files/PDF/papct229.pdf

CAS
Finalmente Europa despierta al drama humano de millones de personas refugiadas esparcidas por el mundo entero. Ahora llaman a la puerta, se mueren en las playas cercanas, se suben a los trenes en dirección a nuestras ciudades.

Adelante compañeros. Hay que ir a todas, ahora és el momento oportuno, ahora és el tiempo de la solidaridad y la acogida incondicional. (2 Cor 6,2)

Aquí podeis leer un articulo que Santi Torres y yo escribimos en Julio y se acaba de publicar.
https://www.cristianismeijusticia.net/files/papes229.pdf

ENG
Finally Europe is opening its eyes and its heart to the human drama of millions of refugees around the world. Now they are at the doorsteps, they die in nearby beaches.

Yes, go further, do not give up, the time has come for a true solidarity, this is the day for you to offer an unconditional hospitality (2 Cor 6:2).

Here you can read and article that Santi Torres and I wrote last July but has just been published at the right time.
https://www.cristianismeijusticia.net/files/papen3.pdf

LEILA - VIDEO 2

Find here a wondeful second video shot here in Maban.

http://en.jrs.net/campaign_detail?TN=PROJECT-20150727092010

Segundo video con subtítulos castellanos:

https://youtu.be/bQXbF2FeFB8

Leila's daughter studying after school _Andy Ash

LEILA - VIDEO 1

Leila, Gendrassa Refugee Camp, Maban_credit: Andy Ash

ENG
I would like to share with you the story of Leila and her wonderful testimony as a teacher in Gendrassa refugee camp.

Here you have a great video produced by JRS with the support of Entreculturas.
http://en.jrs.net/campaign_detail?TN=PROJECT-20150728055930

Enjoy it

CAS
Algunos de vosotros, en mi paso por Barcelona y Madrid, me oísteis hablar de Leia, una profesora en el campo de refugiados de Gendrassa.

Aquí teneis un gran video producido por el JRS con el apoyo de Entreculturas. Ojalá os acerca un poco más a nuestro día a día.

http://es.jrs.net/campana_detalle?TN=PROJECT-20150728055930

A disfrutarlo

LEILA

Leila with her family in Gendrassa refugee camp_credit: Andy Ash

Leila is a 27-year-old mother of four children. At the age of 23 she fled bombing in her home of Blue Nile, Sudan, journeying for one month with three children while pregnant with the fourth. When her and her family reached Maban county, South Sudan they settled, seeking refuge alongside 130,000 others. One day she hopes to bring her children home but for now she is working as a teacher in a primary school and ensuring her children receive the education they need to succeed in life.

When asked what she missed the most from home, she replied, "I miss home and some of my relatives like my aunts, my uncles and my colleagues who are at home. I miss them so much and I need to see them again."

Leila and her family are proof that despite miles and tragedy, family is cherished by all.

JRS EA (Angela Wells)

CROSSROADS OF DISPLACEMENT

 Recent update on Maban

"Maban was in the past heavily affect by conflict, framed as a religious war of an oppressive Muslim regime versus the Christian population. Today members of both groups are laying the foundation for a united future." 

Read the full article here: http://www.jrsea.org/campaign_detail?PTN=&TN=PROJECT-20150520010652

A man mudding his hut in preparation for the rainy season. Gendrassa refugee camp. Credit: Andy Ash