This is one of the questions that, as a missionary in Togo, I continually ask myself when I see the reality of poverty and suffering which the people around me face.
I share the challenges and sadness that the young people go through and I see how far away we are from the new world we dream of in the middle of injustice, corruption and division.
In prayer God tells me that this new world begins with the transformation of each human heart. I prepare formation for the youth with this certainty in my heart, as well as weekends for those who want to experience a new world in them and among us all. It’s also my motivation when I share with the students on campus.
When you see the change in the young people after one of these weekends you start to believe that a new world is possible.
When you listen to a seventeen year old girl saying:
“My life is invaluable. Although others tell me that I am nobody, I know it is a lie, because I am worth a lot to Someone. He loves me and has given me many capacities which I can offer to others”
…or when you hear that another girl returned home and explained to her mother that she can’t go on without talking to family members, even if they have hurt her a lot, because you can’t be happy with hate.
When you see boys begin to believe in friendship or to appreciate their uncles’ love in taking care of them after their mother abandoned them…
When you see the joy of living and fighting in these young people in an unjust, corrupt society that does not offer them job opportunities, you realize that the world we live in can change. Change comes from the heart and from a desire to live when we feel loved, valued and needed.
Gema Garcia
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