Together with a group of young people of The Work of the Church we have had the grace this summer to visit the mission that this Institution is carrying out in Malabo (Equatorial Guinea) in order to get a close look at the reality of this recent foundation.
As young people, we have dedicated ourselves mainly to the children and other youngsters who actively participate in the parish gatherings. The main activity of the season was the summer camp, where we acted as counselor teams, preparing activities and accompanying different groups or units.
During those days, the children themselves talked about God among themselves and praised Him with songs. We were struck by the thirst for God shown even by the youngest ones: they all wanted to hear about Jesus, Mary and the Church, and they ran to ask us questions to fill themselves with the Lord.
Furthermore, afterwards they could be seen in the parish spending long periods in prayer without getting distracted or tired, just loving Jesus and receiving His grace.
Likewise, several other activities were organized like day trips to spend the day surrounded by creation, games in the parish and spiritual activities such as the holy rosary, adoration, talks and Holy Mass, where we encountered the Lord and received Him together.
During those days we also visited the elderly in a nursing home, the children in an orphanage and several families in the neighborhood.
All these people taught us the value of humility, joy, austerity and gratitude, for they always smiled with simplicity and offered us the little they had.
In the end, we who went to give, came back fuller than when we left, since God used those encounters to fill us with the love that they transmitted to us.
Finally, we had the grace to visit Archbishop Juan Nsue. He reminded us of the great need to go and help the Church and the foundation there in Malabo, asking us that, little by little, more people should go there to consolidate this mission. He also shared with us his union and affection for Mother Trinidad, and asked us for help through our prayer and invited those who have the possibility to go and visit the mission.
These days have been–truly–a time of grace, a gift from the Lord.
In Malabo people smile, look and express themselves differently, because they live with a spirit of profound joy and gratitude to God for what they have and receive. They have been and are a wonderful example of how many of the things the world offers are not necessary in order to live: to be with God alone, and to walk hand in hand with the Virgin Mary, this is what makes one truly happy.
A youth group from the work of the church