“real and notional assent”
On Sunday, August 4, 2024, during a Eucharist celebration, our two young TALL Filipino missionaries, Karl Welkins Morgia and Von Dela Torre, bade an emotional goodbye to the worshiping community with whom they had journeyed for the past 4 years.
Their journey to Kenya was set to begin 2 hours after Mass. It feels like just yesterday when both Karl and Von joined the Formation program here in Iloilo. It seemed like a distant dream when we first spoke to them about leaving home and family to go to a foreign land. Fr. Henry Peeters, MHM used to talk about “real and notional assent” in our early days of formation. The notional assent was over, and now it was time for them to experience in reality what they had been preparing for. They would have to learn, in a way, to give up being Filipinos and embrace being Kenyans, especially when it comes to the food and way of life.
When one thinks about this, it takes great courage and faith to make this step, and this applies to everyone who embarks on this missionary journey. It’s hard to imagine that Karl and Von have only known the Filipino ways – the culture, the food, the weather, etc., and now they have to transition to something completely new and unfamiliar. At the same time, this is the most beautiful part of the mission. Although we leave our homes in fear of the unknown, we soon realize after a few days that the Lord of the Missions has prepared the way and level the mountains for us. Eventually, we come to realize that the once frightening unknown land has become home.
“go and make disciples of all nations”
For Karl and Von, this is their first time leaving the Philippines, their first time flying, and their first time traveling to Africa. We want to thank Karl and Von for their courage to say “Yes!” to Jesus’ call to “go and make disciples of all nations.” After Mass last Sunday, it was evident that they will miss their friends, loved ones, family members, and the other students, (not really their formators) as well as the young people and the altar servers they have been working with while at the Formation house. Karl and Von were a great inspiration to the community here, and we wish them all of God’s blessings in their next stage of formation.
Fr. Tony Emeka MHM
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