Ecuador - Sara, mission in Papua New Guinea: "God never ceases to surprise us"

29 November 2018

(ANS - Cuenca) - In January 2019, Sara Soto, a 24 year old Ecuadorian, shall embark on a long journey from her country to Papua New Guinea to fulfill one of her great dreams: to be a missionary ad gentes. Although she never imagined that her mission destination would be so far away (15 hours difference from Ecuador), she is happy because she will have the opportunity to bring the joy of the Gospel "to the other side of the world".

"God never ceases to surprise us and for me it was a surprise, but at the same time I welcomed it as a great challenge. He sends us where He knows we can respond and I am sure everything will be fine because He will be with me," comments this young woman from Cuenca, who has been participating in the catechesis and the life of the Salesian parish center dedicated to Mary Help of Christians since she was 14.

The missionary vocation of this young woman was initially forged by her friend Juan Méndez, who made her fall in love with this activity with his testimonies. "He told me about the oratory, that the children of the institute were very devoted, of his experience as an educator ... I absolutely wanted to experience these things in the first person," she explains.

Sara still remembers that the first time she wanted to go on a mission her father did not want to allow her. Then she told him: "if you do not want to let me go, come with me," and so they did. From that moment on, Sara strengthened her relationship with her father. They worked together in the same project and the family became ever more constant in the search for service to and for others.

Sara carried out her period of national voluntary service by going to Quito, at the Child Jesus Institute in Prague. There she was able to visit a community of people suffering from Hansen's disease, and this strengthened her commitment to helping vulnerable groups. "The visits to a community where people living with leprosy were something really beautiful, because you learn so much from the people who need so much."

"One of the challenges," she concludes, "will be to adapt to the local culture and teach English, an activity I've never done before." Sara also hopes to contribute to the mission through her professional skills as a graphic designer: as a matter of fact, when she started that training course, she wanted to be able to put her talents at the Congregation's disposal one day. And now that day has arrived.

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ANS - “Agenzia iNfo Salesiana” is a on-line almost daily publication, the communication agency of the Salesian Congregation enrolled in the Press Register of the Tibunal of Rome as n 153/2007.

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