CHRIST IS INVITATION IS FOR ALL
Makuyu parish has been rich with activities both for the young people and children. In the month of July we began an intense preparation for the young animators in the parish who could take up the challenge to announce Jesus to the young children and fellow youths. Our formation was based on topics which can be used as tools for themselves to become effective apostles among themselves and especially in the Don Bosco’s preventive system of Education. In preparation for the camp which was to be held in August, we therefore made them well informed on the value of interpersonal relationships, animation skills, classroom environment, salesian assistance, prayer, the Word of God, vocational choice which is our main aim of involving young people in the course of evangelization just to name but a few. We also helped them to discover some creative methods of involving the children fully in their field of work through manual activities, creative arts and recreational moments which in return they had to use fully during the camp. We emphasized more on prayer which could help them to run the camp smoothly and to be effective in the field of work as messengers of Christ.
Come August 16th we had more than 120 youth animators who had expressed the desire to animate the camp 2011, and they really took the challenge till the end. The camp lasted for two weeks and it was situated in 7 centers in the parish. ‘COME AND SEE’ was the theme we took at hand as the message proposed to us by the Rector Major to journey in the Salesian family as one. Our main stress in the formation sessions was the Encounter with the person of Jesus through the question of who is Jesus and the desire to know Him; Following Him through the understanding of the demands of following him and transformation; Living in Christ through His Word – the Bible, prayers and Announcing him through love of neighbour, service in the church and charity.
The announcing of Jesus was the climax of all the preparations the young people had received and now they were living out this through good example, words and a strong sense of responsibility. At the end of the camp we believe that they were able to help the children to SEE JESUS.
I am convinced they did it, because on my first visit to one of the centers during the first day of the camp, I asked Malaika children,” have you ever seen Jesus?” they all raised their hands up, and one of them replied, With all innocence “Yes! “I saw him.” And I asked him, “Where?” and he said so happily with all conviction, “going to the market. Another said, “Going to fetch water. This was just the beginning of the camp. But at the end I asked the same children the same question and they could really point at Jesus on the cross on the wall, others could tell that Jesus lives in her friend, in their families and many more answers they gave to show that they had really understood who is Jesus and where he lives. You could see the commitment they had taken to pass this message of love to the small ones through daily formation not forgetting the outdoor activities like games and sports and charity work in which through them the Valdocco experience and the spirit of Mornese could be felt and seen if not touched. This family atmosphere was enhanced by the grouping of the children into families which was identified by four colors or in some places two colors according to the number of children. It also ensured discipline and a high sense of cooperation on the side of all the participants in the camp. The camp ended at different times where we had the Eucharistic celebration. All the 7 centers had their different ways of expressing their gratitude to God. You could be there to see the ‘uniqueness’. As I was visiting all the centers I was moved by this sense of unity, participation and collaboration between the animators and the children. This was what made the camp so enriching and successful. The summit of the Don Bosco holiday camp was on the 3rd of September where all of us sisters and animators had a moment to express our gratitude to each other and the highest form of thanksgiving for us was Mass.
The desire to see Jesus is always in our hearts. We need to constantly ask him to show to us where he lives so that through faith he may open the eyes of our hearts in order to see Him in the events of life and our encounter with one another. Take the challenge to answer to the invitation COME AND SEE and you will know where Christ lives. 

Sr. Sarah Ndung’u