FRIENDS OF SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES

Our community of novices has the postulancy of supervising children under thirteen years of age of our neighbor, most of them are not catholic; our main worry is to contribute to their growing by spiritual and moral formation.

Our motto is: prayer, service, sharing, and entertaining.

We meet every Saturday from 3:30 pm to 4:30 pm. On the days of our meetings friends are very satisfied: they share school lessons and pray. In every meeting, they start with a pray and finish with a different one. This is how we give them space, the opportunity to express themselves and fit within the group.

As group leaders, we are discovering that besides of games and sharing, our friends like to pray a lot. They talk to God as little angels.

To accompany children is a postulancy that requires a great dose of patience, we are sure about it, it is necessary a lot of creativity and imagination for calling their attention, they are more creative than what you might think, in every session they always have the opportunity to share. It is really great and interesting; but despite all the explanations given about San Martin de Porres, they always asked us to see the person of San Martin. San Martin, your friends want to meet you, where are you?

With the children we go to school to guess their wishes, which usually are manifested by craving, crying and silence. We also learn to take time for listening to them, accompany them, get close, understand them and play with them.

After Coronavirus pandemic, many activities have been suspended, including our meetings with our friends. What a pain! We notice on their faces the desire of having our activities back again. Some of them do not express it spontaneously, but how we will be back again with our dear friends, those who like to touch, play freely, and run? With these barrier measures that force us to maintain social distance, washing our hands all the time and wear masks, it is almost impossible to meet. However, they come to the community with a smile on their faces on Sundays to visit us. The most important is that they are doing it right, we wish to meet after this pandemic is over. Oh Coronavirus, when will you come back to your house? Tell us the day to calm our hearts.

THERESE NTUMBA