From 19 to 23 July, the community of Koudougou, Vice-province of Burkina Faso, hosted a camp for aspiring Daughters of the Holy Spirit. The theme of the camp was “Aspiring Daughters of the Holy Spirit, be salt and light in your environment”.
We were lucky enough to welcome twenty-two happy and fulfilled girls from four of the country’s dioceses. (12 from the Diocese of Diébougou, one from the Diocese of Manga, 7 from the Archdiocese of Ouagadougou and 2 from the Diocese of Koudougou).
With the aim of human, moral and spiritual formation, the girls’ companions simply shared their experiences of Christian-Catholic prayer, while looking after the community through work in the fields.
In her speech, Sister Clémentine encouraged the girls reminding them that every Christian is called to radiate the joy and love of Christ. She stressed the importance of daily nourishment from the Word of God and of taking charge of one’s prayer life, so that the light does not fade and the salt does not become stale. As most of the girls were teenagers, Sister Clémentine encouraged them to look after their health responsibly. Sister Odette, with her lively motivation, presented the Congregation, insisting on what makes our unity: love of God and of others. Sister Edith then spoke about the different ways of praying to God. Prayer, which has many aspects, is above all a marvellous gift from the Lord; we cannot pray without being in relationship with a person on whom we depend: God. When we pray, our prayer must be part of a search for his will through the events that happen to us -there is therefore a difference between Christian prayer and that of the animist, who prays to try to influence nature, events and God-.
We ended the day with the film “The Sound of Music”, which is part of the discernment process.
The 23rd was devoted to recollection, followed by a questionnaire to guide the afternoon’s activities. A Eucharistic celebration of thanksgiving for the smooth running of the camp brought the day to a close, followed by a cultural evening during which the girls entertained us with dance, ballet and theatre, bringing the joy of the meeting to a close.
May the Lord give rise to many calls for his mission!
Sister Edith YAMEOGO, DHS. Published on 26 July 2023
