Can you introduce yourself?
My name is Mario Alberto Jiménez Flores, I am a Salesian of Don Bosco. I belong to the Christ the King and Mary Help of Christians Province of Mexico-Guadalajara (MEG). I am 33 years old and I am from Tijuana, Mexico.
What inspired you to choose to become a missionary?
I have always had a desire to serve and to do so in a way that takes me out of my comfort zone, enhance the qualities God has given me, and mitigate my shortcomings. Coming from a city with many social problems such as drug trafficking, emigration and drug addiction, and seeing how the Salesians worked for these people, my heart did not remain unmoved, but I wanted to serve other young people in other parts of the world as a Salesian and within this vocation.
Are you happy with where you are going? Do you have any fears about the new place, culture and people?
I was sent to South Sudan, an obedience that excites me a lot. I think it is always a challenge and there is a little bit of fear in being in a new place. There is the process of adaptation, the relationship with locals, with young people, getting to know and appreciate customs, etc.
How did your family, friends and companions react when you told them about your missionary vocation?
The reaction of some of my family and friends was surprising, because they wondered why I had to leave the country. This question is normal, because my family and friends live and attend the Don Bosco oratory in my city and know many Salesians. They dream of seeing me one day at the helm of the oratory, but they understand that the Salesian world is very large and that I have made myself available to serve in other parts of the world.
What are your plans and dreams for your missionary life?
My only desire is to love and serve, this is my dream. Because, loving, the heart does not stand still and moves in service. Love drives me to know and value people in their culture. It can only be this: love and service.
Do you have models of great missionaries whose style and life you would like to follow?
I have as models two Salesian missionaries: one is Salesian Fr Alberto Maria De Agostini, cartographer and missionary in South America. He balanced his passion for photography, putting his knowledge at the service of the mission, with his work defending the native populations of those regions. And the other is Fr Luis (Luigi) Bolla. I am inspired by his dedication to the peoples of the Amazon... he lived with them, he was among them for so many years, until the end of his life, and this is something inspiring.
What is your message to young people about missionary choice and vocation?
Dig deeper, discern in your heart the call that God is making. It all comes down to the ability to love. Here we are talking about the missionary vocation, but wherever we are, as Salesian missionaries, at work or in the family, we must ask ourselves: is this the place where I can love and serve freely? And if you discover the place where you can love, even if there is fear, go ahead courageously because our trust is in God.
