Can you introduce yourself?
I am Emmanuel De Marie Musa Mbwisha, a Congolese Salesian, born in Kalemie in the province of Tanganyika, in the southeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, belonging to the Central African Province (AFC) and now in North Argentina (ARN) since January 2022.
What made you choose to become a missionary?
Like the first Salesian missionaries who brought the charism to Congo, I too would like to go elsewhere to carry on the story of St John Bosco.
Do you have any fears or concerns about the new place, culture and people?
Apart from culture, climate, etc. the most important thing for me is the people, because that's where you get sent. I am very happy to have met my first mission land, people (confreres, young people and lay collaborators) in Argentina, especially in Formosa, who welcomed me with open arms and offered me an important place not only in their land, but also in their hearts.
How did family, friends, and confreres react when you told them about your missionary vocation?
Faced with the different reactions of family, friends and confreres, I received much encouragement and promises of prayer for my vocation.
What are your plans and dreams for missionary life?
The only project for my missionary life is to be a real part of the new world and to be of service to those to whom we are sent.
Do you have some great missionary role models in mind that you want to follow the lifestyle of?
The Missionaries of Africa who evangelised my diocese (Kalemie-Kirungu) and in particular those who worked in my parish had a great impact on my childhood. Seeing these missionaries, mostly Belgian and French, speak and officiate at liturgical celebrations in the local language, Swahili, in addition to their dedication and apostolic zeal, was certainly an example of regular missionary life. I am also in love with this famous missionary who abandoned everything to become a hermit and go to live in the Sahara desert with the Tuareg; for me, Saint Charles de Foucauld is a model who was able to abandon himself to the will of God, as he himself said: "My Father, I abandon myself to you, do with me what you want."
What is your message to young people about choosing a missionary vocation?
My message to young people is to be missionaries of peace wherever you are, starting from your home. In the face of racial, social and religious discrimination and the inter-ethnic and inter-communal conflicts that prevail in society, be those who bring the new impetus we all need to make our society a non-dehumanising humanity. Don't be afraid to reach out to others and show them that despite our diversity, we are not that different!
