Hi Marko! Could you please introduce yourself…
Hi! My name is Marko and I am 24 years old, I come from Croatia, more precisely from Zagreb. In the family I only have a twin brother named Luka. Since I was a child, football has been my passion; I trained for 13 years. Immediately after finishing classical high school, at the age of 19 I entered the Salesian community.
What inspired you to choose to become a missionary?
For me it is more about "who" inspired me to make this choice. In the first place is Jesus himself who called me and is waiting for me on my mission land among the poor and marginalised. Then there are some missionaries, among the many names I focus on three: Callistus Caravario, Vincent Cimatti and Sister Clare Crockett. Their example of life and the texts I read about them increased that missionary fire in my heart that Jesus had already put in me.
Are you happy with where you are going? Do you have any fears or concerns about the new place, culture and people?
I am very happy to go to Mongolia. Since I began to discern the missionary vocation I wanted to go to Asia, so I am happy. Some fears are, of course, particularly linked to relationships: how to enter into a relationship and how to maintain it.
How did your family members, friends and confreres react when you told them about your missionary vocation?
At the beginning they were not very happy, because it is quite difficult to understand with human reason alone why one wants to make this choice of life: to leave one's country, friends, family, culture... But with prayer and patience the situation is improving and now they are much calmer.
What are your plans and dreams for your missionary life?
My first dream is to learn the language well and inculturate properly in the new context. I intend to place myself at the service of poor street children who do not have family or a friend who can show them how much they are loved and how many beautiful things they carry in their hearts.
Do you have some great missionary role models in mind whose lifestyle you want to follow?
Apart from those three names already mentioned above, I particularly like the style of Fr Luis Bolla, because without fear and with courage he knew how to enter into a new culture, becoming a fully-fledged new member of the people he served.
What is your message to young people about missionary choice and vocation?
My message to young people is "entrust yourselves into the hands of Jesus". We often link the Christian life in general, but especially vocation, to suffering, melancholy, sadness. No! Jesus wants us to be happy, he wants you to be happy In fact, without Jesus, there is no happiness.
