I am David Eyenga. I am 29 years old and originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I was sent to Bolivia in 2021 as a member of the 152nd Salesian Missionary Expedition and am now doing my practical training in the Kami community.
In general, Bolivia is a Christian country where people are open to others. On a more particular level, depending on the departments, it is a country rich in cultural diversity, which means that in each province or department, there is its own way of relating to others, especially in terms of hospitality, meals, dances, and other local affairs. In other words, I can say that each department has its own mentality about certain things, at all levels.
As the first African Salesian missionary in Bolivia (together with Rolphe Paterne Mouanga, a missionary in Santa Cruz), my experience so far has been positive, and especially marked by the joy associated with welcoming the brethren of the province. This means that I am very well received and lovingly accepted by the local brethren and the missionaries with whom I am already sharing life.
Indeed, the decline in vocations across the country, and specifically among Salesians, remains a major challenge. There are many young people, but they do not feel ready to serve God as religious in the Church. In fact, they prefer to serve the Church, but in a different way.
Since I have been in Bolivia, I have lived in two departments, Chuquisaca and Cochabamba. The openness of some young people and lay people toward others, foreigners, changes a lot from one department to another. Those who live in the city, for example, have the capacity to accept and live with others, even if there is no lack of curiosity and cultural reticence. Those, instead, who still live in somewhat peripheral areas, and especially those who have never had the opportunity to live with a foreigner, have a certain reticence toward them in the early days, but as they get used to it, they become very open. It is a process that requires a lot of patience.
I currently live in a village that connects several mining areas, where the population is welcoming, although the Catholic faithful participate little in the various liturgical activities. As for the young people, they would rather work in the mines to earn some money than come to Mass or serve in the parish.
In closing, I am thrilled with my missionary experience in Bolivia as an African Salesian, and I intend to always implore God to foster vocations to answer His call in this South American land.
