VOCATION 'LORD WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE ME DO?' 'Have the courage to live the Gospel and the audacity to proclaim it.' Benedict XVI Message to the youth of the world - July 2007   How can I tell if Jesus is calling me to follow him?

God's call can be heard in many different ways. It could be suddenly, like St Paul; but most often it is by a series of material promptings I discover in my prayer, through meeting someone, an event that throws me, a testimony… Something happens in me, and a question endures: 'Why not me?' This occurs even if I protest, even if I feel resistance. Bible accounts give us quite a few examples; Jesus comes close to a person in who they are, in what they live, to propose to them to go further. A call is never a flight, but on the contrary 'a step further' a 'sailing out into the deep'. It goes along with a mission to accomplish for the sake of Christ.

Who decides?
	God calls me, but the response is mine. It is always an invitation: 'If you wish.' It is an invitation addressed to my freedom. I can hesitate, I can refuse. God waits for my free, matured response; It is always an adventure in faith, trusting in the Word of God.
'LORD, WHERE WOULD YOU HAVE ME GO?' 'The missionary is the 'universal brother' He goes over borders and above divisions of race, caste or ideology: he is the sign of God's love in the world, That is to say, love without exclusion or preference.' John Paul II Redemptoris Missio   How can I tell if Jesus is calling me to become a missionary?
	The missionary vocation is one among many. Jesus calls men and women to bring the Good News over any border, even those of one's own country and the boundaries of the heart. Jesus puts into my heart the desire to love every person, no matter whom, No matter their race, religion or social standing… He invites me to love, as he does, with a universal love. If feel drawn to go to those who do not yet know Jesus, So that they may meet him and become attached to him. This may also be an attraction to go towards those who suffer, Or the desire to place myself at the service of the poorest and work for a more just world. Even though I am at home here in my family, with my friends, and in activities I enjoy, I am prepared to set off far from here. I am sure that Jesus is waiting for me wherever I will be sent. And that he will give me a new home with people I will come to love. I want to go out and meet them in a mutual sharing; I am ready to let myself be evangelised by my sisters and brothers in our common humanity, by sharing with them the One who gives me life, Jesus Christ, the source of my joy.
How can I tell if Jesus is calling me to become ...................................................................a Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa?
	The call to become a Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa can be heard in many different ways. I may have been drawn to Africa some time ago; I may have visited it and returned 'smitten'! Meeting a missionary, A passage from the Gospel may have invited me to proclaim Jesus far and wide; A particular interest in Islam-Christian dialogue; Involvement with immigrants in my own country; All of this set me off towards others and more especially towards Africans. Openness to others is important for me Because it enriches my way of seeing the world and understanding the Gospel. In this way, I hope to live in an intercultural religious community with Sisters from other cultures and countries. It may also be the spirituality of St Ignatius of Loyola that attracts me. I was introduced to it during a retreat or I was part of an Ignatian movement, and I would like this missionary spirituality to help me shape my lifetime with Jesus. A dual invitation echoes in my life: 'Follow me' and 'Go, leave your country for the country that I will show you.' This call gives me joy and vitality. I want to respond to it in joining other young people, who, like me, choose to give their lives to Christ for the mission in Africa.
Where do I get information?
	If you wish to know more about the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Africa, We invite you to get in touch with: FRANCE Sœurs Missionnaires de Notre-Dame d'Afrique Sister Cécile Dilé Communauté d'accueil des jeunes 26 rue Gay Lussac 75005 Paris Tél : 01 43 54 48 93 - de l'étranger ** (33) 1 43 54 48 93 Cell : n° 06 48 63 89 41 From abroad ** (33) 6 48 63 89 41 Email : jeunes.smnda@orange.fr SUISSE : Sister Bibiane Cattin Route de la Vignettaz 48 A CH-1700 Fribourg tél : (026) 424 42 35 Email : bibianecattin@yahoo.fr BELGIQUE : Sister Monique Bonami Place Victor Horta 77 1348 Louvain-La-Neuve tél : (010) 45 79 99 Email : moniquebonami@hotmail.com