The Change I Look For In The World Begins With Me

Magdalene Musau rsm

I am Magdalene Musau from the Sisters of Mercy, Kenyan Province.

In 2006 I began thinking of how I needed to impact and influence the community I had served since the first time I set my foot in St. Bakhita’s Primary School.  I began to notice the children I had taught were now returning as professionals – some as teachers of course.

I then knew that it was time for me to move on to a new ministry as I had served here for 11 years.  I was aware of the legacy I was leaving in the teaching career.  I also began to notice the young adults faced another challenge as they themselves were becoming parents.  I wanted to play a role in supporting them and others heal and be more conscious in their parenting in order to reduce the pain in the world albeit by one individual.  These children had given me much to be grateful for – they had helped me come back to myself and to find my next direction in life.

As we engage in our personal work, we change.   My willingness to be changed, being willing to say Yes to everything helped me make my healing intention real by using myself as an instrument of change.  This work is on-going as I need to keep my heart open to what God reveals at each moment.

I am presently working in Chemchemi ya Uzima (Springs of Life) Centre in Nairobi.  This is a centre with students from over ten nationalities of the world at any given year.  The centre has three programmes: Sabbatical, Formation and Catechesis.

Sr. Magdalene teaching 2018 sabbatical class

My work involves teaching, facilitating therapeutic groups and offering individual sessions both within and sometimes outside the centre.

Anyone who has ever worked in the sacristy knows the effort, time and concentration it takes to shine the oxidised vessels.  As life happens we pick unnecessary oxidation and this makes us lose touch of our preciousness.  I see my work as being used in subtle ways to remind others of their own value, worth and engaging in ways that help to polish all that prevents us from seeing this in ourselves and others.

Students getting revitalised

The highlights of this work are most visible and satisfying when I see how the students who are worn out, stressed and sometimes at the verge of giving up, leave the centre full of life and motivated to go back to serve in their ministries.  They appreciate the work happening at the centre and as a member of the staff, this feels like a real Mercy ministry of giving hope.

This is pure privilege to be able to be present in this way to men and women who give their whole lives to serving the poor and underprivileged in society.

Magdalene with some past graduates

Magdalene Musau rsm
Kenyan Province