The
time has come to write something about my trip to the United States of
America. It took a long time to get
there in terms of miles and days. It was time really well spent. During this
journey I took the opportunity that was given to me to learn English, or in
other words, American English.
Every year our SCJ confreres suggest two places for
those of us who are from the Democratic Republic of Congo. I’m Italian, I know, but for our Religious
Congregation, I belong to the Congolese SCJ Province. The other Congolese
confrere was stopped to his work, and so, I was alone. One possibility was to
stay three months in their English as a Second Language School. Therefore, I
was sent for an adventure in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
I know I’m not a teenager, but there isn’t a time
limit on learning something new. I
sincerely liked being a student and taking a break from everyday
responsibilities. I studied English in secondary school, and I didn’t do very
well. However, after this course, along
with practice, I can manage a simple conversation if it doesn’t get too
complicated.
Initially,
there were some difficulties when I began my journey. I had to stop in Brussels for 15 days to secure
my Visa so that I could enter the United States.
It
was a difficult experience, but it also gave me a good opportunity to meet and
get to know our Polish confrere, Father Ladis.
A long time ago, he was a missionary in Babonde, and everyone had good
memories of him.
In fact, in Hales Corners where our community is
located, I knew another American confrere who was also in Babonde in the
eighties, Father Charles. I saw a lot of
photographs from those years, and I could identify many young faces who are now
adults. Together we were able to share memories about Babonde, both present and
past. Unfortunately, some things are
exactly the same: the streets, the
houses, and the way of life. The only progress we could perhaps find was the
new political system in the young and fragile democracy and the new
consciousness. The young people are more educated and aren’t willing to return to the
traditional system of dictatorship.
There
was a nice SCJ community in Hales Corners, as well as a fantastic teaching
staff that made our stay worthwhile and delightful.
I
made some observations which gave me an idea of the American lifestyle, the
everyday problems they face, and their view of the outside world.
I saw
the Chicago skyscrapers and admired the technology and the professionalism in
various jobs and activities.
I
went into private homes, churches, museums, parks and fairs. We talked about politics, as the United
States was in the midst of the electoral campaign between Donald Trump and
Hillary Clinton. We discussed food,
entertainment, faith and countless controversial issues.
For
me, seeing how people study, work, pray, and travel really captured my
attention.
When
all is said and done, the human soul, the very substance of man, is the same
everywhere. However, the modality in
which this human soul expresses itself often brings differences in every
culture: European, African, North
American, and so on.
Whenever
I talk about my trip or show photos to my friends in Babonde, I receive
numerous questions asking for new explanations.
There are exclamations of wonderment, amazement or just plain astounded
silence. It is difficult for them to understand what they are really seeing or
hearing for the first time.
I
have returned to Babonde. Some feared
that if I learned English, I would have to go to a new mission. If it is God’s will, and with great joy on my part, I will stay in Babonde for now – until the
congregation asks me to go elsewhere.
What
will I do with this experience and the English I learned? At this time, we formed a small cultural
group with the English teachers from the Babonde secondary schools.
This
way, we will all practice using what we already know about the English language
and help each other improve.
Finally,
every time we travel, we become open-minded and acquire new points of
view. As I move ahead, I look forward to
whatever else will happen as a result of the both old and new experiences. I want to take advantage of all that I’ve
learned. I hope it will be a
long-lasting and profound influence on my life.
