The Vocatin Story of Yawalele Pius

By Asp. Yawalele Pius

Port Moresby, PNG, 1 November 2017 -- The plane elevated from Gurney airport, circled twice, then headed in the direction of Port Moresby. All the passengers on board were travelling except for me; I was “FLYING”.

Sanderson Bay came into view below and the Owen Stanley ranges stretched out in heaps of endless Blue Mountains towards Central Province. There were times as I recalled, when the so called MBA (Milne Bay Air) was rendering air service on Good Enough Island. The planes would come to the Island every Sunday morning. I was still a small boy, then. When the plane comes, we (the children) would run out into open spaces or clearing, or run out of the house if we were inside and watch the plane until it disappears into the sky, or, goes to land at Vivigani Airstrip. When on our way to the river to bathe for Sunday school or Mass, we would wish that the pilot should see us and come to take us. Sometimes we would sit by the fire in the evening and dream of traveling on aeroplanes one day. Some years went by, and there my wish came true, or was it a dream. It was my first time to travel by plane.

But how did this whole sequence begin?

I now live at the Savio Haus aspirantate in Bomana doing my Religious Studies (RS-1). Despite the many challenges and setbacks as any person can experience, I want to give of my best in any way possible.

I am from Good Enough Island, Milne Bay Province. There are six of us in the family. One girl and the rest are boys. I am the second child, the eldest being my sister. My parents were married in 1990 and I was born four years later.

The whole of my life was spent on the Good Enough Island since my birth to the time I graduated from Grade 12 at Santa Maria Secondary School, Watuluma, in 2014. During my school days, when I received my end of term report, the comments would be: “A quiet person.” Indeed, it was all too true about me. In all the twelve years at school, I can say with certainty that I had asked less than ten questions, not to mention the questions I answered because I rarely answer questions during class. I only did my tests and assignments.

My first encounter with the Salesians was not by vocation promotion talk, but by the movie of Don Bosco that I watched after I graduated from Grade10. Religious life was not my dream and I never thought of becoming a priest.

But one day when the Lord touched my life, and my world turned upside down. After my grade twelve, there was no offer for me and I was not accepted in any institution I applied to. So I stayed back home. Formal education for me was over and it was time to substitute the biro (pen) with the spade; and book with soil. Nothing mattered most than adapting to village life and living as a village person. It wasn’t that bad, it was only a matter of adjusting the sails to go with the wind.

Then, one day I requested Sr. Shanty, an MSI sister from India and with the help of Sr. Rita MSI, I was able to meet Fr. Pedro, a Salesian priest at Alotau. Then in 2016, under the guidance of my parish priest, Fr. Robert, I went to Rabaul.

If the Lord calls me to live this life, I wish no more than do what he intends me to do. I want to see many young people fulfilling their dreams following Christ in the footsteps of Don Bosco. I also would like the young people of my Province to experience the presence of Don Bosco and have a taste of His System of Education for the young.

It all began with a simple YES. God knocks on the door of our heart day by day. He wants to come in. Am I ready to let Him in? Or one might ask, “Have I heard God calling me?” No. Rather, let us ask, “Have I ever LISTENED?” He is constantly calling us, but His call is suppressed by music through my headset from the mobile phone or I am too busy answering the messages from my friends on Facebook.

I conclude with my favourite quote of Mother Teresa. ‘Before you speak, it is necessary for your to listen, for God speaks in the silence of your heart’.

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