Salesian inter-provincial novitiate, Kabwe - Zambia (ZMB Vice-province), 10 April 2023 -- Happy Easter from Zambia to the AustraLasia readers!
Although the pandemic is over, there are still some ‘displaced’ Salesians in initial formation, out of their ‘ordinary’ venue of formation. Three of the Pakistani novices are now about to conclude (God willing!) their novitiate in Kabwe community (Zambia, ZMB Vice-province of Mary Help of Christians). We are happy to share the interview with one of them - Nov ice Asif Barkat, one of the 20 novices in this international formation house (novices from Zambia, Malawi, RD Congo, South Africa and Pakistan; novice director and rector Fr Tresphord Chisanga). Indeed they started their aspirantate in Pakistan, continued their prenovitiate in Malawi before reaching Zambia.
How was your faith journey in Pakistan to get know and love Jesus?
I am happy to share about my Christian faith in Jesus ( Son of God the Heavenly Father). My family as a Christian was living in the same house and place (village) for the past 90 years with the Muslims and Hindu families in calm and peace. It is our fifth generation. Nowadays many old people have died already and now we have much fewer people who are 50 years or above in my village. I heard the story about my elders and their strong faith in Jesus. They were living together with respect and trust in their own faith and religions. They have faced discrimination many times in different ways from Muslims but they were more strong always. But where we are living there, discrimination is much less than in other areas of Pakistan.
How was your faith and vocation journey influenced by your family?
My faith journey is very beautiful, strong and extraordinary because of my parents and my family who passed on the Christian faith to me. I am very thankful to God and my family. I felt myself that I am lucky to be born into the Christian faith and family. My childhood was so much beautiful in my Christian faith. I was very much closer to Jesus and my prayer life regularly because of my parents. I always have a blessed experience with God in my life. As much as I grew in my physical body so I grew up in my faith and spiritual life too. I was thinking that it was possible only by the grace of God. It is not me or my family but God blessed us in our Christian faith journey. We faced many times many difficulties in our Christian faith but we didn't give up but we felt more blessings in Jesus Christ.
What is your dream about Salesian consecrated life?
I have always been interested to work for my own Christian people. I had a desire to be a priest for God's blessed people. I entrusted my religious vocation, my life and my ambitions into the blessed mother Mary to help me in my life and to intercede for me. I surrender my heart and soul into God's hands to protect me and to give me perseverance in my vocation always.
NB: The novitiate formation house in Kabwe (parish-oratory-high school) is closely located to the second Kabwe community (Chiloto = Dream) with a beautiful mission for the youth at risk, oratory, primary and secondary school, TVET, farm and Salesian parish.
