‘AN EMMAUS JOURNEY OF ACCOMPANIMENT’
ASIA-PACIFIC TRAINING PROGRAMME FOR WOMEN RELIGIOUS
ACCOMPANYING NEW MEMBERS FOR GOOD SHEPHERD MISSION
6 – 20 DECEMBER 2008

20 Good Shepherd women religious who came from eight provinces in Asia and from Kenya, gathered at the Good Shepherd Rural Training Center in Pukak, Sabah from 6 to 20 December 2008 for the Good Shepherd Formators Training Programme.  The training centre is situated amid lush green hills, serene rice fields and the gushing white water river.

Our initial days of the programme, ‘An Emmaus Journey of Accompaniment’, was a time of gradually establishing rapport and sharing our learning goals.  Susan Chia, our facilitator, led us through the process of ‘seeing’ from inside of us, ‘the person’ of the formator; ‘who we are’ and ‘what is our role’ in the ministry of preparing new members for Good Shepherd mission.

As we reflected on ‘why formation’ and ‘why do we do what we do’, Susan used an interactive approach to highlight the components of a wholistic and contextualized model of formation.  We also used an open concept of learning to share the different tasks and responsibilities of each day.

Using the imagery of the ‘compass’, we co-learned with each other in an
experiential way on how formation is an on-going process of accompaniment and discernment.  From the elements of a participative way of formation, we realized the importance of understanding the context and background of new members.  Even as we realized the call to enable capacity building of new members, we acknowledge that we have not sufficiently called forth their participation and shared responsibility.  We are challenged to address some structures that do not enable formation for
today’s context.

We were introduced to the different survival coping stances that are defined in the Satir Model of how people react in situations of stress and it highlighted for us the need to be congruent.  Each of us chose a companion to learn and share more deeply with for the next two-weeks.

In addressing our role in the task of formation, we reflected on our ‘internal structures’ – on the way we define persons, relationships, events and our attitudes towards change. We shared honestly on how the hierarchical model has not enabled growth, creativity and flexibility in formation.

The theological reflection process based on the passage of Jesus healing the blind man helped us to learn in an experiential way the role of discernment in formation.  Through the use of symbols and imageries, we expressed our inadequacy and ‘blindness’, and honestly identified some of the areas needing healing as we participated in the ritual of cleansing.

Josefina Tondo, a faculty member of the East Asian Pastoral Institute gave us an insightful input on culture and belief systems as she based her presentation on the stories of the Gospels.  She highlighted the role of culture and its impact on an individual’s life, an area that has not been sufficiently addressed in the context of formation.

Our two days at the foot of Mount Kinabalu was a contemplative presence with creation.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We took reflective walks individually and with our Emmaus companions as we reflected on the ‘eight mountains’ of religious life based on the mountain experiences as cited in the Scripture.

Refreshed by the beautiful sceneries of Mount Kinabalu, the canopy walk in the rain, and as we gazed at the full moon and passing clouds in the night, we felt the assurance of God in creation.

We had a brief encounter with Good Shepherd partners.  Theresa Symons shared her personal experience of partnership in Good Shepherd mission and our over night stay in the homes of Good Shepherd people was an insightful experience of how we can collaborate with Good Shepherd partners in the task of formation.

The variety concert entitled ‘Gift of Hope-Pass it On’ is a ‘Pay it Forward’ programme which offered us a glimpse of how teenage girls and children in the Good Shepherd run rural hostels participated in public awareness and raising funds towards the building of another hostel for children living in the interior village of Pitas.

Clare Nolan presented the definition of justice as being ‘inclusive’.  She challenged us to reflect on our local experience of systems and structures and its implication on formation as we take up our task to prepare new members for Good Shepherd mission. We reflected on the principles of formation in light of ‘who’ and ‘for what’ are we forming new members.

We discussed the importance of communication skills, networking and solidarity as part of integrating Justice in initial formation.  We worked at practical ways of linking information and resources that will equip the formation programme to be effective in addressing the realities and needs of our world today.

One of the challenges in formation is to enable the individual to find one’s ‘prophetic voice’ and break the dependency culture of ‘silence.’  Clare also spent time helping us with practical ways such as changing everyday language into inclusive language.

During the last two days, Susan engaged us in an interactive process of  concretely anchoring some of the changes we hope to make in our own contexts.  We reviewed the outcomes of the programme and these are some of our learning and growth experiences:

- I have grown in my understanding of the process of discernment.

- I now have a wider outlook of mission especially from the perspective of justice.

- I will try to develop the new approaches I have learnt to enable co-learning through adult education.

- I realize the importance of improving my communication and interactive listening skills.

- I will go back and work at building capacity in new members – not reacting with judgmental attitudes, but enabling them to grow through difficult situations.

- I need to respect the cultural differences that shape each person.

- I now understand the role of integrating justice in formation if we are to prepare new members for mission.  I have some tools to start with.

- I will use the theological reflection process in my personal life and as a tool in formation.

- Though I feel fearful, I am clearer about my role.

- I am aware that the way I operate is from a hierarchical model. These days have been for me an experiential way of learning the participative model which enables growth and creativity in persons.

As we set our hearts towards home, we encouraged and supported each other to continue our advent-ing journey of accompaniment and like John the Baptist, to prepare the way for mission.

Even as we experience our personal inadequacies and the poverty of our manger-like setting in the structure for formation, we take courage, knowing that…

‘We are co-creators of ourselves. We are given life to begin with,
and as a shepherd to ourselves, we co-create what happens’
[Virginia Satir]