Degree of Baccalaureate in Theology

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Browsing Degree of Baccalaureate in Theology by Author "BAIKKVA C.S.SP, ARNOLD B."

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    HOW TO CONTEXTUALIZE JESUS' MISSION MANDATE IN MATTHEW 28, 16 - 20 AMONG THE PASTORALISTS OF EAST POKCIT - KENYA
    (Tangaza University College, 2005) BAIKKVA C.S.SP, ARNOLD B.
    It is over two decades since the Holy Ghost Fathers Missionaries ventured into East Poktot. So far almost nothing about the history, culture or developmental activities of this place has been written. My principle motive for choosing this theme was to fill this vacuum at this special moment in my life history, especially because the Congregation of the Holy Ghost Fathers under the Protection of the Immaculate Heart of Mary has appointed me to work in this area for my first appointment as a missionary priest. For every people it is necessary to know their history in order to learn from the past, understand the present and plan for the future. With this work I wanted to contribute in understanding of the origin of some characteristics of this young church in East PokOt and I wanted also to add a page to the history of the missions and the universal Church in general. The Sources The Main sources of this information are the different writings of the missionaries especially the Comboni Fathers who work in West PokOt. East and West PolcOt people share a lot in common both in their culture and life style, reading through their work I could easily relate their views to my experience of one year stay in East Poked for my pastoral experience from 2002 — 2003. Other sources include direct investigations made out of my curiosity of knowing the PokOt and their culture and others are indirect, taken from written experiences of missionaries working in places similar to East PokOt. The Method of Study: The Work is divided into three chapters. An introductory chapter is a Biblical mission mandate of Jesus in Matthew 28, 16 20. This is necessary for me to lay the foundation and the mandate the Church has through her missionary apostolate to proclaim the Good news to all the people on this planet. The second part is the presentation of the Pok6t mission —land, geographical location, economical status, social settings, cultural values and religious beliefs. I did this simply because there was no work to which I could refer the readers not well acquainted with East PokOt and its people. Having seen the validity and need for evangelization in the area, it was therefore fitting for me to suggest ways in which this mission mandate could be carried on in this young church successfully. Finally the third chapter is dedicated to the methodology and pedagogy for missionaries to follow. Period of Study: This work treats the period from 1980 when the Holy Ghost Missionaries arrived in the area up to now. In conclusion I would like to say what I learned and tried to transmit as my contribution to the history of East Pokot. Above all I tried to narrate the history of this young mission land. I tried also in a way to make it a historical case study of a mission of the Holy Ghost Fathers. I tried to show the strengths, struggles, and dedication these courageous men who despite the difficulties involved in this mission are struggling still to better the lives of the people in a holistic approach. To succeed in any evangelization the missionaries must understand the people, they are to evangelize, their language, culture and beliefs. For a mission to take root, there must be a reciprocal dialogue between the evangelizers and the evangelized with Christ as the meeting point In this work I tried to show the aviation of this fruitful dialogue. In spite of all my love and great admiration for the people, I did not hide their short comings. Today after more than two decades of evangelization, those baptized are still a handful. Among those few I can not talk of a competent catechist, leaving alone a religious or a priest. The mission still needs a lot of support and encouragement to those working as missionaries in the area. This work in a way tries to narrate the needs, disappointments and joys found in this place