here
is a corner of the diocese of Uvira that roads cannot reach.
Its high mountains, its rushing rivers, and its dangerous ravines make it
impossible for traveling. Only some
goats and a few huts are visible, and one never knows why some people would live
in these isolated conditions.
The message of the Gospel arrived after the 1950. It took the missionaries two days of walking though dangerous forest paths, to reach the altitude of 6,000 feet where the village of Mulenge is located. But the first proclamation of the Gospel happened because of the efforts of a small girl. In Mulenge, in fact, a small Christian family came to live, even though they were not really practicing Christians, because too far away from any Christian community. Their Christian beliefs soon mixed with their native customs.
One day, a distant relative came to visit this family. He was impressed by this little girl of 8-10 years, and after some discussion with her parents, he had decided to give her into marriage for his son, when the time was right. This girl left then and there her family, to join her second uncle, and so live with him in his family, and acquaint herself with her future husband.
Regina, that was her real name, found herself at ease in her new family, and continued with her usual customs. One of them was that, before she went to sleep, she would kneel and pray the “Our Father.” This surprised her second uncle, so much so that he asked her to teach the whole family this prayer. And so Regina started: “Baba yetu uliye mbinguni… Our Father who art in Heaven….” It was a new beginning for him and his whole family. He asked questions, and guided by this little girl, he soon asked her to teach this prayer to the village people gathered in the evenings around the fire.
Who taught this prayer to Regina? The man went to Mulenge again, to talk to Regina’s father, and found out that the missionaries of Uvira, in their travels, taught this prayer to the family. And so he continued his journey to Uvira, met with the missionaries, and wanted them to come and visit the village. The superior of the community promised he would undertake the difficult trip in the future. “For now, just read this booklet” he said to him. “But who can read in our village?” thought the man on his way home. Actually, the village found someone who could read, a non-Christian like everyone else, who had taken some classes in Lemera. It was then, in the darkness of the village fireplace, that the villagers learned and studied the Christian faith. The missionaries finally came to visit the village, gave further catechism instructions, and were able to baptize a few of them… to their astonishment. It seems an African legend, but the villagers recounted this true story one evening, around the fireplace.