MAGIS Mission – Not Just to Serve, but to Befriend

In July, six students from Kaunas Jesuit Gymnasium (Kaunas, Lithuania), accompanied by pastoral coordinator Asta Krasauskaitė and chaplain Fr. Eugenijus Markovas SJ, experienced a month rich with the tastes, sounds, and scents of Africa. The MAGIS mission team spent nearly a month in rural Kenyan villages, volunteering in schools and hospitals, and immersing themselves in the daily lives of local communities.

One participant, Medeina Kuprytė, shared that integrating into everyday life in Africa was not difficult, as many aspects had been discussed in preparation for the experience. The lack of electricity or hot water did not surprise or unsettle her. What brought her the most joy were the children she taught English or simply met in the village. At first, communicating with 3–5-year-old “students” was challenging, but with the help of teacher Veronica, she gradually taught them to sing numbers in English, pronounce sounds in both English and Swahili, and even play a traditional Lithuanian game, Jurgeli Meistreli:

"It was especially beautiful to see that, although the children had no idea who Jurgelis Meistreli was, they quickly embraced the game and even started singing the words themselves."

Medeina recalled slowly gaining the trust of the village children. On one occasion, she and her friend Dorotėja helped carry water to the children’s homes. She fondly remembers the warm moments of farewell:

"The most beautiful moment of the mission for me was the day of parting with the people of Lenkisem village, when my best friend Rhonest came to see us off with the T-shirt, bracelet, and ball I had given him. It was wonderful to see that the love and attention I had given him were appreciated, and that little angel, who until recently was a stranger, was now smiling at me."

Pastoral coordinator Asta Krasauskaitė emphasized that the MAGIS mission revealed glimpses of the Kingdom of Heaven through many experiences: through the generosity of Lithuanians donating to build a chapel, through the participants’ willingness to serve the rural community and generosity in buying shoes and toys for children from their own savings—or even giving away their own clothes—and through the warm hospitality of Lenkisem parishioners.

Despite the evident poverty, Asta views the MAGIS mission with hope:

"These are just seeds of the Kingdom of Heaven, just the beginning, God’s gift of the start of His Kingdom among us…"

A special highlight this year was the construction of a chapel in Engonyangalani village. Its solemn inauguration was celebrated with Mass, traditional dances, and hymns. As Asta observed, it felt as though God Himself had entered that humble chapel, reminiscent of the stable in Bethlehem.