Lay missionaries reach out to young people in rural India
Shangla (AsiaNews) – For the past three years a young teacher, 25 years of age, from the parish of the Diocese of Rajanagar Maio, in Arunachal Pradesh, has been teaching catechism to his young followers, to bring the Christian faith to them. Sumphiam Sumnyan, a school teacher at Saint Vincent de Paul, Rajanagar parish tells AsiaNews: "I love teaching the Christian faith to young people who have not yet heard of Jesus and his Gospel." Sumnyan, undertakes long journeys every weekend through fields, forests, to a different town and left to educate young people, leading discussion groups, doing workshops, organising workshops, conversations about the Bible, prayers, songs and other dynamic forms to introduce Catholicism to young men and women. He meets and influences the urban and rural youth, the educated and uneducated. Before Sumnyan become a school teacher and he was involved in forming young people to the faith, studying in Don Bosco Salesian College in Guwahati. On finishing his studies, he decided to return to his village in Arunachal Pradesh, to teach at school and to preach to young people.
At the time he was 19.He came into contact with priests and missionaries who left a deep impression on him, especially for their missionary work. "I was influenced me to mission," he said. "I love being a young missionary among my peers in my area. I try to tell them they must study and form themselves in order to build their future, learn their craft and accept Christ. " He has already come into contact with more than 200 young people of his diocese.
Sumnyan reads the Bible every day to gather ideas for his spiritual growth and tells others to do the same. Meanwhile, he formed a small group of young friends who set up a team to carry out missionary work in rural areas. Sometimes people walk two or three hours in the dense forest to reach a village and teach catechism to the people.
Since there are not many priests and missionaries in the diocese of Maio, young people are encouraged to do mission work among the tribes of the region. "I want the young people to be missionaries here in the region, helping others share in their faith and strengthening it every day." When a young man accepts the faith, and studies it , his quality of life improves and faith helps him to grow spiritually, and help build his community. Different tribes live in the diocese of Maio. Sumnyan is from the Nocte tribe in the district of Tirap. "I am happy to be a missionary. I depend on Christ, for this reason, and I try to encourage young people to love and accept Jesus, "he said.
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