(This article first appeared in the excellent Redemptorist publication REALITY October 2008)

There are few places more Challenging to be a Redemptorist Missionary today than Zimbabwe. In January 2008 Fr.Richard Reid C.Ss.R. began working there. He describes the profound effect it has had on his understanding of the message of Jesus and the mission of the Church

My life changed dramatically over a coffee break. With coffee in hand I was asked if I would go to Zimbabwe, and without giving it too much thought or weighing up the pros or cons, I said yes. Only after the person departed, following our three minute conversation, did I begin to think about what I had just agreed to, and then said to myself, "What have I just done?"

As a Redemptorist I have always believed that an important part of our missionary life, of our service to the church, is a willingness to go where we are needed at a moment's notice. Until recently, this was more a theoretical response I happly gave to people when asked about our life. So, when the opportunity presented itself to put the theory to the test, how could I refuse?

Nothing in my ministry thus far had prepared me for such a major move to Southern Africa. For the last eight years I was part of the Redemptorist community in Edinburgh. Leaving Edinburgh, I moved to belguim and started a three-year study programme. I was only three months into the course when it was time to pack my bags and move further afield.

AVAILABLE FOR MISSION

When discerning my vocation the one thing that put me off joining the Redemptorists was the fact that I might end up in Africa, something I certainly didn't want. When I shared this concern with one of the priests, he told me not to worry as I would never be asked. Eighteen years later i recall that conversation as i walk in the blazing afternoon African sun. Indeed, God does have a sense of humour.

If vowing one's life to God and the church is to mean anything, I do believe it means being ready, willing and available for mission. The early Christians had a sense of purpose and urgency about their missionary activity, even when they were met with hostile or blank stares. The world has changed beyong recognition since those days, but human nature has remained much the same; some people welcome the Christian message, some are hostile and some are just plain uninterested. Likewise, the mission of the church has not changed in all those years; the preaching of the Gospel and the introducing of people to Jesus Christ remain the primary concern.

If I didn't believe this, then the uprooting of my life and travelling thousands of miles to a country and a people I didn't know would have been nothing short of lunacy.