Farewell!

Writing this farewell article, the final article on my journey as a Columban lay missionary, is not easy. As my mission ends, I feel both sad and emotional, yet my heart is full of gratitude - to God, to the Columbans, and to all the people I have journeyed with.

I remember when Kush, my fiance, and I were once asked by a Catholic priest, “If you could choose a bible reading, what would it be?” Before I could answer, Kush said it was the last verse of 1 Corinthians 13. This was exactly what I had in mind, too. Although Kush is not a Christian, I was so happy that our thoughts aligned.

Since high school, this chapter of the Bible has been my favourite. As a lay missionary, it has remained close to my heart because it speaks to me about my journey and what remains in me - especially now, as my time as a Columban lay missionary comes full circle.

Reflecting on almost sixteen years of service, I realise that these three remain in me: faith, hope, and love. When I first told my mother that I would join the Columban Lay Missionaries, she cried and said it was not the dream she had for me. Her dream was for me to settle down and have a family. Although I shared that dream too, I also felt deeply called by God to mission. During my final retreat before accepting my assignment, I struggled with questions and doubts, especially because of my mother’s fears.

At that time, I found comfort in a pamphlet of the Infant Jesus of Prague and in the words beneath a Divine Mercy image: “Jesus, I trust in You.” Sitting quietly in prayer, I felt God asking me to trust Him with childlike trust, even without having all the answers. In the end, I said yes to God and took a leap of faith

Over the years, my faith has matured and strengthened alongside my love for Jesus. Earlier this year, Kush and I visited the Infant Jesus of Prague to give thanks for the many blessings and guidance received throughout my missionary journey.

As a missionary in Birmingham, especially among asylum seekers and refugees, I witnessed how God becomes a source of hope when everything seems impossible. I remember seeing people finally receiving papers after years of waiting and repeated refusals. I witnessed healing, unexpected recoveries, and moments when despair turned into joy. These experiences reminded me that with God there is always hope, and that miracles can happen when we hold on in faith.

Throughout those years, another Bible verse stayed with me: “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4). Looking back now, I realise God was quietly answering my prayers in His own time. Amid ministry, intercultural experiences, and service, God brought Kush into my life - first as a friend and eventually as my fiance. God truly listens to the prayers of our hearts.

As my journey as a lay missionary draws to a close, I feel deeply emotional because I love this life so much. I love the ministries I have done and continue to do. I love serving the poor and marginalised. They have become my friends. I love being a Columban, and I am proud of it.

Indeed, the final verse of 1 Corinthians 13 has sustained me throughout the years: “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Jesus’ example of unconditional love carried me especially through difficult moments and taught me that love should be the reason behind everything we do.

As Kush and I begin a new chapter together, my prayer is that we continue to love beyond boundaries of culture, faith and race, and to carry forward all that God has taught us through this journey.

Columban lay missionary Gertrude C. Samson lives and works in Britain.