My name is Fr. Raul Baluma Tabaranza, and I am a Filipino Comboni missionary currently working in South Africa. I discovered the Comboni Missionaries through World Mission magazine while I was employed at the Far East Bank and Trust Company in the Philippines. I felt drawn to the missionaries’ work around the world.

In 1996, I joined the postulancy program and made my first profession of vows on June 11, 2000. I then, travelled to England to study theology and made my final profession on January 30, 2004. I was ordained a deacon on February 21, 2004 in London, United Kingdom, and officially became a priest on September 4, 2004.

Since my time as a postulant, I have held onto two proverbs that have helped me remain connected to my missionary life: “Bloom where you are planted” and “Do your best, and the Lord will do the rest.”

Two months after my ordination as a priest, I was assigned to my first mission in the Malawi-Zambia province in Africa. Initially, I had the opportunity to visit all our communities before receiving my assignment at Chikowa mission in Chipata Diocese. After a month of studying the local language, Chinyanja, I was promptly put to work. Fortunately, reading came easily to me, so I began celebrating masses right away. Most of my time was spent in writing homilies and asking the youth to help me correct my grammar.

At that time, our mission in Zambia was still under mission ad gentes, or first evangelization mission. We encountered numerous challenges, particularly with the language barrier and lack of comfort.

LANGUAGE IS ESSENTIAL
Language is essential for a missionary to communicate effectively and teach, perform rites and prayers, and most importantly, connect with the people. Understanding and respecting local traditions are crucial for building trust and sharing the gospel effectively. Inculturation of the gospel messages within the community’s context leads to a deeper understanding of the people’s situation.

The mission involves deep immersion, not only in the culture, but also in the lifestyle of the local people. We would sleep in the village from Wednesday to Sunday, hold community meetings on Mondays, and engage in various preparations during our free days. Living among the local population was particularly meaningful to me because it was both a missionary endeavor and involved economically disadvantaged communities.

I was primarily assigned by our superior and parish priest, Fr. Luigi Casagrande to Zone C, Luangwa National Park. Some outstations, like Malama and Kasweta were completely isolated in the middle of the park and could only be accessed during the summer months. When I arrived in 2004, Chikowa had only received electricity four months prior.

I typically visited Malama and Kasweta once a month during the summer. My visits usually involved a team consisting of three women to teach the women and mothers, two to three catechists to instruct the men, and three youth individuals to teach the children, particularly in English, Mathematics, and other general subjects. Most of the teaching took place in the evenings since the men were out hunting and the women were working in the fields, while lessons for the children occurred during the day.

I remember bringing powdered milk to prepare for the children. After that, I would go house to house, particularly to anoint the sick. I always carried a medical kit, to clean the wounds of young children.

Since there were no churches, I also started bringing iron sheets to help build them, and in return, the community would pay me with bananas and grass mats. I found myself taking on multiple roles: as a priest, carpenter, doctor, and teacher all at once. Providing pastoral care in this way profoundly shaped my missionary life; I learned more from the people than I could ever hope to teach them.

TO SURVIVE
Hygiene was a significant challenge due to the difficulty of accessing water. People had to collect water from the river, where wild animals such as lions, elephants, and leopards also came to drink. During the summer, they often dug through the river sand to find water. Unfortunately, this led to many accidents, particularly involving animal attacks.

To assist, we initiated borehole projects, financed by the generous people of Vicenza and other parts of Italy, through our superior and parish priest. When I arrived in 2004, there were only a few schools. Most children did not reach high school due to expensive tuition fees and the distance they had to travel. Some children walked as far as twenty kilometers to get to school without having breakfast or lunch; they only ate when they returned home.

We began building community schools in remote villages and started a local clinic at the mission. Once it grew and became self-sustaining, we handed it over to the government, and it has since developed into a mini-hospital, similar to the churches we built. When the Church was constructed and operational, we transferred its management to the diocese.

I HAVE HIM
I personally struggled with malaria, which almost took my life. I endured numerous illnesses, including pneumonia and bronchitis, but learned to listen to my body and understand my symptoms. I also faced a life-threatening situation when I was attacked by a swarm of bees; I had no idea I was allergic. However, I persevered, feeling that the Lord never turned His back on His missionaries.

We established our local Comboni Lay Missionaries, who travelled to remote villages, sharing the good news and visiting households without any segregation between Catholics and non-Catholics. My experience in Zambia was a profound journey of faith and service that transformed me and shaped my missionary life.

Leaving the mission was difficult, especially when I was instructed to return to the Philippines for rotation. However, such is the nature of missionary life: “go wherever the Holy Spirit will lead you.”

I later worked as a delegation bursar in Asia and as administrator of World Mission magazine. This role was purely office work, mentally draining, and demanding at times. Nevertheless, my time in the Philippines was enjoyable; the Church is self-sustaining, and our communities are self-sufficient with the support of benefactors. The Church is vibrant, and the people are deeply dedicated.

In 2017, I went to Rome for my sabbatical during the Comboni Year of Formation. It was a great opportunity to rest and recharge after years of missionary work. In 2018, I returned to Africa, this time, to South Africa. I began working at Waterval Mission in Bushbuckridge, Mpumalanga Province.

TRUST GOD
The mission proved to be challenging, particularly due to crime, looting, and violence. I was still new and adjusting when thieves came and stole our metal gates and motor. We set up an alarm system, but it caused a lot of noise in the middle of the night, becoming more trouble than it was worth. At times, I felt like giving up, but deep down, I trusted that God would take care of His missionaries.

In 2022, I moved to Silverton, Pretoria, where I worked as the administrator of Worldwide magazine and as the vocation director. The atmosphere is somewhat better, although crime remains rampant in the country. I genuinely enjoyed my work, as I also have time to develop my other talents during my free time. I began painting, and some of my artworks have been featured in our magazine, the Philippine Embassy in Pretoria, and most recently for our Liturgical Calendar 2025 for South Africa.

Recently, I was appointed as the assistant formator in the postulancy and just moved into a newly acquired house, which will serve as both the Postulancy House and the Worldwide Media Centre.
As the bursar of the community, I take care of daily needs and house maintenance. I also provide support to our other communities with financial reports and technical issues. Life becomes profoundly meaningful when shared, and I am grateful to the Lord for all the gifts He has bestowed upon me.

Missionary life can be exhausting, but it brings immense joy. I find great fulfilment in witnessing the growth of faith within the community, watching children develop their service to the church, and seeing parents dedicate their lives to supporting missionaries.

We don’t shout at people to convert them; instead, we focus on being present with them in their joys and sorrows, sharing in their daily struggles. This is what we refer to as “evangelization through presence.”