Mission in Sudan: Walking Where God Sent Me

I am Father António Manganhe Natal, a Comboni missionary from Beira, Mozambique. Immediately after my ordination, I was sent to Egypt to learn Arabic—a prospect that frightened me. I wondered whether I would be capable. Then I recalled the words spoken to the prophet Jeremiah: “Do not be afraid, for I will be with you.” It was this certainty that enabled me to say “yes”.

After learning the language, I was assigned to Sudan, where I carried out my mission for twelve years. I did not choose this country myself; it was God, through the superiors of the Institute, who called me to this path. I arrived with fear, but also with deep trust. Port Sudan, where I lived and worked, is a city marked by poverty, conflict, and profound cultural differences. There I encountered a small but remarkably vibrant Church: Christians who courageously bear witness to their faith in a predominantly Muslim country.

My mission focused on pastoral work and education. For ten years I coordinated five schools, accompanying teachers, students, and families amid severe limitations. Education was — and continues to be — a path of hope. Many displaced children found in our schools not only instruction, but dignity and a future.

The challenges were numerous: the language, the culture, scarce resources, the reality of a still-young Church. Yet I discovered that even difficulties are spaces where God reveals Himself. The mission taught me patience, dialogue, and the beauty of walking at people’s pace. Being a missionary in Sudan does not mean only acting; it means being present, listening, accompanying, and believing.

Today I cherish this experience as a gift. Comboni used to say that the missionary must have "a great and universal heart." In Sudan I came to understand this calling deeply—it is a journey of faith that continues to sustain my life.

Father António Manganhe Natal, MCCJ