The evening of Wednesday the 8^th was a blessed moment for us at Allamano House (Nairobi- Kenya) after the General Superior Fr. Fiorentini, the counselor in charge of Africa Fr. Ouma, and the Regional superior Fr. Cellana Franco visited us. Theirs was both a brotherly visit meant to know how we were going on, and also an informative one through which they were to share the progress of the preparation for the General Chapter. The General Superior expressed his happiness for seeing us healthy and joyful, a sign that soon the missions would be receiving more personnel. Concerning the pre-chapter meeting, he said that the two Consolata Institutes (Father/Brothers and Sisters) were preparing together for the chapter. Actually at Sagana where our delegates had just gathered, the sisters were also present sorting their own agendas too.

Answering the questions about what the Institute was doing about the continually decreasing number of vocations and benefactors, the General Superior cited the missions as our only hope and asset. He was categorical that it was the duty of each missionary to be effective in whatever he is assigned to do, if our Congregation is to win the hearts of young men to join us, and also the hearts of the people to support us. He therefore called on us to be the first ambassadors of how missionary life can be joyful and fulfilling, since our joy, simple lives and sobriety is the key to peoples hearts. The superior also informed us that they had decided to invite the major superiors of theological seminaries in Africa in the pre-chapter meeting at Sagana to ensure that more views on formation were aired. On the issue of the Year of Service in the Institute, Fr. Fiorentini said that although there were still mixed feelings about it, it was clear that there was more appreciation for it than rejection. He however affirmed that before the General Chapter next year there would be a comprehensive report about the Year of Service in the Institute.

Fr. Mathew Ouma, the general counselor for Africa, briefing the community about the situation of the continent, said that although some missionaries were feeling that our presence in Djibouti was useless, the attitude was changing gradually. He coincidentally challenged us to contribute more to the Consolata website as a way of sharing information with other members in the Institute. In that way, we would not just depend on visiting superiors to know what is happening to the other Regions of our Institute. He expressed his discouragement by the laid back attitude of many missionaries, which made them uninterested about what is happening in the Institute in other parts of the world. With that the meeting ended with the General Superior conveying the greetings and warm wishes of a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from the whole General Government.