Edmund Raymond, middle, among his batch mates and staff of Fondacio
By Edmund Raymond
Jan 6 2021
“But the fruit of the spirit is charity, joy and peace, patience, understanding of others, kindness and fidelity” (Galatians 5:22)
Institute of Formation Fondacio Asia (IFFAsia) prepares and equips the young for leadership, and helps them grow in their unique vocations, through nurturing their path of human & Christian formation.
It opens an alternative career or life path with the young, helps them engage with the peripheries, to be in the mission to serve through the local church, and civil society.
Edmund Raymond is a graduate of IFFAsia’s Batch-13 from Jan-Dec 2020 and before that he was in Batch 1 at Majodi Center IFFAsia program from May-Dec 2019. Edmund hailed from Inobong, Penampang Sabah shared his experience and journey.
My Story
My name is Edmund Raymond, I am 30 years old from East Malaysia (Sabah). I come from a simple family and I am the eighth of 10 siblings in my family. I was baptized a Catholic when I was born and grew up in a very Catholic neighborhood too. When I was a teenager, I was involved with church activities in my parish at Holy Trinity Parish Inobong, Penampang, Sabah in Malaysia.
After secondary school, I took up Electronic and Electric skills training and started working as a technician and doing part time job for extra income. In Nov 2017, I was seeking for a change in my life after recovering from a difficult relationship. So, I went to Kuala Lumpur to start a new job as a technician and lorry driver. I met many youths from Borneo (Sabah/Sarawak), working and studying very far from their villages and leaving their homes behind like me; some of them have settled in West Malaysia with families too.
I saw the difference in lifestyle of the Borneo people (East Malaysians) in West Malaysia. In West Malaysia the cost of living is very high and they become busy, working to survive and giving less importance to their faith life, especially the Catholics from Borneo. I know many of them have converted to Muslims because of their spouse, or for work opportunities and have therefore left the Church.
As a Borneo youth myself, I want to make a difference. I hope to share my faith, to be a good witness to help the young people I encounter in my parish to keep their faith and to cope with life challenges. I started to be involved in Our Lady of Guadalupe (OLOG) Church, Puchong in 2018 under parish priest Fr Albert Arockiasamy.
Call to Formation
From 2018 until the present time, I am amazed by the learning opportunities that I have received to develop myself. First, in my office where I worked as a lorry driver, a staff invited me to join the Fondacio Youth Leadership Development Centre (YLDC) in Kuala Lumpur, to improve my English for my job. I immediately joined YLDC. After one year of working and attending the classes, I thought of returning home to Sabah, but once again I was invited to another formation program. It was a program by Fondacio in Malacca-Johor Diocese for young people to discern their vocation. It was short notice, but it was God’s plan for me.
Before the end of the program in the Mission Community School (MCS) in Malacca-Johor Diocese, I realized I needed more formation for my faith and to develop myself further. Since I came to this place, I have learned more, especially English class, human development, human formation, Bible scripture, Critical Thinking, History Of The Church, Theology Of The Body, Philosophy and many others.
Since I joined the formation, I tried to improve and learn English more, so that I can speak and write in English even though I was not really good at it. I realized that this mission school has given me many opportunities to improve my life’s skill especially as a Catholic and to discern my vocation in life. I tried my best to stay focused on my purpose as a Catholic and on being a prayerful person, and to enjoy my vocation in life.
Fondacio’s family gathering once a month.
Finally, when I Fr Albert that I desired to continue my formation in the Institute of Formation Fondacio Asia (IFFAsia) in the Philippines, he agreed to be my sending organization. He wanted me to develop my skills as a leader to take care of the Borneo youth in the parish. I believe that God is always with me especially when I am weak.
My Mission
I need to change myself in order to be better equipped as a pastoral worker and a youth leader in the Church. In order to deepen my faith in God and to have more confidence in leadership, I need to learn more about the Catholic Church.
Through the IFFAsia formation, I am also learning to discern my call as a lay missionary and to find my life’s direction. I desire to help young people to stand on their faith in God and to keep their faith growing in the Catholic Church, not only for the Borneo youth but all youth in the Church.
Volunteer for feeding the homeless people in Kalinga Center Philippines.
Development Action Plan (DAP)
In IFFAsia, each of us has to come up with a development action plan (DAP) at the end of the formation course. My two-year action plan will take place in Our Lady of Guadalupe (OLOG) Church from 2021-2022. After that I will either be serving in Kuala Lumpur or back to Sabah. My plan is to open a Youth Development Centre for youth in the interior, for example, opening an agricultural farm, fish pond or mushroom farm. They will not only be working in the centre, but Bible learning would also be included as part of the faith development program. I have shared this with Fondacio, and we will see how it goes after I finish my DAP in OLOG.
Never Stop Praying,
Never Stop Believing,
Never Give Up,
Your miracles Are On The Way.
Edmund Raymond can be contacted through e-mail Edmund.es1418@gmail.com.
