I am Rev. Fr. Esua Andrew Forka, cmf. Presently I am working in Quebec under the USA/Canada Province of Claretian Missionaries.
My Vocation story starts when I was 8 years old in a Town called Mutengene in the South West Region of Cameroon, West Africa. As the 5thchild in a family of 9, my parents due to their faith enrolled me in Saint Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Mutenegene. As time went on, I developed love for the Church and enrolled myself as an altar servant. I loved serving the Holy Mass. Early in the morning at 4am I remember I used to boldly trek to the church alone. The interior joy I had doing this gave me the strength to brave all fears of the unknown that could come around.
At the age of 10 I had developed so much love for the Blessed Virgin Mary such that after each Holy Mass I loved going to sit where her statue was. I would kneel and look into her eyes with the desire that she would look at me and blink her eyes. I believed she watched over me and she was present. I had a strong belief in her. At that age I dreamt so much about her and she visited me so many times in my dreams and gave me some private messages that are a reality today in my life.
As time went on, I discovered that each time I went to Holy Mass, no matter my seat in the church, be it behind or in front, I could always perceive the odour of mass wine at a particular moment during consecration. At one point I started feeling that desire to be like the priest. This desire kept burning in me and never left me.
When I went to secondary school, in form 2 precisely, one day when I went back home after school, exhausted and tired, I went to my room to rest. Here, I was not sleeping and it was not a dream, I heard a voice in that dark room say, “Go and read Matthew 10:16.” I can still remember the bright light that shone in the midst of that dark room. As a teenager I neglected that. After two weeks the voice kept reminding me to read that Bible verse. Fortunately, I met some young girls reading the Bible this fateful day, since I was not used to the Bible and the voice reminded me to read that verse. I just boldly told the girls to read it for me and they were surprised I could quote a Bible verse clearly and precisely. When they did, I was taken aback.
“Behold, I am sending you like sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and simple as doves.” – Mt 10:16
It is from here I went and met spiritual director who guided me all through. With the help of the Holy Spirit I came into contact with the Claretians in Nigeria working in Cameroon. From Nigeria I moved to Cameroon and today I find myself in Canada.
May the name of the Lord be Glorified.
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