We have a mission! – KSG Berlin

Hi! My name is Maria Gonzalez Vasquez, and I belong to the Ayuujk community located in the Sierra Norte of Oaxaca in Southern Mexico. I grew up in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by mountains and nature that we care for and protect. Today, I want to share my faith and how God has been present in my life.

In my community, we believe in our King Condoy, a supernatural being who defends the Ayuujk community, and his sister Ta’Jëëw, who migrated from where I was born to another state in Mexico. A friend concluded in an interview in 2022 that this is the reason why women of my hometown migrate and pursue their dreams, because we follow in the path of Ta’Jëëw.

From a very young age, my family taught me to believe in God, not only from the Catholic Church but also from our King Condoy. In our community, we combine both beliefs, but personally, I believe in one God who receives different names in different cultures and religions.

God has been present in my life in different ways. When I moved to Nuevo Leon in northern Mexico, I faced many challenges, from the language barrier to adapting to the city and finding the economic resources to study for my degree. At that time, I did not know that I had to make two payments, one for the Faculty of Law and Criminology (FACDYC) and another for the central administration of the University (UANL). I had only saved enough for the FACDYC fee, but I was short of 11,500 pesos (600 €) for UANL. At that moment, I was earning only 4,000 pesos per month (200 €). Education in Mexico is expensive, and not everyone has the opportunity to study if they do not have economic resources. However, God presented Himself as a person who was working in FACDYC, the accountant Ana, who told me about the scholarship offered by UANL. Thanks to her, I was able to save the money I didn’t have and didn’t know I had to pay. And so began my journey in my own country, full of challenges and difficulties, but with my goals firmly in the hands of God.

After completing my degree, I had the dream of studying abroad, but I needed to learn English to do so. I decided to pay for a course in Ireland, but I still lacked money to have it in my bank account and apply for the visa. Thanks to God, He put my former boss in Mexico, Santiago Menchaca, with whom I worked for 7 years, in my way, who lent me the money to fulfill my dreams, not only to learn English but also to study my Master’s degree in Berlin.

When I decided to embark on my journey to Berlin to study my Master’s degree in “International Security Management,” I didn’t know exactly how I was going to achieve it, but I fully trusted that God would be with me every step of my journey. And so it was! In the Master’s, my classmate told me about the KAAD scholarship. Through this scholarship, I met P. Max, who provided me with an excellent reference, as he does with other students who apply for the same scholarship. With the help of other friends who supported me in different ways to meet all the requirements, I finally won the scholarship! These were just some of the many examples in which God has presented Himself in my life through the people around me.

I know that in times of difficulty, it is common to question the existence of God. Recently, I finished my master’s degree, but my sources of income, such as my scholarship and student job, have also ended, which has created a lot of worry. This April has been particularly difficult for me as I had to start over without solid financial support and felt a lot of frustration. In my desperation, I even asked God why I was the one chosen for so many difficulties and why this was happening to me. However, once again, God’s presence became evident through the people around me. My friends reminded me of how far I have accomplished in my life despite fear and how many blessings I have received. I realised that God still is holding me in His hands and that he had a purpose for me in this difficult time, and now it’s my turn to give this testimony.

Actually, I feel that God has used me as an instrument to help others. By sharing my life experience with my friends, I have managed to inspire them to move forward with their projects and studies and be that inspiration that many of us need in times of difficulty. At the KSG, for instance, I have had the opportunity to share Mexican culture through different events such as Day of the Dead and the celebration of the Mass of the Lady of Guadalupe. I love sharing that Mexico is diverse, with 68 native languages beside Spanish and we have different cultures even though we are from the same country, and I encourage everyone to do the same!

Because, during my time at KSG, I have had the opportunity to meet many people from different countries and cultures, and we have shared our life stories and I believe that God has a unique and special mission for each of us, and that this can manifest itself in different ways. For instance, maybe your mission is to play music at mass, to represent minority groups, to encourage others to strengthen their faith, or simply to brighten someone else’s day with a kind gesture. The important thing is that you share your talents and skills with others, no matter how big or small they may be. God never requires more from us than we can give but motivates us to give our best at all times and support others.

The mission that God entrusts us with is to love each other and encourage us to help others, even if we are afraid. We must embrace our fears and remember the child within us who was not afraid to do things. And in times of difficulty, it is important to remember that God is still present in that moment, and He has a better plan for us. I learned that it is better to focus on the blessings and being grateful, rather than only focusing on these temporary bad moments. I know it is challenging but God is always present with us in the perfect moment with the right person.