My
Vocation Journey…
By
Sr. Winnie Vun, fmm
To be a ‘missionary monk’ was my childhood
dream. This idea came to me after my Buddhist father brought us to watch ‘The
Life of the Little Monk’. Three things that caught my attention were ‘Meditating,
Begging, and Helping.’ I was
happy when my father assured me that one day I could be a monk.
My dream changed after I read the Book of
Revelations chapter 20/21 on the ‘new heaven and a new earth’ and ‘Life after
death’. Who will be my saviour then? Finally, after a few trials, I got
baptised. As a newly baptised, I felt the need to be part of the church, so I
joined the Prayer Meeting group at Jesus Caritas. I remember the words that touched me were,
‘Come, I call you by your name’, the same words came to me during the youth
camp organised by ASAYO, I became a bit uneasy because of these words that kept
on following me. This became clearer when I saw the advertisement on vocations.
Without wasting time; I thanked the Lord for calling me to be His instrument,
so I began to fill the Franciscan priest form for my younger brother (without
his knowledge!) and I changed his signature and the contact number, but the
signature looked so miserable that I decided to write my name as small as I
could so that the one who received it would not see it! After a few weeks, the
reply came to me when one of the FMM sisters called me. After a long chat, I
told her that I was not interested in religious life and actually the form I
filled up was for my brother!
The Sister didn’t give up, she kept on calling
me and I kept on trying to escape by making all kinds of excuses - till one day
I told myself, “I will see her face to face”. So I went to see her, I was so
happy to see with her a missionary sister from Vietnam. After that, I was the
one who always called that Sister! After a few meetings with her and a week of
retreat, I decided to resign from my job and stay in the convent for a month
and following that, three months in my hometown. Finally, I made my decision:
to say good bye to my boyfriend and I flew to Kuala Terengganu, for the first
stage of my formation.
19th March 2010, the Feast of St
Joseph, I enter into pre-novitiate. There
were quite a few times that I wanted to go home but I still remained in the
convent. 2011. It was time for novitiate, I felt reluctant to write an application
letter, I went to the chapel, I told Jesus everything, that I couldn’t continue
this way of life and by the time I finished my complaint and just before I made
the sign of the cross, I began to cry…I felt Jesus embracing me and saying, “My
child, I call you by your name…come…” The next day I wrote my application
letter to the provincial to tell her that I was ready to proceed to the next
stage of formation.
19th Mac 2012, the Feast of St
Joseph. Entry into Novitiate. This was the place where I found my home and
God’s voice became clearer to me. I faced many challenges but I always went
back to Jesus.
In 2018, as a young religious I was sent to
Sri Lanka for more formation and I witnessed the bomb blast damage at a few
churches and even the convent where I stayed was almost destroyed by the bomb
but thank God the sisters were quick to take action. In the midst of chaos, I asked
the local sisters to allow me to visit the victims and help at the relief
centre. My request was granted. My Provincial in Malaysia asked me if I wanted
to come back to Malaysia, my answer was ‘No’. As a missionary I felt ready to
face the uncertainty of life because Jesus is with me.
Today, 8th Dec 2021. The Feast of
Immaculate of Conception and the closing of the Year of St Joseph. I make my perpetual profession. What are the
double joy it was for me. First, to be finally professed and second to be sent
Ghana/ Liberia as a missionary. As our foundress says, ‘We have only one
homeland but the whole world is ours; so be fruitful wherever you are sent.’
I would like to thank all who have journeyed
directly or indirectly with me and made my journey smooth, challenging and full
of excitement.
By; Sr Winnie Vun, FMM
Our Lady of Fatima of the Holy Rosary Kota Bharu
Feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2021
Sr. Winnie Vun sharing her Vocation Story
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