Having just returned from a week in Libreville, Gabon, where I accompanied a training session for the Provincial Teams of Africa from the Congregation of the Sisters of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception of Castres, I would like to share a few colorful reflections on this blessed time.

Why “colorful”? Not only because the sisters are known as the Blue sisters, but also because we used the DISC profiles as a lever for personal and collective growth; a model based on 4 colors symbolizing 4 behavioral types.

Why “blessed time”? Because the Lord was with us…. and, unlike Jacob (Gen 28:16), we were aware of His presence.

So let’s begin with a blue style and a bit of facts, knowing that blue is the color of people who are precise, analytical and naturally inclined to follow procedures and rules. They were 19 sisters, from Benin, Senegal, Gabon, the Central African Republic, and the General Council gathered for 3 days focused on the theme “Getting to know each other better to serve better”. They were encouraged by these words of Pope Francis in Corsica (where they have just founded a community): “Take care of yourself and take care of others. You are a sign of God’s merciful love”

Now let’s add a touch of green behavior, the one of patience, harmony and deep listening, rooted in the 4 levels of Listening from Otto Scharmer’s Theory U. This approach helped each of the sisters to listen more attentively to themselves using a wide range of adjectives to describe their emotions at the start or end of the day. It also helped them to listen to one another fully, whether it’s in pairs, triads, teams or plenary. Finally, it laid the foundation for listening to the Holy Spirit in a mode of spiritual conversation, for example through the Emmaus walk exercise.

We learned the importance of not being reluctant to use red behaviors (as is sometimes the case in women’s religious congregations): direct speech, the pursuit of challenges, and healthy confrontation are needed in a community. These elements enabled frank conversations on issues such as the habit of circularity within the congregation, the risk of both power abuse and power neglect, and the challenge of acculturating synodality within African contexts…

And finally let’s play with images and metaphors, engaging the sisters’ head-heart-hands so that the most yellow profiles of the team, those who are outgoing, optimistic, spontaneous and love storytelling, can lead you into some really joyful moments of mimes, dances and laughs.

I include below, in the words of two participants, some of the fruits we gathered under God’s watchful eyes at the very end of our session:

“This session was like an appointment with the Lord. He was waiting for me, he said ‘you had baggage that was burdening you but you preferred to leave it behind and not look at it…Stand up, take your baggage with you and continue your journey with me.’ The method we used helped me a lot, thank you very much, it made me go down into myself, it was the 1st time this way.”

“This session confirmed me in what I knew to be my temperament, and it gave me a lot of joy, day after day, with everything that was happening adding to the joy, the joy… and with what we experienced again this afternoon I feel called to continue with all the talents I have, all the graces I’ve received from the Lord, and with the people around me. I would like to thank all those who made this gift possible.”

I would also like to add a word to express my gratitude to Sr Marie-Beatrice and her council for their trust, Sr Montserrat from the Marie Notre-Dame Congregation for sharing her testimony on authority and power in a synodal Church via Zoom, to Caroline, my business partner, with whom I prepared the session, and to the Discerning Leadership team whose support is always as pragmatic, spiritual, decisive and meaningful.

For me, too, this was a true gift. Witnessing a congregation’s journey with the Lord, experiencing what it means to be one of the only white people in a predominantly black assembly (and area!), immersing myself in such diverse cultures, feeling part of the universal Church on its journey,… what a joyful and nourishing experience, for today and for the future!

“It’s my heart speaking”: Testimony by Sr Julie-Clémence

Participating in this session should lead me to act differently. In other words, to act in accordance with what I have discovered and which brings me into communion with myself. I hope that my inner dialogue will find its source in prayer, leading to an authentic conversion of the heart, which is often frightened when faced with situations and decisions to be taken. A bit like Jesus who was praying and when he finished, his disciples asked him to teach them to pray. By uniting myself with Jesus, He will teach me to act differently, just as he taught his disciples to pray the “Our Father”. This session, through this DISC questionnaire, opens me up to welcoming my inner self, my own reality, which I have to face up to. I offer my dominant colors to the Lord, so that he can make the rainbow of my life a visible sign of his covenant with me. May he walk with me, as he once did with his chosen people.

Embracing Self-Knowledge through the Disc Profile: Testimony by Sr Nina

I would like to say a big thank you for the opportunity I was given to follow this formation, because to be of service to others you need a minimum of self-knowledge.

When I discovered my DISC profile, it was like a confirmation of who I am and I became more aware of my strengths and weaknesses. This allows me to relate to others without too much difficulty. On the other hand, by observing the reaction of the person in front of me today, from the clues I’ve received from each profile, I can now guess what type of profile the person might be and this guides me in the action to take. I have gained tools to build more harmonious interpersonal relationships. The invitation to reflect on my daily agenda also helped me organise my time better and be more intentional and efficient in my work. Thank you once again for everything. From the first to the last activity of each day, it’s been an intense and rich learning experience for me.

“Like a breath of fresh air” : Testimony by Sr Eugénie Andrée

I am very happy to have taken part in this experience, which really fulfilled my expectations. I joyfully thank God for this opportunity, like a breath of fresh air in my consecrated life, so that I can continue my mission with surrender, trust and hope. I found myself again with my profile and I understood that a better knowledge of oneself allows us to live in harmony with everyone by taking care of ourselves as well as others.

I appreciated the clarity, richness and depth of the formation I received. It has touched me deeply in what I’m experiencing today and I’m leaving confident, with tools of course, but above all with the determination to continue the process I’ve already started.