Fr. Joseph Ma is a missionary priest in Bolivia from the archdiocese of Daegu, South Korea. He is my classmate, so I went to visit him in 2010. He had been there only over a year, and yet his Spanish was impeccable. I thought I knew him before, but it was the different classmate I met in Bolivia.
A young priest who dedicated his priesthood to Bolivians was an inspiration to me. The way he met and associated with the indigenous would be a typical missionary whose compassion goes beyond culture, race, and border. I witnessed to his joy as well as his struggle because of poverty and injustice in which he served the faithful.
We traveled together to the ruins, the desert, and the historical churches. What I saw was not just old buildings and wondrous nature but also joy of being with a friend and a teacher. Fr. Joseph Ma is still in Bolivia, serving and ministering to Bolivians. He is my inspiration to be a missionary someday.
Fr. Joseph Ma is eleventh Christ.