Raymond José Essindi was born 33 years ago in Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon, where he grew up with his parents and four siblings. Born into a Catholic family, he says he was always very clear about his vocation to the priesthood: "From a very early age I knew that I had to serve God through the priestly ministry. Although it was a surprise for my parents, my father's grandmothers, whom he respected very much, advised him to let me follow my path".

He entered the seminar minor at the age of twelve and at the age of 20 he entered the seminar major. He says that his ordination to the diaconate was an unforgettable moment: "We had just finished the seminar and two weeks later, the diaconate was conferred on us. At that moment, I was especially aware of the step I was taking, of the 'yes' I had given to God since I was a child. I was accompanied by my family, my friends and my fellow seminarians; it was a very special moment". He says that, throughout this journey, his trust in God has always been full: "In my prayers, I tell him that I am not perfect, but that I am at his disposal to always do what he asks of me, even if it is not in my plans. I had never thought of coming to Spain, for example, but when God calls, you have to answer, because it is always for the greater good".

At the initiative of his bishop, he came to Pamplona in 2016 to study at the School Ecclesiastical Philosophy of the University of Navarra: "For priests from Africa, studying in Europe is a very great opportunity." He also tells amusingly that his relationship with Spain began long before coming to Navarra: "In 2010, the President of the seminar told me that I had to get my passport done, because our bishop had requested a group of seminarians to represent the diocese of Yaoundé at the WYD in Madrid. After doing all the paperwork, in the end we could not go, so the second time he called me to offer me the possibility of coming to Pamplona to study, I did not believe it".

Raymond says that his time at training at the University of Navarra has been "a great experience", both at the staff and academic level: "I have some great professors, with great minds, who are passing on to me all their knowledge in the field of Philosophy. That is fortunate. He affirms that, during this time, he has also been enriched by his classmates: "Although I am learning from all of them, I have a special relationship with the Polish priests who are studying at programs of study at the University. We come from very different cultures and have different characters, but from the beginning I established a very good friendship with them. They are fantastic.

For all this, he does not want to miss the opportunity to thank his benefactors, whom he admires: "It is amazing the selfless generosity that our benefactors have with priests and seminarians. The sacrifice of those who dedicate their economic resources to give us this opportunity to study and be formed, even without knowing us, deserves all my admiration. They are exceptional people who are doing a great work of evangelization".