Youth Evangelisation School: For school leavers

The Malacca Johore Diocese Youth and Campus ministries jointly organised the Youth Evangelisation School for school leavers January 9-31, 2019.

Mar 15, 2019

JOHOR: The Malacca Johore Diocese Youth and Campus ministries jointly organised the Youth Evangelisation School for school leavers January 9-31, 2019.

Twenty youth attended this year’s camp, which included sessions on self-discovery, spirituality and mission. The camp also included a week in the Orang Asli village of Kuala Masai where the participants taught the children, organised gotong-royong and helped the villagers to clean mussels

The participants learned to live as community, which included cooking together, cleaning together and playing together.

Here are some of their testimonies:

I regained my faith and perspective
“Before coming to this camp, I was excited but I also felt very self-conscious about how I would mix with the other participants. I was afraid that my anxiety and self-consciousness would be an obstacle but, seeing a lot of familiar faces really helped me adapt. It made me feel a sense of belonging.

“I really tend to overthink everything, even small unnecessary things. During one of the nights, I was feeling sad and frustrated with myself. The feeling was overwhelming and it made me break down in tears. Then an amazing and super incredible friend approached me and talked to me. She told me that it was okay to feel like that and that everything was going to be okay. It felt good to finally have someone to talk to, someone who could understand me and what I was going through. I really thank God for introducing me to a trustworthy and supportive group of friends. They were always there when I had to get something off my chest. In a way, it helped me to be less self-conscious and accept myself more.

“Before the camp, I tried to commit to prayer but found it really hard to persevere.

Throughout the camp, I learned that a simple talk to God can be a way to reach out to Him. I really talked to God during prayer time and holy hours. I grew very close to Him and felt that He was my only source of refuge and my pillar of strength. It reminded me that God is always with me. Adoration really helped me to encounter God and I felt His presence around me as I prayed. I remember Jeremiah 29:11 from our sessions and it made me believe God has a will for me and that I should not worry so much about my future.

“Mission week was also very eye opening. It made me very grateful for what I have in my life. I started to appreciate my parents, my education, food, water and everything else I took for granted before this. It made me aware of all the sacrifices and hardwork that my parents went through to raise me. The visits to both old folks’ homes (Miriam Home and Graceville) reminded me that my parents are a blessing from God. I felt truly sorry for the way I treated them before and all the misunderstandings we had.

“This is my testimony of how I regained my faith and renewed my perspective on life. I end this testimony with high hopes that I will lead a better life with the experiences at the camp as a reminder and guide.”-- Le Ann Paskashious

A life changing experience
“I remember the first time YES camp was introduced to me. I was not really keen on joining a three-week long camp. Just the thought of it made me exhausted. I was not ready to sacrifice my movie marathon and ‘after SPM plans’.

“My life before this camp was dull. I was feeling empty and disconnected. It came to a point where I started to shut everyone out of my life. I stopped making new friends and I also stopped hanging out with my old ones. I eventually became angrier and sadder. My prayer life was not getting any better. My relationship with God worsened and my daily conversation with Him was getting shorter and duller. I got bored easily during Mass. All these little things made my faith waver. I was numb and could not feel God anymore.

“My older brother somehow managed to talk me through it. With a little glimmer of hope in regaining my faith, I registered for the camp. It was a half-hearted decision. I remember the day before the camp, I tried to act sick to convince my mother that I really could not go to the camp. Plan failed.

“At the camp, people were super friendly. Everyone treated each other like brothers and sisters. I couldn’t have felt anymore welcome. The participants had their own motives for coming for the camp which made me strive to find my purpose there. The first few days were rough but we helped each other out. Everyone helped me find my purpose here. I became more open minded.

“Morning prayers were something I hated so much but eventually I fell in love with it. I didn’t mind spending 1 hour in the morning, sacrificing my sleep time to talk to God. The adoration and praise and worship were something I always looked forward to. Vespers was the most interesting prayer in this camp, maybe because I don’t do vespers back home.

During this entire camp, I felt my relationship with God grow closer. I tend to also have short conversations with Him anywhere and anytime.

“Our mission trip to the Orang Asli village was eye opening. I learned to appreciate things around me. I also learned unity, teamwork and patience. We learned to work as a community and helped everyone no matter what religion or skin colour.

“In a nutshell, the whole camp was a life changing experience. Events in this camp became the turning point in my life, not only to be a better person in society but also to be a better follower of Christ. The memories and the ups and downs made me a better person. I am beyond grateful for everything that has happened. I will cherish this experience as I carry on my daily life and always serve Christ whole heartedly.” -- Laura Dass

Moved out of my comfort zone
“I had second thoughts before going for this camp as I feared that I wouldn’t make friends and just be anti-social. However, when I arrived, all the boys in the dorm were so friendly and they treated me like part of the family. Everyone was so nice and it really felt like I was at home. I was a shy person before the camp but now I’m quite ‘noisy’.

“The first week taught me a lot of new things. The thing that stood out for me was the different forms of prayer that we had. I struggled with prayer but by learning new ways, I learned to be closer to God.

“When mission week came, I actually asked what I had got myself into when I was put in the music and teaching group. I was out of my comfort zone in the Orang Asli village. I prayed to God and asked for His help.

“While there I met Ronny, a young boy in the village. He might not have understood what I said but he truly taught me the true meaning of love and appreciation. I took him as my son there and he responded to me as to a father. He would follow me wherever I went and did what I did. I also learned from the other villagers. They would share everything they had and were thankful for all they had. I remember a boy asking his parents for money to buy me a drink. This act really touched me. To be honest, on the last day at the village, I felt like crying.

“The hardest thing I did throughout the mission was leaving the village and Ronny. I remember seeing the joy in Ronny’s eyes when I gave him a set of clothes. I am grateful to have met him. I hope and pray for the villagers safety always.” -- Leonardo Lopez

 

 

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