Here are the sharings from our Malaysian participants about AYD 7

Aug 30, 2017

Appreciate the beauty of diversity in our country

First of all, I want to express my gratitude to God for the great experience I had during AYD 7 in Jogjakarta. I am truly BLESSED! AYD 7 was a good platform for me to share my story and hope for the Catholic Church with other young people from all over Asia.

It was humbling to see how our Filipino friends, being the majority in their country, practise their Catholic faith with LOVE and mutual respect towards the minorities. It was also inspiring to see how our Cambodian friends profess their Catholic faith with JOY despite the struggles and challenges that they are facing as the minority in their own country. Spending more than a week with young people from various cultures and languages has taught me how to embrace and appreciate the differences in this multicultural Asia. I am so excited to share about this beautiful journey and spread the joy of the Gospel to my brothers and sisters in our Archdiocese. From this day onwards, I’ll value and appreciate the beauty of diversity that we have in our country. Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, let’s live the Gospel JOYFULLY and become the FAITHFUL witnesses of God’s amazing love. JOYFUL! JOSS! JOSS! -- Cinderella Sio, Archdiocese of Kuching

To grow stronger in faith and spirit

The Asian Youth Day 2017 held in Indonesia provided an exceptional and exhilarating experience.

The programme themed Joyful Asian Youth! Living the Gospel in Multicultural Asia showed that young Asian Catholics are not only firm in their faith but are also united despite our different cultures and backgrounds. I have seen and learned much from this programme.
AYD 7, close friendships have been formed among the young participants from the various countries and it became a large and joyful AYD. Participating in this programme has made my faith and spirit stronger and I did not return empty-handed.

AYD carried a clear mission and vision for the youth in all parishes and dioceses. I will continue the mission that Jesus gave me to become a tool of his ministry and to live the gospel. -- Karltwin Kerol, Church of St Anthony, KL

Come together as one in Jesus

The first day of AYD in Jogjakarta began with sadness as we had to leave our foster family in Bali and travel to Jogjakarta for the launch of AYD- 7. But our sadness turned into joy as we celebrated the opening of AYD-7 together with thousands of other youths, priests and Bishops from Asia. This was also the first time that I attended Mass celebrated by a Cardinal.

Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario’s homily in the opening Mass touched me when he said that we all speak different languages but we could all come together and pray in the one language of love of Jesus Christ, a sign that Jesus loves us always.

When I participated in AYD-7, I learned about God’s plan for all of us, even though I was lacking in many things; but with God’s blessing, everything is possible and my participation in this AYD is proof. The opportunity of being able to see youths of different nationalities, language, cultures and background cooperating and blending together in a programme like this showed that we are all one in Jesus and we all love Him.

God has invited me to continue to serve him after this AYD is over. He wants me to continue to serve him even though I come up with so many excuses not to. It turns out that God has his own way of calling each one of us. -- Selwyn S. Sho, Our Lady Of Fatima Church, Beluri

“Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven”

I do believe that we will meet 2 types of people in Heaven. First are the people whom we know and, second, the people we never met. During AYD, I met countless unknown faces that it felt like Heaven on Earth! And the most essential thing that makes Heaven really on Earth is the joy on their faces. Although we’re different in terms of citizenship, races, cultures, one thing we have in common is expressing the joyfulness of our hearts because we’re acknowledging that we’re all worshipping the same Loving God. When I first came for the Day of Diocese in Bali, I was impressed and amazed by the spirit of the local youth there. I had never seen such joy, even in their greeting to us delegates.

Hopefully, in my own parish, I may be able to inspire the youths by showing them the meaning of true joy of being a disciple of Christ by being an example. -- Arine Vissia Valerie Valentine, Kuching