Stay-in-camp for students from Nilai and Kg Tekir

Oct 01, 2015

By Andrea Joveena Culas
On Sept 19, for the very first time, the Church of St Therese held a stay-in camp for the Sunday school students. The camp included children from the church itself, as well as the indigenous community from Kampung Tekir.

The camp started with a lively praise and worship session. It was pleasant to see the children gather and hear their voices echoing off the church walls. They then watched a movie on St Therese, the patron saint of the church. I was truly moved by the simplicity of her life and how she faced the hurdles and challenges life had to offer in a calm and positive manner. As she said, “When something painful or disagreeable happens to me, instead of a melancholy look, I answer with a smile.” We had group activities where we shared our views on why we love Jesus. We also made bookmarks with heartwarming quotes from the Little Flower herself, which were then distributed to the parishioners after the Sunday 9.30am Mass. Bedtime was definitely unforgettable. Being the eldest, I was given the task of tucking the little girls in bed. For the first time, I felt like a shepherd herding the little lambs into their pens. It was truly exciting, yet it certainly took a toll on me.

The culmination of this two-day one-night camp was the Sunday Mass. Our parish priest, Fr Eugene, sent us off with a great message, “The Lord upholds my life.” Each and every one of us would have interpreted this antiphon differently. My interpretation is that the Lord is my pillar of support. He will always be there for me through thick and thin.

Seeing the students put aside their differences to mingle and cooperate with one another shows that it doesn’t matter what background you come from or what language you speak, we are all blessed with our own gifts that help balance divergence. As St Therese’s beautiful quote goes:

“The splendour of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness.”

Lastly, I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Fr Eugene, the catechists as well as the parents who lent a helping hand to make this event a memorable one for us students.