The Great Encounter

by Princess Italio

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"I am the servant of the Lord; may it be done to me according to Your word." [Lk 1:38]

It was the end of a decade yet a start of an age. On the 24th of May, youths from different places including New Corella, Pantukan, Panabo, and most of all from Brgy. Magugpo West, Tagum City gathered at St. John Paul II Lay Formation & Training Center, Seminary Drive, Tagum City responded to their calling to join and participate the most participated celebration once every 3 years – Kids and Youth Encounter (KYE) with this year’s theme “Let Go and Let God”. It is a celebration wherein kids and youth gather and stay for 3 days and 2 nights, away from the modernized world. Series of activities and events were done each day and the great encounter was truly inspirational and heartwarming.

Hundreds of youths, including kids, joined the encounter. On the first day, after the Halina Kabataan! Welcome Parade, we were assigned to their respective flocks with their facilitator. As we form our friendship circle, we started to introduce ourselves with joyful greetings and an open heart to accept and have the courage in meeting new people with different personalities and stories to tell. The first day was full of fun and activities that enables us to measure our capabilities in socializing, as well as endurance and unity, as kids and youths were put into a test on how they may be able to trust one another as one of the moral lessons that the games want to deliver. And then friendship began that day.

The second day had more inspirational activities and sharings as we go deeper to know each other. Tears overflowed as we heard each other stories. Heavy hearts turned into delight as they got the opportunity to share their thoughts. Truly every person really has a story to tell but are afraid to talk because of the fear of being judged. Yet, fear did not hold back these beloved, gifted, and empowered youth of God. Series of activities were done after the Gospel sharing about Mary’s fiat. One of the activities was the Easter Walk where we got to know how to say YES to mission as Mary did – by letting go of fear accepting Jesus Christ in our hearts. Right after the procession, we get to experience the Taizé prayer. It was truly an awakening for us.

Every story has an ending, but in life that ending is a new beginning. The 3-day encampment was about to end. The lessons we’ve learned in the great encounter with Christ helped me in becoming a faithful servant of God. The stories we’ve shared, the friendship we’ve built, and the memories we made will surely be kept forever as we walk in this journey of faith, hope, and love.