Jannessa shares her Journey to Emmaus

First and foremost, I wouldn’t even be here writing down my experience if it’s not for Jesus who opened the eyes of my heart to participate in these 2 weeks of Emmaus Youth Camp 2014.

It was a worthwhile experience for me as I have never been away from home for this long. I’m glad I listened to my brother, Joshua and also my cousin, Sheerah as they were the ones who encouraged me to go and find my true self with Jesus.

I found my inner peace through this camp and something beautiful way beyond what I could ever imagine. I don’t have to “see” God just to feel his love because the best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be touched or be seen. They must be felt with the heart.  I know I fell in love with God the moment when there was an unexplained happiness.

I thank all the resource persons who came and helped us to know more about Jesus. They answered all my unexplainable questions such as why are there so many Christian denominations today, why does the Catholic pray to Mother Mary etc. This helped me to understand my Catholic faith deeper than before. Besides that, this camp also has convicted me and affirmed me that I am the beloved child of God. This would definitely help me and the rest of my fellow friends to face life’s trials when we further our studies later on because religious conversion has become a common issue among the youths nowadays.

From this camp, too, I learned how to take good care of the environment; to love, care and protect nature.  As Sr Terry told us, God reveals himself through his creation to display His own marvellous qualities and nature.

As a teenager, I face temptation every day. At some point, I am faced with the desire to submit to sin. Sometimes temptations are minor, so they are pretty easy to overcome, but at other times, the desire seems too great. With the help of one of the speakers, I managed to find the “way” on how to overcome it.

The session “Gift of Life” was about pro-life and to be thankful for the life which God has given me. The session made a huge impact on me. It reminded me to stay pure and chaste before marriage because the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The question “How far is too far?” struck me and made me reflect on the boundary within a relationship with someone you care very much.

Recollection day was the hardest for me as we are told to be quiet and to spend some time with Jesus, alone. A quote by Mother Teresa inspired me during the day: “We need to find God, and He cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature – trees, flowers, grass – grows in silence; see the stars, the moon and the sun, how they move in silence… We need silence to be able to touch souls. “

For the first time in my life, I finally feel accepted and being part of the group. The new friends that I made from the different districts are like the angels that are sent to me from heaven as each of them have different unique personalities that I really admire. It was really an honour for me to know each and every one of them, and not forgetting the two beautiful Sisters, Sr Terry and Sr Dora.

My journey to Emmaus is simply amazing, superbly amazing to be exact, and I am still on my way there, holding hands with Jesus. Emmaus Youth Camp 2014 has been  a splendid experience and I hope everyone, especially the youngsters out there, to never lose faith in Jesus. The phrase “Do not be afraid” is written in the Bible 365 times. That’s a daily reminder from God to live every day in fearlessness!