Elysian 2018: “Crowned with glory and honour”

KOTA KINABALU – As women, we tend to forget that we are precious and loved by God. He will crown us with glory and honour as he did to His one and only Son Jesus.

Elysian 2018 was held in Gaya Centre Hotel, here, Oct 6, attended by 12 participants and nine facilitators. 

The conference helps participants to find healing and rediscovery of God’s love as women, to accentuate the feminine genius, and to have intimacy with God.

We are blessed to have Karen de Souza as our guest speaker for the weekend. Karen is a pastoral worker with young adults at the Catholic Spirituality Centre in the Archdiocese of Singapore. 

She shares “It was fulfilling to minister and share with the women of Sabah. My experience connecting with the women was overwhelmingly beautiful. The love I felt for them and the thirst to know more of who they are spoke to me.

“It strengthens me in my conviction of who I am as a woman and daughter of the Most High. I continue to pray for them to embrace the truths shared at this one-day conference. They are really a blessing,” she said. 

Participants were given the choice to choose from four different workshops. The four creativity workshops were Earring Making, learning how to make an earring from scratch; Salsa Dance, learning skills on moving to the rhythm of the song; Galaxy Watercolour Painting, working on the skill to paint with watercolour with the theme on galaxy; and Rustic Bouquet Flower Making, creating a rustic flower bouquet for themselves.

All participants were happy that they got to use their creativity in the workshops. Depending on the workshop they signed up for, they got to bring their own product home with them. Even for those who learned Salsa dance, they got to learn new dance moves.

The prayer ministry time was a powerful time of healing for many. It brought them closer to God and were healed by His love with the intercession of Mary Mother of God.

Elysian – Young Women’s Conference was jointly organized by the youth ministries of Sacred Heart; Efata, Lifeline and the Young Adults Prayer Group.

Elysian is a Greek word which means beautiful. The previous Elysian was held at Kasih Sayang Resort, Kokol in 2017. – Esterynna S.

Testimony

Bride of Christ

“Elysian this year brought me a new perspective on intimacy with God. It helped me to understand better what “Bride of Christ” means as I reflect upon my life and values, and celebrate the joy of being a woman of God.” – Shirley, a doctor

Embracing identity as a woman

 “I am glad that my first Elysian was a great experience. I am able to embrace my identity as a woman of God. Having Karen to share how God treasures women as his bride made me feel loved and important. The activity during Elysian was fun; I learned how to salsa dance and made new friends.” – Desiree, a staff nurse

Femininity accentuated

“I am glad to see that many participants found the topic and testimonies from the speaker helpful to them in their journey as a woman in Christ. Many shared that they felt that their femininity was accentuated during this time where they could see themselves as precious and loved by God. To be able to witness this only reaffirms on how God loves us and wants us to receive His great love.” – Esterynna Emmie Sylvester, coordinator for Elysian 2018

It is okay to be vulnerable

“Supporting Karen in Elysian 2018 reminds me of my own identity as a woman – it is okay to be vulnerable. Vulnerability is the quality that always scares me, but I have come to see it as beautiful through the conference. Preparing for the flower workshop has been a healing time for me… healing of my memories as a young teenage girl struggling to understand what it really meant to be a woman. It felt like I had come to full circle at the Elysian 2018, from disliking flowers to loving them and encouraging others to love them too.” – Eunice, Karen’s travel companion

I am precious in my brokenness

“The open sharing of my group members helped me to see that I am beautiful and precious not despite my brokenness but in my brokenness. I am beautiful because God has crowned me with His everlasting beauty, love and honour.”

“I used to think that to be called a bride of Christ is only reserved for religious or consecrated singles. Though it may be, but through Elysian, I have managed to capture the depth of its significance. It actually reveals a stage of a very intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, so much that it reflects the marriage of Christ as the Bridegroom and us, individually the Church, as the Bride.

“Thus with a renewed mind, it has brought me to a new level of what it means to be a Beloved. Now I walk with ever more confidence and love, knowing that I am His Beloved and He is mine.” – Jessica, a teacher

So blessed to be part of Elysian 2018

“My eldest boy is autistic. Ever since he was diagnosed I spent a lot of my energy and time on him. Hence, somewhere along the way I had made my son my idol. I felt burnt out, suffocated, emptied and numb.

“But through the sessions, I was reminded again that only God can satisfy me, only He can quench my thirst and give me strength. Hence, I will be able to be a better mom, a better wife, sister, daughter and friend. Besides that, I am reminded of who I am in God’s eyes. I am loved, worthy and enough. I am beautiful and wholesome.

“I felt that God wants me to be His bride, to stand in absolute receptivity of His Love. He loves me passionately. I learned that during the Holy Communion, He wants to consummate His Love for me through the breaking of bread. And all I have to do is to walk down the aisle, in my best (in body and soul) receiving Him and reciprocate His Love for me.

To trust completely that He has my best interest in heart. And to live my life fixing my gaze only on Him, hearing and living His truth in my life every day. And like Mother Mary, to be completely still and know that He is there for me, always, He listens and never abandons me. Amen!” – Babara