With only 14 days to go with our countdown to World Youth Day in Panama; all 8 of us students, including Mr Reyes, are feeling the excitement, anticipation and faith burning in us all.
Though our physical pilgrimage hasn't started, there has been a lot of formation and work that was done in preparation for this amazing journey.
WYD students all around Sydney were invited to many formation sessions to pump us all up with a new energy and fire in preparation for encountering Christ through WYD. Formation sessions included prayer, mass, song, dance and many icebreakers to get to know our fellow pilgrims. It also gave us an opportunity to make new friends with the people on our own bus, the best of all - Bus 1.
We also had many bus meetings with our Bus Leader; Glen Thompson, to get to know each other better and those that are on this pilgrimage with us. This included our bus chaplain Father Michaels, as well as our pilgrim leaders Mr Reyes and Miss Darlin Khamo from Clancy Catholic College.
It seems like just yesterday our countdown was more than 200 days... and now, it's less than 2 weeks. Though this time has flown by, it was full of spiritual preparation and anticipation to further benefit us with this once in a life time adventure.
I would like to leave this post by saying something that has become one of our mottos for the trip. This trip will be one that will allow us to find the face of Christ in everyone and everything we encounter overseas, mainly because "I am a pilgrim, not a tourist."
14 days to go!
- Vanessa W, Year 12 Pilgrim