SLRP Youth Formation: This is the Day!

By Therese Althea Tamayo, 16

Youth Participant

Planning an outing for a big group is not easy. More so as I happened to belong to the core group that planned it. We had to meet several times to make sure that the outing would be a success. Planning the games, groupings and activities took a lot of time that meetings sometimes extended late into the night, but all of it was fun.

As the big day came, all were excited. Everyone was very busy taking pictures, fixing their things and chatting with one another inside the bus. The trip was long but we had games along the way. Kamay ni Hesus in Lucban Quezon was very beautiful. One could see several statues and beautiful structures like the Garden of Eden. When we started the first activity, The Way of the Cross, the weather was sunny. We could feel the heat on our skin and sweat dripped on our faces. When we got to the top, it suddenly rained, drenching all of us. I couldn’t believe how suddenly the weather changed! This experience of going uphill in such a beautiful place was memorable especially when we stood under the big statue of Jesus with his arms stretched, sending a message that He is open to all of us.

After the mini mountain climbing in Kamay ni Hesus, we went to a resort called Batis Aramin. It was also a very nice resort with many swimming pools to choose from. Everyone enjoyed swimming and exploring the place but one of the most exciting events was the games. I really liked the game “Picture-picture” (a game where we acted a certain scenario). I literally laughed out loud(Lol)! Each group tried their best to present the scenes. The judges had a hard time choosing the winner because all the contestants were really very good. All were cooperative in the games; they all tried their best and applied all sorts of strategies. It was so heart warming to see smiles on their faces.

We all worked hard for this event, we offered our time, talent and efforts and seeing everyone so happy made it all worth the difficult tasks we went through. In this outing, my circle of friends grew as I met participants who I came to know better. As the day ended, I thanked the Lord for that wonderful day, for all the people who made it beautiful and for all the people who helped us. It is a memory that will be with me forever and a gift that is priceless.

I’m very lucky that I am one of those whom God called to serve Him. I will strive to continue to offer my life to God and serve Him to the best of my ability. Serving the Lord is time well spent. The outing served as a good venue to know my fellow youth in the parish. Hopefully this experience can bind us together to form closer relationships and face whatever tasks we need to do in the future.