We're in Sydney! World Youth Day(WYD) is an event held every 3 years in a different country. The last WYD was held in Cologne, Germany in 2005.
This time WYD is held in Sydney. Our little group left Manila for Melbourne first for the 'Days in Diocese'. Many events were held in various venues, various parishes.
The ICPE Mission (which i belong to) held our inaugural Youth Fest there. It was 2 full days of teachings, sharings, networking, fun and games. check out the website: www.firebrandz.net there's also a whole lot of photos in the gallery. check it out.
Returning to Melbourne after 10 years was an interesting experience. I remember the winters well, and was very hesitant about facing it. But i willingly packed my thermals, hot water bag, warm sleeping bag and got ready.
But the first thing that hit me is not the cold. But the warmth of the people who welcomed us, made sure we had a host family (thanks Charlie Gatt), made sure we are fed (thanks to the kitchen team), made sure we had a lift home (thanks Dan Perera!), made sure we had a warm home to go back to (thanks Cluny Sisters! love ya!), made sure we had food to eat for our 10 hour bus ride to Sydney (Thanks Alex and Joe Yap). Thank you Castellon family (Kuya Jun, Ate Paulina, Gretchen and Lorraine) who made us feel so much a part of your family. Maraming Salamat po. Pagpalain ka ng Diyos. And many countless volunteers who laid out snacks, set up chairs, vacuumed carpets when everyone went home, did all the behind-the-scenes work, stayed up late waiting for pilgrims to arrive, worked overtime without pay, and those who have kept us in prayer. Thank you thank you thank you!
For more information on WYD, check out the official website: www.wyd2008.org
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