Saudade!

I can't believe it's been six weeks since I arrived home from my Caminho 23 mission. Aside from catching up with family and friends, these past weeks have also been full of reflection and sharing about the gifts I have received from my recent Lisbon adventure with Jesus. I would like to share my reflection highlights with you.

From Lisbon to Cebu. WYD Lisbon 2023 reunion with Archbishop Jose Palma.

"God is full of surprises." Life with him is always an adventure. A year ago, inspired by Mama Mary's yes, though incredibly scared, I took steps to be part of the World Youth Day Lisbon 2023 local organizing committee as a long-term volunteer. It really began with a simple dreaming session among friends. I never imagined that my yes's in each step of the way led to all the surprises. Throughout the journey, God showed me that even my small yes can change my life decisively, with a little faith in his plans.

"Everyone one by one." This was our team's motto in our work. Together with Pope Francis, we dreamed of having young people from all over the world represented in WYD Lisbon 2023. It was intense work and collaboration to fulfill this dream, as we discovered the economic and political realities that some countries were facing. I had the honor of accompanying delegations from the Philippines, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, and the Pacific Islands, in their journey to WYD Lisbon 2023. With God's grace and our teamwork, aside from having the most nationalities of all WYD's, WYD Lisbon 2023 has the most representation of Oceania since WYD Sydney 2008. Praise the Lord!

Caminho 23 Team after WYD Lisbon 2023 Missioning Mass

"I feel so small... but I am small!" With tears, I shared this with my teammates during our Lenten retreat in March. This was a time when the challenges at work, language barrier and homesickness were overwhelming me. All of us quickly burst into laughter at how true the statement was, not only for me, but for each one of us, in the great mission at hand. I also realized that God used my smallness - my nothingness - to show his great love and mercy for me and for others.

"Lord, I need your man!" I have been lifting up my desire for marriage to the Lord, and this has been my go-to prayer when I'm out of words. It came to my surprise that the Lord gifted me with a lunch with Pope Francis! He indeed provided me with his man! Hahaha! When I received the news a few weeks before the lunch, I did worry about how to prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So I prayed about it and realized that Pope Francis is just like any other person who eats lunch, and I should worry about my relationship with God instead. The lunch was very simple and I was glad to share this intimate encounter with Dom Manuel Clemente, Dom Americo Aguiar and nine other young people from all over the world. It was my honor to carry with me my fellow Cebuanos, Filipinos, Asians and the poor and persecuted young people all over the world who don't have the same freedom as mine to say yes to God!

The group (not complete) who shared lunch with Pope Francis in Lisbon

"Roots of joy." At the WYD Lisbon 2023 vigil, Pope Francis invited us to recall the roots of our joy, the people who have impacted our lives. I am grateful for my mission partners, prayer warriors and friends who supported me in this Caminho 23 mission. I am grateful for those who entrusted their prayers to me - I am always humbled to carry your intentions! I am grateful for my Portuguese host families (I was blessed with two!) who provided beyond my basic human needs. I am grateful for my colleagues and newfound friends who not only made an effort to communicate with me in English, but also received me in their lives. I am grateful for the witness of the WYD pilgrims and volunteers who travelled from all parts of the world to encounter Jesus despite facing economic and diplomatic issues. And of course I am grateful for my own family for always supporting me since day one. Without my roots of joy, I wouldn't have been able to freely say yes to God's plans in my life. Thank you for moving me to also be a root of joy for others!

"Saudade" is a very Portuguese word for that feeling of nostalgia. I felt empty when I woke up on the Monday after WYD Lisbon 2023 and asked myself, "now what?" Yet it was a good kind of empty, knowing that I have given myself to a great mission for the past year. I was very excited to go home since this has been the longest time I've been away, but I never thought that saying goodbye would be so difficult. In my last days in Lisbon, I was randomly bursting into tears from all the saudade that I've been feeling. What's more difficult than saying goodbye though is transitioning. I am still about to embark on the next adventure God is preparing for me, but I am confident in his plans. If there is anything I am worried about, it is to not bear fruit from my WYD Lisbon 2023 experience and everything that God has given me. Please pray for me!

Celebrating my birthday in Lisbon with some of my favorite people

*Visuals from friends and WYD Lisbon 2023.