Fall Retreat 2008

ohmygoooodness, fall retreat was the absolute best. it was absolutely amazing. my story is just like the others.. i kinda wanted to go, but i didn't know what to expect.. but ohmygosh, just reminiscing the memories and lessons i've learned.. it was so worth it. first of all, my saint was st. martha ! and i got theresa & ximena in my group (: whooo, i was so happy. we shared our cabin with st. scholastica and chrystle and janella were there! (: whooo, i was happy about that too. haha.

soo on friday we leave at about 6:30.. and they didn't have room on the bus so me, theresa, and someone else from our cabin named danielle went in a car ): we arrived at like 9. and we went to our cabins.. dangg, that hill is steep! we only had one shower too. haha. i was the only one in my cabin who didn't have a sleeping bag (dude.. i was like the lightest packer in the world. i was so surprised), so michelle lent me a blanket.

saturday was fun. we ate breakfast then had some journeys. chris did his talk, too. he did pretty good :) he is such a cute actor ;) in the evening, we did confession. this was like the start of the best parts of the retreat besides the singing & dancing & praising God. we had confession with fr. rolly.. after that i felt pretty pure. then we had four corners.. the corners were healing, faith, love, and peace. i went to love with yolanda. oh mann.. i just gotta describe that whole outlook right now:

okay, so she starts out holding my hands and asks me.. what does she need to pray for me? and so i think about it.. and the perfect answer comes up: for me to able to gain and maintain patience with everything: school, family, boyfriend, and friends. and it was just so weird because it was like.. she knew. she knew what i was going to say and.. she was just so inspirational, it made me get emotional. how school stresses me out because it's getting harder and a lot more work... family because sometimes my parents don't understand all the work i have with all my commitments.. boyfriend because we argue at times and sometimes i just get patient and emotions and tears overcome me.. friends because it seems that these days i don't have time for them. and so i learned from her to take it easy.. she even suggested taking a break from chris.. but, i don't know.. chris is like my motivation. i don't think i'd want to lose someone like that. i've just gotta put that load off my shoulders.. that burden i put upon myself and give it up to God because HE IS GOOD. because God has given me this retreat to find HIM and i'm glad to say that i did get a glimpse of him.

today (sunday) was inspiring too. it started out with breakfast too. then we went to adoration and it started out with just kneeling, singing some praise songs.. but then it started to get intense. this guy named gustavo is just.. a pro at making you just give yourself up to God. while adoring and praising, the music would be going.. the beat seeming to match those in my heart.. and gustavo would just yell and shout how we need to let it go; cry if you want to; give it all up to God because he will take care of you; because God loves you and he wants the best for you.. it was just so overcoming that i even started crying over adoring the Eucharist! today i really.. just felt Jesus. how yesterday (saturday) my heart was cleansed, but today it was just the cherry on top. i feel pure, i feel like I am God's child.

this whole weekend was a life-changing experience. not only because my boyfriend was part of it, but because i truly opened my heart and mind to what God can do. and i've experienced what he can do. i've never been this emotional about my faith before, but now i know that God is just... awesome. my God is an awesome. with wisdom, power, and love.. my God is an awesome God.

God, thank you for the retreat i just experienced.
it was truly... the best.