Young lives: From August 19 to August 24, 2020, for 6 days and 6 nights our team traveled further south of Pakse.
With the help of the Monsignor, priests, congregations and local communities, our team was able to promote in five different places which are: the minor seminary, Phanone, Huaypheck, Khampeng and the village of Huaymood
We introduced the program to priests, did promotions to attract new candidates, and met and built relationships with our partners and alumni so that we could continue to journey together.
There were about 200 youth and children from the 4 villages who participated in these promotional activities.
Join the Taizé prayer in the village of Huayphek
Promotion in the village of Phanon
Lunch with the priests in the village of Phanon
Promotion in Khampeng village
Promotion in Khampeng village
IFFAsia Alumni Gathering and Scholarship Evening at Pakse Minor Seminary
Our first promotional event
Of our entire journey, August 19, 2020 marked a remarkable experience for the Young Lives team.
It was the first time we presented the program to the priests of Pakse.
The event was attended by around thirty people including priests, nuns, seminarians and young people.
It was a day of sharing the program, feedback and exchanging life experiences.
The priest and nuns gave a positive response on how the program can help young people acquire basic skills for their lives.
As they are always with people, they are aware of the reality and challenges of youth.
Home team's growing confidence
It was the first time for us to present the program in Pakse.
The local team is composed of three (3) young people from the three (3) Apostolic Vicariates of Laos which are Vientiane, Thakhek-Savanhnakhet and Pakse with the Program and Development Officer from the Philippines and their Country Manager from Malaysia.
Our local team was able to confidently present the program and translate for the foreign team members.
It may seem ordinary for other countries to be able to speak and translate in English, but not for Laos.
There are very few Laotians who speak English fluently. And for a country that rarely uses English at work or school, acquiring the language is a challenge.
The way they presented and handled the issues demonstrated how Young Lives has trained them to be more effective and efficient in their field of work.
Sharing our life stories
The presentation ended with the sharing of Ms. Aleona (an alumna of Young Lives and IFFAsia and a staff member sent by Fondacio Asia to coordinate Young Lives Laos) and Fr. Visien (rector of the seminary and alumnus of IFFAsia).
Aleona’s sharing focused on her journey of growing her discipleship since she began working at Young Lives Laos. At the same time, she shared the challenges she faces in continuing to serve full-time.
It was certainly not easy but it was worth preparing her for the mission in Laos.
Fr. Visien shared his growth on his exposure to cultural diversity and gender, being one of those priests who had completed his seminarian training after finishing high school.
His experience during the training at IFFAsia helped him in his priestly vocation.
Conclusion
This whole promotion experience helped us become more confident in our mission. We were so empowered and happy to share the goodness of Young Lives.
In addition, 20% of young people expressed interest in joining Young Lives because of this promotional trip. And of these, three confirmed their willingness to apply for our program.
This is just the beginning. We look forward to more students in the near future.
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