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part 3 - a shared
spiritual vision
It was the summer
of 1997. I had experienced the joyous presence, friendship,
forgiveness and love of Jesus at two powerful Come and See retreats.
Both had touched me profoundly and both had brought me to a deeper
understanding of my soul, its contents and its possibilities.
Nonetheless, I did not even begin to realize its potential... my
potential, nor the story that would unfold until others had pointed it
out to me.
It was late
August when I received an unexpected phone call from my own “ban duong”
of my first Come and See family. This phone call and the events that
followed would change my philosophy on life and my vision for the
youth of my community forever.
On the other end
of the phone was Co Thu. She asked if I had ever thought about
becoming a “ban duong”. She told me that she and the few current
leaders all believed I had great potential as a budding sugar friend.
To my disbelief, she requested my presence in Montreal that coming
Labour Day weekend to attend the “Hop Mat Vung”, the annual gathering
of Canadian Dong Hanh groups.
I thought long
and hard before making the commitment. At 17 years of age, I
questioned my possession of the maturity, experience, and “holiness” I
thought was required to guide others through their spiritual journey,
especially when I had only recently embarked upon my own. With
further thought and the support and advice of my parents, my fears and
anxiety slowly subsided.
I decided to take
a chance on both myself and the potential they had envisioned in me...
a potential I still found difficult to visualize for myself.
As the youngest
of the six Torontonians who attended the weekend gathering, I arrived
feeling relatively inadequate. However, with the warm welcome
provided by our new French-speaking friends, I managed to feel
sufficiently confident to share my views, my hopes, my dreams, my
visions, and even my French. I was also able to witness first-hand
the power of a bond; a bond established by a group of men, women and
youth, blessed by the grace of God, and based upon a shared spiritual
vision. A bond which inspired me deeply and opened my heart to the
endless possibilities and capabilities of a group of driven youths.
I returned from
my weekend in Montreal with a newfound confidence in myself and in my
potential to contribute as a future ban duong. Most of all, however, I
returned knowing that there is so much to be done; so much that can be
done, to bring together a similar group of youths in search of the
same shared spiritual vision.
The following
spring at the next Come and See retreat, I was able to experience a
great deal more than simply a change of roles. I experienced a
magnitude of love, enlightenment and devotion I had never before
witnessed. With less than twenty people in attendance, many of which
were merely acquaintances upon arrival, every single individual
present genuinely wished to be there. No one had been forced by their
parents to attend; everyone arrived wanting to delve deeper into their
spirituality and into their relationship with God. As a result of
such objectives, I noticed a dramatic difference in the atmosphere of
this retreat. The intensity, the sincerity, and the openness of heart
were truly a beautiful thing to watch unfold. The most amazing part
about this particular retreat was what followed. No one wanted the
profound experience of this past weekend to disappear with time and
with the winds of change. Hence, for the first time, Chien Con was
born. A group formed in order that we may meet monthly to reopen our
hearts to the beauty we had experienced that weekend; to remind
ourselves of our devotion to God and to bring into focus our shared
spiritual vision. These were our objectives.
Since our first
meeting that June in 1998, Chien Con has almost doubled in size.
Having just celebrated our 2nd birthday, as a Chien Con member I feel
we have a great deal of which to be proud. We have matured and
accomplished much in our short existence, and continue to take on more
exciting responsibilities and new challenges. Our leaders consist now
of young, perseverant, original Come and See-ers: a constant source of
energy, creativity, and dedication. Our members vary in age ranging
from 13 to 25, are very diverse, and are all talented contributors to
the group’s success. There is a mutual understanding and friendship
among the members. Together we have tried to contribute as much as we
can to both the local and Vietnamese communities. Chien Con spends
time at the Toronto Food Bank during it’s frequent food drives, at the
St. Francis Table serving food to the less fortunate, and fundraising
for the needy in Canada and in Vietnam, as well as for our own group
events. We organize our own retreats and try to send representatives
to the gatherings in Montreal and in the U.S. It is our hope to host a
Youth Gathering in the near future for all to visit Toronto and see
what the entire Chien Con group is about. Chien Con has even marked
our stage debut in our vibrant rendition of “Grease” at the annual
Christmas Van Nghe. Our 29-member cast delighted the crowd with an
energetic and memorable performance. In fact, brainstorming has
already commenced for our next performance this Christmas...though
Grease will prove to be a tough act to follow.
I believe that
the birth of Chien Con has realized my dream to have a Vietnamese
Catholic youth group here in my community. Although similar to any
group, we have our conflicts, our weaknesses and our areas requiring
improvement; Chien Con has changed my life and my vision for the
Vietnamese youth of Toronto. Three short summers ago, I was given the
opportunity to go to Montreal, witness and be touched by power of a
bond. Today, I look at Chien Con and I see the development of that
same bond; I see the sense of belonging, the friendships, the intimacy
with God, and a void that would exist should Chien Con ever cease to.
There is no greater source of pride, accomplishment, and satisfaction
for me than to witness the continued development of Chien Con and to
know that in some way, shape or form many hearts have been touched and
opened.
In light of our
shared spiritual vision, I would like to end with this quote:
“Think us not as
human beings embarking upon a spiritual journey;
But rather
spiritual beings embarking upon a human journey...”
Much happiness,
love and peace,
Toronto, Canada
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