|
Hello from
Quebec, Canada.
As I write this
letter to you, there is a snowstorm outside. And yes, Quebec is
opening the Winter Carnival today as well. It is always the peak of
winter that we have the Carnival, which lasts two weeks. The
weather is around -20C up to -40C. You cannot imagine the cold
piercing through your flesh. But don’t worry, during summer, it’s a
whole different world. As you walk down the Old Quebec in the
afternoon, stop by a restaurant and have a beer (for those 18 and
older) or a lemonade (under 18), it feels like being in Europe...
romantic, charming, cozy. The people is so nice. And the weather is
beautiful as it is in Toronto, Ontario.
Ah, Toronto�a
big Metropolitan in the province of Ontario, Canada. I can tell you
more about the city, the ways of the Ontarian, the Chinatown and the
exotic fruits, and the breathtaking river walk along the Ontario
Great Lake. But I have to let you discover and experience all that
yourself...perhaps with friends from Đồng Hành who will meet you
here for the World Youth Day. Did I mention that the Niagara Falls
is one of the Wonders of the World?
As you may
recall, at the gathering last summer in Allentown, PA, the ExCo
discussed the plan that the Dong Hanh Youth Ministry will organize
and take part in the World Youth Day. At that time, we only
“welcomed” the plan with one condition, “Let us see what we can do.”
A few weeks
later, I received the email from chi Hường asking about my location
and contact information. The subject line reads “EMERGENCY.” I gave
the requested information, and in two hours, the phone rang. It was
Hường.
“Hi, Cha! How
are you?” (I can hear her smile.)
“Hi, Hường. I
am doing fine, and you?” (I started to wonder...emergency and still
smiling?)
“Cha, I have
wonderful news for you. You were appointed coordinator for the
World Youth Day 2002, in your country. Will you accept? Oh, and
anything you ask, we will do...I mean your way or no way.” (I can
hear her smiling again. Hường, did you just set me up? If you did,
you will pay for it. Believe me, May 4, 2002...you will taste it.
On May 4th she will embark on a journey with a lucky man named Tùng.)
“Woaw. Go
slowly girl. Get off the horse and come again slowly.” (I took a
deep breath. Yes, I already guessed what this is about. But if I
could buy some time by asking her to go over the details, maybe I
can come up with an excuse to not accept. I cannot stay in one
place? I already signed up for many retreats? I need permission
from my superior? Any reason seems legitimate as long as it can get
her to consider asking another priest. And I told her all my
reasons.)
“Don’t worry
Cha. (She always says that.) I will call the groups on the
retreats and ask them to change the dates. We can contact by email
more. About your superior, I will ask anh Quang and cha Tuấn to
write to them. And about your.” (You see, for everything, she can
make me “not worry.” And all the while, she was smiling too.)
“Let me think
about it okay Hường.” Again, I tried to sneak out by buying time.
About a month
later, I received an email about “the issue” again. This time, I
did not try to buy time for I had been seriously thinking about it.
I talked about it with someone familiar with World Youth Day, and
more importantly, I prayed about it. I emailed back, “Yes, I
accept. But if anyone bails out on me, I promise I will drop it
too. And it’s still 'my way or no way,’ right? Remember it OK
Hường. My way and I will say yes.”
She replied one
sentence, “YOU HAVE MY WORDS.”
The process
began...collecting information (thanks to Yến Xuân), addressing some
concerns (thanks to anh Liêm, anh Trung, Clara, anh Quang, and cha
Tuấn), and discussing (thanks to everyone’s feedback).
The process
continued. Three weeks after the email was sent out announcing the
event, more than 100 people signed up. As of today, we have 240
people signed up for the World Youth Day 2002 in Toronto, Canada.
Brothers and
sisters in Christ, YOU ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH AND THE LIGHT OF
THE WORLD. WELCOME TO TORONTO, CANADA. WE WILL SHARE THE JOURNEY
AND WE WILL RECEIVE. I look forward to taking my journey with you
to share with you and to receive your stories. See you in Toronto!
Have a
wonderful journey.
Bonne voyage.
Hành tŕnh b́nh
an.
|
