Liwanag Winter Retreat was an amazing experience. It was absolutely wonderful bonding with my brothers & sisters over the weekend and I'm SO glad that we have grown closer from this retreat.
Anyway...I couldn't sleep well in that house because it freaked me out! Luckily I had to wake up early to make breakfast with my fams and St. G-rude and that was a lot of fun. Our breakfast burritos were BOMB, for serious. Eggs with cheese, hash browns with cheese, and bacon all wrapped in a tortilla with a touch of salsa= DELICIOUS. Haha... Saturday's morning and afternoon activities were great, having the chance to have small discussions in our groups. But the night activity is what touched me the most. I truly felt God's presence in the house and it was overwhelming. The only time I had felt touched by the holy spirit was during a retreat at the Steubenville conference and I'm glad I was able to experience it once again.
One of my fears is being vulnerable in front of other people, but that night, I truly let my emotions show. There is something very humbling about Liwanag. They create an atmosphere that allows you to let your guard down and to be placed in the state of a complete spiritual high. At least that's how I felt and I was able to cry without feeling weak, lonely, or ashamed because I had them surrounding me, to comfort me. It was then that I felt an intense amount of love in my heart for this family. A love so strong and something I have never felt before. This love fulfills me in so many ways and I cannot express how much Liwanag has impacted my life.
I am so grateful to have gone on this retreat and it was very touching to see what people wrote to me in my little brown bag. It truly lifted my spirits and made me smile. Hopefully my letters were able to do the same. I had so much much to say to everyone, especially Liwanag core for all their hard work and dedication, but I tried my best to keep my letters short and sweet. Coming back to Interfaith on that spiritual high was amazing and I'm glad we got to end retreat by serving at mass together. Seeing the Alumni come out to support us was humbling as well and it was a true testament to what a TRUE FAMILY Liwanag really is. This weekend was just what I needed, especially since finals are in two weeks. I just have to remember that I am loved and everything will be okay. God will not give me anything that I cannot handle and I must continue to be strong and to persevere.
LIWANAG FOR LIFE. <3
