S.E.E.D. 2010 - ĐÔNG BẮC

Hello cha, các cô chú và các anh chị,

It is hard to believe that we are just 13 days away from S.E.E.D. 2010 here in our North East Region. It is hard to comprehend sometime that we have been preparing for this event for close to 12 months to the day. In some way, it was a long journey; yet in other, it was an incredibly short journey. It was lonely path, but not always. There were many moments of desolation, but God had prepared me thru out all the years that I have been involved with Donghanh to process such desolations. God knows that I cannot journey alone in this so he sent me many companions. Some companions have traveled these road before and possess a wealth of wisdom that I can only dream of. They were there at the beginning of journey, they seem to appear out of nowhere when I am in desolation to give me companionship. Some companions are on the same road as me and traveling together with me. They shared my burdens and my joys, my desolations and consolations; they are guardian angels and my companions at the same time.

I knew and accepted the fact that S.E.E.D. is a formation program children and young adults, but never thinking that this was a formation for me as well. I have to learn to let go many of my preconceived ideas, I have to learn to trust others as we worked together and most of all, I have to learn to trust God and choose God in all things. To say that was easy would be a lie. There are times I wonder why bother. But just like I mentioned earlier, during those time, my guardian angels would appear and lift my spirit and renew me.

After S.E.E.D. 2009 completed, I started pondering about S.E.E.D. 2010 immediately. The temptation was to put it off and to recoup my energy. It was on car ride with anh Liem to work when I asked him whether he was tired with all the dong hanh and CLC-USA activities he was involved with? He answered me that of course he was physically tired but not spiritually draining. Can you say, my guardian angel? I took what he shared into prayer and it gave me energy to start the ball rolling for S.E.E.D. 2010.

Now that the ball had started rolling, we desperately searching for a location to have the retreat at. The lost of MIC center was a huge blow to me spiritually. I kept asking: God, you are not playing fair, you want your dream to be a reality, but how if you took away the one facility that was so good to us? How? How? Well, again, He sent His angels, notice the "s", He did not send one, He sent a "bunch". There were Mai An, chi Kim Son, anh Liem, Tien. They all suggested various camping/retreating options.

Narrowing the list was relatively easy, but before we commit, we need to physically checked out these location. How? I am physically tired and could never have driven by myself 6 to 8 hours in a day just to check out the facility. My prayer was again answer when Buu offered to drive with me. So the 2 of us drove 6 or 7 hours to check out the camp. It was all good.

Next came the part of working with the parents. During last year's S.E.E.D., many parents expressed interest in helping out with S.E.E.D. for the following year, but when the invitation went out, very few responded. This was arguably the biggest desolation that I have to over come. I kept recalling a verse from Lk 12:48 (From everyone who has been given much, much will be required; and to whom they entrusted much, of him they will ask all the more). The same verse brought me both desolation and consolation. But it was not until I turn and focus on God was I able to get past this desolation. Without fail, God sent his guardian angels in the form of anh chi Duc Thy, anh chi Van Huong, chi Thu, anh chi Tung Chi and most importantly QHuong. Not only that we were commit to dream's God's dream, we were determine to usher in the DSSE process to help support one another.

Inviting youth leaders also provided me with much desolation. Unlike other regions and other SEED program, Dong Bac's needs were well spread out. To compound the issue further, there was not one youth community in DB that have discerned and accepted that S.E.E.D. would be their ministry. So our retreat leaders had to come from all over the region. There were pros and cons with such arrangement. We made it worked in 2009, but can we repeat in 2010? From the 2009 retreat leaders, only 4 would returned, but only 3 would really be actively involved. We augmented with some new recruits. Thru this experience, God is inviting me to trust in Him and I am doing just that.

As if we it was enough, the cost for SEED this year would be more than triple last year's cost. How do we charge people to ensure that we would have enough money to pay for the center but at the same time being mindful that we cannot charge to much as that would make the retreat not accessible to many. The one solution was to do some fund raising. The money raised was not as high as other garage sales in the past, maybe it was a lack of leadership from me. But for me, the fact that God allowed it to happen at all and the fact that the community was in support of the effort was more important than how much we raised. It was truly an image of a community in mission.

Well, these thoughts are my S.E.E.D. journey in short. I have to "S"earch for way to serve God. Then when I found out the way, I have to "E"mbark on the journey. During the journey, I "E"xperience much desolation and consolation. I experience Love. It is thru these experience that I hope to "D"evelop a deeper relationship with my God and with others around me.

During the next 13 days, I would like to invite everyone to pray for all the parents, all the retreat leaders and all the children who are about to start their S.E.E.D. (oh and for my guardian angels too) journey. We also want to invite you to start your own S.E.E.D. journey so that you can be in communion with all us, a community in mission.

With much love,
Khánh
(Nhóm Hy Vọng - VA)

PS. this sharing was a result of the dhvirginia meeting last night.