Hello, I have recently truly become devoted to God. I have gone to a Catholic school since I was in kindergarten and was always told that I had to believe in Christ. All the way up to grade 6 I was taught religion as a class that was treated like math. You learn all about it are told to believe it but, aren’t really experiencing what it’s like to be a Christian. Last summer I went to a camp. A ranch/bible camp, I really only went to be with horses. Oh I got so much more than trail rides, and games and all the other fun camp activities. I was told for the first time that it was a choice to accept God, it’s a choice that’s completely up to you. There’s no right or wrong disision. I had always been told “this is what’s right now believe”. I’m the type of person who if I was told to go clean my room I’d do the opposite but if given a choice would do that and more. It’s all about the wording. I thought about it for a while and decided because I had a free will through the whole thing to go through with it. I was amazed and experienced all of Gods love and realized what I was missing out on. So fast forward to next summer: I go to the exact same camp expecting to feel the same joy and discover so much more but sadly am disappointed. I learnt so much but I didn’t experience that same overwhelming feeling of joy. Oh well. I came home from camp and slept for nearly three days straight!! Something extremely unusual for me, I’m usually very energetic and people have a hard time keeping up with me. My mom took me to the Kamsack hospital emergency room and I was emidiatly diagnosed with liver failure. I was rushed to Yorkton for more blood tests and then Regina. I was under quarantine for two days because they didn’t know what I had or if it was contagious. Later on the seccond day I was airplane ambulances to Edmonton where I spent 2 weeks getting to know my roommate and nurses and doctors. I was diagnosed with autoimmune hepatitis. I missed a few months of school to recover when I came back I nearly went crazy. The bully in our class was worse than ever during the two weeks she was still at our school I got a chair thrown at me, many vicious glares and much more. The most amazing part is that the night before I had prayed to be shown why he had gotten me sick. He let me get sick to protect me from the bully. So a year later I am finally in remission. Except I don’t like that word. What does it really mean? You have a disease that could kill you. But don’t worry it’s currently sleeping. So I call myself completely cured. I…

I grew up in a good home, with a good family. I had a great childhood, but as I got older around the age of nine, I started to have a sense of dread always looming over me.I am not saying that I was never happy, it was just harder to enjoy my life, I felt that I was almost a waste and that I ruined everything and everyone I met. When I was in grade 5 and 6 I had trouble getting along with other people and got into some fights. Then I met my best friend at the time. In grade 7 I had lots of fun, got good grades and was happy, but in grade 8 that changed. It was some where around april or may and I got sick and was out of school for 3 days. when I got back all of my friends wouldn’t talk to me or help me with what lessons I had missed. I spent the rest of the year alone, I went for walks off school grounds so no one would see me by myself. Grade 9 started and I had a good class and made some new friends but there were not enough teachers and the classes were re-arranged. I was really stressed and nervous, all my new friends were in other classes. I started cutting and cut until march of that year. I tried to get some help and went to the counselor, but during my second session he told me and I quote” Megan, I don’t believe you have any problems, you have good grades and some friends, just keep your thoughts to your self”. Things got better and I kept in touch with the friends from the beginning of the year and made new friends. That summer went well. Then September came and I started high school. I was terribly nervous and couldn’t eat or sleep. When I got to the school on the first day I only had one friend and she was in a different class on a different floor and I didn’t know any one else. I started to think off cutting again but now on the fifth day of grade 10, my first year of high school, I am still falling apart and hopelessly confused but feeling better. Michael really helped me at my grade 10 retreat. so thank you for that. There is still hope for me yet. – Megan

I was about to be a sophomore in High school and I was spending a week at a summer camp at Forest Glen camps, called Brave The Wilderness. This camp changed my life, and it made me realize why I was catholic. After that week I became very passionate about my Faith and God. I started making several retreats after that week with my older brother, who had just discovered that he wants to become a priest. Each retreat I went on changed my life in different ways, and the most affective one since Brave The Wilderness was the SHINE Catholic Work Camp in San Antonio, Texas and I heard Michael Chiasson speak. It brought me to tears and I cried from the time he was halfway done with his speech to the time I went to sleep that night. My life has been changed in only good ways and I now realize why I’m Catholic and why I love God. -Sarah

Hey, Im Thomas, 18 and a recent high school graduate. School and my faith never got along. Because of the small town I live in, we had a christian and public middle school, but only a public high school. When I was a grade eight student at that christian school, I lost faith. We had all gathered outside at recess, and one kid was being teased. I stood by with the other bystanders to witness what was happening. When I approached, I heard that my peers were mocking this student, on the fact he goes to church. I froze. At a Christian middle school, a kid was being verbally and physically abused for practicing Christianity. Suddenly the bullies looked at me to join in with an insult. I couldn’t speak. I just stood their not wanting to believe what was going on. I was terrified. As I stood in silence, the looks of my peers got more intense. Finally one said, well do you or do you not think going to church is stupid. I muttered yes, to keep them from tearing me apart. That was the day I hid my faith. For the rest of grade eight until part way into grade ten, my faith was completely hidden. I stopped praying daily, I would make excuses to not go to church and youth group, I even hid my bible and crucifix under my mattress, like some explicit material, just in case friends showed up. I started to further myself from God, and the people that knew my religion. I built new friendships, and did stupid stuff. The summer between nine and ten, I went to discovery camp, like every summer. It was that one week I could be Catholic Thomas, not the Thomas I wanted my friends to see. At the end, like all retreats we received a gift bag of prayers, pictures, rosaries, and crosses. That summer I received a small gold cross, on a gold chain. This cross now was my mask. When I wore it, I was myself. When I removed it I was hidden. I was a copy. I was something I wasn’t. At this time it was now November. Every morning I would walk to the front door of my school, remove my cross in fear of the bullying for being religious, and walked in. That semester I had gym in the mornings. One day, while changing, my friend looked over at me and said, “Hey, I didn’t know you were catholic”. Flashbacks from grade eight shrouded me. I stood silent, trying to think of an excuse. I meant to say no, its my grandpas, or no Its my uncles, but instead yes came out. I flinched, knowing I had just opened myself up to the bullying that I witnessed at a christian school, and know at a public school I felt weaker than ever. “Cool”. All he said was cool. No insult, no laughter. Just Cool. For the last two years I had…

I grew up with a good catholic family and I grew up knowing God was there for me. In high school everything has changed. I started to party and do drugs, I was afraid of being rejected so I did what I could for people to like me. At a party I was taken advantage of and just shrugged that off like it was nothing. I kept partying and smoking and things just kept getting worse. I started getting bullied so much that I could hardly walk the halls without being scared. I’d get called names anytime I’d walk past people and I was torn. I didn’t want to live anymore. This summer I went to a week long camp I go to every year and I always tell myself I’d change, but I never did, until this year when I actually have changed. I don’t party or smoke anymore and I am much closer with my faith! “Your love never fails, it never gives up on me”

My story is one of transformation. I grew up with low to no self-confidence, always trying to live up to the expectations of others and never feeling good enough. This caused me to become a perfectionist. Unfortunately perfectionism means you will NEVER be good enough since humans are not made to be perfect. In grade 11, however, I went on a retreat and began my personal journey with God. I made the decision that I didn’t want my parents’ faith anymore. I needed my faith to be my own. After this I began to feel this yearning that I didn’t understand. God was inviting me to learn more about Him. He was constantly pouring out His love upon me but I didn’t know how to accept it. I thought I was unlovable. I constantly expressed my love to my friends. It was so important to me that others knew they were loved. Through this, God began to show me that I am loveable. His sacrifice, as expressed in John 3:16, wasn’t just for the entire world but it was for me. Unconditional, indescribable, sacrificial love. God loves me in a deep, personal and intimate way. It has taken years for me to learn but I can now confidently say that I am loved, I am beautiful, I am enough. I am a daughter of the King and that is all I’ll ever need. I have been transformed.

i went to the event today and got an amazing opportunity to listen to your talk. i just wanted to thank you for how much you changed me. i didn’t know how much people had such broken families and it made me really thankful for mine. i really took for granted how much my family loves me and you opened up my eyes to that. i show a lot of respect for those people and you. you taught me to love myself for who i am even if i feel like i’m too fat or ugly. i thank you for making me feel like i really do have a purpose in life and that is to be myself. thank you thank you thank you! -Alyssa

so i told my dad what happened today and how i couldn’t hold back crying. not even a word was said but he grabbed me and hugged me then whispered “I’m proud of you” .. and this moment was electrifying for me because i don’t even remember the last time my dad ever did anything like that.. and i just walked down to my room silent, with a tear in my eye.. i just want to thank you again for today. please don’t forget me -Christian

I have a lot going on in my life right now, my parents just got divorced, im 2 months pregnant, and i have depression issues. I honestly wondered if I wanted to stay on this earth , but today, everything that you had said, made me change my mind. I never stood up when you asked people who have had family issues to stand up, because i was scared, but i honestly regret it . What i really wanted to do today was to get up on the stage, and tell my life story , and i should have. you gave me courage to say things i never thought i say to people today , and i really just wanted to thank you. -Peyton

Hey. I am a grade ten. I have been having a hard time with my family lately. My parents are always fighting and my family is passing away and I’m losing everyone I cared about. My girlfriend of 9 months ended up leaving me also. My aunt died. And my grandpa is getting both legs amputated. And having all this happen at once made me hate my life. And it was rough on me. I wanted to give up. And I started doing drugs. I came to the retreat today with my head down , but I left with it up and with hope. Listening to your speech and your life made me feel like you knew what I was going through. It made me feel like there was still hope and good things to look forward to in my life. It made me wanna never do drugs again , and do better things with my life. It made me appreciate who I am , and that God created me for a reason , and my reason is to help make a change just like you did. I want to be just like you. And to go around the world helping those who struggle. And to make a difference. I’d like to thank you for coming to speak to my school , and I’d like to say that you have impacted me, and made me want to change the world. -Jordi

Thank you, you’ve honestly helped me. Back in march my grandfather passed away from cancer and my family isn’t so functional either and for a while now I’ve been contemplating suicide and I’ve hurt myself before. My father was an alcoholic and he abused my mother and I. Last I heard of him was he was doping up on heroine. I just wanted to share my story cause not many people would understand what I’m going through and I just wanted to thank you today I’m feeling a lot better now. -Tyler

You saved my life. I have family problems, and i have relationship problems. I’m depressed and torn .. but for a moment with you speaking, I knew I wasn’t alone. I’d love to tell your my life story if it would help at all, it’s complicating, and sad and sometimes tragic. But if i could help a person who feels like me, smile just a bit. I’d do anything i can. -Jessica