hypomoné

I saw God so present this past saturday. It was the one day retreat i planned for my nghia si kids... this was the first retreat i was in charge of planning and executing... the conception of this retreat was basic: to focus on the idea of love. God's love for us, our love for others, and our love for ourself. So there came the title and theme: Love, Like an Ocean... i guess i liked to play with the ocean metaphor and design for decorations

Not gonna lie... there were so many little things to do for this retreat... alot of prepping... i mean, the planning was all in my head, but once i physically wrote it down and began the prepping process, you can say it was kinda hell for me LOL.... ive always helped retreats but never have i ever been in charge of one. i had so may ideas, but execution wise, it was extremely lengthy and i appreciate all the prep work into a good retreat now... i realize that i had SUCH big aspirations and visions for this retreat... and i truly truly truly thank the huynh truongs who i have who helped me achieve that vision. from the ltitle things, to providing the location, helping with food... set up, clean up, leading group sharings... i am so blessed with the love and dedication from the huynh truongs who i get to work with....

this retreat really was a combination of retreats that ive personally experienced...choosing activities that are age appropriate... there was a mix from silent retreat, seed retreat, my junior retreat and walk in faith retreat in high school, confirmation retreats, and from just being in TNTT also... 

This was my first time being on the other side of the retreat, usually i just lead sharings, but this time around, not only did i plan it, but i did all the background stuff and made sure we followed the schedule and everything... that was interesting. i always felt that as a group leader, you get to experience the graces from the kids first hand, but i still felt the many graces God had to offer that day... kids wrote me letters, i saw them open more, i saw them reflect, i even saw them enjoy a whole day without their phone.... and yeah just so much love and hugs and laughter... I am so blessed...

Of course God made it possible... all the people who donated or supported in some way... omg... the kids too... aggghhhhh retreat high????? i dont like that term, but this is a different type of high.... this retreat wasnt for me, it was for my kids... and it was different this time around.... maybe im jjust growing older and have a more mature view on retreats..

at the end of the day, this retreat made me love my kids even more, love god even more, and really appreciate my life a little bit more

heres a pic of my kiddos

I guess I really should be doing these alot more... but I'm happy to say that this past weekend has been a blessing really. I should reflect more and be thankful because my weekend literally has blessed me with so much. the more i think about it, the more i think how it was a nice balance of my life..

I saw God present through my good friends i got to hang out with friday. I got to complete an interview on Saturday for my research for a file that was hard to get a hold of. on saturday, i also was able to teach my giao ly kids about safety and whatnot. one of the little boys said im a person to trust. i also taught them to sing with me.... too precious... i got to catch up and spend time with two of my sponsor kids this past weekend... that was really nice too. ALSO, i had a 10 page essay due monday... and somehow i was able to divide my time nicely between two days

then tntt on sunday... and i did an award ceremony for the kids... honestly, seeing their smiles really warmed up my heart... i can't deny how blessed i was this weekend, with so many people who i love and who love me...