Hey you! Yes, I’m talking to you. (Sorry, don’t mean to be disrespectful if you’re older.) Now that I’ve got your attention, I can dive right in....
I know it’s been many, many months since we’ve written in detail, and it’s been an even longer time since we updated the JY Worldwide News page. For that, I ask your forgiveness for 3 things: my laziness, tardiness, and tiredness!! In any case, it’s time to start moving forward and get some hearts, spirits, and feet moving and dancing! Ok, wait, wait, before you skim through the rest of this email, give me a chance. Come on, come on, I know we’re all busy, but seriously... how long has it been since you’ve really had some great fellowship, where you laughed, cried, rejoiced, let loose, and released yourself to the freeing Spirit of the Lord? Do you feel like you don’t know why you’re praying, and that it’s just the same old cycle? Do you feel like you’re not getting adequate fellowship from your group? If it’s been a long time since you’ve felt “refreshed”, we have just the thing for you to look forward to....what better way to celebrate and truly experience who we are as young people in Jesus Youth than gathering as one unit together, from all different corners of the globe, to celebrate our reason for living (and to remind ourselves as well!)? For this reason precisely, we are reminding you about the upcoming grand event and encouraging you to attend: International Jesus Youth Gathering 2002 in conjunction with Youth Arise International Festival & World Youth Day 2002 July 18th – 28th Ottawa/Toronto, Canada What better way to celebrate our faith, our heritage, and our traditions than with the millions of other youth in the world who love the Lord and belong to the same family of the Church?! Answer? There is no better way! So you’re probably wondering, “Where is this going to be held?” and “Who exactly is participating in this?,” or, “How can I find out more?”, or even, “Are you crazy?? How in the world do you expect me to pay for a trip like that?!?!” Well, I only have one thing to say: God will make a way where there is no way. Leave the details to Him...He’s an excellent event planner. :) As Jesus Youth, we are planning to have a gathering to use it as a time to grow in our faith life, using resources and techniques of learning, and to have fellowship with one another in the process. There are so many of us who have been communicating with each other for years, but have never gotten the chance to meet in person. This will give us the prime opportunity to do so, expanding the global network in the process. I’ll bet you want to know what’s going to happen there, right? Well, for starters, since it’s a Catholic event, you can bet that there will be frequent sacraments like daily mass and confession. In addition to that, you’ll get to attend different workshops that will help you learn how to live out your faith in a more fulfilling way (application), open your eyes to the truth about teachings of the Church (catechesis), and use the different means of media to entertain and educate the artistic side of the soul (concerts & drama). World Youth Day is a life-changing experience...I can vouch for that from my own experience last time in Rome during the Jubilee Year 2000. It was a tremendous time of grace and mercy. I long for all of you to experience that as well. The actual event wasn’t what moved me to the depths of my soul...rather, it was the experience I had with those I traveled with, that completely changed my outlook what it means to live a Christian life. (see archives for details) I really want every single one of you that’s reading this to go through that experience as well. It’s a time for healing, it’s a time for forgiveness...most of all, it’s a time for Christian love. Moreover, we can learn a lot from each other if we really make an effort to make this event a success. There’s so much we can do to help ourselves grow as a result of this gathering!...I’m at a loss for words to adequately express my desire that each and every one of you be blessed by coming together in Christ’s name with all Catholic youth from around the world ... all 2 million or so of us that are expected to attend.  (Now if that isn’t a party, I don’t know what is.) So, does it sound worth it yet? If so, at the JY Worldwide page, you’ll soon find a flyer that will give you more information about who to contact in your local area. Those listed on that flyer will have details regarding the dates, cost, travel, food, housing arrangements, and registration information. We will be collecting names and other contact information for now and will get in touch with you to fill in the paperwork soon after. If you’re still not sure about this whole thing, you can still talk to one of your local contact people and they’ll be able to convince you. If not, I will have take all of us through boot camp again. :) Have a very happy and fruitful New Year in the Lord. As always, take care & God bless! Love & Prayers, Leese (Lisa) Philadelphia, PA, USA **************************************************************** This mail is generated from JOYnet, a Jesus Youth mailing list. To unsubscribe, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe to this mailing list, visit http://www.jesusyouth.org/joynet For automatic help, send a mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] In case of any issue related to the mailing list contact [EMAIL PROTECTED] ****************************************************************
