NET Canada

Hey!

Things are going really great out here! We are back in the thick of things, visiting schools,
putting on youth retreats and forming small groups. We also recently gave three
classroom presentations to a local high school. That alone is pretty amazing, seeing as how the schools are very secular here and do not usually allow people to come present things on their faith.

Well I have a beautiful story to share. Back in the fall, our team went to mass in a town called St Côme. I saw a young man during the Mass and felt convicted that I should talk to him afterwards. However, as soon as mass ended he walked really quickly to the exit. I practically had to run to catch up to him, but I did! I invited him to our next event and he came! He has now come to several of our events. He has also openly shared some of his struggles with mental illness with me. He has suffered a lot. However, he has a beautiful faith and God is bringing him through. I really feel as though God has been using me as an instrument in his life.

We recently had a leaders retreat this past weekend. The retreat was for those who are interested in taking leadership positions in youth ministry, specifically for when our team leaves. I invited him and he came. While there, he really opened up. He spoke about how he is often plagued with guilt and negative thoughts he can’t control. He also told us he hadn’t been to Confession since his First Communion. Seeing as how he is now 25, that means he probably had not gone to Confession in at least 15 years.

At the retreat, we had scheduled an hour of Adoration and had a priest to hear Confessions. We had been encouraging this man to go to Confession throughout the whole retreat. Well, long story short, he went! You could see the difference on his face afterwards. You could see the healing. As he prayed and wept before the Blessed Sacrament, I knew he was being embraced by the Lord. He looked so alive afterwards, like someone had just lifted a huge burden off his soul.

Great things are happening out here and I’m so happy to be a part of it.

God bless,

Zak
Les équipes NET (Rebecca, Josee, Andrée-Anne, Lisa, Sara & Matt)