It has been a long time since I last posted something long in my blog. Hehe. Well, I finally gathered all the courage I need to sum up my meaningful experience in the recently held World Youth Day 2023 in Lisbon, Portugal. Who would have thought that I would be able to participate in this worldwide event.
Everything is grace.
World Youth Day happens every two years. Because of the pandemic, it was temporarily postponed. When announcements about its resumption were posted online, I couldn’t help myself but to feel excited and thrilled about it. It is my dream after joining the Diocesan and National Youth Day. I always tell myself that I should join the WYD.
Seeing some of my friends participate in the WYD. I thought that the process was easy. However, in our diocese, we need to really prepare for about eight months. We started our formations, retreats, and meetings since November. Our organizing committee was so strict about the attendance. We are not allowed to be absent twice. But this formation allowed us to be prepared and equipped with the right mindset before joining the WYD.
We worked on our visa applications last June. I must say that this nerve-cracking application was so stressful. Nobody knows whose visa will be approved or denied.
Flight and Arrival
We took the plane from Manila to Dubai, then Dubai to Lisbon. That was more than 30 hours, considering all the time zone adjustments, layovers, and waiting time.
We were given two complete set of meals. These meals are soooo tasty and fun to look at. It was prepared with care. Even if my taste buds were not familiar with some ingredients, I learned how to savor this new experience.
On Transfer Flights
While we were transferring from one place to another, we saw a lot of delegates from other dioceses as well. Some are from Manila, Cebu, and Pasig. We were making loud noises because we just feel like we ought to say hi or hello to our kabayans.
Moreover, aside from other delegates, when we passed by some shops in Dubai, some store clerks are saying hello to us in Filipino as well. They are asking where are we going. Some airports staff were also saying hello to us and even asking us some Tagalog words.
There were wash rooms for showering and for hygienic needs. I think I need more practice in keeping myself clean quickly.
First Impressions
After 8 hours of travel from Dubai, we finally reached Lisbon. We were welcomed by their clean airport, and white halls. There was a huge JMJ logo that reminded us that we finally arrived at Lisbon Airport.
The immigration welcomed us with a smile, as we easily showed our passports and bid farewell to them. We headed to our next destination.
From the airport, we rode the train and head on to Siete Rios where a bus station is located. From the bus station, we rode a bus going to Tavira. This place in Portugal will be our host for the Days in the Diocese. This was four hours away from the main city. We slept on our way to our host diocese.
After four hours of travel, we finally arrived at Tavira. Some volunteers fetched us and led us going to the main venue. I thought everything was going to run smoothly. We had a hard time pushing our luggages because of the cobble stones in the city. But I am not complaining. I try to see Jesus in every difficulty I face.
We arrived at a school, and we stayed in a school gym. Our DiD kits were given. We were given a bag, lunch box, and water bottle. Surprisingly, all our meals will be put in the lunch box given to us. We need to wash the food containers every time we need to eat.
This 30+ hours flight really humbled me. I realized that I am just a small dot in this world. That there is so much bigger world out there that I have yet to see! 🙂
Days in the Diocese Highlights
Days in the Diocese is like a pre-world youth day program where we have to stay for a week in a specific diocese in Portugal. In our case, we were assigned to stay at Algarve, Tavira.
Algarve, Tavira is a wonderful place. We arrived earlier on the official date so we have a lot of time exploring the place.
Algarve, Tavira is a seaside town that straddles the Gilão River via an old Roman bridge. There are obblestone streets, hilltop castle, and a lot of churches. Golden beaches are just one boat-ride away.
1. Cultural Presentations and Welcoming Program
This was conducted during the third day of Days in the Diocese. Our delegation presented “Tayo na sa Antipolo.” Watch it here. We also danced La Copa de Todos. There were also other nine countries who were with us that time. Some were from Mexico, Mozambique, South Korea, Canada, and some French-speaking countries. (Sorry I forgot.)
What I love about their presentations was their uniqueness and creativity. Everyone wore their national costume, and presented dances and songs gracefully. Everyone hyped them up. The crowd was indeed joyful and participative. Everyone was so proud of the richness of their roots and culture.
I realized that even though our cultures were different, we all have similarity—and that is the culture of joy.
2.Immersion in Tavira (Skate Park)
We were divided to several groups for our immersion. Some went at the beach to clean, some went to a nursing facility, and our group went to clean a skate park. I belong to Group 5.
Our task was to pick up rubbish in their skate park. From our venue, it was a 20-minute walk. It was so hot and the weather was not so conducive for walking. Still, we finished cleaning.
It was so difficult to clean especially if every corner was already clean and tidy. Still, we forced ourselves to look for trash, no matter how small was it.
After the clean up, we talked to our groupmates and fellow pilgrims. We exchanged tokens and asked about our backgrounds. It was a fun conversation. Everyone seemed so welcoming and nice.
Aside from cleaning, we also had cultural immersion. Again, we were divided into groups and were assigned to different activities. My cultural immersion was a train ride around Tavira. We joined a group tour and saw some unique places in our location. It was a fun experience.
After the train ride, we joined the Zumba at the public park. We also ate ice cream, tried their iced coffee, and bought some post cards.
3. Send-Off Mass for the World Youth Day Proper
We joined the bigger group this time. There were thousands of pilgrims during the send-off mass. Still, everyone was so welcoming and warm. They all greeted us with smile. We exchanged tokens. We talked. We took photos with them. Then, after that, the Mass started.
What I love most about the homily is this:
“My dear young people, if I send you as pilgrims to WYD, I ask you to return to your countries as missionary disciples. Whoever leaves as pilgrims and meets Christ, never returns with an empty heart. He returns as a heart full of Christ.”
General Thoughts:
We all love the people in Tavira. They are so accommodating. In one of our masses, a neighbor of their chapel gave us refreshing ice cold water. It was so helpful that time since the heat was scourging.
Moreover, I also love how each one of us communicated despite not knowing the same language. I believe we all communicated through the language of love.
I love the entire city. It was a reflection of the wonderful culture of Portugal. All houses have tiles on their walls. Their stones on the road are so sturdy. Everyone values sleep and siesta.
I have a lot of takeaways and new learning. As I’ve met new people, I realized that I have to be more open and warm to other people. I confess that I tend to be an exclusive person sometimes. I believe that a faithful Christian welcomes fellow pilgrims with a cheerful heart. Just like how Mary greeted Elizabeth. She greeted her with sincerity.
I will be writing about the World Youth Day 2023 Proper next. Stay tuned? 🙂
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