SEEK23: Seeds of Friendship

By Tim R., Alumn

I had the pleasure to begin this New Year with Con-solatio by joining them at the SEEK23 conference in order to spread the news of our mission and invite others to participate. When my family asked me what I would be doing while at the conference, I replied that I really had no idea what to expect! It turns out that what awaited Mara, Andie, and I was truly a gift. 

The mission of Con-solatio is both to give and to receive in the beautiful exchange of love which God has invited us all to experience. That was certainly our experience at the conference as well. For a whole week, from morning till night, we were blessed to be among thousands of young adult Catholics and to have many encounters with them. Each morning we would entrust the day, ourselves, and all those present to Christ. Through little things like sharing a cup of hibiscus tea or playing a ring toss game, we were able to get to know many people, and they had the opportunity to get to know us as well.

Just as in the mission, God gave us many surprises: a young adult with a desire for more, a heart moved by the simple call for presence, etc. Many seeds were scattered and many friendships were born. I was reminded of the quiet but urgent need for simple friendship as I met the people who passed by our booth and saw that many decided to return to spend more time with their newfound friends. Thank you for supporting Con-solatio through your donations and prayers! Please join me in keeping all the young adults present at the conference and around the world in prayer.