It is with great joy that I introduce to you a young lay person, John Carlo David, a fulltime volunteer Campus Minister at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP). In his own words.
I chose PUP because it offers a very cheap tuition fee with an education of good quality. I am living in the dormitory near PUP. I seldom go back to Pampanga (his home province) as I do not have extra money to spend for transportation. That’s when I looked for an organization where I can continue my service in the Church and God led me to Campus Ministry.
Since PUP is not a Catholic school the Campus Ministry offers programs like Recollection, Retreat, Bible study and Faith-sharing, Values Formation, Spiritual Direction, Ecumenical Prayers and gatherings, Eucharistic Celebration and the facilitation of the reception of the Sacraments Confirmation and Confession.
The Campus Ministry has been my second home. It has helped me realize that poverty is not a hindrance to live meaningfully. It’s my Campus Ministry community who has led me to Jesus, developed me to be the leader that I am today and helped me discover my vocation as a missionary disciple.
Now I respond to the call of mission helping other young people who are deprived of financial resources to encounter Jesus.
During this pandemic we continue our mission. We stay connected. We meet in Zoom, share among ourselves our difficulties in life and how Jesus is encountering us in our present challenges.
We also help the university in cooking, packing and distributing food to students who have been stuck in their dormitories and who couldn’t go home to their families.
What I love most in being a missionary disciple is having a community of fellow young people journeying together with and for Jesus.
