Around 30 young people gathered on August 17 and 18 for the mid-term retreat of Young Lives Yangon (YL-YGN), held at Pan Pyoe Latt Monastic Education Center in Kyaut Tan Village, Bago Township. Led by the YL team in collaboration with the NCYC team, the two-day retreat carried the theme “Launch Out into the Deep,” drawn from Luke 5:1-11, an invitation to discern one’s calling, listen to God, and respond to His mission through concrete commitments.
A Time for Prayer and Discernment
Throughout the retreat, participants were given generous time for silence, prayer, and personal reflection. They sat with questions that go to the heart of any formation journey: Who am I? Why am I here? What is God calling me to? These moments of honest self-examination helped participants recognise areas of transformation in their own lives and deepen their understanding of what it means to live out their mission authentically.
On the second day, the Holy Eucharistic Celebration was led by Fr. John Paul, NCYC Director, who also shared his own experience of mission with the young people. His witness added a personal and pastoral dimension to the retreat, grounding the spiritual reflections in lived faith.
Caring for Our Common Home
The retreat also included a tree-planting activity, reflecting the spirit of the Season of Creation. Participants planted trees alongside Dr. Ashin PanyoBahta, a Buddhist monk from Pan Pyoe Latt, who shared his own experience of mission and service. He encouraged the young people to see that caring for the environment and serving others are also important ways of living out one’s calling. The collaboration across faith traditions was a quiet but powerful reminder that the call to care for our common home belongs to all.
By the close of the two days, the retreat had strengthened participants’ relationship with God, deepened their self-awareness, and built new bonds of friendship and connection among them. More than anything, it sent them forward with a clearer sense of identity, calling, and commitment to mission, ready to launch out into the deep.