Tuesday 29 July 2008

The Adventure of a Lifetime - World Youth Day 2008

World Youth Day 2008

I'm back from Sydney now, where I have been on holiday during World Youth Day for a few weeks. And what a time it's been! World Youth Day 2008 was definitely the most memorable experience of my life. The whole week was a time of great joy and faith in Sydney, and the entire world.

For those who were watching, I documented some of my experiences during WYD on this blog. In the upcoming weeks I will run a series of photos here relating some of the key events that occurred during the time of WYD. The video shown above is a compilation of photos taken by me and my brother who also attended, to the WYD theme music "Receive the Power" by Guy Sebastian and Gary Pinto.

World Youth Day was special for me in many ways. Firstly, I was able to come together with youth from all over the world - over 170 nations - to unite and share experiences and culture. I met many new people, especially from Canada and Chile, with some of them even offering places to stay if I ever travel to their part of the globe! The number of flags visible was amazing, and everyone was very willing to share culture and faith.

One of the most beautiful things about World Youth Day was the atmosphere. There was a great sense of peace and friendship that I have never before felt in Sydney, or anywhere else for that matter. Everyone was ready to lend a hand with directions or whatever happened to come to hand. And an amazing thing happened - you were able to step on a train in the middle of Sydney and be greeted with a cheery "Hello!" or perhaps even a song. I don't know what it's like in other parts of the world, but normally in a big city in Australia if you say "Hello" to someone you're likely to get a cold stare. This transformation that came about was certainly beautiful to behold.

Another great thing was the hope and joy I saw in the young people around me. They all had a hope in the future that is becoming rare today, and rejoiced in the current moment without "stressing out" about the dozens of things that could have been worrying them. Without being careless, everyone was able to maintain a joyful attitude which also helped them to care for others.

World Youth Day 2008 - Flags

There's no way I can describe everything that World Youth Day has been for me in mere words. I hope that this and the next few posts will convey some of what I have experienced, but as with any great moment it is impossible to explain fully. I can only say that it has been a life changing event for me and many others, which I will be building on for the rest of my life.

Has there been a great moment in your life, or a life-changing experience you would like to share? Leave a comment and discuss what has been special to you.

6 comments:

  1. I agree , it was a great experience. The joy ,hope and fellowship united as one was very powerful. Let's hope we can move forward together to make a better world for everyone.

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  2. Nice of you to experience that... :)

    Anyway welcome back.. :)

    Hoping to see your beautiful photos again.. :)

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  3. Thanks for sharing and welcome back.

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  4. Hi Anonymous,

    Thanks for your feedback here. From what I have heard all of the pilgrims experienced some of the spirit you have mentioned, so it's good to hear another great testimony to the WYD experience.

    God Bless,

    David

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  5. Hi this is kishore, I have been visiting this blog from 3 months. Lovely blog to read, keep posting good articles. And i have a blog too, visit it in free time and my blog is ALL ABOUT NOKIA

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  6. Isn't it wonderful that God knows no bounderies? He is everywhere, always and forever. Your video was very inspiring. I loved the song too. This is my first time to your blog, and you are a very talented photographer. Keep up the great work:)God bless you for your testimony...

    ReplyDelete

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