Last week, 12 youth from Holy Spirit joined the retreat up in Zephyr Point Conference Center in Lake Tahoe. All together, there were 145 high school youth and 70 adult leaders. It was a fantastic retreat and a blessing to be back in Tahoe. Here is a reflection from Sydney Youn, a first time participant at DYR:

Last week, I was fortunate enough to go to Lake Tahoe for the Diocesan Youth Retreat (DYR). I went with one friend, who was the only person I knew. I was nervous not knowing anyone else and was expecting to only have her to keep me company. Within a short time, I started connecting with other youth from around the Diocese and with our amazing leaders. I quickly came to the realization that this retreat would help me branch out and meet others who I would not have had the chance to meet otherwise. Throughout the week we shared experiences such as messy games, where we bonded in team building exercises and learned to trust in each other, and small groups, where we were able to be honest and open ourselves up. My favorite part of the week was Sunset Mass, in which we were able to worship God through nature and through His creation. It was an experience I wish everyone could be a part of.

The theme of the retreat was “Worthy”. It reminded us that we are all worthy of the gifts we have and of God’s love. We learned this through inspirational talks, and small group discussions. This theme served as a reminder that I am worthy and there are so many who care for me, especially God. This retreat was better than I could have imagined and helped me to create a stronger relationship with God with the help of my peers.