The ecumenical Youthcamp of True Life in God 2009 took place as it has each year at the Karasch family farm in Stausberg, Germany. The theme of the camp was to “scout” our own life path to discover the plan that God has prepared for us and to follow this plan. It means to think about whether we are called to marriage or the religious life. Our helpers in this endeavoer was the whole heavenly family, especially our Blessed Mother “Consolatrix Afflictorum”, and Fr. Stefan Park (vocation director), Fr. Petr Simara (a parish priest from the Czech Republic) and the hostess and organizer, the mother of 5 grown up children, Barbara Sierp-Karasch. There were about 18 young participants coming from different parts of Europe: (Germany, the Netherlands, Hungary, Ireland, Spain, Belgium, England, the Czech Republic) and Canada.

The day after our arrival day, Monday, was a day of meditation and prayers, speaches, and relaxation. We needed this time of repose since we had to muster enough energy to participate on a pilgrimage to a Marian shrine in Kevelaer near the boarder to the Netherlands.

On Wednesday the weather was cold, windy and rainy but we believed that it couldn‘t be better First we went by car to a bicycle shop where we borrowed “dutch fashioned” bicycles. Riding the bicycles was quite comfortable and all of us managed the 30-50 kilometre long journey to Kevelaer and then to the castle in Wissen. The weather got better; it became windy, but warm and sunny. In Kevelaer we briefly greeted our Blessed Mother in a small chapel, and then we had a delicious dinner that was prepared for us by a young couple. They imparted their testimony of how they met each other and they spoke about marriage. Our questions were answered. In the late evening we arrived at the castle in Wissen. We stayed in the private rooms of the owners for two nights. We were accomodated in old chambers with precious but touchable furniture, nice curtains, and old pictures on the walls. In the complex of the building was also a chapel where the holy mass was celebrated twice. Thursday had to be the fasting day, but it did not seem so. We had our bread and water, (tea, coffee) breakfast and lunch in precious porcelan dishes. In the dining room there were wooden walls decorated with paintings of family members. In the morning it was rainy, so we waited for better weather.

It was time for a talk. Father Stefan spoke about prayer. That afternoon we spend in Kevelaer. We had time for prayer, buying souvenirs, visiting the churches and chapels. After the freetime, we meditated together the Stations of the Cross. At these chapels, there was built for every station a small chapel with statues. The chapels were situated in a large park near a cemetery. All around there was a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. During our prayer sessions, we held candles and at the end we dedicated them for our intentions outside of the Chapel of Candles. Jesus speaks about prayer at His Stations in the messages of True Life in God:

“I am God, creature, be at My Stations; desire Me only at every Station; I stand at every Station; I will be at the Stations of My Cross and I want you there; I want you to kneel at My Stations;” May 29th 1987

On Friday, on the way back, we visited the town Xanten and its church. In the crypt of the church, there was a memorial of some people that died in “laagers” during the World War II. We prayed in a silence for a moment, did sightseeing inside and then we rested in a Café on the townsquare. The weather was rainy. There were a lot of showers. Consequently, we had to ride in the storm and heavy wind, but we were protected by our raincoats and we could change our wet clothes and have a big portion of a warm meal in an Italian restaurant. We wanted also to visit Cologne, but had not enough time.

On the weekend we spent the time with relaxing, walking, talking, praying. We also had holy mass every day. On Saturday evening, there was the holy mass for the healing of our family tree, and a prayer for healing with the annointing of holy oil. After this followed the all night adoration. It was a special time for meditation and prayer in the living presence of Jesus. The whole week of our camp was now at the end.

On Sunday there was a campfire in the afternoon, Chili con Carne was prepared, we shared also our feelings and experiences and Monday was the departure day.

“I am very grateful to God to have joined the camp. I have rested very much and obtained new power to go on, especially in a new schoolyear in my work with students. I did not hear, as father Stefan said, “a voice coming from heaven” telling me, which way I should go, but I think, I will work on the first step, as my friend said, to give ourselves completely to God. I have enjoyed the bicycletour-pilgrimage very much. We could speak to each other during the way or simply enjoy the countryside and meditate. Very powerful for me was also the holy mass for the healing of our family tree, when we prayed to be cut off from evil things which bind us and I felt more freed and more rooted in Christ. What a pity to leave from this peaceful and friendly atmosphere, but I knew, that God is sending us to bring this supernatural Peace and Love, that we tasted during the week, there where we usually live. And live more ‘We, us’, the unceasing prayer.”
– Anna

“I finished June with great tiredness: physical and spiritual… I was empty… and I remember that I said to the Lord ‘I feel too tired; I don’t think You are able to revive me in so short time’ and I was sincere… I doubted… but thanks to our prayer and our love in the Lord little by little I felt the energies coming back and even during our cycle trip, the day we had rain and thunders, I felt a joy unknown to me at this point… may God be blessed”