WYD Part 1 (Melbourne)

HELLO EVERYONE!!! I'm finally back from australia... Believe me or not, I am gone for only 2 weeks but I miss the sunny island, asian cooking, affordable meals, efficient transportation etc... Ok, apart from the inability to adapt to the living conditions there, I must say that the trip is really fulfilling and spiritually enriching experience for me. Our first stop was to Melbourne, which was stunningly cold and windy. During the week in Melbourne, I attended numerous P&Ws, participated in sharing sessions and there was even a healing session with Eucharistic Adoration. In short, it is jus like another YI, the difference being the people and the environment. Audrey and I also did a Blessed Mary Mackillop walk which turned out to be an urban hike around the city. Sad to say, we didnt manage to complete all the stations as we got lost a couple of times and we eventually gave up as the sun began to set. One of the unforgettable moments in Melbourne was standing out in the cold and enduring the rain at a late night concert. But all that effort paid off when we saw Gary Pinto (co-writer of WYD theme song) on stage and singing the theme song, Receive the Power. Thank God none of us fell sick that night. The commissioning at Telstra Dome was incredible, the songs that were sung really moved me, and it felt really good to see Catholics all over the world gathering together as one body of Christ to worship Him. I felt that the days in Melbourne was a good start towards preparing me for Sydney. Being able to sense the presence of God amidst our worship and praising is indeed heartwarming.