My name is Maricel Daquioag and I am a part of the CFC Youth ministry of Hawaii as a Chapter head. Prior to the 15th Annual CFC-Youth Conference, I learned the tools of Faith, Hope and Love by attending the previous ones.
But to be honest, I have not been lead to any direction in putting them to good use. I still carry all these excess baggages on my shoulders about my family and desperately needed answers. With our Lord’s perfect timing, He finally showed me the path through this year’s theme, which is TO MOVE FORWARD IN HIM. What better way to pursue the goal for the greater glory of God than to move forward with your family, whether they are in the community or not.
What inspired me the most were the testimonies of different families through their struggles and how they sought the Lord as a whole. Usually during meetings, we do not physically see the examples of an actual CFC family because each member is branched out to their respectful ministry (CFC, YFC, KFC, etc.). A lot of sharings given during meetings or camps are usually on individual experiences. So it was not really until this conference that I truly saw the meaning of the quote “A family that prays together, stays together.”
My family is not in the community and hasn’t been going to church together for over three years. So during session 2, when the speaker asked each family to pray over each other, I felt that longing for a family under God. Although my family was not there, I prayed for them the hardest that I've ever done in my life. I prayed for my father to make time for us, for my mom to find healing, for my brother to come home safely from Iraq and for me to be used as His instrument to unite us all in prayer once again.
In order for me to move forward in Christ, to be lead to His heavenly kingdom, I certainly do not want to go and leave my family behind. With all that was said and done at the conference, I was given the strength to finally have the courage to ask the question I always longed to ask which is, “Daddy, can we start praying the rosary again?” Through a long talk with the start of that question, we learned to finally open that door of healing within our family. There are further issues as to why we do not come together as family, but I know that by starting with praying as one, God will do the rest to heal all of us. I just need to have that faith in Him, hope for unity in my family, and love them regardless. So that together, we can finally move FORWARD with HIM as a family.
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