CHRIST ENCOUNTERS ON LIFE'S CROSSROADS | KAIROS GLOBAL | JANUARY 2021

Author: Nimmy Alex

Intro: Nimmy Alex shares how the various Christ encounters of her life, starting from home, were guideposts that led her to discover her charism – bringing youth to Christ.

My Domestic Church 

I was blessed to be born into a Catholic family as the youngest child. My parents moved to Bangalore from Kerala for better prospects. They were blessed with an elder son, Sabu Varkey who went on to become an international hockey player. Their second child, a girl, Beena Varkey was an angel sent from heaven for me. She introduced Jesus to me, always took me to Jesus Youth gatherings and imprinted the image of Christ on me.  

My Second Home

Mary Immaculate, a convent school under the Apostolic Carmelites was my second home to experience Christ. The annual retreats, the daily morning walks for Mass, helped to lay strong foundations for my Catholic faith. As I continued my education at St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore (a Jesuit institution) and later began working as a lecturer in St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, the conviction to be a Catholic missionary wherever I am planted, has only grown stronger.

Lessons Learned along Roads Travelled 

From my first Christeen retreat in grade 7 up to my full-timership training in 2003, the Lord gave me plenty of opportunities to taste his goodness. Since grade 12 onwards, I was actively involved in the audio-visual ministry, was member of the first Bangalore Campus Team in 2000, along with active participation in weekly campus prayer meets at St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore.

In 2003, the forty-five days of intense full-timer training, the commitment day, the additional three months of resource training, the remaining year which abounded with beautiful experiences of prayer, Bible reading, session preparation, long travels and acquaintance with almost all Jesus Youth families at Kochi opened up a new horizon of Christ into my life. 

The Holy Spirit inspired me to spend quality time making conversations with Jesus, to read three different parts (Psalms in the morning, New Testament in the afternoon and the Old Testament at night) of the Bible. Reading the entire Bible was and will be the ‘biggest achievement of life’. 

Was blessed to meet many living saintly couples, whose inspiration convinced that every Catholic family is a domestic church, a factory of saints and today I have my own family with Alex Nicholas and three children Nick (10 years), Theresa (9 years) and Hannah (4 years). We still travel to JY gatherings, reach outs to gather youth, always keeping our home open for all youth to grow in Christ.

The formation I received in Jesus Youth helped me to lead Praise and Worships, instilled a deep thirst to pray in tongues, to go for regular confession and to always live in union with Christ. It has made me more confident, vibrant and dynamic and has played a pivotal role in making me a determined mother and a versatile lecturer.

The Road Ahead

After my full-timership, I continued my higher studies in Trichy, Tamil Nadu where I continued my JY involvement. During this time, two of my JY elders introduced me to the Teens Team. Being part of the National Teens Team since its inception helped me understand teenagers to accompany them in their faith journey. Along with Rhea Eugene and Bijo Cyriac, we scripted a book called Companion, which had daily acts of charity based on ten themes for ten months designed on the same lines of our basic Kerygma. 

This exposure helped when we moved to Australia after marriage to gather twelve selected teenagers, with whom we faith-journeyed for two years. They were called the ‘12D’ for whom we did monthly gatherings like screening movies, outdoor Rosary walks, outdoor games, saint-costume days, advent calendar, etc. 

And in 2015, when I walked into the campus of St. Aloysius PU college, Mangalore to teach, to guide, to love, to hold my students close to my heart, I was reminded as to how my Lord had already created a special place for teenagers in my heart. 

Tough Terrains

The struggles in comparison to the learnings were few. There were moments of rejection, but it reminded me of Christ on the cross who suffered and endured it all alone, in union with God the Father, through whom he rose again and lives forever. And when I started sharing my life experiences with students, I realised that in going through those hard times and enduring it, I could help those who struggled with those same issues. Struggles, rejection and loneliness helped me to depend more on Christ as the Word of God in Nehemiah 8:10 says, The joy of the Lord is my strength.

Countless Blessings

The fruit of knowing Christ from all avenues of life beginning from my home, school, JY platforms, Jesuit education, struggles, joys, travels, reach outs, formation programmes and the six pillars have helped me to be rooted in Christ. Today as a family when we reside in Mangalore and look out into a world yearning for God’s loving touch, we try our best to continue to inspire all whom we encounter on the crossroads of life.

All the Glory to God!

Nimmy Alex resides in Mangalore, India with her husband Alex Nicholas and their three children. She is a lecturer at St. Aloysius PU College and has been and active in the movement for the past twenty years.