MISSION TALK BY EMELIN MATHEW | KAIROS GLOBAL | DECEMBER 2018

Author: Emelin Mathew

Intro: Emelin Mathew is a teenager from Canada, who along with two other teens went for a mission exposure trip to India in 2015. 

Missionary zeal was one of the many things that attracted me to the Jesus Youth movement. I think about those original 12 disciples who were sent out to the ends of the earth to share what they had seen. They voyaged to foreign lands with different languages and beliefs and told people about Jesus of Nazareth. I think of Mother Teresa and her ferocious love for the poor and neglected. I think of the Canadian Martyrs and their experiences with the First Nations people. These and so many others were not afraid to leave their comfort zones, their homes and families and meet people who were in need, giving themselves wholly. It seemed so fulfilling and brave. I wanted to do it too. 

After hearing about the experiences of some other JYs who took one-month missions and came home with a changed outlook about their faith and life, I started praying about giving a month for mission as well. And in August 2015, I travelled to Tamil Nadu with two other JY Canadians for one month. I was still in school at the time, having just completed my first year of an undergraduate degree in Biology. 

During this one month, I met Jesus through the sacraments and people. A recurring verse that kept presenting itself to me in that month was, “You didn’t choose me; it is I that chose you.” I believe God chose me with my imperfections and blessed me with the opportunity to travel to the other side of the world to meet the Jesus Youth there. I was inspired by their fire for the Lord and all the sacrifices they make on a daily basis.

Meeting the children at Shishu Bhavan and spending time with them brought immense joy to my heart. It was amazing to go to Velankanni, a place where Mother Mary had appeared so many times. Offering up intentions, we walked on our knees towards the chapel where Mary appeared to the milk boy. When I started to pray for one of my own personal intentions, I felt Mary walking beside me and telling, “Lets pray together for others.” She told me not to pray for my own intentions. I felt very close with my Mother in Velankanni, and it is an experience I will keep close to my heart. 

Being able to spend time with JY families was in itself a beautiful experience where I observed missionaries at work. I was inspired by all the families we met and was able to learn a lot from them about how they live the JY lifestyle and a life for Christ. We travelled to Pondicherry and spent time at Snehaleyam orphanage for boys and at Arul Ashram where we spoke with the kids, taught them some praise and worship songs and prayed with them. We were also able to spend time with the JYs in Cuddalore where we participated in a prayer meeting. 

But the most memorable experience I had was in Erode. We stayed with a JY family and for the next two nights we stayed in a village called Ekatur. The people in the village were full of God’s love. They welcomed us into their homes with open arms and taught us more than we could have ever taught them. I was touched by their caring, selfless nature. On one of the nights they performed some dances for us and I even surprised myself by doing a dance for them! I am usually a shy person, but they brought out of me a boldness and joy that was hidden deep within. We visited some of the families that were being supported by the OCS (Outreach Child Support) initiative. We went around visiting families and prayed with them, asking them for prayer requests. The people of Erode have something special and it is the love of Christ above all else. 

I have grown in my personal relationship with Christ, especially through the Word of God. I have a yearning which I didn’t have before, to read the Word. My love for adoration has also grown. Every day in that month, the schedule was busy and we would be travelling from place to place. When we visited Jesus in the Eucharistic adoration, I felt a wave of peace wash over me and it felt like I was at home. There are so many experiences to share but ultimately through every experience, Jesus was with me, protecting me and giving me the boldness I needed to profess my faith. We even evangelized to some women in the local bus which was initially challenging, but I felt a rush of joy as I was talking about my God experiences. 

One day, I was able to talk 45 minutes with some grade school students about the importance of the Holy Mass and the sacrament of Confession. I remember being nervous about talking to such a large group of students but before entering the school, I stood by the door, pressed my palm on the white wall of the building and sincerely prayed for those kids, that they may be touched by Jesus.  

At the end of that month, I travelled back to Toronto and prepared for my new semester as a second-year student at Western University. It was true that the one-month mission was over, but I realized it was time to ask Jesus for strength, and for my lifelong mission to begin. I felt a call to be a missionary in my own home. To share Jesus in my lecture halls, laboratories, and with my friends. That September I called a few of my friends together at my apartment on campus and we talked, and prayed together. It happened again the following week and the week after that with a few more people joining. This is the fourth year of Jesus Youth Campus ministry at Western University and I praise God for planting seeds in our hearts and for continually giving us graces to be bold and share our faith with all those we encounter- to be missionaries wherever we go.