This retreat was a blessing in so many ways. As one of the older kids in the fellowship, I could honestly say I wasn't that close to the highschoolers. They seemed so distant and it felt even hard to communicate with them sometimes. Other times, us college kids tended to be exclusive and chose only to hung out as a smaller group. Going through this retreat though, I really got to know everyone better. I have a tendency of judging people before I get to know them. I know it's a bad habit but it's hard to change. I'm getting there slowly. During this retreat, I had to really break down a lot of preconceptions I had of people. By doing that, I learned to discover that everyone had something worth loving about and I really learned to appreciate the relationships I have.
I am so blessed to be surrounded by so many selfless and loving people. It's been 6 years since I started going to fellowship and I still remember the first times I went. I was that shy little girl who didn't speak up and always stuck with my circle of girls. Everyone spoke Cantonese and I felt so out of place. I thought the guys were so obnoxious and it just didn't feel right being there. But as God planned it, I stuck it out. Now 6 years later, I'm one of the "oldies" and everything has fallen into place. It's where I've made some of my closest friends, people who will always have my back and pray for me. I learned to tell true friends apart. People who I thought were important to me left my life. People I thought I hated became my closest friends. I am so grateful I have this family.