Sharing the Charis Experience is a feature in which retreat participants describe a Charis retreat or program which has touched their lives.

Sharing the Charis Experience
Amanda Caravalho
Catholic Center at the University of Georgia
October 2010

The theme for the fall Charis Retreat at the Catholic Center at the University of Georgia was Spirit @ Work. About 20 young adults from the community spent their Saturday together sharing in fellowship and reflection. The retreat team, led by Becky Eldredge, helped facilitate small group discussions, personal reflection time and the overall flow of the day. It was truly inspiring to see how everyone started to identify how the Spirit was at work within each of us. The talks given at the retreat were used to share personal experiences with each other and to specifically name times in our lives where we felt the Spirit @ work.

The first talk, given by Devyn, touched on a time when Devyn discovered that God was at work in her life. In what seemed to be merely a coincidence, Devyn was put in a position of leadership within her Youth Ministry Group at home. This opportunity was the beginning of her realization of a deep desire to continue to work with the youth of the Church for many years to come.

Kevin gave the second talk titled, "The joys and challenges of living my gifts." During his discussion Kevin touched on his beautiful gift of music and his struggles with how to share that gift with others. His inspiring talk ended with him performing a song that he wrote that brought goosebumps to all who heard it.

The third talk about "how the Spirit is calling me to use my gifts in the world" was given by Amanda. She shared a realization that she has lived a unique experience of being in a Military family and talked about how the Military lifestyle brought out certain gifts in her that she feels called to share with others going through similar experiences.

In addition to hearing some personal encounters with the Spirit @ Work, Becky provided tools to take home and use to strengthen our relationship with the Holy Spirit and to be open to hear what God is calling us to be and to do.

Everyone who participated in the retreat whether as facilitators or as retreatants left with new friendships developed and with a definite sense of the Spirit@Work!