(Pictured: Sue with Rector Major, Fr Ángel Fernández Artime)

This year I was invited by Don Fabio Attard to attend the School for Youth Ministry Delegates in the Pisana as an official translator for the English speaking provinces. Although I did say beforehand that I felt it would be too challenging Don Fabio thought it would be beneficial to me in my role in GBR.

So I went for two weeks to the Pisana where I sat at a table with my headphones and microphone making the poor English speakers suffer through my work.
At the meeting there were 55 people from 48 provinces "over half of the world represented here" said Don Fabio often through the course. I was out of my depth but in awe of the experience. At times of reflection and sharing I joined the English groups to share on my own experience as Animator for GBR. I found the method of learning very useful, we spent time learning the Congregation's new Frame of Reference for Youth Ministry of course but the department also invited speakers from a variety of experiences to speak to us, the new ideas for the Valdocco area, managing budgets, managing deadlines of many projects, the actual mandate of a delegate and the history of how it took root.

As well as the input, we met a number of the General Council who came to give goodnights and of course the Rector Major came to speak to the delegates reminding them of the responsibility they had to the formation of the young confreres.

In our "siesta" time we had inter regional sports competitions, many of us playing sport for the first time in a long time. I played with them through to the semi finals but then it got too serious so I watched Europe win.

A few evenings we had fantastic cultural fun, dancing, singing etc. One of the moments that I and many others kept in our hearts was the goodnight from one of the priests from Syria. He showed us a video of how much destruction there has been and what the Salesians were doing now they have decided to stay with the people. The most moving part is the fact that they have no other option but to live each day in joy and accepting the present moment as all they could be sure of. Fr Simon asked only for prayer and he himself was a great witness to joy throughout the course.

I am so grateful that this journey of mine has given me so many opportunities to meet real Salesian hearts and this was a great experience of worldwide Salesians of Don Bosco in which once again I felt at home.

Sue McDonald, Salesian Youth Ministry GBR