March Break Retreat – Personal Reflections

Jocelyn Chung

This past march break retreat was so many things. It was meaningful, fun, special, and memorable. It was a time of reflection on our own lives and a great time of bonding for all the members of hi-c who came, as well as the ksm hi-c students. Despite the language barrier we all grew extremely fond of each other and connected in a way that can’t be described in words. We all let down our guards and made ourselves vulnerable to one another, which only made us closer. Our one-on-one sharing time was a great opportunity for each of us to step out of our comfort zones and actually talk to people we usually wouldn’t approach. Thanks to pastor Simon, the hi-c community has truly blossomed into a welcoming, and loving environment where everyone has a place and everyone can be themselves. I, as an exec am so extremely proud of the family we’ve become, where we not only laugh and have a good time together, but are connected on a deeper level; through Christ. It’s hard for us to express how much we all love each other without shedding a few tears, and I thank god everyday for this community that we are so fortunate to have. We are all truly blessed to have such a solid group of people to turn to. I hope and pray that our hi-c continues to prosper and become even greater even after myself and the other execs have graduated. Thank you to everyone who came to the retreat and made it as special and successful as it was, I will never forget it!

Jocelyn is on the Hi-C Executive and is in grade 11.

Jonathan Chung

During one of our Hi-C exec meetings with Simon the topic of a march break retreat came up.  It’s been a couple of years since our last one due to low interest and just a lack of Hi-C members still around during the march break.  I still remember the last march break retreat the Hi-C had; I was just starting off my years as a Hi-C member.  I remember it being a tear-filled one because it was the last retreat for one of Hi-C’s most beloved teachers, Will Chung.

In all honesty I didn’t think the Hi-C was going to have another march break retreat, so you could say I was pretty excited when the execs started to talk about the possibility of rebooting them.  And I’m so thankful that we actually decided to do it.  Thanks to Pastor Simon and Pastor Dave, the teachers, the execs and In Kee Moksanim, this was a very successful weekend and even God helped us out by changing unexpected and unplanned moments into beautiful ones.  In such a short amount of time we have not only gotten to know more about God but also have become so much more closer with one another; creating new bonds while further strengthening the old ones.  However, throughout the entire retreat I felt a certain sadness in my heart.  The one you get when you know you have to say good bye soon but you just don’t want to leave yet.  It was even worse for me because I finally got a glimpse of what I’ve been working so hard for these past few years: the Hi-C becoming a family.  A bit like how Moses was not allowed entry to the Promise Land; I can see this beautiful Hi-C community but I won’t be a part of it anymore.  But I’m also thankful I got a chance to see it actually happen, because I was completely prepared to not be able to experience my vision for the Hi-C.  So as my days as a Hi-C come to a close, I’m going to cherish every moment spent with this crazy but beautiful family and thank God for letting me meet each and everyone of them.

Jonathan is on the Hi-C executive and is in grade 12.

Sarah Choe

While planning for the retreat, the execs and Pastor Simon and Pastor Dave all met to discuss the vision for Hi-C. We all agreed that we wanted the Hi-C to be more than a place where we came on Sundays because we had to. We wanted people to be comfortable and included no matter what. I really liked Simon’s message (Connectivity vs Isolation) because it was relevant to our vision for the Hi-C. It reminded us that we should care deeply for our friends and want to be close to them. I feel that at the retreat our Hi-C was able to connect with each other. We all opened up to the group in a way that is hard to do with other people. I’m amazed at how we’ve created an environment where people are able to feel comfortable sharing what is going on in their own lives. I also hope that the other Hi-C took from the messages given by Pastor Simon, Rev. Kim and Pastor Dave. They had really valuable insights into our faith journey and I they helped me see things differently. I hope that the Hi-C and I can take this spiritual high and grow from it. Of course, another amazing part of the retreat was just having fun with friends. Overall, we’ve become much closer (they’ve all seen me cry now) and I’m so proud of them. I hope that we keep the connections we made on this retreat and that Hi-C will always be a place where we feel like one big family.

Sarah is on the Hi-C executive and is in grade 11.

Paul Jang

While planning for this retreat, we all envisioned a Hi-C where no one is left out, everyone cares for one another and a place where we can share comfortably.

We definitely took a large leap towards that goal, this retreat we were able to get closer with one another and share our deepest thoughts, thoughts that we would not normally share with even our closest school friends.

Before the retreat, the ESM Hi-C and KSM Hi-C had always been somewhat divided. Not only because of the language barrier but it was hard to see each other since our service times are different. However just spending a few days together it was amazing to see how well the two Hi-Cs connected. It was great to see some of the KSM Hi-C attending the ESM service this sunday!

One of the highlights of the retreat was when In Kee Moksanim came and answered a lot of questions that the Hi-C had about God, it was an eye opening experience for some of us who have never really thought about these things and I definitely learned a lot.

We were also able to have 1 on 1 conversations with someone else and learn about someone who we may not usually talk to on sundays. We all opened up to one another and just talked with each other. It was a great experience for all of us. Overall this retreat we were able to bond together on a deeper level.