As I pass through high school, I have to thank God that He introduced me to friends who were from different religious backgrounds including hardcore atheists. I was bombarded by different questions to say the least. The questions were thought provoking since I have never really studied my faith. I could have easily ignored the honest queries and dismissed our often deep discussions. Instead, I was on fire to search the answers for myself. I was inspired to search deep within the actual teachings of the Catholic Church to understand consciously what it was to be a real Catholic.
After only a few short months of diligently reading the Catholic answers to the most common questions about the topics of God, life, love, faith, salvation, church, etc. It soon became clear to me that those people who have something against the Catholic Church were simply misinformed.
During these first few years of discovering my faith — it was during my senior high school years — I had a few girlfriends I was romantically involved with, since I was seriously thinking of getting married when the time presents itself.
With relentless determination, passion, enthusiasm, and the perseverance to pursue God's will, I focused on exploring what was available in terms of what captured my interest as possible direction in life. As long it was legal, ethical, and morally good, I jumped in with two feet, ready to serve with the best of my abilities.
After high school, I was given the burden and the blessing of having too many options to choose from, with regards to my post-secondary life. At first, I thought I wanted to become a social worker.
I pursued the idea of social services through various ongoing volunteer jobs in the community like the Heart and Stoke Foundation of BC, the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, SHARE Food Bank, and HEROS Search and Rescue.
However, as it turned out, after high school, I got into an internship pioneer program initiated by the Human Resources Development Canada for students who have an aptitude for business sales and marketing, which granted me the experience to enter the world of Telecommunications. Immediately after the program, I worked full time as a junior marketing assistant in one of the start up companies in downtown Vancouver. At first it was exciting to say the least— to be working along side business professionals — but eventually I got bored after a year. I needed more meaning than just earning a good salary.
Finally, at the age of 20, I decided to join the Canadian Forces Army in order to challenge myself even further and serve Canada. Ironically enough, as an Armoured Reconnaissance Army Corporal that I learned to live out my faith even more consciously. I would not have survived the intense boot camp if not for my faith in God's grace. I remember how much I prayed for God's strength moment by moment to help me through the three month military training. And with God's inspiration, I succeeded without any problems, while others who were more physically able, did not last past the first week of rigorous training.
For the next several years I traveled with my Army regiment, going on military exercises across Canada and the US with the intention of preparing for an overseas peacekeeping mission.
Ironically enough, it was during my time in the Army that I grew much deeper in my spiritual life, especially when we would be on foot patrol in the middle of the night, hiking deep in the woods in deafening silence, overcoming the many obstacles to reach and accomplish all the given tasks that were assigned to us as Reconnaissance Soldiers.
I enjoyed the sense of adventure, the discipline, the structure, and the camaraderie among the many friends I developed in the armed forces.
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