Life Teen Leadership Conference 2011

Recently, I was blessed with the opportunity to attend the Life Teen Leadership Conference at Benedictine College in Atchison, Kansas. I went with our Life Teen coordinator Scott, our Edge coordinator and Life Teen assistant Natalie, and nine other fantastic teens. The conference was 5 days long, and each day we attended several sessions with inspirational talks about how to be leaders in Christ and form our lives around Him. We had reconciliation the first evening, experienced adoration 3 times, and went to daily Mass at St. Benedict’s Abbey on the college’s campus. I could spend hours and hours talking about everything we did and everything that I learned, but what I have gotten most out of this experience is how God has moved in my heart.

As a member of Life Teen for the past two years, I have been on several retreats. All of them have been powerful, but none of them compare to the power of LTLC. At LTLC, we were challenged to be leaders in our parishes. One recurring quote and theme that really stood out to me and made an impact on my heart was this quote by Pope Benedict XVI: “You were not designed for comfort. You were designed for greatness.” At LTLC, we were truly called to greatness. It is no secret that greatness requires sacrifice and dedication, but we were always taught that we need to become comfortable with being uncomfortable. The path to God is not always comfortable, but it is worth it in the end when you are rewarded with His love and grace.

Throughout the week, we heard from incredible speakers such as Mark Hart, Eric Porteous, and Randy Raus. They taught us about how to be leaders in the faith, how to stay rooted in the sacraments, and how to live holy lives with our families, our friends, and our relationships. But above all, we learned that God’s love will carry us through anything if we trust in Him and pray unceasingly. At the beginning of the week, every conference attendee was given a Life Teen journal for taking notes on the talks and for journaling. I am proud to say that by the end of the week my journal was almost full. To this day I continue to look back every day over my notes as a reminder of all of the lessons I learned.

At LTLC I gained more than just a fantastic new relationship with Jesus. I also gained a new family of brothers and sisters in Christ. Every evening after the final session of the day, each parish group would meet together and recap their day to each other. This time together was called the Parish Download. Before we left for the trip, we promised Scott, Natalie, and each other that we would make our Parish Downloads powerful, and we did. Our very first night, we each shared the weaknesses and struggles that had been weighing on all of our hearts. We laughed together, we cried together, we prayed together, and we grew stronger as a family. From that day forward we were completely at ease and open with each other. We prayed for each other and helped guide each other to Christ. We also became close with the rest of the LTLC community. Once the conference was over and we all returned home, we decided to use Facebook to stay connected with each other, pray for each other, and keep the fire for Jesus burning in all of our hearts. After only a day the group had over 120 members, all asking for prayers and praying for each other. I am so blessed to have found such a loving family through LTLC, not only in my own parish but in the greater LTLC community.

I came back from LTLC with more love and devotion to God than I have ever felt before. I am a changed person, and I am happier than I have ever been before. LTLC is an experience I would recommend for anyone who is looking for a deeper relationship with God. When you ask, He answers, and I truly feel like God has answered my prayers and given me new life. My prayer is that I continue to grow in my faith, and I am so excited to live my life with this new-found love for God. Peace be with you all, and God bless!

Alexandra Cohen, Junior at Chaparral High School