Eight PLW Children were held simultaneously, with a total of 200 participating children. Six of those workshops took place in areas of high vulnerability and hardship, while two were held in more central locations. However, the first thing the Guides highlighted was the children authenticity and the depth of what they shared; they participated actively, and despite having limited financial resources, every child paid for their own materials.
The guides recount that they were somewhat apprehensive about the Desert experience because the children are restless and mischievous; however, it turned out to be a lesson for the guides themselves to see the children so deeply engaged in their tasks, sitting still and quiet throughout the entire duration of the Desert.
There was a moving testimony from the Good News session. One girl said: “I shared the Good News with my uncle who doesn’t believe in God; he says he does, but he doesn’t come to church. So, I told him: ‘Jesus loves you, Jesus rose from the dead; we have life, and we must have hope and be happy because Jesus rose.’” At the next gathering, she shared that her uncle had actually accompanied them to Mass. All of this was expressed with the conviction, sincerity, and innocence of a child.
